Haley Barbour defends Chris Christie in bridge scandal, lashes out at ‘liberal media’

Haley Barbour defends Chris Christie in bridge scandal, lashes out at ‘liberal media’ (via NJ.com)

TRENTON — Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour defended Gov. Chris Christie in a lengthy interview for “taking the bull by the horns” after a week of explosive revelations that top Christie aides knew about plans to cause a massive traffic jam…

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Were taxpayers gouged on Sandy cleanup?

In the immediate aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, Governor Chris Christie and Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa warned New Jersey businesses, gas stations, hardware stores, food stores, hotels and other retailers who had electricity and were able to sell life sustaining products and services to a vulnerable public against price gouging.  By the end of November, one month after Sandy hit, Chiesa’s office was investigating thousands of gouging complaints and had filed at least 10 civil rights lawsuits against hotels and gas stations.

In the November 28 release announcing the lawsuits, Christie said,

“The  last thing people put out of their homes in a natural disaster should have to  confront is price gouging from unscrupulous profiteers,” said Governor  Christie. “It’s illegal, offensive and completely opposite the spirit of  cooperation we saw just about everywhere else in our state in the aftermath of  Hurricane Sandy. I encourage more of the same treatment from the Attorney  General for any other instances of price gouging he discovers.”

A Star Ledger article posted Tuesday morning raises questions as to whether the State and 43 municipalities were gouged by the Florida contractor, AshBrit Environmental, that was awarded a $100 million no-bid contract to clean up state roads and waterways and allowing municipalities to hire the firm without going out to bid.

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Mayors advising Mayors

Governor Chris Christie has spoken of how helpful governors who have been through catastrophic hurricanes have been in counseling him to “get it right” in leading the State’s efforts in to rebuild from Superstorm Sandy.   At his press conference yesterday where he announced the appointment of Superstorm Czar Marc Ferzan, Christie spoke of how helpful governors Haley Barbour (MI), Bobby Jindal (LA) and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush have been in private conversations over the last month.

Author and former CNN correspondent Kathleen Koch, a Gulf Coast native who is committed to support Sandy survivors, thought it would be a great idea for Gulf Coast mayors who have rebuilt after Katrina and Rita to support New Jersey mayors who are now confronted with rebuilding their towns after Sandy.

Koch is in contact with a group of Gulf Coast mayors of towns with populations that range from 4,700 to 70,000 who want to advise New Jersey mayors.  Frustrated in her research for the right conduit, she reached out to MMM to get the word out.

MMM is honored to get the word out and Koch is generously volunteering to act as the conduit between mayors.  New Jersey mayors impacted by Sandy can contact Koch at [email protected]

Between the mayors, council members, legislators, legislative staff, executive staff, political operatives and members of the media who read this site daily, we can reach every New Jersey mayor dealing with Sandy recovery by the end of the day.  Please share this post with them.  If you know how to contact a mayor of a town impacted by Sandy, share this post with them.

Thank you.

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