Photo by Boyd Loving
The Record: Pay to go
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
The Record
ELECTED officials need to be extra careful when it comes to accepting gifts, especially when they come from a developer with a project pending in town.
That was not the case earlier this month in Ridgewood when the mayor and council members attended a $1,000-per-person fundraiser for Governor Christie free of charge courtesy of John Saraceno, who has applied to build a 52-unit apartment complex on East Ridgewood Avenue.
Saraceno’s generosity may have absolutely no impact on his application, but that is not the point. When a developer pays for elected officials to attend just about any event, it looks bad to the public. A handful of residents criticized the arrangement at a subsequent council meeting, and rightly so.
Mayor Paul Aronsohn defended getting complimentary tickets, noting that Saraceno’s application is months away from being heard by the Planning Board, which is now wrapped up with considering a project proposed by The Valley Hospital.
That statement is not persuasive. Taking a gift from a developer is not right regardless of whether the builder’s application is before the Planning Board tomorrow, next week or in six months.
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Saraceno’s proposal should be dropped until all current council members have been replaced.
Tonight the Mayor will be apologizing publicly, all five council members will write checks for the full amount of the event, Saraceno will pay in full for all the business lost by all the shops who had parking blocked out on the 3rd of July…….wait a minute, I am on LSD and need another hit so i can continue to fantasize.
Relax now won’t you……….. go to the meeting tonight, make your comments on the Village stage to share.
Time to do the necessary work for Village…
Unfortunately, part of the “necessary work for Village” is staying on top of our elected officials who have demonstrated a stunning lack of sound judgement in the past year.
Yes by all means, let the people speak up. Not that the mayor will listen…..but we can try! Come tongiht