The Governor of New Jersey has fallen from grace very quickly. He is criticized now in ways he simply was not criticized in earlier times. He is even being mocked by his opponents. See Michael Barbaro, Jonathan Martin and Nicholas Confessore, "G.O.P. Advice for Christie: Pick a Better Team" p. 1, col. 2 (New York Times Nat'l ed., Sunday, January 19, 2014). Potentially cruel people are even calling him "Governor Sumo".
Critiquing the official performance of any Governor, including the Governor of New Jersey, should be based on the facts.
The Mayor of Hoboken, New Jersey told a television interviewer that associates of the Governor of New Jersey, such as the Lieutenant Governor and the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs of New Jersey, notified her that she must approve a development project in Hoboken or financial relief from damage caused by Sandy would be jeopardized. Reportedly, "[d]espite being almost entirely submerged during the hurricane, Hoboken has received a small fraction of the recovery money it requested from the state". See Michael Barbaro and Kate Zernike, "Mayor of Hoboken Says Relief Was Threatened" p. 21, col. 1 (New York Times, Sunday, January 19, 2014).
In response to the Hoboken Mayor's comments in her television interview, a spokesperson for the Governor of New Jersey criticized the network on which the interview was televised. Barbaro and Zernike, New York Times, supra.
But where did the Sandy relief money go?
Some Sandy relief money was used, with Federal approval, to make videos illustrating the recovery of the New JerseyShore. Without Federal approval, apparently, a higher bid for the video contract which featured the New Jersey Governor's family, was paid for with Sandy relief money. "Federal investigators announced that they would audit Mr. Christie’s use of Hurricane Sandy relief money on a $25 million ad campaign that featured his family to promote the JerseyShore." Kate Zernike, "Another Mayor Felt Christie-Tied Reprisal" (New York Times Online, Monday, January 13, 2014). The ad campaign featuring the Governor's family was released during his re-election campaign for Governor of New Jersey.
Sandy caused a lot of damage to people in New Jersey as well as in other Northeastern States. One round of injury is enough. Natural disasters are one thing. Man-made disasters are another thing altogether. See generally Dennis J. Wall, "Claims Handling Practices Issues: Sandy Exposes Risks," §2:16 in John K. DiMugno, Steven Plitt, and Dennis J. Wall, "Catastrophe Claims: Insurance Coverage for Natural and Man-Made Disasters" (Thomson Reuters West & 2014 Supplements).
© 2014 by Dennis J. Wall. All rights reserved. No claim to original U.S. Government works.
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