Christie Administration Quietly Fires Sandy Aid Contractor

Failure to Disclose Firing Amounts to Bad Faith and More Scandal and Coverup

A quick note on the firing of Christie Administration’s main contractor for distributing Sandy aid.

Readers can take the short cut and read today’s Star Ledger editorial.

First, we are not Christie scandal mongers – we’ve long been critical of the Christie Sandy preparation and recovery effort and were specifically disappointed  in the failure of the NJ press corps to write the HGI story, which was broken by the Wall Street Journal (see: Did Christie Select Another Corporate Crony For Sandy Recovery?

Hammerman & Gainer Inc., or HGI, was chosen by state officials in May to administer two programs distributing $780 million in federal money to Sandy victims, including New Jersey’s biggest homeowner-relief initiative, the $600 million Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation Program. […]

The reconstruction program has received 12,254 applications, and 3,497 have been deemed eligible, the state records show. No grants have been awarded yet. Contractors are still collecting documentation from homeowners and conducting property inspections—a time-consuming process, state officials said.

But, we’re glad to see that the Star Ledger editorial board now realizes that they were wrong to blame [public sector] “bureaucrats” for the failures in distribution of Sandy aid money. The [private sector] contractor and the Gov.’s failed management were to blame. But they should apologize for that smear (see:  Don’t Blame the Bureaucrats – Blame the Governor and the Media).

But we’re glad that the Ledger connected the issue to the Gov. arrogant defiance of legislative oversight and the role of Sandy Czar Ferzan in that process (see: Christie Junta Again Defies Legisaltive Oversight of Sandy Recovery)

So, we’d like to offer a few thoughts on why the Christie Administration chose to keep this contract termination quiet.

The failure to disclose the HGI termination was intentional. Reasons why:

1) It would highlight the Christie Administration’s gross incompetence, on the Gov.’s signature issue;

2) it would reinforce corruption themes now emerging in the various scandals, specifically, HGI was a a political donor to Gov. Christie and the Republican Governor’s Association. Like Ashbritt , there may also have been connections with Haley Barbour.

Already gravely wounded by multiple scandals, the Christie people knew that those facts would set off another round of media feeding frenzy, so tried to sweep it under the rug.

3) HGI got paid $10.5 million for their failure – that’s sure to outrage a LOT of people, especially those still waiting for Sandy money.

4) The HGI failures would shed light on the Christie Adminsitration’s failure to comply with new HUD rules, which mandate that NJ conduct “transparent and inclusive process” to develop Sandy recovery funding plans, including “science-based risk analysis” addressing sea level rise and other effects of climate change.

That failure jeopardizes receipt of full and timely federal funding, details, see:

CHRISTIE CLIMATE DENIAL IMPERILS SANDY RECOVERY FUNDS

New Federal Rules Stress Climate Change Adaptation Missing from Jersey Policies

 

PROBE OF CHRISTIE SANDY SPENDING SHOULD EXTEND BEYOND TV ADS

Jersey Rebuilding Effort Studded with Sketchy and Costly Federal Rule Deviations

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

1,384 Responses to Christie Administration Quietly Fires Sandy Aid Contractor

  1. Pingback: asics kinsei 4

  2. Pingback: asics noosa tri 9

  3. Pingback: cheap asics

  4. Pingback: asics womens running shoes

  5. Pingback: asics gel nimbus 14

  6. Pingback: asics tennis shoes women

  7. Pingback: asics kayano 19

  8. Pingback: fitflop norge

  9. Pingback: air max femme pas cher

  10. Pingback: asics kayano 19

  11. Pingback: asics gel kinsei 5

  12. Pingback: asics womens running shoes

  13. Pingback: mens asics

  14. Pingback: asics kayano 19

  15. Pingback: asics gt 2170

  16. Pingback: asics gt 2170

  17. Pingback: asics womens running shoes

  18. Pingback: asics gel kinsei 5

  19. Pingback: asics gt 2170

  20. Pingback: asics noosa tri 9

  21. Pingback: asics kayano 20

  22. Pingback: tiffany bracelet

  23. Pingback: roshe run

  24. Pingback: cheap ray bans

  25. Pingback: nike roshe run men

  26. Pingback: custom roshe run

  27. Pingback: roshe run women

  28. Pingback: christian louboutin peep toe

  29. Pingback: michael kors handbags outlet

  30. Pingback: nike roshe men

  31. Pingback: roshe run women

  32. Pingback: tiffany jewellery

  33. Pingback: tiffany pendants

  34. Pingback: tiffany ring

  35. Pingback: michael kors wallet

  36. Pingback: womens nike free 5.0

  37. Pingback: christian louboutin black

  38. Pingback: tiffany pendants

  39. Pingback: nike roshe run

  40. Pingback: christian louboutin sandals

  41. Pingback: red sole shoes

  42. Pingback: tiffany necklace

  43. Pingback: tiffany packaging

  44. Pingback: custom roshe run

  45. Pingback: red bottom shoes for women

  46. Pingback: michael kors satchels

  47. Pingback: roshe run men

  48. Pingback: nike free run 5.0

  49. Pingback: tiffany earrings

  50. Pingback: ray ban uk

Leave a Reply