New Jersey needs a department of agriculture Ithink it is a tremendous embarrassment that the people of the state of New Jersey could be so very egotistical and arrogant as to think that it is not important to have one and one-half thousandths of a percent (.0015 percent) of the state's budget dedicated to a department of agriculture. Food is the single most important element to sustaining human existence, not highways, energy, commerce, or dare I mention, public education. This is such a small percentage that I seriously doubt if most people have a good feel for 1.5 times 10 to the negative fifth power. I work in construction and have built three projects during the past few years and spent four times the annual budget for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture for an indoor gymnasium for each of three elementary schools. That is enough to fund the state Department of Agriculture for over 12 years. How on earth has this society become so twisted? The fact that any New Jersey legislator can support such action gives me fair reason to support all effort to ensure they are not re-elected. This is not in the interest of any living person in this state. No, I did not transpose "person living." William Kaminski Howell