BALWIERCZAK, YAMPAGLIA CONTINUE “POSITIVE CAMPAIGN” FOR CHANGE!
Dog days of summer do not dissuade Democratic duo, as they expect a negative campaign blitz by the GOP after Labor Day!
“It will be personal, nasty and ugly,” offered the challengers!
NORTH ARLINGTON – As local council candidates John Balwierczak and John Yampaglia mount the most intensive and aggressive door-to-door canvassing effort in decades, sources tell NA Today that the incumbents intend to mount the most negative media blitz against these underdog challengers.
With a GOP campaign treasury of some $50,000, the local Democrats fully anticipate a personal, negative and ugly media blitz that will be designed to discourage the Democrats moving forward. 
Council hopeful John Balwierczak was undeterred and said he will not “bow down” to such efforts believing “the truth is hard to hide when it comes to the overdevelopment policies of the incumbents hell bent to urbanize NA while Democrats are committed to protecting the community’s long standing principle of remaining small, safe and suburban”
Balwierczak said “anything worth fighting for is never easy. We are fighting for the soul of North Arlington. The incumbents are mired in the past while our effort is about their present record and the impact it is having on our future,” said the former Republican.
“I have seen how the local GOP operates from within. I was a volunteer and attended their club meetings. They just don’t want to win, they want to frighten anyone from ever running against them. They want to eliminate responsible two-party elections and let the public be damned.”
Balwierczak said he left the Republicans because they are simply “beholden to developers, realtors and builders. They have given these people a blank check to do as they please and several GOP officeholders are also real estate agents and have no problem with the increased density, traffic and lack of residential street parking thanks to these misguided policies. I was basically told, if you don’t like what we’re doing, don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out,” chuckled the first-time hopeful.
Balwierczak, who still has friends in Republican circles was warned that a nasty, negative campaign was forthcoming.
“They are going to make this personal and nasty by attacking John and I not on the issues, but questioning our character. By suggesting we are unqualified to serve and that the notion of overdevelopment is a mirage. We have two incumbents that have not knocked on a single door or engaged a single voter. They are annoyed we have mounted a serious and issue-oriented campaign questioning their record and they don’t like it. Overdevelopment has gone full circle. Now we have the largest tax hike in years and the reason for that hike is rolling tax assessments and the “lie” that hundreds of new apartment units nobody wants or supports would stabilize taxes and that is just false.”
Yampaglia has been also disturbed by the tone and tenor of the incumbents refusal to talk about overdevelopment and this tax hike both Fitzhenry and Sheedy whole heartily endorse.
I respect Brian. I know him my whole life. These inferred attacks about my record or residence are out-of-bounds and just cheap shots that are below-the-belt. Everything we have stated about their record is true and their silence confirms that reality.”
Balwierczak also addressed the cheap shots leveled at two candidates that are simply reacting to the will of voters when it comes to the current redevelopment plans no one seems to support.
“This talk of a twenty-year old water utility sale borders on the ridiculous. North Arlington received millions and saved millions on a utility valued at $257,000 by a Republican auditor at the time of the transaction. Fitzhenry ran on that single issue and lost every district in a landslide defeat. Just for the record, I was 15 years old and in high school at the time of the sale. The talk of a bogus 33% tax hike are just as untruthful when the entire Republican Party was in the tank for EnCap, the failed housing scheme that would have constructed over 1,500 units of low income and affordable housing in a place called Arlington Valley. This is the same scheme endorsed by Donald J Trump, their nominee for the presidency. This distorted look at the past and this inability to discuss the present or our future is self-evident, so we are bracing ourselves for the most negative campaign by the incumbents to save themselves and this monopoly of holding all seven seats on the North Arlington Mayor and Council. This time, voters won’t be fooled again and help is on the way.”. 
The Democrats believe the NA Republicans are running scared because there is complete unity in the Democratic ranks.
“We were told that the incumbent Brian Fitzhenry refuses to campaign and that has even the GOP Mayor upset and angered,” offered Balwierczak.
Electorally, the Republicans need Democrats to win in North Arlington.
In fact they don’t even identify as Republicans, just puppets loyal to their misguided leader.
This year, every former Democratic councilman and mayor have endorsed this ticket:
Former Mayor Ed Martone
Former Mayor Peter Massa
Former Acting Mayor, Councilman and current Bergen County Commissioner Steve Tanelli who is seeking reelection on the same ticket as Balwierczak & Yampaglia.
Former Councilman Robert Myers
Former Councilman Mark Yampaglia
Former Councilman Patrick Roche
Former Council President Albert Granell
Former Councilman Tom Zammatore
“I am humbled, thankful and grateful for the support I have received by the NA Democrats. Our campaign is not angry or spiteful like my opponents who attack people who are not even on the ballot, or our 89-year old Municipal Chairman, who is a retired labor leader and US veteran that has served on numerous boards and commissions as a volunteer. I was friends with many local Republicans and I still am. Now I am ostracized for seeking the change people demand. It is hurtful and unnecessary, lamented Balwierczak. 
“My Mother is even ignored by these very people who now snub her and treat her with rudeness that is just petty and silly.”
The Democrats urge all voters to stop by the Post Office Saturday between 9 and 12 noon to talk about the issues or register to vote. They will take off for the remainder of the Labor Day weekend and return to their door to door efforts Wednesday. 
To join the campaign, call (201) 655-8497.