“The public deserves to know who dropped the ball”
(TRENTON) – Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer/Hunterdon), chairman of the Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Reform and Federal Relations Committee, released the following statement Friday after New Jersey received only $15 million in federal disaster resiliency funding because of a “weaker application”:
“I’m deeply concerned to hear New Jersey lost out on such a crucial funding opportunity because it submitted a ‘weaker application’ than others. Such an outcome is inexcusable.
“New Jersey’s Congressional delegation worked hard to make this money available, and New Jersey taxpayers deserve their fair share, especially considering the extent to which Sandy and other natural disasters have hit the state. Obtaining vital federal funding must be a priority. Application shortcomings would clearly be unacceptable.
“We need to hear from Gov. Christie’s administration on what exactly happened. The public deserves to know who dropped the ball and why this application faltered.
“I plan to examine the state’s documents as soon as possible to see why it was deficient, and will be conferring with Assembly leadership on our next step, including possibly holding hearings to get answers for the public.”