A more equitable distribution of the positive and negative products of civilization among New Jerseyans, from north to south, urban and rural, men and women and among all classes and races. Today we tend to think of equity in relation to discrimination, but equity is not an issue limited to those who are disadvantaged. A community functions best when all its members are included in the economic or social structure. We all share in the economic, political and social costs of inequity through such manifestations as homelessness and crime.
Inequity is also evident in New Jersey's unequal infant mortality rates.
Inequity means that those of us who are female or from minority backgrounds earn lower wages. It also means that noisy and polluting facilities are more likely to be located in poor and minority neighborhoods. New Jersey is much more diverse than this and measuring equity is more complex than traditional racial comparisons show. We do not have recent or historical information on inequality in education, access to health care and responsiveness of government. We do not know the fairness or full effect of our actions today on the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.