CLIFTON NJ, April 7, 2009 -- With New Jersey facing a dramatic budget shortfall – in excess of a half billion dollars – how is Assemblyman Scott Rumana spending his time? He’s busy bullying people who singed up to run against his organization in the June Primary Election  so he can cling to his Passaic County GOP  Chairmanship,” says Michael Mecca,  chairman of the rival Passaic County  Republican Organization Inc. The day after the PCRO signed up 277 county committee people to oppose Rumana and fielded a slate of county and local candidates to challenge Rumana’s weak leadership, the Assemblyman is frantically calling people trying to get them to drop out of the race. The PCRO chairman said he and other organization member have fielded many calls today from people called by either Rumana or one of his minionspressuring them to get out of the June 2 Primary Election.   “The actions of Scott Rumana illustrate better than anything  I can say why it is a bad idea to have someone in the state legislature also serve as a county party chairman,” said Mecca. “Assemblyman Rumana should be addressing the state’s massive budget shortfall and trying to prevent more tax hikes.  Instead he is consumed with trying to salvage his political career. Is that why he was elected?” asked Mecca.    “Scott Rumana should be looking for ways to spare the people of the state another major tax hike, but instead he and his henchmen are bullying anyone who dared exercise their right to run for elected office,” said Mecca.  "Obviously Team Rumana enjoys beating up on fellow Republicans more than they want to go after Jon Corzine and his spending.”   The PCRO slate features Kristin Corrado  running for county clerk, freeholder candidates Bruno Varano,  Robert Cruz, and Debra Andriani and as well as 35th District Assembly candidates Lynn Anne Shortway of Hawthorne and George Sawey of North Haledon. In Assembly District 34 the PCRO has filed candidates Michael Mecca III and Matthew Tyella both of Clifton.The PCRO’s 277 county committee candidates include 41 in Rumana’s home town of Wayne; 82 in Clifton; 73 in Paterson; 26 in West Milford; 15 in Passaic; 14 in Little Falls and 12 in Totowa. The organization also has five candidates in Haledon and two in West Paterson – where Rumana failed to file any candidates at all.  “It is becoming more evident every day that the  Rumana organization exists for just one purpose --- to promote the political career of Scott Rumana. It certainly doesn’t exist to help Republicans get elected or to strengthen the GOP,” said Mecca.