• Home
  • Contact
The Lakewood Times

Of Course They Do-GOP Defends Overpriced Sandy Cleanup Contractor

3/10/2013

5 Comments

 
Picture
At a special legislative hearing Friday, Sen. Barbara Buono and fellow Democrats claimed cronyism drove up recovery costs, while Republican lawmakers defended both Christie’s decision and AshBritt’s performance.

The contract with AshBritt for debris removal has so far cost Shore local governments $125 million in taxpayer dollars.

Lakewood was charged over 2 million dollars for cleanup. Now there is a chance we may not be compensated if FEMA decides that we paid too much. The True estimated cleanup costs should have been closer to 500,000 dollars, so we might be responsible for the remainder. 

Democrats fired questions at witness Randy Perkins, AshBritt’s chief executive officer. Buono pressed Perkins on how AshBritt gained the inside track in winning the contract but she was met by pushback from Perkins.

“In all due respect, you’re running for governor,” said Perkins, who said at the end of the four-hour hearing that he wanted to “retract” his remark.

Friday’s joint hearing, which examined both AshBritt’s performance as well as the contract award, had heavy political overtones that are likely to continue through November, when all 120 seats of the Legislature and the governorship will be at stake.

Christie was not in Trenton Friday; he attended a political event in Palm Beach, Fla. But he has defended the deal, saying many towns in emergent situations needed an option for recovery efforts. Christie also noted that towns were free to pick other contractors.

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is a founding partner of BGR, a firm that lobbies for AshBritt, and Christie had said AshBritt was recommended to him by Barbour.

The Florida firm also hired a team of influential consultants — including George Gilmore, the Ocean County GOP chairman, to pitch its services to town officials.
Even in trying times, in times of tragic loss, our leaders have the keen ability to use any opportunity to act corrupt and gain from other people's misery.
5 Comments
Jose
3/9/2013 09:33:49 pm

Rest assured when you see George Gillmore's association, you know it's corrupt big time.

Reply
dave mal
3/9/2013 11:13:17 pm

HH the clean up in lakewood was 5 million please be more careful when posting numbers thanks

Reply
I really know
3/10/2013 01:46:10 am

actually the cleanup in Lakewood was 10million

Reply
lakewooder
3/10/2013 05:11:07 am

to bad they missed all the slumlordrentals that need to be torn down

Reply
Thelakewoodtimes
3/10/2013 07:46:11 am

Where did you get that figure? What does that include. I was told it was still under 3. Perhaps some of that figure is county cleanup included.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Tweets by @hhforsenate

    Archives

    October 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    Categories

    All
    App Reviews
    Business
    Downtown
    Entertainment
    Ethics
    Jewish Life
    News
    Opinion
    Politics
    Senior View

    RSS Feed