Ridgewood, NJ – Today 40th District Assembly candidates John Agostinelli and Mark Bombace called upon Wayne Councilwoman and Assemblyman Scott Rumana’s Chief-of-Staff Ann Mary O’Rourke to step down from her position in Assemblyman Rumana’s legislative office as Chief of Staff.  As a Wayne Councilwoman she cannot be objective in serving every town of the 40th District.     “Clear conflicts of interest exist for Councilwoman O’Rourke in her dual positions of Councilwoman and Chief-of-Staff,” stated Agostinelli.  “She cannot effectively serve all of the other towns in the 40th District without any bias when she as an elected duty to the citizens of Wayne.  This is Assemblyman Rumana consolidating power for political purposes - not doing what is in the best interest of 40th District citizens.”  “Councilwoman O’Rourke should not be collecting 2 taxpayer salaries in these trying economic times when some people can’t even find 1 salary to support their families,” stated Bombace.  “If a grant is available for a town in the 40th District, she has no objectivity to where that money would be spent because of her role as an elected official in Wayne.  John and I are not entrenched politicians looking to accrue political power like Assemblyman Rumana, we just want to bring a common sense approach to the State Assembly.”  Election Day is Tuesday November 3rd, 2009.  The 40th Legislative District encompasses parts of Bergen, Essex, and Passaic Counties, including the following towns: Cedar Grove, Franklin Lakes, Little Falls, Mahwah, Midland Park, Oakland, Ridgewood, Ringwood, Verona, Wanaque, Wayne, and Wyckoff.  www.40thDistrict.com