News Release 10/19/14
Letter to the Editor
PERTH AMBOY – In a non-partisan race, State Senator Joseph Vitale, State Assemblyman Craig Coughlin, State Assemblyman John Wisniewski and Middlesex County Democratic Organization Chairman Kevin McCabe are undermining local Perth Amboy democracy by supporting establishment candidates, the Mayor Diaz Team. These politicians, none from the City of Perth Amboy, have not consulted the local Democratic Party and have created no democratic process to come to this decision. These outside powerbrokers have not reached out to any other candidates other than the Mayor Diaz Team. This is typical of the state machine apparatus.
We pose serious questions to the reader.
Why are out of town politicians attempting to control Perth Amboy politics? What deals, if any, are being cut behind closed doors with local establishment candidates and Mayor Wilda Diaz? What are these machine politicians getting in return for their investment? Why are Woodbridge based Democrats supporting one slate of Democrats and not the other? How can Senator Vitale and McCabe call themselves true democrats when they adhere to no democratic principles or tenets? And the most important question: Why should Perth Amboy’s democracy and sovereignty be subjected to such power politics?
Senator Vitale has donated $5,600 to each of the Mayor Diaz Team candidates. Assemblyman Coughlin has donated $2,000 to each. Assemblyman Wisniewski has donated $1,000 to each. In other words, these outsider politicians have donated close to $26,000 to the Mayor Diaz Team in the upcoming Perth Amboy City Council election.
Moreover, McCabe has made a unilateral decision to run Senator Cory Booker’s and Congressman Frank Pallone’s Perth Amboy GOTV campaign out of the Mayor Diaz Team headquarters, without consulting his own Middlesex County Democratic Organization or the local Perth Amboy Democratic organization, in an election where seven Democrats are running.
“Perth Amboy has a right to be self-determined and self-governed,” says community citizen watchdog Alan Silber. “We, as concerned Perth Amboy citizens, reject attempts by outsider politicians to control our local democracy. From my perspective, this is an abuse of power by State politicians who were elected to represent all the people of Perth Amboy but are instead attempting to control our local elections and democratic process by pouring large sums of money to one ticket in order to insure that the Council will serve their interests and not Perth Amboy’s.”
“In 2008, I ran with Wilda Diaz,” states former Perth Amboy City Council President Kenneth Balut. “We successfully defeated an 18 year incumbent, and we didn’t receive donations from out of town politicians. 2008 was actual democracy, real people power. Fast forward to 2014, now we have big business – money – and outsiders manufacturing a fake form of democracy and attempting to engineer election results.”
“Voters need to reject this highjacking of our local democracy by not voting for the Mayor Diaz Team,” adds citizen activist David Caba. “I’m outraged by the amount of money and resources being pumped into this election by outsiders, by carpetbaggers who clearly have a set agenda for the City of Perth Amboy.”
“We’re returning to the dark days of money trumping people power,” says concerned citizen Miriam Quiles. “We voted for democracy in 2008 when we voted to rid ourselves of Joe Vas. Now, once again, money and outsiders are attempting to corrupt our democracy.”
Committee of Perth Amboy Concerned Citizens
Kenneth Balut, former City Council President
Alan Silber, citizen watchdog
David Caba, citizen activist
Miriam Quiles, concerned citizen
Victor Coronado, concerned citizen
Lionel Giron, NJ Transit Union Worker
Linda Ferreira, Perth Amboy Democratic Committeewoman
