ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS ASK TREASURY TO DELAY EXPIRATION OF OFFICE SUPPLY CONTRACTCURRENT NJ VENDORS PREVENTED FROM BIDDING NEW CONTRACTSix Assembly Republican members today requested the state Department of Treasury Director to maintain a contract due to expire Monday between the state and 17 New Jersey office supply firms that were not given the opportunity to bid a multi-million dollar contract until the matter can be further reviewed.Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce, R-Morris and Passaic; Assemblyman Jon Bramnick, R-Union, Morris, Somerset and Essex; Assembly Republican Budget Officer Joe Malone, R-Burlington, Ocean, Monmouth and Mercer; Assemblyman David Rible, R-Monmouth, and Assemblymen Vince Polistina and John Amodeo, both R-Atlantic, in a letter today to New Jersey Department of Treasury Director Guy Bocage, requested expiration of the current contract, effective Monday, November 30, 2009, be delayed until officials from the incoming Christie administration can review the matter in its entirety.The Assembly Republican legislators noted that in a November 16, 2009 letter to Governor Jon Corzine, Governor-Elect Christie specifically requested the Corzine administration, “Freeze all new leases, long-term purchasing contracts and other long-term obligations, including certificates of participation.” The 17 firms have been supplying state government with paper goods and office products since 2004. As their contracts were drawing to a close earlier this year, the office supply vendors requested information from the state regarding the new contract, but state officials did not respond. In August, the New Jersey business owners learned from a posting on the state Treasury Department website that Staples Advantage, which has corporate headquarters in Massachusetts, was awarded the contract through the National Joint Powers Alliance, a cooperative of state and local governments based in Minnesota.In the letter to Bocage, the six Assembly Republicans said Treasury’s Division of Purchase and Property’s analysis should be reviewed to determine if the “... cooperative purchasing contract was the most cost-effective means of obtaining these products.” See letter below:                                           ####                                      On the Net:                      www.NJAssemblyRepublicans.com                     NJ Assembly Republicans on Facebook                     NJ Assembly Republicans on Twitter November 25, 2009Guy Bocage, DirectorDepartment of TreasuryDivision of Purchase and Property33 West State StreetP.O. Box 230Trenton, NJ  08625-0230Dear Director Bocage:As representatives of the taxpayers of the State of New Jersey, we are requesting the New Jersey Department of Treasury, Division of Purchase and Property (DPP), immediately stay the November 30, 2009 expiration of Contract Extension Amendment #24 on State Contract T-0052, dated August 31, 2009, for Sales of Paper and Office Supplies to Cooperative Purchasing Participants. We ask that the status quo be maintained until this matter can be reviewed in its entirety by the new administration in keeping with a request from Governor-Elect Chris Christie to Governor Jon Corzine to “Freeze all new leases, long-term purchasing contracts and other long-term obligations, including certificates of participation.” Further, given that the pricing analysis, conducted by the more than one dozen New Jersey small businesses presently seeking relief from the DPP’s contract award to Massachusetts-based Staples Corporation shows the previous contract was significantly less costly than the Staples cooperative purchasing contract, we believe there should be a review of the DPP’s analysis, particularly the determination that this cooperative purchasing contract was the most cost-effective means of obtaining these products. Pending such review, the option to purchase these supplies from either source should be preserved with an additional extension of the exiting incumbents’ contracts with respect to sales to local governments.Due to time constraints involved with this matter, we seek an immediate response to our request. Your full cooperation is greatly appreciated.Sincerely,Alex DeCroceAssembly Republican LeaderJon BramnickAssemblyman Joe MaloneAssembly Republican Budget Officer David RibleAssemblyman Vince PolistinaAssemblyman John AmodeoAssemblyman cc:        Governor Jon S. Corzine            Treasurer David Rousseau            David Samson, Esq.            Jeff Chiesa            Bill Stepien