More Questions and Conflicts at Delaware River Port Authority

Philadelphia Magazine ^ | 3 Aug 2010 | Chris Freind

[grace522]

In a February, 2008 media report, Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) Vice Chairman Jeff Nash, also an elected Camden County freeholder, ominously warned that “…the deck of the Walt Whitman (Bridge) HAD a 50-year life span….We’re at 50 years, two months.”

Two-and-a-half years later, the decking project of the Walt Whitman has not yet begun. Why? Lack of money, we are told, which is in part why the Port Authority just went further into debt by borrowing $320 million.

Of course, as with all things DRPA, that’s not the whole story.

The money was there. They just chose to ignore the bridges, instead channeling huge bucks to perks and political patronage deals.

The DRPA has squandered nearly $400 million in so-called “economic development” projects that have nothing to do with the bridges, and now finds itself more than $1.5 billion in debt.

[grace522]

This is a huge story in the Governor's race in PA and is a chance for Gov. Christie to yet again shine in NJ. tHE drpa is run by both the PA and NJ Governors. Ed Rendell has used the DRPA to funnel money into his campaign coffers for years. Rendell appoints his legal cronies to the DRPA Board - they in turn vote themselves (their law firms) millions of $$$$ in no-bid contracts - The board members (their wives, partners, employees)then write huge campaign checks to Democrats and Ed Rendell in particular. This is all public money taken from those of us who pay the $4 toll every day. This is political money laundering!!!! Chris Freind is blowing this story wide open - piece by piece. Nice job Chris.

[Michael Barnes]

Must be an Eastern PA thing, have not heard about this in Western PA. Not that I am surprised in the lightest. I would love to get the books open on Rendell’s little sewage authority bond/scam. That damn thing hurt A LOT of PA citizens.

[vladimir998]

Note to self: DON NOT DRIVE OVER WW BRIDGE.

[Tribune7]

ping

[SouthTexas]

The New Orleans levies revisited.

[txrangerette]

Note to Sean Hannity: lose this crook from your show or start grilling him about THIS, please...

[True Republican Patriot]

Sean Hannity is a Whore for allowing the Dispicable and Corrupt RENDELL on his show with softball interviews and Lovefests!

[RU88]

Agree with your observation of Hannity. All this about the DRPA started when a senior worker who was “entitled” to a “free” EZPass transponder for official business was caught giving said transponder to a family member for personal use. The story has kind of mushroomed from their. Rendell is a lame duck who could care less. However Christie has been especially rough on these kind of entities since taking office. He views them for what they are, a kind of black hole that money disappears into and never returns.

[Amberdawn]

Fast Eddie at work. While I rarely take the WW, there is constant construction work on many local bridges-The Commodore Barry and the Girard Point. It makes one wonder why it takes so long to do basic repairs and painting. Make-work for unions?