Governor’s Office
NEWS RELEASE
Governor Jon S. Corzine
February 23, 2009
GOVERNOR CORZINE NAMES McBRIDE, BOXER TO OVERSEE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT IN NEW JERSEY
TRENTON – Governor Jon S. Corzine today named his chief of staff Ed McBride and the state comptroller Matt Boxer to lead a group that will oversee the execution and implementation of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in New Jersey.
“Not only is it essential in this national economic crisis for New Jersey to access every dollar available in the federal stimulus package we must also be accountable for the use of those funds. This group will ensure that the money is directed efficiently and effectively to the appropriate programs,” Governor Corzine said.
The Governor made the announcement as he finished up the three-day winter meeting of the National Governor’s Association with a governors-only meeting with President Obama and top Administration officials this morning at the White House.
The Center for American Progress has estimated that New Jersey will receive some $17.4 billion from the federal stimulus program, including $7.2 billion in tax cuts that will provide relief to more than 3.5 million taxpayers in New Jersey beginning as early as some people’s next paycheck. The stimulus package also contains much-needed assistance for the growing burden on state Unemployment Insurance funds as well as other social safety net programs as well as substantial investments in roads, bridges, dams and other infrastructure that will create billions of jobs across the nation.
“This is about creating jobs and creating a great opportunity to help all of America,” Corzine said. “This President has done more for us in his first 30 days than has been done for states in the previous eight years.”
In return for the federal investment the Governor said it is incumbent upon states to use the money wisely. “We have to be absolutely focused on transparency and accountability,” Corzine said.
Corzine plans to identify other members of the group in the coming week. He had previously established two internal working groups on the federal stimulus package, one focused on the infrastructure portion and another on the other components.
Photos from Governor Corzine’s public events are available
in the Governor’s Newsroom section on the State of New Jersey web page, http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/

