(WEST ORANGE, AUGUST 28) - Schundler for Governor campaign manager Bill Pascoe, continuing the campaign’s highlighting of the flaws of the proposed Newark arena deal, today issued the following statement:

“If I didn’t know better, I’d swear it was mid-December -- as we get closer and closer to a vote in the Assembly on the proposed Newark arena deal, this Christmas tree is being loaded up with so many ornaments it would rival the Douglas Fir at Rockefeller Center.

“If the arena can’t pay for itself, New Jerseyans will shoulder that burden through higher taxes. And to make matters worse, the special interests are silencing New Jersey’s taxpayers by not putting the bill up for a referendum. No wonder. A recent poll shows almost 65 percent of New Jersey’s voters would vote AGAINST the arena deal.

“To add insult to injury, the Newark arena bill, according to recent press accounts, picks up the cost of items which have NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BUILDING OF A NEW ARENA IN NEWARK. Some examples are:

“Rowan athletic facility ($30 million); funding for rail improvements from Secaucus Transfer Station to Meadowlands ($180 million); Route 120 realignment ($120 million); Metro Stars stadium ($75 million); landfill closure obligations due by the Hackensack Meadowlands Commission (HMC) to be picked up in the bill ($23.5 million); solid waste defeasance funds to be withdrawn from HMC and credited towards Bergen County’s obligation ($18.5 million); extra aid for next five years to Newark to compensate for loss of Urban Enterprise Zones because designation expired ($7.5 million). Total Price of Christmas tree ornaments: $454.5 million

“So the real cost of the Newark arena deal isn’t just the $355 million that’s been cited - with all these Christmas tree ornaments, the REAL cost of the proposed deal is MORE THAN $800 MILLION.

“The tax implications of this Newark arena deal are staggering, to say the least. We find the lawmakers’ lack of respect for New Jersey’s taxpayers equally staggering. Let’s be clear. We’re not disputing the legitimacy or potential benefit of these projects, or even the arena itself. We’re simply saying that the people of New Jersey deserve to be heard on this issue. They deserve to vote on the arena deal in a referendum.

“You shouldn’t reach into someone’s wallet without getting their permission first -- and you shouldn’t load up an arena deal with sweeteners that more than double the cost of the legislation, either.”