Mind your own fucking business Jersey [Archive]

terryc35

03-31-2006, 05:56 AM

March 31, 2006 -- New York's top lawmakers fired a warning shot across New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's bow yesterday, as the two states clashed over stalled plans to rebuild the World Trade Center. In a letter signed by New York state's entire congressional delegation, the lawmakers called on Corzine to give up his "desire to maximize the fiscal benefits" to his state and get out of the way of rebuilding Ground Zero. "This is an important decision that first and foremost should be made by New Yorkers," the letter read. The warning came as the Port Authority, controlled jointly by Gov. Pataki and Corzine, failed to reach an agreement with Ground Zero developer Larry Silverstein in time for yesterday's meeting of the agency's board. <table align="left" border="0"><tr><td><a href="http://ads.nypost.com/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/61765.htm/1939237022/Middle/default/empty.gif/33663662373734393434306337643630" target="_top"><img height="2" alt="" src="http://ads.nypost.com/RealMedia/ads/Creatives/default/empty.gif" width="2" border="0" /></a> </td></tr></table>"This letter was signed by every Democrat and every Republican in the state, and we don't agree on much," said Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens), who spearheaded the effort. PA officials yesterday said their talks with Silverstein were making progress, and they predicted that a deal to shift nearly half of the rebuilding project to the bi-state agency could ready within several weeks. But New York state sources said negotiations have already produced a very strong proposal for the agency. They blamed the delay on last-minute haggling with New Jersey's members of the PA. Anthony Coscia, chairman of the PA - and a New Jersey appointee - insisted that the delay in reaching a deal has nothing to do with interstate horse-trading over projects, such as a proposed $6 billion Hudson River commuter rail tunnel. One sticking point, Coscia said, is a demand that Silverstein make a "substantial" contribution toward the World Trade Center Memorial as a concession for reduced rents he'll pay and for not having to build the Freedom Tower. "We felt the memorial should be part of that process. For us to resolve our differences and not resolve our mutual obligation to the memorial doesn't seem to be appropriate given how important the memorial is to the entire site," Coscia said. He wouldn't say exactly how much a contribution the PA is seeking, but sources said that Corzine believes Silverstein should kick in roughly $100 million. Silverstein said he thought an agreement was at hand before yesterday's board meeting. "However, we now find that the process has apparently gotten bogged down inside the Port Authority, which is as frustrating to me as I'm sure it is to New Yorkers," Silverstein said. Under the deal on the table now, Silverstein would give up the rights to the Freedom Tower and a fifth tower south of the World Trade Center site that could be developed as a residential high-rise. Silverstein would turn over to the PA about $1 billion of the $2.9 billion in insurance money he has left, and his $110 million annual rent would be reduced by 44 percent for the three office towers he'd still control