COLLETTI FOR SENATE

38th District – Bergen County

COLLETTI  ASKS WHERE’S THE PROSECUTION FROM THE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION  SCANDAL?

Coniglio, Gordon, Voss Sit Silent in Face of Abuse of School Funds

Elmwood Park NJ -- Gov.  Jon S. Corzine’s action to dissolve the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation (SCC) and replacing it with the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA) is a “criminal cover-up” charged Republican State Senate Candidate Robert Colletti.  Colletti said the SCC squandered over $8.6 billion of taxpayer money “and remarkably, no on went to jail. Apparently that’s okay with our governor, but I don’t think it is okay with the taxpayers.” 

“I find it astounding on the day (yesterday) when Gov. Corzine dissolves the SCC he says absolutely nothing about scandal that saw billions wasted and the dreams of parents and children dashed because of incompetence and greed,” said Colletti, who runs a construction management firm  Colletti noted that  Senator Joseph V. Doria, D-Hudson was quoted in Gov. Corzine’s press release announcing the new school agency saying:  “With the Schools Construction Corporation, greed and internal abuse ultimately damaged a worthwhile program beyond repair.”

 “I applaud Sen. Doria for stating the obvious problems with the SCC, but why isn’t he or anyone else in state government demanding that the attorney general try to recoup some of the public’s money wasted by the SCC and punishing those responsible  for being greedy and abusive,” added Colletti,  a former Elmwood Park Councilman.

Colletti noted that none of the state legislators from District 38, (central Bergen County) -- Sen. Joseph Coniglio, Assemblyman Bob Gordon or Assemblywoman Joan Voss -- have called for the state to actively prosecute the SCC cheats.  Sen Joseph Coniglio is the target of a federal corruption investigation.  

 “I guess the legislators in District 38 don’t care that billions of taxpayer dollars were wasted. They apparently have are content to sit silent in the face of criminal activity and have no interest in punishing people who abuse taxpayers,” he added  

The SCC squandered most of its $8 billion while completing barely half the schools projects it was supposed to complete. According to one study of the SCC, the agency’s construction costs averaged $40 per square foot more than the costs of construction projects managed by local school districts. Architects working on SCC projects were paid double the industry standard and construction managers were paid three times what some local school districts paid managers. And it was revealed that millions of dollars the SCC spent to acquire property for future school construction will likely be wasted since the state lacks the money to build schools on those sites. 

 “Where I come from, when greedy people line their pockets at the expense of children and parents, we call it stealing. It’s a crime and New Jersey should punish criminals, not forget about them,” said Colletti

“Dissolving the SCC does nothing but cover up the scandal,” said Colletti.  By simply brushing aside the SCC without punishing anyone, the state is inviting more abuse of taxpayer, more greed and more theft,” said Colletti.

“Trenton has to prosecute those who abused and misused taxpayer money and send those people to jail. That will be the deterrent to future theft.”

Colletti is running with Assembly candidates John Driscoll of Paramus, Renee Czarnecki of South Hackensack.District 38 comprises: Cliffside Park Borough, Edgewater Borough, Elmwood Park Borough, Fair Lawn Borough, Fort Lee Borough, Hasbrouck Heights Borough, Little Ferry Borough, Lodi Borough, Paramus Borough, Ridgefield Borough, Saddle Brook Township, South Hackensack Township, Teterboro Borough.