Photo by Boyd Loving
“Free Tickets, Sure!…Protect Your 1st Amendment Rights, Hell No!!”
July 24,2013
Michele Robins
Ridgewood NJ, Mayor Paul Aronsohn proves, yet again, it’s not about the Village. If I hear one more person chime in with what a “hardship” it was for the mayor to attend the Christie fundraiser photo op, on a ticket that he didn’t pay for, my head’s going to explode.
For a paper that pretends to be oh so meticulous with its fact checking as to “hold” an opinion piece at the mayor’s request, The Ridgewood News was incorrect in reporting that “John Saraceno is listed as the host.” Mr. Saraceno is listed on the invitation as an “Event Chair” along with five other people. Oddly, The Patch got that one right. Unfortunately, Patch readers were then misled by the statement “the Christie campaign is asking citizens to fork over big bucks to hobnob with the governor.”
While it’s true that “event hosts must raise $25,000 for Christie’s election campaign”, the campaign didn’t approach “citizens”. No one from the campaign called me or any of my neighbors asking us to “fork over big bucks.” Saraceno called the Christie campaign headquarters and offered to host the event in his recently-acquired space. That was very “equal opportunity” of him, considering he (who it has been said is an Obama man) and another “event chair”, John Johansen, also held a fund raiser last year for then-candidate Paul Aronsohn, who as far as we’ve been told, is not of the same political persuasion as our governor.
The curiosity here is not so much that a developer would want to fill the coffers of a politician, be it the (D) mayor of a village or the (R) governor of a state, in which he has development opportunities. The real curiosity is how the wife of Mr. Johansen became the chairperson of the mayor’s Financial Oversight Board. As per The Patch: “The members of the newly-created, Tiger Team-endorsed Ridgewood Financial Advisory Board were appointed Wednesday night.
According to the resolution, members serving three-year terms are NANCY JOHANSEN, Robert Muller, and Kevin Shea. Roberta Sonenfeld, who was a member of the Tiger Team that initially called for a finance board, and Janice Willet will serve two year terms. Richard Cundiff and I. Malcolm (Mac) Highet will be on the board for a year one year terms. JOHANSEN will chair the committee.
The only thing that might be “a great morale boost for the town” would be if our self-serving, back-room-dealing mayor left it.
Well said!
Aronsohn loved rubbing shoulders with the celebrity governor. He thought with his ego when he accepted the invitation, not with his head. I guess there is no longer much room in his head for logical thinking with the huge ego squeezing everything else out.
He went, he enjoyed, he did not pay. It was not a hardship at all for him until it was pointed out that he should not have gone. Then suddenly it was an obligation and a hardship and he went only because he had to. Give us a break, we are smarter than that,
Watch out. Johansen is a BIG Valley supporter. He’s trying to curry favor with Aronsohn.
Thed.
Actually Paul, I mean, “Anonymous #2”, to quote you, I mean, the mayor, “When the governor comes to town, we go as a courtesy” who added that he wanted to make sure that “all of [Christie’s] needs were attended to.” The governor didn’t “come to town” on a whim. John Saraceno solicited his campaign and promised to raised tens of thousands of dollars for his re-election coffers. (Just like he and John Johansen did for you last year…but with alot less zeros). If Saraceno had not included you, gratis, you never would have “gone as a courtesy.” You wouldn’t have been there because the governor doesn’t know you exist. Your limitless hubris & self-importance is as nauseating and it is hysterical. As far as “attending to [Christie’s needs], he’s got people for that and you’re not one of them. This was not “official business”, the event was a PRIVATE FUNDRAISER. So, if you did “attend to” his needs then perhaps it wasn’t quite the “hardship” you claimed. I can just see it now…..one of the most powerful men in politics says to his advisors “Get me to Ridgewood boys! This Aronsohn guy….I’ve gotta see how how he does it!!”
The cost of fixing John Saraceno’s flagpole, $2200….watching Paul Aronsohn step in s**t yet again….PRICELESS!
Paul Aronsohn is paid 5000 +benefits to be mayor; council 3000. They have funds from the taxpayers for events. They should have paid.