Senator Anthony Bucco, senior Republican on the Senate Law, Public Safety and Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said the shocking failure to notify the public of a Manhattan flyover of Air Force One and an F-16 fighter plane sadly shows New Jersey has every reason to question the Corzine administration’s ability to disseminate vital homeland security information.
“Again, it looks like the lights are on, but no one’s home in the Corzine administration,” Bucco said. “News reports this weekend show without a doubt that top Corzine aides were aware three days in advance, yet did not warn the public about a ‘photo-op’ for the Obama administration. The result was panicked office workers fleeing into the streets.”
The Newark Star-Ledger on Sunday disclosed a series of e-mails between Corzine’s Homeland Security Director, Richard Canas, and Scott Kisch, Canas’s chief of staff and a close friend of Corzine’s. The e-mails, obtained under the state Open Records Act, left no doubt that these two men knew of the flyover three days before it occurred. Yet Governor Corzine publicly has stated that no one from his office was told and pledged to “push all the way to the White House” for answers on how such a mistake occurred.
“This flyover traumatized office workers on both sides of the Hudson River who have vivid memories and nightmares from their personal experiences with the horrors of 9-11,” Bucco said. “This is inexcusable when top Corzine aides could have taken steps to prevent panic.”
Bucco said that Governor Corzine is either trying to blame Washington for an error for which his staff clearly now shares the blame, or cover up his aides’ role in the debacle.
“I urge Governor Corzine to publicly state what he is doing to prevent this type of homeland security error from every happening again,” Bucco said. “Vigilance against potential terrorists of all kinds requires that the public have access to critical information.”
Bucco reminded the governor that former Governor Jim McGreevey’s resignation came about in no small part because McGreevey appointed an unqualified aide, Golen Cipel, as homeland security adviser. Cipel was an Israeli and couldn’t receive classified FBI briefings on the events affecting New Jersey.
“The governor should know by now that the public will not tolerate bumbling politics that jeopardizes their safety,” Bucco said.
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April 22, 2009
