Shore residents to Christie: Come on down, bring a mop

When Gov. Christie asked whether he should grab a mop and head back to the Jersey Shore to help with the cleanup, was he just kidding?

At a Tuesday news conference in Trenton, the governor said his mop remarks to a young woman at a Monday town-hall meeting in Hooksett, N.H., were "a joke."

But in Cape May County, perhaps hardest hit by the snowstorm and flooding, residents and business owners were not laughing. With mops, brooms, and disinfectant in hand, some said they would love to have Christie come down and help out.

And a recent Stockton University graduate started a GoFundMe campaign Tuesday called "Mops for Christie" to raise $1,000 and a little social activism.

Kiyle Osgood, of Lambertville, said the mop comment was "uncalled for" and wants to send mops to the governor in protest. He also suggests that people volunteer to assist with the repairs. By Tuesday evening, Osgood had raised about $50.

Here's what others had to say.

SCOTT CHAMBERS: He owns Zippy's Bikes in Wildwood and says that instead of sending an entourage of state officials to the Shore, Christie should head there himself.

Chambers, who had been scrubbing and hosing for three days to get his shop and warehouse back in order after several feet of floodwater inundated the business Saturday, created a sidewalk vignette to make his feelings known.

Chambers placed a sandwich board in front of the shop on Pacific Avenue, calling the spot "Reserved Parking for Gov. Christie." Next to it he placed a yellow scrub bucket, a mop, and a box of doughnuts.

"It infuriates me to watch his comments on Saturday, and then he just keeps digging an even deeper hole with everything he's said since then," Chambers said. "Yeah, I think he should come down and see what this is really like. And then he should open up his checkbook to help."

LORI RUSSO: Russo owns the Cool Scoops ice cream parlor at New Jersey and 12th Avenues in North Wildwood. She said she would like a bit of help pushing her $15 mop, but doesn't need the governor's elbow grease to do it, just his "understanding and compassion."

"It was horrifying here, and whether it was as bad as Sandy or worse than Sandy doesn't matter," Russo said. "The cleanup for us is as bad, and it's going to take us weeks to get all this done."

Russo said a contractor was determining whether she will need to replace her heating, ventilation, and cooling systems - tens of thousands of dollars' worth of assets - for the second time in three years.

"This time around was actually worse," Russo said. "I think there just needs to be some understanding of that from the highest officeholder in the state."

TOM TUMELTY: Tumelty is a retired schoolteacher whose home is about half a block from the bay in Ocean City. "I think he should definitely come down here and mop up my debris. . . . I think he would have a better understanding of what really happened here," he said.

Tumelty's house, which sits up on pilings, was OK, but two feet of flooding created a mess in his garage, where he had stored garden tools and household items.

"I think [Christie's] comments have been very foolish," Tumelty said. "Maybe a little mopping and sweeping would give him an idea of just what we go through down here when a bad storm hits."

NORTH WILDWOOD MAYOR PATRICK ROSENELLO: Christie in New Hampshire called out "one crazy mayor down in South Jersey" for saying the flooding in that town was worse than during Sandy in 2012. That mayor, though not named by Christie, was Rosenello. Rosenello said the governor had "graciously" called him Tuesday to say he was sorry for the comment. Rosenello said he accepted the apology, but thought Christie still owed Shore residents, business owners, and emergency management personnel an apology for "what everyone has gone through with this storm."

"Should he grab a mop? That's not for me to recommend to the governor," Rosenello said. "But his lack of sensitivity and compassion for the people who live and work here is what concerns me. . . . I think those are the people he needs to apologize to. I don't think the governor needs to come to Cape May County with a mop to do that."

CHRIS RAKUS: Rakus is a resident of 43rd Place in Sea Isle City and saw more than three feet of icy water flood his garage. His family lost two cars, two refrigerators, and a freezer. He spent Tuesday mopping, scrubbing, and disinfecting. "I was quite offended by the governor's comments, especially about the mopping. . . . I think it was a real slap in the face," Rakus said. "Everything we lost can be replaced, but I think there is a lot of hardship among a lot of people in this county right now, and he just doesn't get that and he keeps saying things that are just making it worse for him."

STEVE ROMANO: Romano's family has owned Marie's Seafood along the bay in Sea Isle City since 1949. Romano, who has lived on the site his entire life, said he had never seen floodwaters "come up so fast" in any storm before Saturday. The business had severe losses of equipment and merchandise during Sandy and over the weekend suffered damage inside the seafood market and restaurant.

"I think Christie just has too many things on his plate right now to understand the full severity of this storm and what something like this means to the people who live and work here," Romano said. "It was scary."

DONOVAN RANKIN: Rankin owns Coastal Insurance in North Wildwood and said the storm's damage was "nothing close to Sandy." "I can see the governor's point that the damage isn't like Sandy," Rankin said. He said he did not think it would be a good idea for Christie to grab a mop and a bucket and head to the shore. "I think he has enough to do and enough people around him to accomplish the cleanup that needs to be done," Rankin said.

GOV. CHRISTIE: The governor said the mop comment "was a joke." He also said he apologized to Rosenello for calling him "crazy." "I got carried away at the town-hall meeting," Christie said. "I didn't feel good about what I said about him." And, while Christie's wisecracking about storms and mops may not be playing so well at the Jersey Shore, it might be working in Hooksett. After the meeting there, several voters said they viewed Christie more favorably than they had before. One woman said she was now leaning toward the governor more because he seemed "genuine."

jurgo@phillynews.com 609-652-8382

@JacquelineUrgo www.philly.com/downashore

Staff writer Maddie Hanna contributed to this article.