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I might say that in retrospect, looking at where the community college system is today, I think we may have gone too far. The community college system is so big, so broad, so consuming of tax money.

There will be a big tax cut for the middle class. But any tax cuts we have for the upper class will be offset by less deductions that will pay for it.

When I was at university, there was such a strong delineation between city kids and those who had grown up the suburbs. City kids were so at home in the world, in a way that suburban kids take years to catch up, if indeed they ever can.

Now, I do think when we move into 2012 and '13 when, presumably, the economy is on firmer ground, I would allow the tax rates for upper-income individuals to revert back to where they were before the cuts in the 1990s. I think at that point it makes perfect sense.

Also, if we take back our schools and concentrate on improving them so our children get a better education, they will be better trained to compete for a job locally.

If we wish our state's growth to continue, then our future will increasingly be with industries that require a highly skilled and technically proficient workforce.

We've invested in Newark's children, the schools and teachers, and these are long-term bets that need a number of years to really pan out. We've seen and learned how important it is to listen to the community and really get a sense of what they need and want. And it's a long journey.

In education, they say either property taxes have to go up, or we'll have poor education - that's a false choice.

I think the average citizen is going to see no less than a $1,500 or more increase in what it's going to cost for basic living next year,... Taking sales tax off food isn't going to take care of all of that, but I think it's a way that we can help.