Lesniak's $25mm for RU passes Senate Committee vote 13-0

[vm7118]

Will be heard by full state Senate on thursday. If it passes, it would still need to pass through the Assembly and be signed by Christie.

http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/i...rutgers_athletics_f.html#incart_story_package

 

[RCTrooper]

Nice start for the woefully underfunded state university. That being said, is Christie even in state long enough to sign anything these days?

 

[pmvon]

Nice start for the woefully underfunded state university. That being said, is Christie even in state long enough to sign anything these days?

The state has 600 million authority under this tax credit system. Appreciate the effort but they can create a crown jewel in the middle of the state but really getting behind this.

 

[derleider]

The state has 600 million authority under this tax credit system. Appreciate the effort but they can create a crown jewel in the middle of the state but really getting behind this.

You know - maybe they feel like most of the $600 million slated for economic development might actually be better used in places where it would spur economic development, which this wont really do.

Really, we should be thankful if the state lets us use any of it for making our game players better.

 

[pmvon]

I think it's great and happy the state is at least getting behind things a bit. just think there is a huge opportunity to propel RU to another level.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

Good sign...

Hopefully this keeps getting pushed through until it passes.

 

[NotInRHouse]

They better not saddle this with some giveaways for Rowan and Christie better not veto it on a rare trip to NJ.

 

[bac2therac]

this is great news...tangible evidence that something is going to get done without political and media ramifications....huge

 

[derleider]

this is great news...tangible evidence that something is going to get done without political and media ramifications....huge

People keep thinking that the state government have stood in the way of RU spending on athletics, but I think its mostly internal resistance that is the issue - old timers in the governance who still see RU as a small school type athletics program, and current students whos tuition is already really high and dont feel that extra athletics spending is useful.

Now obviously this is a step in the positive direction for the state, which we rarely see. They are usually hands off - they wont stop anything, but wont contribute either. So thats good. If nothing else - getting into the Big Ten seems to have laid out exactly how woeful our athletics facilities really are, and in a state with a $35 billion a year budget, and having given several billions in tax breaks to companies in the past five years or so $25 million here or there is not enough to upset people, but is enough to settle down people at RU.

 

[knightfan7]

Take the money, don't ask any questions, and just move on.

Now RU just needs to come up with the remaining 90% or so needed to upgrade athletics to B1G level.

 

[vkj91]

The 25 goes to the basketball/parking structure...correct?
Does anybody know how much the total project is?

 

[Jim_from_RU]

The 25 goes to the basketball/parking structure...correct?
Does anybody know how much the total project is?

Yes, I believe so.

 

[knightfan7]

Am I correct that the $25Mil is for the structure alone and that anything put on top will have to be paid by RU?

 

[RUfinal4]

I think Christie will sign this. Since he is planning to run for greater office he doesn't want to alienate himself from the alumni / students / parents of students at the Universities that would benefit from this bill.

 

[derleider]

The 25 goes to the basketball/parking structure...correct?
Does anybody know how much the total project is?

The recent RU mailbag says $75 million for the MUF. So this would cover about a third.

http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/i...ilbag_heres_your_ballpark_figure_on_cost.html

 

[srru86]

Looks like the deal is we get this $25 mil.
Rowan/Norcross get $10 mill for a new Osteopath School in Newark
North Jersey gets $20 mil for new Seton Hall Hackensack med school at the old Roche plant in Nutley.
Meanwhile we still get nothing for the cost of UMDNJ merger.
So the SOuth and North Jersey machines get state money to replicate the money pit of UMDNJ that they lost.
Some tradeoff.
RU issues board

 

[zappaa]

Elected and appointed politicians should be able to show off the facilities at their state university. It should be a complete source of pride.
Their goal should be to have visitors say"wow, what a place"

 

[NotInRHouse]

Elected and appointed politicians should be able to show off the facilities at their state university. It should be a complete source of pride.
Their goal should be to have visitors say"wow, what a place"

Except that it is vogue in certain quarters, including those of our current governor, to show how little they spend on anything besides weapons.

That, and until the recessions many NJ residents of not most wanted to see nothing spent on higher ed overall. That has changed but not everywhere.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

The recent RU mailbag says $75 million for the MUF. So this would cover about a third.

http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/i...ilbag_heres_your_ballpark_figure_on_cost.html

If that's the case $25M is a great number. Rutgers should raise another $25M in donations and then finance the remaining third. And if this project won't generate enough to handle that kind of payment... well, it will so I need not finish that thought.