To the Editor:

New Jersey is a small state with very large problems. Under Governor Chris Christie, our burdens have multiplied with one poor administrative decision after another, the unfinished cleanup of Hurricane Sandy still on our agenda, and the lingering shadows of scandal, to name just a few. We all know that Governor Christie’s attempts to present himself as a viable presidential candidate are unsuccessful, nationally as well as here in his own state. His vision is flawed and his policies are just as wrong for us as for the country as a whole.

Thanks to this administration, New Jersey has one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates and an intolerable debt rating. At the same time, the Christie administration refused to support the job-creating and critical third tunnel into New York City, which would have been paid for largely by the federal government; has failed to support a hike in the laughably low gasoline tax; is attempting to defund Planned Parenthood which provides health care for working women (and men); is undermining our public school system; and is fighting hard to revoke conservation easements already in place, gutting the entire concept of forever green, which is deeply important to the future of this crowded state.

Is this what we want more of? I say it is time for a change. We need to elect fresh, energetic, and sensible representatives for the 16th District. Andrew Zwicker and Maureen Vella, a physicist and judge, respectively, have the background and experience to help turn New Jersey around. Both Zwicker and Vella are accustomed to dealing with difficult issues in the worlds of science, technology, education, social policy, and civil liberties — Andrew at the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab and Maureen in New Jersey’s courts. New Jersey needs representatives like Zwicker and Vella who can lead us once again to prominence in corporate scientific endeavors, in education, in women’s rights, in environmental preservation, in medical research, and other essential public policy arenas.

Anyone who runs for public office deserves our gratitude. But it is time for a clean sweep. We must bring in forward-looking representatives with the vision and talents to bring New Jersey into the future. On Nov. 3, vote for Andrew Zwicker and Maureen Vella.

Casey Lambert

North Road