JIM LEHRER: Now to the first of the 2008 election features we call the "Big Picture."...Our "Big Picture" reports this week will focus on worries about the economy. "NewsHour" correspondents will go to five of the two dozen states voting on Super Tuesday, February 5. We begin in New Jersey, and Michael Aron of Public Television's New Jersey "Nightly News" introduces his state. Excerpts. Full transcript and video: _Online NewsHour: Report | Economy Concerns N.J. Voters | January 28, 2008 | PBS_ (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june08/newjersey_01-28.html)
MICHAEL ARON: For many Americans, New Jersey is only the turnpike that takes them somewhere else. Yet, beyond the oil refineries and exit signs, there is a diverse landscape and population of urban immigrant communities, popular beaches and casino resorts, fertile farmland, and ever-sprawling bedroom communities that provide much of the work force for big-city neighbors Philadelphia and New York. New Jersey may be one of the smallest states in the nation, but it is the most densely populated, more than 8.7 million people packed within its borders. With its geographic and demographic diversity, New Jersey can easily be seen as a microcosm of America. Virtually every problem the nation faces is being grappled with here. Education, immigration, and health care top a long list. Economically, thanks in large part to the pharmaceutical, high-tech and tourism industries, New Jersey's economy is generally thriving. There is wealth here. New Jersey consistently ranks among the highest in the nation for household income. Yet, New Jersey, like other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, is in dire financial straits, a point underscored by New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine during his state of the state address earlier this month. (More at link above. Expands to voters' concerns over health care, economy, terrorism, and their thoughts on the primary candidates.) Interesting that tourism is still rated as a top money source. **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489
