Mike Ferguson Fails, Hopes Someone Else Does His Job
After the recent New Jersey floods, we noted that Congressman Ferguson had bragged on his ability to bring $5 million in federal dollars last year to the Green Brook Flood Control project. We also noted that anyone who knows about the federal project run by the Army Corps of Engineers understands that $5 million is a drop in a$430 million bucket,. At the rate Mike Ferguson is "securing funds" it will take 83 years to complete the project and protect North Plainfield, Green Brook, Bound Brook, Manville, South Bound Brook and other communities along the Green Brook from disastrous and potentially deadly funding.
Now just a couple weeks after another horrendous flood that displaced hundreds of families and cost millions of dollars in damage, Mike Ferguson is able to use his 7 years of clout in the House of Representatives to get -- $10 million. And Ferguson admits that this is as much as he can get for his district, saying that someone else will have to do the job if it's going to get done.
Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-7th Dist.) said he hopes the $10 million represents "a floor" for fiscal 2008 funding. But with action in the House of Representatives uncertain, it may be up to the U.S. Senate to add money, he said.
It'll be up to someone else. Perfect attitude for a backbencher Congressman who hasn't the juice or the ability to lobby his colleagues to get what his people need.
Even worse is the attitude of the White House, which admits that they failed to help Bound Brook and Manville, who got the brunt of the flooding in 1996, 1999 and 2007.
The Army Corps of Engineers could complete flood barriers around Bound Brook in two years if funding is "accelerated," according to Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul Woodley Jr., who oversees the agency. ...Prodded by Congress, President Bush has proposed $10 million for flood control in the Green Brook Basin, which includes Bound Brook. But Corps and local officials said roughly $30 million is needed to complete a mile of flood barriers along the Raritan River, which again inundated the downtown during the April 15 nor'easter.
"I've submitted the president's budget and that's what I stand by," said Woodley, whose office directs the Army's civil works projects. But he acknowledged that funding level means work would not be finished for an estimated three years.
So one small portion of the project -- $30 million or 6 percent of the $430 million cost -- could be completed in two years, and the White House is not willing to provide the funding for it. And they admit that "stand by" that decision which could once again cost the federal government far more if their is yet another flood.
And Mike Ferguson can't convince them to put the whole $30 million in the budget to get the work done. He can't convince his colleagues of seven years to provide this funding.
If he can't get this kind of support while pictures are still in the paper, families are still living in shelters and businesses are months from re-opening then how can we expect Ferguson to adequately represent us in Congress?
