Assemblymen John F. McKeon and Upendra Chivukula today panned the Governor’s decision to veto legislation they sponsored that would have offered low-interest loans to developers who construct high performance green buildings:
“With his veto today, the Governor is sending mixed signals. On one hand it’s okay for the EDA to offer loans for certain economic projects of the Governor’s choosing, but not for others, like this smart, environmentally conscious development effort,” said McKeon (D-Essex). “This program would have made New Jersey a willing leader in creating green jobs and building green infrastructure.”
“These loans would have provided both long and short term benefits to New Jersey in the form of green jobs and a more sustainable, greener infrastructure down the road,” said Chivukula (D-Somerset/Middlesex). “This is a short-sighted decision on the part of the Governor, one that shows little regard for the thousands of unemployed New Jerseyans dying to get back to work.”
Under the legislation (A-2215), the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) would have provided low-interest loans to developers or redevelopers who agree to build or renovate buildings as “high performance green buildings.”