Democratic primaries in North Bergen are usually quiet, however, Roger Quesada and Mahmoud Mahmoud announced their candidacy for the 2019 NJ General Assembly election for the 32nd Legislative District under the campaign slogan; “People. Transparency. Action.” #PTA2019
Category: Politics
8th time’s a charm, Sacco wins again!
Nicholas Sacco is starting to sound like DJ Khaled,” all I do is win!” And that’s all he seems to know how to do. Sacco has now twice defeated businessman Larry Wainstein 8,096 to 3,844 (not counting absentee ballots).
The Sacco team will be celebrating at Waterside restaurant tonight. We will bring you live coverage.
Letter: I Support Mayor Nicholas Sacco
Dear North Bergen Registered Voter:
As the North Bergen municipal race comes to a closing, I believe it is important to express my support for Team Sacco, which consists of Nicholas J. Sacco, Julio Marenco, Allen Pascual, Hugo Cabrera, and Frank Gargiulo for commissioners, on May 14th, 2019. As a young Latino who was raised in North Bergen since the age of 4, I have seen, as many of us have, first-hand the changes the current administration has brought to our town over the last 25 years. My hope in this letter is to reach out to as many registered voters and encourage you to participate in these elections. As someone who works hard to increase voter engagement across the country, I find it that much more important to see my fellow neighbors come out and voice their opinion not just on May 14th, but for the primaries on June 4th, and general election in November. Below I will articulate why a person like me is in full support of Team Sacco.
Firstly, over the last 25 years the town has seen growth among small businesses, as well as seen businesses create jobs and help grow the local economy. For instance, as a child I remember the old K-Mart shopping Center on Tonnelle Avenue standing tall in the area until it was replaced with the Home Depot and Lowes we know today. Likewise, the shopping center on 89tth and Tonnelle holds true to the kind of work done by Team Sacco over the years to bring many businesses like Staples, Panda Express, and Wendy’s to an area that didn’t have these stores so close to residents. While other arguments can be raised against, the one fact remains that these businesses have helped the town thrive from hiring local young men and women giving some of them their first jobs, putting money in their pockets so they can re-invest into these same stores, and revitalizing the town’s economy during tough times like the recession followed by hurricane Sandy.
Secondly, this debate over the new high school is as silly as debating if purchasing a home on a hill is more dangerous than one on a flat surface. As humans, we seem to overthink things a lot and lose sight on the bigger picture. The purchase of the old High Tech High School campus should be able to assist with the following: expand the number of the town’s school buildings, lower the teacher to student ratio in classrooms, allow more focus on struggling students to achieve a higher graduation rate, lower the number of high school dropouts, and update materials like the textbooks. Now, if anyone is against a young man or woman receiving a proper education then maybe this town isn’t for you. I applaud the success of the new school addition because as a long-time resident I attended Lincoln Elementary when Mayor Sacco was still principal, went to North Bergen High where I graduated in the top 20 of my class, went on to graduate from the University of Maryland, and found success in my career all while seeing how each classroom across North Bergen kept growing in students. It was like watching a jug of water overflowing.
In conclusion, I have lived in this town for over 25 years, traveled to over 30 cities across 16 states, and not once did I ever think there was a town better than North Bergen. We all have access to public transportation, stores, and jobs within walking distance at best or a small drive at worst. North Bergen is not perfect, and it never will be, however, it continues to thrive attracting businesses, creating jobs, and giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to open their own business. Perhaps the debate of overcrowding schools was a hot topic in the past, this year we saw a major win for students and teachers alike.
For these reasons, I encourage all registered voters to voice their opinions and vote on May 14th. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter who you vote for, because it is your right to vote however you want. But for these reasons above, I am placing my support for Team Sacco, commissioners Nicholas J. Sacco, Julio Marenco, Allen Pascual, Hugo Cabrera, and Frank Gargiulo on May 14th, 2019.
Sincerely,
Edgar Santillan
North Bergen Resident
What you need to know about the 2019 North Bergen Mayoral election
North Bergen, if you haven’t noticed it’s Election Season. No, it’s not November, but our local elections matter – and that’s why we’re putting together this piece to help keep you and your neighbors informed about what’s going on with the North Bergen Board of Commissioners race.
Though the race is considered a mayoral contest between the incumbent, Nicholas Sacco, and challenger Larry Wainstein, North Bergen is governed by New Jersey’s Walsh Act – which is a nonpartisan form of government. In simple terms, that means we elect commissioners who then vote amongst themselves to decide who will be mayor.
Who will be on the ballot?
