Weasel reporter: "I don't want to say government giveaway but how would describe it for voters?"

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Oh but you just did say government giveaway!

New Jersey governor Chris Christie spoke with WNYC's Bob Hennelly about ... his administration's efforts to re-brand the stalled Xanadu mall project as the American Dream in the Meadowlands.

...

BH: As Governor your tool box for fixing the macro economy that's so tied into national and global trends is limited. But who have put a lot of chips on the table with your plan to provide $200 million in economic aid to the Triple 5 Company that runs the Mall of America to re-brand the stalled Xanadu project in the Meadowlands. That's up for a vote Monday. What is that $200 million...I don't want to say government giveaway but how would describe it for voters?

CC: Listen, what we’re trying to do is provide incentives for places like the American Dream at the Meadowlands to be built, and in these difficult economic times, the state is going to become a partner, a small partner in the project, but a partner none-the less, and we’re going to get our money back once the project is successful. So I think this is a great idea for New Jersey. I don’t know that I would have built Xanadu in the first place, Bob, but you know when I got here I already had that huge building in the middle of the New Jersey Meadowlands right along the turnpike and route three, and to me it’s not an option to let it fail at this moment, because that’s not without costs either. That would cost at least a hundred million dollars to take the place down. So, I think this is the right way to go, the folks that we’re dealing with are the proprietors of the Mall of America in Minnesota and the West Edmonton mall in Canada, and they have a spectacular track record for, once they get into a job, doing the job the best way, and I think you’re going to see, in time for the SuperBowl in 2014, an operational American Dream amusement park and entertainment center.

Edited June 27, 2011 by \

[mawilson 2,133]

CC rocks.

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CC rocks.

I am pleased to see his support for Xanadu. I am also very pleased with the pension reform he helped pass. I am still pissed about ARC, though.