New Jersey’s Sandy Task Force Representative Talks To Jim

Jim talked to Michael Passante, New Jersey State Director of the President's Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force.  

The 69-point report calls for projects to focus on strengthening communities, so if and when, another storm hits, the financial and human damage can be lessened. It calls for strengthening to major infrastructure projects, energy and fuel infrastructure systems, and the creation of better planning tools and standards for communities rebuilding storm-damaged areas.

Listen to Jim's conversation with Michael Passante

Passante is a Bergen County native who has worked in many leadership capacities, most recently as Legislative Counsel for the United States Senate's Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Subcommittee of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee for the past four years, where he handled housing, insurance, and banking policy issues and worked on the Wall Street reform law.

Prior to that he was Assistant State Counsel for the Obama campaign in New Jersey in 2008 and worked for the City of Newark as a criminal prosecutor.  He earned three degrees from Harvard University including a Bachelors in economics, a Master in Public Policy, and a law degree.

Ilya Hemlin contributed to this report