Karrow Glad Corzine Finally to Act on Her Discovery of Abuse of Rutgers Dollars

Senator Marcia Karrow, R-Warren and Hunterdon, is calling for an investigation of the non-profit group, E3CO, which was supposedly set up in 2005 to teach elementary and high school students about growing food in space. The money allocated to E3CO through the budget of Rutgers University went largely to paying salaries, yet spending did not change when the executive director died in 2007 and stopped collecting her pay.

Today, Governor Corzine reportedly told reporters that he would not allow the $135, 000 allocation for E3CO to continue in next year's budget. Senator Karrow called the governor's action inadequate, given the evidence of impropriety that has surfaced, and the desperate need of Rutgers and other public universities for more funding.

"The governor's belated action is too little, too late," Senator Karrow said. "He should join me in calling on the attorney general to immediately investigate how this money was allocated for the last five years and take steps to recover misspent taxpayer funds."

Senator Karrow said that the governor could have vetoed this wasteful spending at any time over the last four years, had he been serious about "scrubbing" the budget and finding waste, fraud and abuse.

"On behalf of the struggling middle class taxpayers of New Jersey, I will continue to demand accountability from the members of the Corzine administration who come before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee," Senator Karrow said. "I hope the press will continue to report attempts to cut off questioning by shutting off microphones or gaveling legitimate and vitally important questioning by Republican senators as out of order."

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