STATEMENT FROM, MICHAEL MECCA OF GOP STRONG ON THE THREATS MADE BY ALEX DECROCE

By horatio

Mike Mecca -201-852-1067

Mike Ramaglia 201-697-7699

The following statement was issued by GOP Strong Co-Chairman Michael Mecca following a report in Charles Stile’s Column in Today’s Record http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergenpolitics/Stile_Yudin_may_be_waffling_on_word_to_GOP_boss.html

PASSAIC COUNTY - With all due respect to Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce, we find his comments regarding a possible Primary Election District 40 to be unwise and a detriment to the Republican Party His estimation of Scott Rumana as “doing a good job and being respected in the community” is erroneous at best and a likely continuation of baseless pro-Rumana propaganda we have heard for years.

By no measure can Mr. DeCroce make a credible claim that Mr. Rumana is doing a good job. He is doing a very poor job as chairman of the Passaic County Republican Party; running an insular organization that serves himself not the Republican Party.

As an Assemblyman, Mr. Rumana has failed to distinguish himself in any way – most notably on his weak and Johnnie-come-lately position on COAH and its low income housing mandates. Rather than attack the basic premise of COAH as being wrong in principle and in law, -- and instead of demanding COAH mandates be overturned, Mr. Rumana has been simply asking for delays in socialist program that will ruin communities and the economy of the state.

More importantly however, for Mr. DeCroce to point a gun to the head of Bob Yudin and threaten to withhold money for Assembly races in Districts 36 and 38 is a self-defeating threat and demonstrates that the minority leader is more intent on incumbency protection for the minor party than he is on trying to make the Republican Party a majority party in New Jersey.

It is unprecedented, to my knowledge, for a minority leader to get involved in primary elections and to threaten to withhold funds for a General Election to protect a weak incumbent. Mr. Yudin should be free to make up his own mind. He is closer to the situation than Mr. DeCroce or the Trenton insiders are. He, along with Joe Caruso, did a remarkable job taking over The Bergen County party in mid-year and, working together, they raised a considerable amount of money and re-elected Kathe Donavan as County Clerk and nearly pulled off a remarkable upset win in the Bergen freeholder race when the top of the Democratic ticket ran so strongly.

Compare Mr. Yudin’s performance to that of Chairman Rumana, who did almost nothing to support the top of the ticket and whose freeholders were given few resources to campaign with and lost convincingly – all the while Mr. Rumana was been raising money for himself.

Is Mr. DeCroce suggesting that Bob Yudin doesn’t know what is best for his county – or that Scott Rumana is more effective for the GOP? I hope not. If he looked at the facts, I am sure he would come to a different opinion.

It is unfortunate that Mr. DeCroce is reflective of the Trenton GOP mindset which is more concerned about incumbency protection and maintaining permanent minority status -- than it is about bold new efforts to recruit better candidates and more forceful leaders in the Republican Party.

The degree to which Trenton’s insiders seem prepared to go to avoid a Primary, causes us to question their motivation and their leadership abilities. Where were Mr. DeCroce and the Trenton insiders in 2007 when Mr. Rumana was part of an expensive primary race in District 40? I don’t recall Trenton intervening or making reckless threats to end that battle.

Why is there so much effort being put into trying to protect a person who has one year in the Assembly and a terrible record as a party chairman? A man who has proven mediocre at fundraising for his party? A man who continually puts his personal interests above the party’s interests?

If Mr. Rumana is as powerful and well-liked as the minority leader believes, let him prove it in a Primary Election. What’s the concern if Joe Caruso wins? Will the District 40 seat suddenly be vulnerable? Not likely, given Mr. Caruso’s passion, knowledge and his ability to organize and raise money.

As a former county chairman, I would be greatly insulted and angered if I were treated the way the party is treating Bob Yudin. Frankly, I would be more determined than ever to do what I think is best for the county I lead.

The threats to scuttle efforts of possible candidates in Districts 36 and 38 are doing more harm to the party than a possible Primary Election will in District 40. Mr. DeCroce is unfortunately playing right into the hands of the Joe Ferriero and Democrats who want to eliminate competition in those Bergen County districts.

Mr. DeCroce should apologize for his remarks and retract them. Michael Mecca Mr. Mecca of Clifton is a former Republican Party Chairman for Passaic County.

HORATIO can be reached via email at thom55@verizon.net.

Related topics: MECCA, GOP STRONG, Yudin, Alex DeCroce, Scott Rumana, Joe Caruso

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