Christie target of online Sandy recovery campaign

Jersey Shore families still having difficulties recovering from Sandy two years after the Superstorm are targeting Gov. Chris Christie in an online campaign.

Finishthejobnj.com used the second anniversary of the hurricane yesterday to raise awareness regarding concerns that funding from the state's Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation (RREM) Program is taking too long to get to those in need.

"People have been on the wait list for years. People have lots of struggles with paperwork. People have commitments to have funding get to them; it doesn't get to them," said Amanda Devecka-Rinear, Director of the New Jersey Organizing Project, which launched the online campaign. The group brings South Jersey and the Shore together for community solutions.

The campaign is tackling one issue at a time to try and speed up the recovery for storm victims and is focusing on the RREM program first, according to Devecka-Rinear.

"This is a $1.1 billion dollar program. It only has $291 million. That's $1.1 billion to $291 million out the door to families," she said.

Information from the campaign highlighted 2,426 families are still on the waiting list and 2,426 were rejected who need to be reconsidered.

"We picked this program in particular because of how far it needs to come and this is a program that the Christie Administration has oversight over," Devecka-Rinear said.

Sandy survivor Jim Keady, a former Asbury Park Councilman, founded the Finish The Job advocacy group and was escorted from Christie's news conference in Belmar yesterday for heckling the Governor over the REMM program. Christie told him to "Sit down and shut up."