>November 3, 2011
Senator Robert M. Gordon
14-25 Plaza Road
P.O. Box 398
Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
Dear Senator:
You are running a campaign television commercial which irresponsibly misrepresents the County’s role and support for the region’s most significant economic development and job creating initiative.
To suggest that the County is providing $400 million of public funds for the American Dream development in the Meadowlands is an outright lie. You know it. But in your rush to pander to voters who rejected your party last year because of irresponsible bonding and borrowing practices you have evidently allowed your personal ambition to cloud good judgment.
To be clear, the County is not putting taxpayers at risk. Freeholder Chairman John Driscoll and I are in total agreement on this. In fact, there is no proposal to provide taxpayer funds for this most worthwhile project. Your commercial is a lie and should be immediately pulled. You should apologize to the voters for misleading them and to Mr. Driscoll for purposely misrepresenting his record.
I support construction of American Dream. It will provide over 9,000 construction jobs and some 15,000 permanent jobs with an economic ripple that will reach throughout the County. For your information, unemployment in Bergen County is now nearly 10 percent and unemployment in the construction trades is a whopping 40 percent. Your irresponsible action could jeopardize the greatest employment opportunity in not only Bergen County but throughout northern New Jersey. You should apologize to these residents for undermining their opportunity to support themselves and their families.
I note that you stood by as a member of the State Senate and allowed private developers like EnCap to plunder Bergen County taxpayers by misusing tens of millions of dollars of public funds. That scam, supported by Democrat administrations in Trenton and Bergen County, left a number of communities including Lyndhurst, North Arlington and Rutherford in total fiscal disarray. Local taxpayers will be paying for your silence for decades. Moreover, you were silent when the Democrat administration that Bergen County voters kicked out of office last year doubled the County’s debt and borrowed over $100 million to complete one park — at least $70 million more than what was needed. For this you owe every taxpayer in Bergen County an apology.
Let me be very clear. Bergen County has not and will not commit to any taxpayer funds for this or any other private sector project. Moreover, we have not been asked to do so by the developer. We will, however, assist wherever possible to make this project a reality. Freeholder Chairman Driscoll joins me in that commitment.
American Dream will be an economic generator which will reverse the downturn that has hit so many Bergen County families. It will be completed in spite of your irresponsible action and without taxpayer funding. It deserves all of our support.
Sincerely,
Kathleen A. Donovan
Bergen County Executive
