Posted on 08/19/2005 1:23:38 PM PDT by BATNF
DAY THREE NON-PARTISAN OCEAN TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS DEMAND REILLY STOP HIDING AND/OR POLITICKING ON HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDS
Ocean Township Mayor Larkin and Deputy Mayor Hiers say Reilly owns Ocean residents straightforward answers Now!
Atlantic Highlands, Ocean Township & Wall Township, NJ: Two non-partisan elected officials from Ocean Township today demanded an explanation from Democrat Assembly candidate Jim Reilly as to why their 11th Legislative District town was denied Homeland Security funds while numerous towns in the nearby 12th District received every nickel they requested.
Ocean Township Mayor William Larkin said that his towns application for $179,831 in Homeland Security funds was denied by the Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee while nearby Freehold Township received $158,000, Manalapan received $187,000 and Marlboro received $196,000.
Freehold Township, Manalapan and Marlboro are in the 12th Legislative District represented by Democrats Michael Panter and Robert Morgan, both who face tough re-election battles in November. Ocean Township is represented by Republicans Steve Corodemus and Sean Kean. Not one of the 25 towns or cities in the 11th Legislative District received a dime in Homeland Security funds.
“What makes Freehold Township, Manalapan and Marlboro eligible for Homeland Security funds? What makes Ocean Township ineligible? Are their needs any more legitimate than ours? Is their safety paramount? Jim Reilly, as a lawyer to the Assembly Democrats and aide to the Assembly Homeland Security Committee that made the decisions, is in a perfect position to answer my questions,” Larkin said.
“As someone who wants to represent Ocean Township in the NJ General Assembly, I believe Jim Reilly has an obligation to answer these questions and answer them now,” Ocean Township Deputy Mayor David Hiers added.
Almost $7.8 million of the $8.3 million in Homeland Security funds distributed last year went to Democrat districts with 93 percent of $23 million going to those same districts since 2002.
“Nobody should be playing politics with the safety and security of the people in Ocean Township. We need to know these funds are being distributed fairly, responsibly and equitably,” Larkin said.
“We don’t need silence from Mr. Reilly, nor do we need rhetoric from Assemblywoman Quigley,” Hiers added. “We need straightforward answers to our reasonable and straightforward questions and that’s what Mr. Reilly should give us,” he concluded.
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