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RUMANA VOTED TO PUT TAXPAYERS AT RISK FOR AN AQUARIUM AT THE FAILING XANADU MEGA MALL
By horatioWAYNE NJ -- The Meadowlands mega mall known as Xanadu now faces an uncertain economic future, but that did not stop Assemblyman Scott Rumana from voting last June to put more taxpayer money at risk and make the controversial mall in the meadowlands even a bigger white elephant, says Republican Assembly challenger Joseph Caruso.
Last week it was announced that the planned August opening for the massive 2.2 million square foot mega mall has been postponed and building contractors began removing construction equipment from the site due to a default on a construction loan that threatens the financing of the $2 billion complexThe mall was supposed to open earlier this year, but it has been plagued by financial problems and a lack of tenants. Taxpayers have already invested millions of dollars into a Meadowlands train station roadway and interchange improvements to help make Xanadu profitable.
Despite Xanadu’s well known financial problems – the state Assembly voted last June to support a privately owned aquarium in the Meadowlands.
According to the Record newspaper of September 23, 2008, the legislation supported by Rumana and District 40 Assemblyman David Russo, “did not rule out the use of more tax money to build infrastructure to serve yet another Xanadu attraction.”
“Didn’t Rumana bother to ask if taxpayer money was going to be sunk into the aquarium at Xanadu, which is now in deep financial trouble,” asked Caruso.
“Didn’t Mr. Rumana care if more public money was sunk into this disaster in the meadowlands? Apparently not.”
Caruso’s running mate Anthony Rottino said putting any more taxpayer money into Xanadu for an aquarium or anything else is the wrong thing to do.
“No more taxpayer money should be wasted on the financing this grand scheme that is apparently not working out very well,” said Rottino.
“Given the history of Xanadu and its many financial difficulties, Mr. Rumana should have known better than to support legislation that leaves the taxpayers vulnerable to pay for a giant fish tank in the middle of meadowlands,” added Rottino.
“It looks like Scott Rumana once again failed again to do his homework on the aquarium and voted for another big government guarantee of another bad idea,” added Rottino, a business owner.The legislation that Rumana and Russo supported -- A2544 did not include an amendment barring use of tax money for the aquarium, which was championed by Assembly Democrats. Without such an amendment, the state taxpayers could end up paying millions for water pipes, utilities and roads to serve a for-profit, 200,000-square-foot Meadowlands aquarium that would be adjacent to the eastern end of the Xanadu complex in East Rutherford.
The aquarium bill has been stalled in the state Senate.
“The lack of attention to detail in Trenton is appalling,” said Caruso, a business executive.’ New Jersey can no longer afford to have legislators, such as Mr. Rumana, who cavalierly vote for legislation that could cost taxpayers millions of dollars.”
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