The Incumbents – Team Sacco
Since 1991, Nicholas J. Sacco has served as North Bergen’s mayor and is seeking his 8th term (but who’s counting?). His running mates seeking to be reelected as commissioner, in alphabetical order, are Hugo Cabrera, Frank Garguilo, Julio Marenco, and Allen Pascual. All five are running under the “Leading Our Community Forward” slate.
The Challengers – Team Wainstein
He’s ran and lost, including the last election in 2015. Board of education tickets he’s supported have been defeated by not only Sacco, but also independent candidates. Yet he keeps on fighting, so one thing you can’t call businessman Larry Wainstein is a quiter, or scared to take on a seemingly impossible challenge. Running on the “Our town. Our Time.” slate with Wainstein is Juan Almanzar, Franklin Fabre, Diana Ortiz, and Alcides Siri.
The When, Where & How (to register to vote)
May 14, 2019. Find your polling location here.
You must be a North Bergen resident, 18 years old or older. You must be a registered voter with the Hudson County Clerk’s office.
The Issues that matter to North Bergen
The top three issues for voters to consider are a proposed power plant in the Meadowlands marsh area of North Bergen, the voter-approved Schools Realignment Plan, and, of course – property taxes!
Full Disclosure: HudPost endorsed the Schools Reallingment Plan.
“Politics”
- Mocco & “Shady Bunch”
- iTeam Corruption reports
- Go Back to Franklin Lakes
- Commissioners Financial Issues
- Larry Owes Back Taxes
This page will be updated until election day.
Last updated: 4/29/2019 10:00 AM
2,900 votes to re-election Board of Education incumbents in uncontested election
Election Results:
Patricia Bartoli – 2,876
Luis Rabelo – 2,875
Sai Rao – 2,911
Personal Choice – 14
Larry Wainstein Files Lawsuit Against Sacco and Murphy to Stop North Bergen Power Plant
Mayoral hopeful Larry Wainstein filed a lawsuit in New Jersey Superior Court against North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco and Governor Phil Murphy for what Wainstein claims is “violating the equal rights of the people of North Bergen.”
Wainstein is asking the court to stop the construction of a power plant in North Bergen that will provide electricity to New York City.
The action cites Murphy’s Executive Order 23, which states that “low income communities and communities of color have been exposed to disproportionately high and unacceptably dangerous levels of air, water, and soil pollution, with the accompanying potential for increased public health impacts.”
“The health, safety, and welfare of residents must be the number one priority of elected officials,” Wainstein said, “Here in North Bergen, Sacco considers the lives of residents expendable. A huge out-of-state power company gets a 30-year tax abatement, while our community which is 80% Hispanic, like myself, gets more toxic pollution.”
The lawsuit notes that Murphy is a staunch ally of Sacco.
“Sacco is a bully and a coward. He abuses women who rebuff his sexual advances by leaving them threatening and obscene voicemails,” Wainstein continued, “Now he wants to build the power plant less than a mile from a new high school he is proposing. It’s disgusting.”
Wainstein called on Governor Murphy to answer the call of the people and join him in opposing the power plant.
“Executive Order 23 is Governor Murphy’s own words. He explains exactly why this power plant hurts communities like North Bergen. I hope that the Governor will do the right thing and join the vast majority of North Bergen residents in opposing this pollution spewing power plant,” Wainstein concluded.
Roger Quesada & Mahmoud Mahmoud Will Challenge Incumbents in 2019 NJ General Assembly Primary
Democratic primaries in North Bergen are usually quiet, however, Roger Quesada and Mahmoud Mahmoud announced their candidacy for the 2019 NJ General Assembly election for the 32nd Legislative District under the campaign slogan; “People. Transparency. Action.” #PTA2019
They will be challenging incumbents Angelica M. Jimenez, who has served since January 2012, and Pedro Mejia who assumed office on April 2018.
Roger Quesada is member of the Progressive Democrat coalition, and is a digital marketing professional in New York City. He started a community organization 2 years ago called NoHu Collective along with his partner of 12 years and close friends.
“Roger has worked with Hudson County over two years to start a community garden in Braddock Park and has organized several events through his organization to create community pride,” says their campaign spokesperson. “Roger believes that the district he seeks to represent needs to strive for social solidarity and a pursuit of greatness. His mission is to embolden the people of his district to believe in change by encouraging and inspiring civic participation.”
Mahmoud Mahmoud is a community organizer who is focused on “affordable housing and youth mentoring as well as resettling refugees and assisting immigrants in a transition to self-sustainability.”
Mahmoud gathered 3,658 votes in his unsuccessful run for the United States Congress against Congressman Albio Sires last year.
