Throughout the country, Americans have begun asking the question: Why must government have a monopoly over the services it provides? Everyone who has taken Economics 101 knows that monopolies provide inferior goods at high prices. That is exactly what has happened. Americans know that they are paying higher taxes for deteriorating public services.

In place of this government monopoly system, I have pursued what I like to call an empowerment agenda, which empowers people, not government. I have tried to establish policies that will reinvigorate our sense of community and make our residents feel like they have the power not only to make their immediate lives better, but to lay the groundwork for their children's future.

No area of society better exemplifies this problem than education. Parents should have the right to choose the school that best fits both the needs of their children and the values they cherish in their homes. Our goal should not simply be to preserve or strengthen the school system, but instead to empower parents to take control over their lives and the lives of their children.

To this end, I've worked to promote school choice around the nation. In New Jersey, we have created a system of charter schools that compliment the public school system. These schools are privately run, but publicly funded. Community groups, parents, or private companies can apply for a charter, create their own curriculum, and attract students. We currently have five charter schools in Jersey City, with three more due to open next fall. Charter schools provide the much-needed competition that can only improve the overall quality of education for our children.

In addition, I started the Jersey City Scholarship Fundwhich gives private grants to low-income parents who send their children to private and parochial schools. Just this year, businessmen Ted Forstmann and John Walton created the Children's ScholarshipFund, donating $100 million of their own money (to be matched by money raised locally) to allow low-income children to attend private schools in more than 36 cities around the country. I am proud that Jersey City is one of the cities chosen to participate. Thanks to the efforts of your Cascade Policy Institute, I understand Portland has also been chosen to participate in this wonderful program, and that up to 500 Portland area Kindergarten through 8th grade children will receive scholarships over the next four years. The idea behind these Scholarship Funds is that low-income families should be allowed the same opportunities that better-off parents have in choosing a school that fits the needs of their children. In education, lack of choice most hurts those who need the most help.

Another area where Jersey City has sought to improve services and lower costs is water. We have contracted with a private company, United Water Resources, Inc., to take over the operation and maintenance of our water pipes, the management of our watershed, and the billing and collections operation. Under this agreement, the city still retains ownership over the water system and responsibility for capital projects. In the three years that the deal has been in effect, the city has saved almost $20 million.

A third area where we have chosen to break the government monopoly of services is in our public libraries. Contrary to what some of my critics have said, I am not trying to privatize our libraries or charge users a fee for using them. What we have done is hire a private company, Library Systems & Services, Inc., to manage our library system. In the past, our public libraries were run by civil servants who were trained librarians, but not always the best administrators. This system did not always provide Jersey City residents with the best quality libraries.

In hiring a private company to run our libraries my goal is not simply to cut the costs in the library system, but rather to improve its responsiveness for citizens whose taxes pay for these services. I believe that Jersey City residents deserve the best service they can get for the taxes they pay. In considering a private contractor to run our libraries, I am simply responding to what Jersey City residents have long asked for: a better selection of books; longer hours of operation; highly skilled librarians; and a computerized card-catalog system.

If we follow the principles of empowerment, then we can make government a force for progress, rather than a force of reaction and inaction. We can provide better quality services and save taxpayers money. We can have safe and clean streets. We can ensure that every child has access to good schools. If monopoly has no place in business, it certainly should have no place in government.