NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—NBToday sat down with State Senator Barbara Buono, a candidate for Governor in the November 5 election, to discuss her views on important local, county, and state issues.
In the August 2 interview, Buono said she would have moved NJTransit trains to higher ground if she were in charge during the onslaught of Hurricane Sandy.
“It’s a reflection of [Gov. Christie] being in denial about climate change,” she said. Â A WNYC investigation revealed NJTransit did not follow their own limited plan to protect the trains from flooding.
Buono was also critical of the Governor’s decision to sign on to an expensive no-bid debris removal contract with AshBritt, a Florida-based company that his mentor Haley Barbour is a lobbyist for.
The longtime state legislator also slammed Christie for his focus press conferences and “ribbon cuttings on the boardwalk,” saying that he “waited and waited to see what FEMA was going to hand down to us.”
“People need to have answers,” Buono said. Â “People are living in trailers still, They’re getting no answers from the Department of Community Affairs and they’re trying to get assistance.”
“This Governor has not helped real people in need… They’re really in the same situation that they were in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Â That should not be.”
New Brunswick Today invited both of the major-party candidates to a video interview at a location of their choosing. Governor Christie declined the invitation, but Senator Buono accepted.
Charlie is the founder and editor of New Brunswick Today, and the winner of the Awbrey Award for Community-Oriented Local Journalism. He is a proud Rutgers University journalism graduate, a community organizer, and a former independent candidate for mayor of New Brunswick.
