General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forumsmucifer
(23,589 posts)Cha
(297,890 posts)George II
(67,782 posts)...earlier this week.
mucifer
(23,589 posts)found that the Sandy fund oversight law wasn't being followed and that Christie's brother works for the company that was chosen to do some of the oversight.
George II
(67,782 posts)....was reported on by the Star Ledger on Tuesday. That led to Ernst and Young and Todd.
Spazito
(50,549 posts)If Rachel and Steve had not taken up the story it would still be local and would have been more likely to fade away.
Kornacki connects the dots in a way that is new, imo.
George II
(67,782 posts)....the "reporters" on MSNBC would give attribution to those who really have been following this story and providing the real scoops. To date they've only been given passing mention (although Boburg was on Maddow's show for a short spot back in January)
Spazito
(50,549 posts)on their shows, reporters from both the print and radio outlets so I very disagree with you on this point.
Over and over, very obviously sincerely.
Voice for Peace
(13,141 posts)it was obvious that they were delighted with his reporting,
as one expressed directly to him.
Spazito
(50,549 posts)giving their local articles a higher profile and bringing a national perspective to the scandal. The local journalists and national journalists like Steve and Rachel are working in tandem, imo, as opposed to working in competition with each other. It has been wonderful to watch and see how much appreciation each has for the other's work.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)seems to bug you that this is going national.
George II
(67,782 posts)bettyellen
(47,209 posts)about, got a link?
pnwmom
(109,020 posts)as required by a law passed in March 2013, which was to take effect immediately, and which was supposed to oversee Sandy funds?
malaise
(269,239 posts)Do not disturb
George II
(67,782 posts)..developed by the two guys from the Bergen Record and just expounded on it. He had to throw in some original stuff of his own.
Now, when he comes up with something NEW I'll give him a little credit. Until then.............
msongs
(67,465 posts)Squinch
(51,074 posts)projects that are beneficial to Christie politically, that the projects that are being done with the Sandy money are not being given the oversight that is required by law, and that Christie's brother is a director of the company which was hired to DO the oversight that is not happening.
It was a good show.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)I think the clean up company was from Florida, but I missed the Pennsylvania connection.
Squinch
(51,074 posts)watch it again. I'll get back to you on that.
Squinch
(51,074 posts)even granted, Christie had hired a Florida firm that Haley Barbour lobbies for to do cleanup. He hired them without bidding out the work, and he was pushing that company on the municipalities, even though they had gotten better prices from other firms.
In response to investigations into that very questionable contract, the New Jersey legislature passed the Integrity Monitoring Act, which requires that all the projects that use more than $5million in Sandy dollars have to have an integrity monitor.
At the same time, the legislature passed a law that said that all Sandy funds spent, all contracts granted, had to be posted on a "Sandy Transparency" site. It passed the legislature unanimously, but then Christie vetoed it.
The "Integrity Monitors" have never submitted the reports required by the law.
So far, I'm not hearing anything about PA.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)plates. What a rag tag bunch. There were so many ruined vehicles just sitting there, that after the first week, they told citizens to get their insurance people to come look at cars and sign off, and then mark the cars with a code to be part of a mass towing event. And suddenly there were tow trucks everywhere for a few days, and we had heard it was because they all needed to go some huge space arranged specifically for this.
I don't see how any of that was more efficient than more using local companies. Tow trucks from Georgia, Alabama and Florida?
Squinch
(51,074 posts)had to split this money among themselves! If the local guys did the towing, that would go against the plan.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)and the cost of driving up there. Crazy!
Squinch
(51,074 posts)towns if the local garage owners had gotten the jobs, and were then able to buy some construction equipment to rebuild some damaged part of their house, and then hire the contractors to help them, and then the contractors would be able to buy equipment to allow them to take on the bigger jobs and... and... and...
Instead, the money goes to Haley Barbour.
AND, it seems from her behavior since then that Zimmer was held a bit hostage. She knew she had to cooperate where she could so as not to alienate them further and completely screw up any chances of getting money for her city. So she goes along with the advice to contract with these people. And how many other municipalities did the same?
In the end, if you live in Hoboken or any of those other affected cities, he took money directly out of YOUR pocket, because your city's economy could have been helped so much more. And worst of all, it's money YOU paid in taxes for this kind of emergency, and it's being stolen from you when you need it.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)and laughing about it like in Ft Lee? It is something that was beyond imagining, and it resonates with people.
What a can of worms was opened by that story. Love it.
Squinch
(51,074 posts)becoming famous over this. I wonder if there are any budding reporters in, say, Wisconsin or Michigan, who are willing to dig around and keep digging till they find the things they need to get rid of these slobs.
Voice for Peace
(13,141 posts)My head gets spinning.. but you highlight the gist beautifully.
Squinch
(51,074 posts)complain jane
(4,302 posts)Christie's brother started buying properties around the Hoboken PATH station and suddenly Christie pushed for a complete renovation of the train station, and it was approved by the Port Authority... the chairman of which also bought property in the area.
bettyellen
(47,209 posts)yortsed snacilbuper
(7,939 posts)even though local companys could have done it cheaper!
mucifer
(23,589 posts)I'm not sure it's really illegal with our messed up laws. It is unethical.
can rob more people with a briefcase than a gun.
ChisolmTrailDem
(9,463 posts)And Mrs. Greenspan actually drilled him a little. But I noted that Haley looked a little nervous about the whole conversation. Makes me wonder why that crooked fucker was on TV in the first place. Probably because that's what sociopaths do and they just know they can explain away their dirty deeds and they are narcissistic.