For Immediate Release: March 7, 2015
Contact:  Amanda Devecka-Rinear

Sandy Survivors to confront Governor Christie in Iowa: ‘Finish the job, get our families home’

Residents who are still not home nearly two and a half years after the storm travel to Iowa in hopes of getting real answers and action.

Des Moines, Iowa: With the two and half year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy steadily approaching, thousands of families still aren’t home.  According to recent reports1, of the over 10,000 families the state’s marquee program,  Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, Elevation and Mitigation or RREM is intended to help, less than 400 are actually home.   Families are desperate for answers and action.

“I’m moving my family for the third time in a few months,” said Joe Mangino, NJOP member and community leader who was told to vacate his home in November despite the fact that none of the planned work has even started, “I’ve done everything I can to get home, and I’ve been heavily involved in the recovery since day two after the storm.  I wish the Governor would do the same.“

Joe stood up in the midst of the summit to draw attention to the thousands of families who are still struggling.  The Governor made light of Joe’s plight and thousands of others saying, ‘I’m magnetic, they follow me everywhere.’

Joe Mangino of Beach Haven West and Lisa Stevens, of Little Egg Harbor went to Iowa today hoping to hear a renewed commitment to getting families home and making recovery programs work.   Instead the Governor said, “I’ll deal with you here the same way as I deal with you in New Jersey.”

“Governor Christie has completely failed the people of NJ on Hurricane Sandy recovery. He wants the issue to just go away because now it's a political liability for his personal Presidential aspirations.  He did not even mention the words "Hurricane Sandy" in his 2015 State of the State address. But Sandy survivors are not going away. Sandy survivors are not going to "sit down and shut up." We are going to stand up and speak out and demand accountability and action until the job is finished and everyone is back in their homes,” said Jim Keady, also part of NJOP who the Governor told to ‘sit down and shut up,’ on the Sandy anniversary in Belmar in 2012

Finish the job is a campaign of the New Jersey Organizing Project.  NJOP brings South Jersey and the Shore together for community solutions.

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