Murphy shouldn’t be flying all over the country | Letters – NJ.com

I was truly dismayed to read in The Star-Ledger that Gov. Phil Murphy is to become the head of the Democratic Governors Association. He stated that “my job is to get incumbents reelected and challengers reelected.” No, his job is to govern New Jersey, not flying all over the country like former Gov. Chris Christie did in 2014 when he was head of the Republican Governors Association.

Christie was out of New Jersey for over 140 days during his chairmanship. How many days will Murphy be away from New Jersey?

I guess this is the first step in getting national exposure.

Roberta L. Reddy, Morristown

Don’t let vaping lead to more COPD cases

Your editorial connecting vaping to addiction and risk for smoking was spot on (“Vaping a national crisis that can’t be ignored“).

We need one more state bill to address known long-term effects. Vaping chemicals alone add to the risk pool for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. COPD’s exploding numbers make it the third-leading cause of death. A new generation of children will add to the 30 million who have COPD, with an estimated 15 million more who are undiagnosed.

COPD usually shows symptoms in our later years when it is a progressive, irreversible slow death of one’s lungs. If caught early, people can live a long, healthy life. It is better to spend a few dollars screening instead of billions in added health care costs and massive suffering.

Linda Kilcrease, Dover

N.J. working to help troubled children

Recently, an executive director of a local CASA wrote that as a result of the opioid crisis more children are entering foster care. According to the most recent data available from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, the rate at which New Jersey relies on out of home placement as an intervention to keep children safe falls fully 30% lower than the national average. At the start of NJ’s child welfare reform in 2003, approximately 13,500 children between the ages of 0 and 21 were served outside of their homes. As of this month, that number is 4,799. In just 15 years, New Jersey reduced its reliance on out-of-home placements by nearly two-thirds. Comparing 2017 to 2018 alone, NJ safely reduced the number of children entering foster care by 10 percent.

It’s important that we correct misinformation about the number of children being placed into foster care, because it sends a false narrative about the very positive work being done in New Jersey for families, not to them. For a long time, the stigma associated with the Department of Children and Families, particularly its Division of Child Protection and Permanency, pushed families away from seeking help for fear of losing custody of their children. But that can serve only to exacerbate whatever challenges they are facing. It doesn’t improve their situations.

Christine Norbut Beyer, commissioner of the NJ Department of Children and Families

Strengthen rights for immigration detainees

Citing “unsafe and unsanitary conditions” for immigrant detainees at the Essex County jail, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., recently joined New Jersey progressives in calling for Essex County to end its contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Sadly, ending the contract will not stop ICE from systematically violating the rights of immigrants. Absent federal legislation ending immigration detention nationwide, terminating the contract would simply shift immigration detention to other facilities. This is no small detail for immigrant detainees in Essex County, many of whom cannot afford an attorney.

In 2014, New York City launched the first program nationwide to provide universal representation to low-income immigrants in removal proceedings in New York courts. In 2018, New Jersey followed suit with its own version. These programs aim to provide free representation to all immigrant detainees who need it. Nationwide, immigrant detainees are seldom represented, and they have drastically better outcomes when they are. In concert with stronger local oversight of the jail, these programs represent one way forward — the right to government-funded representation for everyone in removal proceedings.

Robert Latz, Edison

Small businesses need health care tax relief

Congress needs to act to help save small businesses and their employees from higher health care premiums. Without new legislation, the Health Insurance Tax will return and will drive up the costs of coverage by as much as $500 per employee per year.

Seven in 10 Americans say they oppose this tax because they recognize the burden it represents for the people who are the heart of our economy. This is a hidden tax on Main Street businesses and on middle- and working-class people.

With a strong overall economy, my business has been able to absorb health care increases in recent years, but there will be a breaking point. We may eventually have to make cuts to pay or benefits, freeze hiring or even lay off workers.

Shawn Kuehn President, CEO, Kuehn Bevel, Stanhope

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