Answering a question from a Beach Haven West realtor at the Manahawkin Town Hall Meeting this afternoon, Governor Chris Christie said that he will set flood elevation standards for New Jersey construction, rather than wait for FEMA to do so.
Christie said that he will set aggressive standards next week that might exceed the eventual FEMA standards. In that case, residents that rebuild to Christie’s standards will end up saving on flood insurance in the future.
FEMA’s advisory map standards will not be finalized for at 18 months to two years. Christie is taking his action to prevent residents from waiting to rebuild until the FEMA standards are final.
Governor Chris Christie’s reelection campaign announced today that they will not be accepting taxpayer funds for the primary election.
“In response to Governor Christie’s decisive leadership and clear record of historic, bipartisan reform, we’ve seen an unprecedented level of financial support from donors across all 21 counties in New Jersey. This positive reaction during such a short period of time only continues to grow daily which is why Governor Christie’s campaign has decided not to pursue matching funds for this primary election cycle” said Bill Palatucci.
“I would also like to thank Todd Christie, Jon Hanson and the entire finance committee for their continued efforts. They have been a tremendous help in reaching the campaign’s fundraising goals.”
Christie’s campaign reported raising $2.139 million in the fourth quarter of 2012 and $2.08 million cash on hand.
New Jersey Approved for 14-Day Extension of Program
Trenton, NJ –The Christie Administration today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program has been extended for 14 days to the end of January 25, 2013.
“We continue to encourage people who sustained losses as a result of Sandy to register with FEMA if they haven’t already,” said Governor Christie. “Help is available, but the first and most important step to receiving assistance is to contact FEMA.”
FEMA activated its Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy at New Jersey’s request. The program allows eligible survivors who cannot return to their homes because of damage caused by the storm to stay in participating hotels or motels until more suitable housing is available.
The extension means eligible people can receive TSA assistance through January 25 with a check-out date of January 26, 2013.
Individuals and households may be eligible for TSA if they register with FEMA for assistance; pass identity verification; have a primary residence located in a geographic area that is designated for TSA; and are displaced from their residence.
Individuals who have questions regarding their eligibility should contact the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA).
To register with FEMA, call the phone number listed above or visit www.disasterassistance.govon the Internet.
In an interview with NJ.com Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long expressed her frustration with a lack of specifics in Governor Christie’s State of the State Address, even though she said she is meeting with state officials and FEMA today.
“We’re glad we’re on the governor’s radar, but the story of the owner of Sea Bright Pizza, Cono Trezza, is emblematic of my entire community,” Long said, citing one of many Sea Bright establishments yet to be back in business. “We want to do the right thing in terms of rebuilding by doing it smarter and by mitigating flood risk. Unfortunately, because of a lack of specificity coming from the state of New Jersey, and a lack of support and money from Washington, D.C., people who want to do the right thing are in limbo. I’m glad that we’re Jersey strong, because we’re going to have to be strong enough to pull ourselves out of this. We’re a 1,500-person town with a $5 million budget that needs help, and we’re not getting help.”
“I would not respond well to somebody who criticized this Republican governor, because [Christie] has been a determined, inspirational leader,” Long said. “But in order for us to rebuild smart from Sandy, we need more than just moral support. We need to know whether or not we’re going to get financial assistance or not. And if the answer is not, that’s fine – we’ll figure it out ourselves.”
Long’s frustration is understandable. Frustration among municipal officials and residents alike is likely to rise in the coming weeks and months as the difficult realities of rebuiding are confronted. Yet, for a mayor to expect the Governor to recite what specific actions will be taken in any given town during a State of the State Address is unrealistic, especially when that Governor highlighted your town during the address and you’ve got a meeting to handle specifics scheduled for the next day.
However, Long’s next line is alarming and should have been the lead to the story:
“Every day that goes by, the resolve of our business owners goes away,” Long added. “I’ve got people sleeping in cars – I could care less about the boardwalk.” (emphasis added)
Why are people sleeping in cars?
A friend of mine whose home in Highlands was flooded by Sandy has been staying with friends, at no cost to the taxpayers, for the last two months during her home clean up and rebuilding. That arrangement stopped working last weekend. My friend visited the FEMA office in Leonardo and was put up in a hotel in a matter of hours. That residents of Sea Bright are sleeping in cars doesn’t make sense. Maybe they are choosing to sleep in their cars. Maybe someone is dropping the ball. Maybe there is red tape. Red tape and dropping the ball is unacceptable.
