New Jersey

In his inaugural, Gov. Corzine said he would "never settle for less than excellence. " What does that mean to you in terms of how the state operates? What should he do to ensure that fellow state leaders uphold that same standard? Share your ideas in essays of 250 words or fewer. E-mail us by Wednesday at sjvoices@phillynews.com, fax 856-779-3221, or write to The Inquirer, attn: Community Voices, 53 Haddonfield Rd., Suite 300, Cherry Hill, N.J. 08002. Please put "Corzine" in the subject line.

The results of New Jersey municipal and school board elections are available by phone and online. Camden County Board of Elections 856-401-VOTE (8683) or 1-800-418-9427 www.philly.com/camden Burlington County Board of Elections 609-265-5062 www.philly.com/burlington Gloucester County Board of Elections 856-384-4500 www.philly.com/gloucester

That New Jersey ranks highly as a good place to raise children isn't surprising. After all, its residents are among the wealthiest per capita in America.   But the makers of public policy in the state must address shortcomings in combating child poverty that the Annie E. Casey Foundation's annual Kid's Count report says have gotten worse since the recession. New Jersey ranked fourth overall in the report — below New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Pennsylvania was 14th.

New Jersey is in the news again and whenever New Jersey is in the news it's not good. The election of a woman governor, Christie Todd Whitman, should have brought us some positive media coverage as a progressive state. Instead, Ed Rollins, her political strategist, bragged that he suppressed the turnout of African American voters. If such political chicanery had happened in any other state, I suspect it wouldn't have been the lead story of the MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour. Of course, Rollins later said he was lying, but the damage was done.

(xx% of the vote) *Robert Menendez (D). . . xx,xxx Joe Kyrillos (R). . . xx,xxx Daryl Brooks (I). . . xx,xxx Gwen Diakos (I). . . xx,xxx David Dranikoff (I). . . xx,xxx Kenneth Kaplan (I). . . xx,xxx Eugene Lavergne (I). . . xx,xxx Gregory Pason (I). . . xx,xxx Inder Soni (I). . . xx,xxx Robert Turkavage (I). . . xx,xxx Ken Wolski (I). . . xx,xxx *Incumbent D-Democratic; I-Independent; R-Republican

After their youngest child finished high school in June, destined for college, Janice and John Potts lost no time bolting from New Jersey. By the end of July, the longtime Haddonfield residents were cheerfully ensconced in a three-bedroom rowhouse near Philadelphia's Washington Square. Their new abode is much smaller than the 4,500-square-foot home (with swimming pool) that they sold, but it comes with a huge plus. "We downsized in terms of space, but cut our property-tax bill in half," said Janice Potts, 52, an outsource-services manager for a Center City firm.

Ever see a predator commit suicide? In a video captured at Duke Farms, a Central Jersey estate turned environmental center, a red-tailed hawk dares to fly at a bald eagles' nest where eggs were about to hatch. In a major miscalculation, the hawk fails to see an eagle sitting on the nest and looking directly at it , or, cocky from triumphing over mice and little bunnies, thinks it's super-sneaky-fast or king of any beak-and-claw fight. Four seconds into the video, the hawk appears.

With all due respect to Joseph "Red" Mascara and his New Jersey song ("Oh, say, can we get an official state song?" Aug. 19), the song needs to be more specific as to why New Jersey is great. Attached is another attempt, sung to the easy-to-sing tune, "Away in a Manger. " The final stanza is just for comic relief. New Jersey, New Jersey: Our state's got it all, From cities to farmlands We proudly stand tall. We've Pine Barrens and seashores, Lakes, mountains, and streams, Quaint towns and lush gardens It's the state of our dreams.

Canadian astronaut Cmdr. Chris Hadfield has tweeted another fun photo from space showing Pennsylvania, New Jersey and neighboring states from a heavenly perspective. "Chesapeake to Cape Cod to Lake Huron - in a glance, so much history, geology and geography," @Cmdr_Hadfield posted on Twitter. In the shot from the International Space Station, the white sands of the Jersey Shore's barrier islands are clearly visible and the Delaware River seems to disappear as it narrows north of Trenton.