And I think it would be wonderful if we could start educating the public that they have to start thinking in advance,'' and then nudge their elected officials into action. But it's not just the residents who need educating. Nebulous things, such as a more caring public that's willing to make sacrifices to improve the region's quality of life, and candid public officials who care more about serving the public than they do about their next election. I think whenever you say the word 'educate' now, people are wary because you're implying that they're ignorant,'' said Janine Bauer, who heads the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. She suggested that any such education campaigns rely on incentives, not insults.
Regional government is the answer, and that's one of the big problems in New Jersey.
I think the counties, by default, are the regional leaders. And other countries. Walker said the leaders of the future need to show courage. And the public must have the courage to choose only the leaders who exhibit that and other important qualities. At times, task force members recognized that they were trying to find solutions to age-old problems that had grown deep roots in North Jersey.