Pennacchio: Corzine Stimulus Transparency Watch, Day Three

Senator Joe Pennacchio said he has begun counting the days it takes Governor Jon Corzine to account for the $17 billion in federal stimulus money that is being sent to New Jersey. He issued his first call for the governor to disclose where stimulus money is going on July 15.

"The Corzine administration knows by now exactly where it expects to spend most or all of the stimulus money," Pennacchio said. "The governor and the president have promised full transparency in the spending of this aid, which is supposed to put our economy back on its feet, not provide the governor with an election-year goody bag for his supporters.

"So where's the disclosure?" Pennacchio said. "The governor's Web site, http://www.recovery.nj.gov/ is as transparent as a lump of coal. With all the money the governor is spending to create stylish videos of his 'accomplishments' for his Web sites and Facebook page, you mean to tell me that the administration has no money left to come up with a search engine that taxpayers can use to find out where $17 billion of their money is being spent?

"I urge voters to contact the governor and demand that he show them on his Web site where stimulus money is going. They deserve to know if it will produce the maximum jobs for the buck, or if it's calculated to get Jon Corzine the most votes per dollar in an election year.

"Today is Day Three of my quest to get Governor Corzine to follow the lead of other states and put up a Web site that lists -- county by county, city by city, and project by project – where stimulus money will be spent to benefit the people."

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