More Posturing on NRD

Failure to report that NRD dedication was in introduced version of open space Resolution distorts reality

Maybe the dots I connect in closing and all this will finally get reported, after the NJ press corps read today’s NY Times story.

NJ Spotlight reports that the Senate yesterday released a bill that is portrayed as a reform measure in light of the Christie Administration’s Exxon betrayal:

The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee approved a bill (S-2791) that would ensure one-half of the money recovered for environmental damages from waste sites would have to be used for restoration and cleanup. The move, if approved, would prevent most of the settlement money going to plug holes in the state budget.

That sort of diversion has happened in the past, most recently in a case involving dioxin pollution in the Passaic River. Of a $190 million settlement, $140 million was allocated to the general fund, instead of to restoring the river.

The Legislature sought a similar provision in last year’s state budget, but it was blocked by Gov. Chris Christie.

That appears to make Senate Democrats look good and blame the Governor, right?

Spotlight now joins the rest of the media in failing to report the critical fact that Constitutional dedication of ALL – not just a 50% meaningless legislative earmark – NRD settlement revenues was included in the introduced version of the open space Resolution, SCR84 (see lines 31 – 35, on page 3):

The SCR84 was introduced on Feb. 27, 2014, BEFORE the Passaic settlement was announced and BEFORE the $50 million cap on NRD was inserted quietly in the budget at the end of June. SCR84 was sponsored by Senator Smith.

The NRD dedication was stripped from the Senate Committee Substitute approved by the Budget and Approrpriations Committee on June 5, 2014, see: SCR84 (SCS) – again BEFORE the Gov.’s budget $50 million cap.

Senator Sarlo Chairs that Budget & Appropriations Committee. Sarlo stripped the NRD dedication he now appears to be protecting.

But Sarlo could not haves stripped the NRD provision without the support of Senator Smith, the sponsor.

Failure to report this critical compromise – what I have called one of the worst blunders ever – only protects the reputations of the Keep It Green Coalition and the sponsor, Senator Smith and SBA Cmte Chairman Sarlo.

Failure to report the facts also distorts the political reality and puts Senate Democrats in a positive light and make the problem appear to have been created recently and exclusively by Gov. Christie.

Why is that fact not getting reported?

That failure to retain the NRD revenue dedication has already cost the Open Space program $314 million, from just the Passaic and Exxon deals alone, about 4 YEARS with of revenue.

A monumental blunder worthy of reporting, no?

Especially since the 50% settlement offer now on the table is peanuts. And the Gov. will not sign the bill anyway.

Meanwhile, had KIG and Democrats gutted the NRD dedication, then the voters could have bypassed the veto threat of the Gov. by including NRD in the approval of the ballot Q (ballot questions are done by Resolutions passed by both houses of the Legislature and do not require the Gov.’s signature like legislation does)

BTW, even if the Senate 50% share of NRD revenues to restoration bill is signed into law by the Gov., the NRD revenues could still be diverted in future budgets, so the bill is not only a cover story, it is meaningless.

And, historically, virtually the entire business community, OPPOSED dedication of the NRD settlement revenues, because that would give DEP an incentive to aggressively enforce the NRD program to fund the popular Open Space program.

Since the Whitman Administration, the business community have opposed being “the ATM for the Million Acre goal”. (Hal Bozarth and Jim Sinclair’s slogan)

The business community strongly opposed the McGreevey DEP’s procurement of special litigation Counsel Kanner as a “hired gun” involved in a “shakedown operation”. (Hal Bozarth and Jim Sinclair’s slogan)

So, by opposing the NRD dedication, the Keep It Green Coalition did the polluters’ bidding.

These are all important historical facts – When will this get reported?

Maybe after the NJ press corps read today’s NY Times story?