Joe Caruso

At a Ridgewood restaurant yesterday, Bergen County GOP Chairman Bob Yudin stood up and addressed a crowd fiercely mobilized behind one of two warring Republican slates in the 40th District.

Republican Assembly candidates Anthony Rottino and Joseph Caruso have come up with a novel campaign pledge.

Rottino and Caruso say that, if elected, they’ll introduce legislation that would stop paying legislative salaries until New Jersey’s tax burden is significantly reduced and the state has lower taxes than at least half of other states.  

“People are losing their jobs, companies are folding or moving out of New Jersey and yet the legislators in Trenton still get paid,” said Rottino in a press release. “In the business world, if you had a track record like the state legislature does, you would be fired.”

The two are running against Republican incumbents Scott Rumana (R-Wayne) and Dave Russo (R-Ridgewood) in the District 40 GOP primary.  Whoever wins the primary will likely breeze through the general election in the heavily Republican district.

“Clearly, there is a mood for change in New Jersey. People are tired of the same old politicians who make the same old excuses about why they  can’t bring real change to New Jersey."

“Scott Rumana voted with the union leaders who don’t want change,” said Rottino. “He’s not casting votes for homeowners who have to pay the taxes; he’s protecting his political career."

“There are some things that should be sacred and marriage is one of those bedrock institutions that should not be forced to succumb to political correctness,”  said Caruso

“We need legislators who are going to fight for us. Paterson and Newark already have plenty of legislators fighting for them. District 40 needs its own legislators and Joe and I want that job.” --Anthony Rottino

“Rebates have been a gimmick used by Trenton politicians to fool people in thinking they are getting tax relief.  They aren’t, getting tax relief.” said Rottino.  

"What’s very rewarding about our candidacy so far is that we are hearing from the everyday person:  the working people, the moms, the small business owners, who really want to bring with change to New Jersey,” said Rottino.

Caruso says that the Republican Party needs legislators committed to changing New Jersey into a taxpayer-friendly and business-friendly state.

In a tortured political terrain, Republican power players in the 36th  legislative district appear to be slowly coalescing around East Rutherford Councilman/businessman Joel Brizzi and Nutley businessman Carmen Pio Costa as their best chance ticket this year. 

It’s not yet set – in this geographically jagged district encompassing battle weary portions of Bergen, Passaic and Essex counties – nothing is ever really set, and there are candidate screening opportunities, after all; but there remain real factors immediately outside the district threatening party implosion. 

Sensing opportunity after coming close to victory two years ago, the party – and this goes all the way up to the top of the hierarchy - wants to stay focused here in the 36th despite the flailing fortunes of divided Republicans in the neighboring 40th.  

Toward that end, local leaders will sit down tonight at the Franklin Lakes Firehouse and try to re-establish in their sights the deeply fractured Bergen Democrats as their enemies and Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) and Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Nutley) as statehouse targets one and two.