My friend says that FEMA temporary housing is expiring on the 12th. That could lead to a lot more people sleeping in cars. That’s not acceptable either.
Where is all the money that was raised by concerts being spent? How is the millions that Christie raised privately being spent? Evidently its not being spent on people in Sea Bright and elsewhere who have been displaced and are sleeping in cars.
We can’t have people who are displaced by a natural disaster sleeping in cars because of red tape. Not in Monmouth County. Not in New Jersey. Not in the United States of America.
We’re better than that.
UPDATE: Displaced residents are sleeping in cars because they are being evicted from their hotels on weekends to accommodate wedding guests. Read about it here.
Senate President says Christie prayed for Hurricane Sandy to strike. FDU poll indicates New Jersey voters don’t think much of Sweeney.
Photo credit: nomblog.com
Senate President Steve Sweeney said at a press conference today that Governor Chris Christie “prayed a lot and got lucky” that Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey, thereby enabling the governor to gloss over the problems that were facing the state prior to the storm, according to a report on NJ.com.
“His jobs package is a hurricane,” said Sweeny,”I guess he prayed a lot and got lucky that a storm came.”
Sweeney, along with Senators Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) and Nina Gill (D-Essex) were speaking to the press prior to the Christie’s State of the State address which will be delivered tomorrow. Sweeney immediately apologised for the “prayed a lot and got lucky” line, but went on to say that he expected the Governor to “try to convince everyone the sun is shining when it’s raining,” when he addresses the legislature tomorrow.
Evidently, most of New Jersey voters think the sun is shining and Sweeney is all wet.
In an FDU Public Mind Poll released today, 61% of New Jersey voters, including 55% of Democrats and 56% of Independents think the state is heading in the right direction. 26% think the state is on the wrong track and 13% are unsure.
Of the 700 voters surveyed, 73% approve of the job that Christie is doing.
FDU polled hypothetical match ups for the coming gubernatorial race between Christie, former Acting Governor Dick Codey, Senator Barbara Buono and Sweeney.
Codey, the best known of the Democrats scored best, losing to Christie 59%-26%. 55% of those surveyed were familiar with Codey, who served out Jim McGreevey’s term as governor from November 2004 until Jon Corzine took office in January of 2006. Of those who know of Codey, 56% think favorably about him while 18% have an unfavorable impression.
44% have heard of Sweeney, but of those only 25% like him. 39% of those who have heard of Sweeney think unfavorably about him.
The poll is so bad for Sweeney that Barbara Buono beat him. Only 28% of the voters polled are familiar with Buono, yet she scored better against Christie than Sweeney did. Christie beat Buono 64%-21% with 15% undecided. Sweeney coundn’t break 20%, losing to the Governor by an embarrassing 65%-19% with 16% unsure.
Congressman Frank Pallone is on television more than U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) now-a-days, not because of his outrage that House Speaker John Boehner delayed the vote of the Superstom Sandy relief package, but because he needs to raise his profile in the minds of New Jersey voters.
Since Newark Mayor Cory Booker dropped out of the gubernatorial race and announced his intentions to explore seeking the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Frank Lautenberg in 2014, Pallone has been letting Democratic power brokers that he too want’s Lautenberg’s job and he has been on TV every chance he can get. Pallone has long coveted a U. S. Senate seat, but has never had the fortitude to risk his seat in the House to run for it. Governor Jon Corzine passed over Pallone in favor of Bob Menendez in 2006 for the appointment to fill the Seante vacancy created by Corzine’s election as governor and Lautenberg came out of retirement to take over Bob Toricelli’s spot on the ballot in 2002 after Pallone passed or was passed over, depending on which version of the story you believe.
Pallone is acting like he is willing to make a race of it against Booker for the 2014 Democratic nomination for Senate. Given Booker’s star power, social media savvy and resulting name recognition, Pallone has an uphill battle. Booker works twitter better than any other politician with his clothes on. In order to match Booker’s name recognition, Pallone would need a crisis to go on TV about every week. Either that or he needs to start running into burning buildings and living on food stamps. Or, he can run in a statewide race in an election he is not expected to win to raise his name ID and as prelude to the race he wants to win.
Congressman Frank Pallone is on television more than U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) now-a-days, not because of his outrage that House Speaker John Boehner delayed the vote of the Superstom Sandy relief package, but because he needs to raise his profile in the minds of New Jersey voters.