(TRENTON) – Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem) released the following statement Wednesday on the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s response to a State Commission of Investigation inquiry that found rampant waste and abuse within the agency.
Burzichelli is the author of a law restricting the NJSIAA’s ability to raise ticket prices, though the agency attempted several times to circumvent it. He requested the SCI inquiry and is sponsoring a law with Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver to merge the NJSIAA into the New Jersey School Boards Association:
“The NJSIAA’s latest vow to reform itself would be laughable if this wasn’t so serious.
“We’ve seen this before. Five years ago the NJSIAA put on a similar public show and grandly promised to reform itself, then spent the next five years ignoring those reforms. I see no reason to believe this time will be any different.
“I support the need for a short-term independent monitor to help with the coming transition away from the NJSIAA.
“But the idea that we would permanently put a monitor in place to hold the NJSIAA’s hand and babysit it to guide it toward doing the right thing daily is insulting to New Jersey taxpayers.
“It’s often said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Well, New Jersey taxpayers cannot afford this insanity anymore and have no reason to trust this agency.
“The NJSIAA has had its chance. It failed to reform itself and abused the public’s trust without regard for the taxpayers. It continues to be time to move in a new direction.”