COUNCIL CAMPAIGN 2008:
WHAT DO THESE REPUBLICANS REALLY STAND FOR?
Silent on everything from property taxes,
EnCap, eminent domain seizure and low income housing, Bocchino
& Herrmann refuse to even debate!
What are they hiding and why won't the engage the voter?
Jim
Bocchino and his running-mate James Herrmann seem content to hide than engage the public.
While an empty storefront on Ridge Road has
a few signs, the 2008 GOP ticket seems convinced they can win by refusing to engage the Democratic ticket in
an honest discussion about the issues facing North Arlington!
Like in
2006, NA Today has been informed that former Mayor Russ Pitman was recently
spotted at the Ridge Road headquarters lending a hand to the
Bocchino/Herrmann campaign.
"Nothing
has changed. Bocchino supports EnCap and
so does Herrmann. Pitman still supports EnCap. It is rumored that
Pitman's former attorney is also helping the Republicans. How much more
evidence do you need that Bocchino and Herrmann represent a failed past?" said one Democrat familiar with the campaign.
Bocchino is a former member of the now defunct North
Arlington Redevelopment Agency and voted yes to appoint EnCap lawyers as the agency's bond counsel.
Local Republicans have accepted nearly $25,000
in campaign contributions from EnCap's attorneys.
The
controversial developer is now in bankruptcy while North Arlington remains mired in litigation regarding the project known
as Arlington
Valley.
"Kaiser,
Bocchino and Herrmann started EnCap. They are responsible for the
mess we have today," noted Councilman Al Granell, a former target
of eminent domain seizure.
Bocchino, who finished fourth in a field of five
candidates in 2006 and Herrmann, who was swamped
by nearly 1,000 votes in his failed re-election effort in 2003 are for the
most part invisible to the voter. In contrast, North Arlington Democrats are
hosting voter registration every Saturday at the North Arlington Post Office
and have already begun a door-to-door effort.
"I
don't see them at council meetings. I read something in the paper that they
won't debate the Democrats. I have no idea where they stand on the
issues," said one resident passing their storefront headquarters on Ridge
Road.
Councilman
Al Granell, who is managing the campaign of Council President Steve Tanelli and
former Councilman Mark Yampaglia was more to the point.
"How do you run for office when you refuse
to debate your opponents? Could you imagine a presidential campaign where
one candidate refused to debate the other? It's a very strange position to take
and I must admit, a disturbing course of action by two people who want to
represent the voters of North Arlington," said the Ridge Road Democrat.
Many
Democrats believe neither Bocchino or Herrmann can
withstand the public scrutiny of a debate.
"What
are they going to say? They both are
disciples of the Kaiser political machine. Bocchino is a retired patronage
employee. At least one member of his family has a job thanks to politics. He is a puppet of the failed Kaiser
Administration that raised taxes some 120% and squandered $45M dollars in
temporary host fees. He seems content to support these new COAH regulations and
his record as a redevelopment commissioner is a disaster. Herrman raised taxes each year he served as a councilman as well as a
trustee to the board of education. He was bounced from office by a Bergen
County Judge thanks to a botched appointment in where the judge ruled he never
resigned from his expiring term of office. These guys are total
throwbacks to the failed policies of Len Kaiser and Len Kaiser is the brains
behind the campaign," said another Democrat when asked about the status of
the current campaign.
Out-of-town
money and out-of-town advice seem to be the new strategy for Republicans who
have one just one election since 2002.
"The
Republicans had a fundraiser on June 30th, but the proceeds of that fundraiser were not posted on the Republican Club's
quarterly report.
Who ran
the fundraiser and why wasn't any contributions or expenditures listed? It's an
obvious question," said one Democrat supporting Tanelli and Yampaglia.
Most
Democrats agree this election is about a
failed past versus a brighter future.
"Mark
Yampaglia is an attorney who has served as a councilman as well as public
defender. He is well aware of the issues facing North Arlington and has a track
record of putting taxpayers first. Councilman Steve Tanelli is one of North
Arlington's most popular elected officials. He
and Mayor Pete Massa stopped EnCap, eminent domain seizure and the construction of
low income housing. The differences between the two tickets could not be
any greater," observed Nick Antonicello, the Democratic municipal
chairman.
Tanelli
was proud of the Massa Administration's record and was eager to list the
accomplishments of the local Democrats.
"We
stabilized taxes with a zero tax increase
budget. We stopped EnCap.
We vastly restricted the usage of eminent domain seizure. We protected 500 good
paying jobs and over $1M in tax revenues by standing up for the Porete Avenue
business community with zero help from the Republicans," said Tanelli.
Democrats
are pointing to a better future with a record of real accomplishment.
"We're
now negotiating with Montclair University to possibly bring a satellite
facility to North Arlington which will benefit our kids. We continue to fight
COAH and we're in the process of a the first
renovation of the Library in four decades. We're investigating the usage of
solar energy and the acquisition of green vehicles like the GEM car. We
renovated the Girl's Softball field and we're in the process of creating a
walking community along Ridge Road as well as implementing Streetscape. These
are real accomplishments," noted Tanelli.
What do
the Republicans want to do?
"Bocchino
and Herrmann want to hand the town over the
Len Kaiser and the politics of failure. They want to bring back EnCap. They will implement eminent domain
seizure and allow low income housing into North Arlington. They will make
needless promotions and new hires and expand the size of local government.
They will start borrowing again and destroy the progress we've made. We can't
let that happen. That's why this election is so important," noted
Antonicello.
In five
years, Democrats have cut the borough's debt
nearly 40%!
"Under
Kaiser, we had credit card government run amok. Since Democrats have controlled
municipal finances our debt has decreased some 39%. That means we can deliver
services while cutting the cost of government. That's
why taxes stayed the same in North Arlington while they increased in
Wood-Ridge, Lyndhurst, Rutherford, East Rutherford and Carlstadt!" said
former Councilman Mark Yampaglia.
