(TRENTON) — Assembly Deputy Speaker John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), chairman of the Assembly Transportation & Independent Authorities Committee and co-chairman of the New Jersey Legislative Select Committee on Investigation, released the following statement Tuesday on Gov. Chris Christie’s nomination of John Degnan to be chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey:
“I welcome Mr. Degnan’s nomination as the new chairman, with caution.
“Frankly, it can’t get much worse at the Port Authority, so any change should be beneficial, but Mr. Degnan also brings with him the strong resume and experience that makes me hopeful he will be a an independent partner for reform.
“Mr. Degnan, if confirmed, must confront the patronage pit, fiscal woes, crushing tolls and poor management rampant at the Port Authority. We need accountability and transparency and a willingness to make changes. Abuses of government power and threats to public safety can no longer be acceptable.
“We need major reform at the Port Authority, which has a critical role to play. That role is not serving as an ATM or piggy bank for pet projects. It’s to support a transportation network.
“This agency has lost that vision. It needs to find it again and rebuild trust with the people it relies on to fund it. I look forward to hearing from Mr. Degnan on how he exactly intends to accomplish this goal.”