Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce

DeCROCE CALLS ON CODEY TO RELEASE ALL DOCUMENTS
PERTAINING TO THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN PORK HE APPROVED AS GOVERNOR AND SENATE PRESIDENT

Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce said today if Richard J. Codey is sincere when he says the process of awarding grants to favored legislators for pet projects should be "transparent," then he should publicly release all documents relating to the hundreds of millions of dollars in pork he sanctioned as Governor and Senate President immediately.

"Codey says he wants to remove the negative stigma from pork," said DeCroce, referring to a story in today's Philadelphia Inquirer. In it, Codey is quoted as saying he supports an "open dialogue on these things."

"We said, 'Let's make it transparent, put it out in the open,'" Codey said in the news story.

"I couldn't agree more," said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic. "Let's put it out in the open - all of it - and let's do it now. Before Codey wraps himself with the robe of 'reformer,' let's see what his role has been."
Although the state faces a budget deficit that could be as high as $2 billion, DeCroce said he is stunned that Codey wants to defend political pork instead of advocating its abolition.

"In the five years that he has served as either Senate President or Governor, Democrats have diverted between one billion and two billion dollars from the state budget to enrich themselves, their friends, their relatives and the special interests," DeCroce said. "They call it pork. I believe most taxpayers would consider it theft. Is there any wonder why the FBI is in the building?"

DeCroce said Codey's accusation that Republicans are "hypocritical" for criticizing the Democrat "pig roast" over the past five years smacks of desperation.

Codey, in a 2001 press release, called "Christmas Tree" pork projects "ill-advised" because they squander tax dollars that could be used for "debt relief, tuition grants...and health care coverage for uninsured families."

"So why did he as Senate President and Acting Governor tolerate the expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars on pork projects and bogus 'grants' to legislators in Democratic legislative districts?" DeCroce asked. "If it was bad then, why isn't it bad now? Will the real Dick Codey please stand up?"

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For more information, contact:
Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce / 973-984-0922
Assembly Republican Press Office/609-292-5339