Open Space Press Releases:
Corzine Breaks Word on Two Major Environmental Issues in 24 hours: Now Against Open Space Renewal and No Longer Against Delaware Deepening
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Contacts: Jeff Tittel, Sierra Club, 609-558-9100
David Pringle, NJ Environmental Federation, 732-996-4288
Trenton, NJ — Less than 24 hours after going public with his opposition to letting voters this November decide whether to replenish the State's open space funds, which the Governor had previously supported, the Corzine Administration said yesterday that it would formally stop opposing the Delaware Deepening at this Thursday's Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) meeting.
“The Governor needs to keep his commitment to the environment and the people of New Jersey and not turn the DRPA into the ‘Deal River Protections Away'”, said Jeff Tittel of the NJ Sierra Club.
Prior to Monday, the Governor had repeatedly called to put renewing the Garden State Preservation Trust on the ballot this year. For example, in his 2007 State of the State address, Governor Corzine stated, “I know we need to protect our open space and create more urban parks, particularly in light of the need in 2007 to ask voters to renew the Garden State Preservation Trust.”
During the 2005 gubernatorial endorsement process, then candidate Corzine told both the Sierra Club and the NJ Environmental Federation (NJEF) on separate occasions that he opposed the Delaware Deepening. In fact, he put in writing to NJEF: "I have steadfastly opposed proposals to dredge the Delaware River."
"While one could say that was then and this is now, the bottom line is the same: the Governor broke his word, hurt his credibility, and did so behind closed doors apparently hoping that his dirty work didn't see the light of day until it's too late. Despite repeated requests for dialogue, the Governor blew off the bi-partisan cadre of federal and state South Jersey legislators along with the environmental community, all of whom were not even noticed let alone conferred with on this deal bolstering the poster child for a financial and environmental boondoggle," said NJEF's David Pringle.
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