NJ Politicos Getting Act In Gear For Disaster Relief

More than a week later, New Jersey politicians are finally catching up to their New York brethren. They're finally getting out and about and holding pressers to push for federal disaster relief.

U.S. Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez, both Democrats, and state police Superintendent Rick Fuentes are expected to join acting Gov. Richard Codey for the FEMA meeting. Officials said Paulison might fly over North Jersey.

Codey on Friday asked Bush, for the second time, to declare parts of the state a disaster area, said Michelle Presson, chief of staff to Rep. Scott Garrett, R-Wantage.

Such a designation would allow the state to get FEMA assistance. It would include help for individuals who lost property and for municipalities whose infrastructure was damaged in the disaster.

Rep. Steve Rothman, D-Fair Lawn, said the state congressional delegation on Friday sent another letter to Bush -- the delegation's second -- urging him to grant the designation. Like Codey's letter to Bush, the congressional missive narrowed an earlier request for a disaster designation across the whole state, to one focused on certain counties. Among them were Bergen, Passaic, Morris and Hudson counties.

"Federal inspectors have been working through the weekend to collect enough data to present Bush so he can issue a disaster declaration by [today[ or Tuesday," Rothman said.

Asked if it appeared that Bush would grant the designation, he said, "I'm hopeful."

Menendez and Rothman are expected to tour flood areas in Lodi. They will meet with Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney and mayors whose towns were affected by the nor'easter.

It's quite interesting to watch the difference in how Sen. Schumer has been at the forefront of pushing for disaster relief in New York areas affected by the Nor'easter and the cloak of invisibility that surrounds New Jersey's tag team duo of Lautenberg and Menendez. Those two should have been getting in front of televisions on a nightly basis considering that the worst flooding in the region occurred in New Jersey and the Passaic River is finally falling below flood stage for the first time in a week. Paterson was among the most heavily affected areas, as was Bound Brook, and the local representatives were missing from much of the nightly news broadcasts pushing to ensure that their constituents knew where to go, what to do, and who to deal with to get the information and aid they desperately needed.