Campaign 2008:
Bocchino: I'm
not debating!
GOP challenger tells Granell a debate with
local Democrats is out of the question!
Hey Jimmy, afraid to face the voters?
NORTH
ARLINGTON - In a stirring turn of events, NA Today has learned that Republican council candidate James Bocchino will
not debate Democrats Steve Tanelli & Mark Yampaglia no matter what
the circumstances and is adamant about hiding from his opponents as well as the
voter!
In an
interview with Councilman Al Granell, the campaign manager for the Democrats
was told directly by Bocchino that his campaign manager was against any talk of
a debate with Tanelli & Yampaglia.
NA
Today was unable to
find out who is Bocchino's campaign head.
Bocchino, a
retired patronage employee with the Bergen County Utilities Authority
(BCUA) is a former commissioner to the now defunct North Arlington
Redevelopment Agency which brought North Arlington EnCap, the controversial developer now in
bankruptcy. As a commissioner, Bocchino voted yes to appoint the EnCap law firm as the borough's
redevelopment bond counsel.
Finishing fourth in a field of five candidates for council in 2006, Bocchino is the former Republican municipal chairman who solicited thousands of dollars from EnCap lawyers during the administration of former Mayor Len Kaiser, a member of
the NJMC and Executive Director of the BCUA.
Granell met up with Bocchino on Ridge Road where local Republicans are opening a storefront headquarters.
"He made it very clear to me that he wasn't
debating. That Jimmy as well as his running-mate James Herrmann will
not participate in any debate possibility or format. I think this turn of
events speaks volumes to their ability or inability to engage the public as
well as Steve and Mark. I don't know how you can be this arrogant and
arbitrarily reject the notion of an open dialogue with the very people you hope
to represent. It's pretty pathetic," observed Granell.
Herrmann,
who was elected to the governing body in 2000 was
defeated in a landslide in 2003. Republicans would then illegally appoint
him to the unexpired term of former Councilman James Ward who resigned in
December of 2003. Herrmann would be removed
from office by a Bergen County Judge in April of 2004.
