Asw. Beck and Asm. Kean call on Corzine to release secret asset monetization report

Assemblyman Sean T. Kean and Assemblywoman Jennifer Beck today expressed deep concern that a report published in the Asbury Park Press this morning indicates that Governor Jon S. Corzine intends to disregard the will of New Jersey voters and forge ahead with his plan to sell New Jersey’s most valuable roads.

Beck and Kean had brought a lawsuit against the Governor to make public a secret, $800,000 report concerning the proposed sale.  However, a judge today indicated she was inclined to side with the Governor and keep the document secret.

“Legal technicalities notwithstanding, the Governor should do the right thing and release the report,” said Beck, R-Mercer and Monmouth.  “The people of New Jersey paid for this report and they are entitled to view and evaluate its contents.”

Kean agreed.  “For Governor Corzine to keep this report secret while simultaneously pushing his plan to sell our roads down the throats of the voters belies poor judgment,” he maintained. R-Monmouth.

The report in question was prepared by a high-priced consultant and was billed as the project’s final report.  The Corzine Administration now contends that the document is not the final report but a merely a draft protected by legal loopholes that shield its content from public scrutiny.

“Governor Corzine campaigned on the promise to govern in a spirit of openness and honesty,” Beck said.  “But his decision to keep this report secret and force this sale on the people without their informed consent is a gross violation of that promise.”

Kean agreed.  “This business of backroom dealings and ever-evolving plans to saddle the State with more debt has grown tiresome.  The people are entitled to know what their government is planning to do and to make an informed decision about it.”

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