Del Russo, Cavadas and Bocchino Endorse Largest Tax Hike in NA History!
The election of three members of the North Arlington Borough Council is up for grabs come Tuesday in race that boils down to one particular issue and that’s Property Taxes.
Your Property Taxes.
Who wants to enthusiastically raise them and who doesn’t want to further burden the weary and exhausted North Arlington homeowner!
Republicans want to eliminate responsible two-party government. They want no one but puppets on that seven-member Governing Body.
And the Republican ticket of Del Russo, Cavadas and Bocchino offer little if anything at all in ideas or a platform.
The three have taken credit for numerous accomplishments they had nothing to do with like the resurfacing of the various athletic fields and two of three candidates have no real resume to speak of except being political patronage appointees and offering 100% loyalty to Mayor Dan Pronti.
In fact their proud of the fact they challenge him on nothing and agree with him on everything.
Now they want to stifle any serious discussion and these Republicans want to award Pronti with nothing but a proverbial blank check for more taxes, perks, pay raise and promotions for the GOP party faithful!
In effect, North Arlington is being transformed into a company town, an extension of Jersey City and Hudson County.
Here comes the new boss, same as the old one!
But most disturbing is the fact all three Republicans have signed off on a $13,300,000 spending spree over at the Board of Education, the largest tax hike in the history of North Arlington should these referendum questions pass with the support of these tax and spend Republicans!
And why would anyone believe otherwise?
Mayor Dan Pronti has been obsessed with the fact he’s been called out on the subject, but won’t utter one word about this potential $802.00 tax hike in 2020 alone and best is yet to come!
Just the beginning of the Mother of all Tax Hikes as far as the eye can see!
Let’s look at the record:
· Mayor Dan Pronti has avoided like the plague taking a formal position when in a “whispering campaign” to parents he’s 100% behind these questions!
· Councilman Brian Fitzhenry raised school taxes six consecutive times as a Board of Education member. What makes anyone believe he feels any different today? Like Pronti, he has said nothing!
· Councilwoman Allison Sheedy is in the employ of the Board of Education. Do you think she’s going to oppose the goals of her employer? Who does she truly represent and why has she stayed equally silent?
· Kirk Del Russo supported the housing scheme known as EnCap. Do you think he wouldn’t support the biggest tax hike in history? He will embrace it!
· Candidate Lynette Cavadas is active with the Jefferson school PTO. Would she dare question anything the school board proposes?
· Donna Bocchino refused to debate and now refuses to acknowledge her support of this big tax hike. Her Father and Mother serve as Chairman and Treasurer of her campaign while Dad Jimmy is rewarded by Pronti & Company with an $8000 patronage job. Do you think she has the stomach much less the courage to question this mammoth increase in spending and taxes?
The Republicans looked the other way when over $6 million was spent on purchasing QPHS that has been dormant for several years. Do you think the area residents on Rutherford Place are looking forward to months of construction and then the re-opening of that facility to hundreds of kids of which many may not even be residents?
And what about the fallacy North Arlington has this sky-rocketing increase in the school population when the fact is the district’s enrollment has been between 1600-1800 students for decades? And why does NA need a building that at its peak enrollment accommodated close to 1000 students?
Good questions all.
And these are questions the Republicans didn’t ask and didn’t have the courage to confront because anyone who even questions one cent of school spending is a hater of children.
Do you see why a debate could never occur?
One can only look at the face of that longtime resident of North Arlington Tuesday evening who pleaded with the candidates to consider her plight that taxes in North Arlington are simply too high and what can be done about it?
She praised the local schools.
But there becomes a breaking point one can payout for a service that now gobbles up 70% of all property taxes.
Remember, tenants don’t pay property taxes and the Republicans want to populate Ridge Road with more multiple-dwelling units and apartments that will stress essential services like our schools and who will pay for that influx of more public school students?
You.
Seniors being squeezed out because their life savings and Social Security benefits can no longer accommodate this proliferation of taxes at a rate that is unreasonable, unfair and to some extent, cruel and unusual.
Who represents these good people and why are they ignored like yesterday’s news?
Who has the character to look this weary woman in the face and say, you’re right, enough is enough.
These seniors are the back bone of North Arlington and get little in return for pulling the financial cart which is local government.
These seniors, the “empty nesters” are ignored yet it is their share of property taxes that allow this community to prosper.
And in lieu of their generosity, they are pandered with calls for senior housing that are unrealistic and outright insulting.
The so-called proposal at River Road where the VFW Hall sits is laughable with no serious support or funding from county, state or federal sources.
It is the same tired promise that is forgotten after every election.
Yet they lie to residents with a straight face.
This is your town North Arlington.
You pay the taxes that pay the bills and Pronti and his three underwhelming and hopelessly unqualified candidates offer nothing to this community except they will do exactly what Mayor Pronti tells them and that’s just the truth.
Handing Pronti three more council seats will end local democracy as we know it and responsible two-party government will cease to exist.
Can you afford to give one individual that much authority and power?
North Arlington demands and deserves a healthy mix of Democrats and Republicans putting public policy first and politics at the door.
You have one opportunity to send these politicians a message this Tuesday and that’s you want their hand out of your pocket just once.
You have the power, put it to good use.
Reject the candidacies of Del Russo, Cavadas and Bocchino.
Vote your wallets and pocket book.
Elect Column 2 Democrats from the bottom-up!
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