We know that New Jersey has 60,000 State employees (or thereabouts).
We know that the State of New Jersey signed a $68 Million, 3-year contract with a Third Party Administrator to administer Federal Taxpayer relief funds intended for Sandy recovery efforts.
We know that the TPA had 4 offices in Louisiana, 2 in Texas, 1 in Washington D.C., and None in New Jersey.
We know that the State of New Jersey fired the TPA in December, 2013 because the governor's administration announced the firing on January 22, 2014.
It is not generally known who if anyone took the TPA's place in administering Federal Taxpayer funds for Sandy relief in New Jersey. Governor Christie said at a 'town hall' event last week only that there was a new administrator, but apparently he did not say who that is. See Michael Barbaro, "For Christie, Awkward Return to a Setting He Once Ruled" (New York Times posted online on Thursday, February 20, 2014).
In response to a questioner at the event why New Jersey did not make use of its 60,000 or so employees to distribute Sandy relief funds, Mr. Christie firmly said that New Jersey hired an outsourced contractor because, well, 60,000-plus people would not for some unstated reason be able to distribute the Federal Taxpayer money to the people Mr. Christie said should get the money. Id.
Mr. Christie was clear, however, in laying the blame for inadequate distribution of Federal Taxpayer funds at the feet of the Federal Government after New Jersey hired and fired its choice of TPA to distribute those funds in New Jersey. Id.
It should be noted as well that some of the people at the event said that they needed the relief money after Sandy. Mr. Christie told those people that they didn't need the money. Id.
So, where is the Federal Taxpayer Sandy relief money going in New Jersey?
Exactly?
The question of where Sandy relief money is going in New Jersey was asked in previously published articles on Insurance Claims and Issues Blog on February 19, 2014 and here on January 21, 2014. Here by way of C-Span.org is a video excerpt of the town hall event in New Jersey last week.
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