North Arlington – As previously reported by NA Today, the Bocchino family; with the approval of Mayor Dan Pronti – seem to be running the entire North Arlington Republican Party and council campaign these days.
Bocchino, a retired county patronage employee, party insider and former GOP chairman is now Pronti’s chief lieutenant as he has the new title of campaign chairperson while his daughter is the council candidate and his wife the treasurer all at the same time (click here to review ELEC documents).
Recently appointed to the part-time patronage position of Quality of Life Officer at the salary of $8000 per year, Bocchino has been resurrected to his former status as chief fundraiser and top Republican in North Arlington.
Bocchino, who as lost twice for council has now convinced Pronti to run his daughter for a position he could not win while pairing her with a former protégé and running-mate, Kirk Del Russo, who served with Bocchino on the now defunct NA Redevelopment Agency that approved the failed EnCap housing scheme that was eventually killed by former Mayor Peter Massa, former councilman and current Freeholder Steve Tanelli and former councilman Al Granell, himself a target of eminent domain seizure back in 2006.
Pronti defends this obvious patronage plum under the guise Bocchino is just another supporter and not the individual responsible for raising tens of thousands of dollars for local Republicans.
For the line between local government and politics has not been blurred, but decimated by Pronti and his chief campaign operative.
Here comes the new boss, same as the old one!
NA needs responsible two-party government and good Democrats like Mark Yampaglia reelected so that average citizens have a voice in the Borough’s affairs and not this big fish in a small bowl mentality where we have a Mayor who thinks no one’s property taxes have increased in three years and lacks the political will to even engage the North Arlington Board of Education on a building proposal that will raise school taxes to the tune of roughly $1,000 according numerous local sources.
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