Bromance Chris Christie and President Obmama
N.J. hasn’t doled out any money from Sandy relief fund
Sunday March 10, 2013, 2:00 PM
SHANNON MULLEN
AP/ASBURY PARK PRESS
Associated Press
NEPTUNE — The Sandy relief fund chaired by New Jersey first lady Mary Pat Christie has raised more than $32 million so far. But four months after the superstorm, none of that aid has reached storm victims yet.
In an interview, Mary Pat Christie pointed to the logistical challenge of starting a charity from scratch, the relief fund’s focus on addressing long-term recovery needs, instead of short-term relief, and her own “methodical” approach to putting the proper resources and safeguards in place, as reasons for the delay.
It was never the intent for the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund to quickly provide monetary aid directly to storm victims, she noted. Instead, the plan was to lend support to reputable nonprofit groups that will be providing victims with financial assistance and other services in the months and years to come. The relief fund plans to distribute $1 million in grants this week, with another $5 million to follow several weeks after that.
“I have taken excruciating steps to make sure that we give the money out in a really judicious way,” Mary Pat Christie told the Asbury Park Press.
“You want accountability, you get accountability when you go through a methodical structure,” she said. “So, in three years when I’m still distributing money at Hurricane Sandy Relief, ask me if we’re doing enough.”
https://www.northjersey.com/news/state/NJ_hasnt_doled_out_any_money_from_Sandy_relief_fund.html