Letter to the Editor of the

Reject deregulation plan

In another attempt to gouge New Jersey consumers, Verizon and Embarq have devised a deregulation scheme that should make the deregulated electricity providers blush.  Unfortunately, it is consumers who will be red in the face if the state Board of Public Utilities approves the deregulation request, which, according to the public advocate's Division of Rate Counsel, could raise Verizon's basic local phone rates from $8.95 a month to around $30.

With deregulation, lack of competition in the local wire-line telephone market will cause the estimated 1.3 million New Jersey residents who still rely on basic local service to see steep increases in their phone bills, making these services unaffordable to many low-income families, seniors and people with disabilities who are disproportionately women.  Aside from rate increases, the heart of the matter is, should some citizens be relegated to second-class status by communications providers based on these citizens not being consumers of high-tech services and products?

-- Maretta J. Short, East Orange

The writer is president of the National Organization for Women of New Jersey.