Capuana mailer swings for the fences against Blanco with one week to go

PASSAIC – The chest-thumping out of Camp Capuana didn't reach enough of a din Tuesday to diminish the perception of Team Blanco’s momentum as the mayor and his running mates joined Little Leaguers at La Sevilla and shook hands with ex-slugger Roberto Clemente, Jr., who sat at a table and signed baseballs.

The mayor would soon feel the uncomfortable fat of the bat from his rival’s campaign when a mailer targeting his personal financial difficulties made contact on the city streets today, but Dr. Alex Blanco said he gutted it up the hard way, is taking care of business, and consequently is unashamed of those challenges.  

Vincent Capuana, the longtime city supervisor who lost to Blanco by 203 votes in a special election last November and now runs against him in an otherwise cleared mayoral field, maintained control of the School Board by a 5-4 vote Monday.

Capuana’s allies this week tried to blow that up into a sign that momentum has now seesawed back to them, but an insiders’ victory disregarded the ballot sweep by Blanco’s School Board candidates last month and the fact that but for Victor Santiago cutting a deal with fellow Board member Alex Ybarra for leadership, Blanco’s allies had a legitimate shot.

A Capuana mailer noting that the state sued Blanco for failing to pay income taxes and that he faces more legal trouble for failing to pay more than $250,000 in credit card debt, arose from what the Blanco Team quickly called desperation by a last-gasp Capuana operation.

But “this mail and these documents paint the portrait of someone who is in such dire need of money he is corruptible, which is something Passaic doesn't need after what it has been through in the last couple of years,” said Capuana campaign consultant Kevin Collins.

Blanco explained.

“It has nothing to do with being corruptible it shows I had to sacrifice my medical career to serve the people,” said the mayor. “I now I have plenty of time to clear my financial situation. I’d rather lose my credit score than steal or lose myself to corruption. 

“I do owe $200,000 for student loans for medical school,” Blanco added. “I fell behind in a couple of payments and I’m catching up. I had to stop practicing medicine (to run for mayor) and as I am self-employed I wasn’t earning income, and I fell behind in several payments. Regarding my 2005 income tax, I’m appealing that amount. We struck a payment arrangement that started a couple of months ago. I pay $30,000 annually for my college and medical school. I don’t have a rich parent. Vanity doesn’t affect me. If I have to live in a dump, so be it. We live in a humble house, I drive a humble car and my children go to public schools. I filed for bankruptcy when a business of mine that I was running while going to medical school – to pay for medical school – didn’t go well.”

A podiatrist, Blanco opened his local practice four years ago. He said his office has been closed since last October. Married with three children, Blanco's wife is a public school teacher. He earns $70,000 in his job as mayor.

Following the Clemente, Jr., event, Gov. Jon Corzine arrived at La Sevilla and rallied Blanco’s forces, which packed two rooms at the restaurant last night and stood one week removed from Election Day.