Following through on a promise to make sure New Jersey residents are rebuilding their lives, President Barack Obama, along with Gov. Chris Christie, toured several south Jersey communities ravaged by Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday.
“The Jersey Shore is ready and open for business,” Obama said during a speech he made in Asbury Park. “Let’s have some good times on the Jersey Shore!”
Obama toured some of the hardest-hit beach communities in south Jersey, including Ortley Beach and Asbury Park.
With the Memorial Day weekend being the unofficial start of the summer season for many, business owners and residents along the shore communities welcomed Obama’s visit, along with the governor. However, some have criticized the recovery efforts as taking too long and the entire process as being mired with minutiae.
Last year, tourism accounted for nearly 10 percent of the gross domestic product in News Jersey, and the shore areas are anxious to lure tourists back. Obama’s visit and a recently launched $30 million federally funded advertising campaign that highlights the shore’s recovery are part of the process. “We still have a long way to go, but as the president and I have said from the beginning, we won’t stop until all the work is done,” Christie said.