DONOVAN TEAM SCRAMBLING TO COVER TRACKS ON XANADU

Dissident Team Issues Weak Position on Development
Silent for 17 years, Donovan Suddenly Speaks Out. Why?Call Thom Ammirato
973-403-7836

Hackensack -- The Donovan Team is scrambling to try to cover its failure to a take strong position against the massive Xanadu mega mall, said Bergen County Republican Organization County Executive Candidate Todd Caliguire.

The Donovan Team issued another weak release today trying to explain its contorted position on Xanadu. Caliguire has been on record opposing the Xanadu mall construction and demanding that the developer pay county taxes and a more money to towns surrounding the mall, such as Carlstadt, East Rutherford and Rutherford.

Donovan has not been in the forefront in calling on Xanadu to pay its fair share of county taxes (and she does not do so in her team's latest press release) nor has she demanded that the developer -- the Mills Corp. of Virginia -- pay more money in lieu of taxes to Carlstadt, where local officials feel they are being shortchanged.

"The Donovan Team is obviously making a half-hearted attempt to get on the right side of the issue, but is still protecting millionaire developers instead of fighting for homeowners," said Caliguire.

"After 17 years in office this is the first we have heard Kathe Donovan say anything about Xanadu and that is only because my campaign has pushed the issue," added Caliguire. "She doesn't really understand the development issues in South Bergen and is trying to play catch up. She obviously has no commitment to curbing development or fighting Xanadu because her team is intimately connected to developers and developer attorneys."

Caliguire notes that Donovan's campaign has taken money from developers Tom Bruinooge and Murray Kushner – brother of convicted felon and major Democrat Party operative, Charles Kushner. He also noted that Donovan's campaign manager Alan Marcus has a long association with Xanadu attorney Robert DeCotiis – a Democrat Party insider, who brokered the lenient tax deals for Xanadu.

"Kathe and her team have no credibility on Xanadu and other South Bergen issues, like EnCap or Highland Cross in Rutherford," said Caliguire, who has rallied in support of residents in North Arlington against the EnCap project.

CALIGUIRE: XANADU – PAY UP

Caliguire has been on record saying that Xanadu should pay its fair share of county taxes – amounting to millions of dollars. He chided Democrat Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney for being absent at the negotiating table when the Xanadu deal was hammered out during the McGreevey administration. "You can be sure if I was county executive, Bergen county taxpayers would be protected and Xanadu would be paying the taxes it rightfully owes to the county," said Caliguire.

Caliguire has also said that the new Giants-Jets stadium deal is a bad one for East Rutherford and surrounding towns because the pro football teams – which will own the new stadium and 400,000 square feet of adjacent retail space – are paying little in taxes. "The Giants and Jets, which are both very successful organizations, should be taxed just like any other private entity," said Caliguire.

DISPUTING DONOVAN'S CLAIMS

Caliguire also disputed a statement made earlier this week by the Donovan campaign, which said the clerk has long opposed development east of Route 17. Caliguire said his campaign staff has searched news archives for any such statements by Donovan and can find none.

"If Kathe made any such statements in opposition to development, she must have made them to herself, because she is not on record opposing development in the meadowlands, or opposing the egregious EnCap deal," said Caliguire.

"It looks like they have no proof that she ever opposed any kind of development deal in Bergen County," said Caliguire.