Red-faced state officials are trying to understand and to explain why New Jersey has received less than half as much Sandy aid from HUD as New York State and City combined, even though the states’ original damage estimates suggested that New York was only slightly harder hit.
Did the policy wonks who honcho-ed New York State’s application for federal Sandy aide outfox the prosecutor-heavy Administration of NJ Gov. Chris Christie?
Did federal HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan — New York City’s former housing commissioner — show favoritism toward his native state?
Did damaged parts of New York State receive more aid because their electric company — the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) — is publicly-run, while electric utilities in New Jersey are privatized?
A NJ Spotlight/WNYC investigation concludes that, rather than there being any one, single reason for the funding disparity, there were a variety of factors that “pretty much guaranteed from day one that New Jersey would get less support.”
Scott Gurian and Matthew Schuerman, reporters for the two news organizations, try to make sense of it all in Why did New Jersey get only half as much Sandy aid as New York?
You also can listen to an audio version of the story.
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