DeCROCE: CORZINE’S ‘PARTNER IN THE WHITE HOUSE’ SHORTCHANGES NEW JERSEY TAXPAYERS

            Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce today charged Gov. Jon S. Corzine of failing New Jersey taxpayers by accepting without criticism President Barack Obama’s decision to give New Jersey the smallest share of federal stimulus dollars among all states.

            “It seems Corzine has had more success getting President Obama to campaign for him than getting a bigger helping of federal stimulus aid from the Obama administration,” said DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic.

            “Instead of boasting that New Jersey has a ‘partner in the White House’ with Obama, Corzine should be pressing his ‘partner’ for a better explanation why he is shortchanging the Garden State.”

            An analysis by ProPublica, a non-profit public interest news organization based in New York, reveals that New Jersey not only gets the smallest piece of the stimulus pie, but that the money doesn’t often go to those areas with the greatest need. It comes on the heels of a report by New Jersey’s State Auditor that discovered stimulus money sent by Washington directly to county and municipal governing bodies in the state may have been wasted because state officials have failed to establish sufficient transparency and accounting controls to monitor how it is being spent.

            “These reports are yet another indictment of the Corzine administration and for its continuing failure to see that your tax dollars are spent wisely and properly,” asserted DeCroce.

             “Corzine should spend more time promoting the public interest when he meets with Obama than his own personal interests,” DeCroce said, referring to efforts by the Corzine administration to get the president to come to New Jersey to promote the governor’s re-election campaign.