“His work with the United Nations and travel to 40 countries has given him a worldly perspective of events and human life,” says the Quesada-Mahmoud 2019 camp. “Mahmoud is running due to his early life experiences and his love for helping the community and giving hope to the hopeless.”
“The primary issues for our campaign will be Climate Change, Universal Healthcare & Affordable Housing.”
Mayor Sacco, Commissioners Introduce 2019 Municipal Budget
Mayor Nick Sacco and the Board of Commissioners introduced the township’s 2019 Calendar Year budget yesterday, which the township says “once again keeps property taxes stable while making many significant investments in services.”
“This year’s municipal budget continues our record of keeping property taxes stable, which helps make sure our community stays affordable for both homeowners and renters,” said Mayor Sacco. “This is a responsible budget that funds important priorities and services while staying within our means and protecting taxpayers. I’m proud of the work our finance team has done in putting this budget together and we look forward to passing the budget soon.”
The CY 2019 proposed budget of $98,267,655 is 2.6% greater than last year’s, with increases primarily attributed to rising costs for employee health benefits and pensions.
The township says despite this, “the proposed budget includes a tax increase of just 1.31%, which would only amount to an increase of $48 on a home assessed at the average value in the township. This continues the trend of the last five years of averaging below the rate of inflation.”
“Our finance team works hard every year to keep North Bergen affordable while making the investments our residents need, and this budget is another example of that,” said Revenue and Finance Commissioner Julio Marenco. “From our park improvements to our senior programs, from our new DPW Broom and Barrel program to our constantly expanding recreation offerings, we are continuing to improve all of our services for residents while budgeting responsibly.”
The township’s strong surplus and responsible budgeting lead to an increase in its bond rating from Moody’s to Aa2, one of the highest ratings available.
Mayoral Candidate Larry Wainstein Files Ethics Complaint Against North Bergen Superintendent
On March 6th, 2019 Larry Wainstein filed a complaint with the School Ethics Commission of New Jersey against North Bergen Superintendent of Schools George Solter.
The complaint alleges that Dr. George Solter, North Bergen Board of Education Superintendent, used district money to send out a political mailer throughout the township to disseminate false political attacks against Larry Wainstein. The Wainstein camp says Solter is in violation of the School Ethics Act.
Wainstein’s complaint argues that the language in the letter was “political” and “not informative.”
The following language was specified in the complaint:
“While we continue to work toward implementation of the project, the project has been delayed by two individuals, Larry Wainstein and Diana Ortiz. Mr. Wainstein and Ms. Ortiz seek to block the project from moving forward.”
“Solter used his position as Superintendent to carry Boss Sacco’s water,” Wainstein said,” The fact of the matter is I am not a plaintiff in the lawsuit and I am not listed on the complaint. Furthermore, Solter fails to provide both sides of the issue at hand, instead choosing to reinforce Sacco’s political propaganda.”
While the the Wainstein camp says Larry is in favor of building a new school, they say he has concerns about the proposed location of 85th Street and Tonnelle Avenue.
“There is no traffic study, no environmental report, and no public meetings. Instead, there was a rush to bond for $60 million by holding a special election in December. There as record turnout in November for the U.S. Senate and Congressional races. Sacco intentionally held the election in December to suppress the Latino community,” Wainstein continued.
Sacco collects 10,000+ petitions; exceeds total votes from previous election
In case there was any thought of Sacco’s support diminishing in North Bergen, the incumbent mayor and his team filed their nominating petitions for the May nonpartisan election today. Sacco collected over 10,000 petitions in what the township claims is a “record-breaking number” in North Bergen.
“The Sacco Team has collected 10,492 signed nominating petitions in all, adding to a total count of 52,460 signatures between its five candidates, a breathtaking total that has never before been seen in the municipality known for spirited local elections,” says Sacco spokesperson Phil Swibinski. “The campaign will continue to collect additional signatures until the filing deadline on Monday.”
“This outpouring of support from all over our community is a testament to the hard work our team has done not just in the last month gathering petitions, but in the last four years building on our past success and continuing to lead North Bergen forward,” said Mayor Sacco. “I am honored to receive this unprecedented level of support and I thank each and every one of the residents who signed our petition and agree that we must continue moving North Bergen forward.”
In 2015, Mayor Sacco received 8237 votes in a contested election. This year’s election will be held on May 14th, 2019.
Mayor Sacco appeared in North Bergen Township Hall today accompanied by Commissioners Hugo Cabrera, Frank Gargiulo, Allen Pascual and Julio Marenco along with Campaign Chairman Freeholder Anthony Vainieri, Co-Campaign Managers Rishi Mehta and Adamarys Alonso Galvin, and North Bergen Democratic Chairman John Belluardo.
Hudpost 