Sen. Lesniak to discuss pros of leasing Turnpike

Thanks for those of you who submitted questions for us to ask Assemblyman John Wisniewski, who met with our editorial board Tuesday to discuss the possibility of the state leasing its toll roads. Wisniewski, who chairs the Assembly transportation committee, is opposed, and made a strong case for why. This Tuesday, Sen. Ray Lesniak, D-Union, will meet with our editorial board to try to convince us that leasing toll roads makes sense. He has introduced a bill that would give Gov. Corzine the authority to negotiate a lease, subject to the Legislature's approval.

Wisniewski has several concerns about a lease, including the wisdom of committing to a 50-year term or longer; the possibility of the money from the sale being squandered or not used for the intended purpose - debt relief and capital projects; the loss of existing revenue from the Turnpike Authority, which now generates a surplus of about $750 million a year; and issues surrounding maintenance, and what recourse the state would have if the private vendor cut corners on it. He also was wary of having our major arteries operated by foreign companies - something that would be a distinct possibility.

Wisniewski didn't have an answer to a question about whether private companies would enjoy the same immunity from tort claims stemming from poor maintenance or design as government has. He said that is likely something that would have to be negotiated.