TANELLI CALLS ON NA GOP TO CONDEMN KAISER FOR LOW INCOME HOUSING SUPPORT

North Arlington Council President Steve Tanelli today called on the North Arlington Republican Council candidates James Herrmann and Jim Bocchino to condemn NJMC Commissioner and former Mayor Leonard R. Kaiser for his “enthusiastic and unequivocal support” backing hundreds of Low Income Housing apartments in North Arlington and neighboring towns.

 “The real question,” Tanelli asked, “is whether Herrmann and Bocchino are going to stand up for North Arlington against the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission proposal seeking to put 5,000 Low Income Housing units on our doorstep.”

“Are they still the Kaiser ‘Yes Men’ they’ve always been?”

“As a councilman, Herrmann supported the EnCap negotiations under the Kaiser Administration that opened the door to high density, low income housing in our community.  He compiled a 100 percent pro-Kaiser voting record, never voting no, not once, ever,” Tanelli said. 

“And as Kaiser’s hand-picked redevelopment chairman, Bocchino was one of the architects of the now defunct 1,625 unit EnCap scheme that would have destroyed North Arlington with high rise, high density housing, hundreds of low income apartments and eminent domain.”

Tanelli, who joined then-Councilman and now-Mayor Pete Massa in dissenting against Low Income Housing back in 2006, said that “if Herrmann and Bocchino care more about North Arlington than propping up a failed Mayor who squandered $45 Million in host fees and gave us $28 Million in debt, now is the time to prove it.”

The Council President, who is completing his first full term as councilman, said that Kaiser voted in support of Meadowlands Commission “scarce resource restraints” -- legalese for low income housing mandates -- three times in the past year alone.

Meadowlands Commission Minutes available on the internet show that Kaiser backed Low Income Housing “scarce resource restraints” on September 19, 2007, January 23, 2008 and February 27, 2008.

“And today, the NJMC voted 6-0, again with Kaiser’s enthusiastic support, on three separate occasions, to back forced Low Income Housing projects in Meadowlands towns, including North Arlington,” Tanelli said.

“It’s absolutely incredible that Herrmann and Bocchino would attack DCA Commissioner Joe Doria on one hand when their political mentor is carrying out Doria’s agenda that will devalue every home in North Arlington,” Tanelli said.  “In fact, they even posed together for a photo posted on Commissioner Doria’s home page.”

“Lenny Kaiser has been nothing more than a lapdog for Low Income Housing in North Arlington and it’s time local Republicans stood up to him,” Tanelli said.  “It’s simply disgusting how they sold out our town in the past and even today are continuing their sellout of the North Arlington homeowner.  One can only imagine the damage they’ll do if they ever get back in charge of local government, which is what is at stake in this year’s elections.”

“Low Income Housing has always led to the same thing: more crime, overcrowded schools, increased traffic, reduced property values and much much higher property taxes,” Tanelli added.

“Mayor Pete Massa and I have a consistent 100 percent record of opposing overdevelopment and high density, low income housing and the North Arlington borough council will continue to oppose this neighborhood-destroying social engineering as long as the Massa team retains control of the council this year and voters keep the Kaiser Mob from seizing back control,” Tanelli noted.

“The choice this November is simple: voters who want increased crime, crowded schools, more traffic, lower property values, higher taxes and EnCap ought to vote for the Kaiser-Herrmann-Bocchino Gang,” Tanelli said.  “They’re the people who bankrupted North Arlington and as a final coup-de-grace wanted to finish the town off with EnCap.  This year’s election is about keeping this same gang of looters and plunderers who bankrupted North Arlington as far away from the corridors of power as possible.”

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