Kurt Peluso was incorrect when he said that Ed Trawinski and Jeanne Baratta were dual office holders. They are simply elected councilpersons that have been appointed to very high county government jobs.
In the November 11th Patch article, Ed Trawinski and Jeanne Baratta gave examples of other elected members that previously held appointed positions while serving on the Fair Lawn Council. I guess that makes it OK to them because “it is just that-a job”. Politics is all about perception. People are concerned about conflict of interest issues and their representatives' ability to vote on important matters.
Jeanne Baratta posted a comment at 5:02pm on Nov 11th that said, “I serve as a spokesperson for the administration; I do not have a vote nor do I make policy decisions.” This statement is not true. Please refer to this Bergen Record article where Jeanne Baratta is, in fact, serving on the Advisory Committee on Law Enforcement Consolidation. Recommendations of this panel will be used for policy changes.
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A lot of hostility is now brewing inside and outside of Fair Lawn. In a Bergen Record article, Ed Trawinski blasted Senator Gordon and ended his 24 year friendship over a campaign ad for the American Dream Meadowlands.
This is the same project for which Kathe Donovan’s personal advisor, Alan Marcus, was hired to consult. This announcement was released on Nov 1st and I’m sure it .
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I believe this is why District 38 was won by Gordon. The newly redrawn district had about a 3,000 Republican voter advantage according to 2010 Voter Vault data.
Kurt Peluso is misled by thinking anything will change if Ed Trawinski and Jeanne Baratta resigned. In other words, it will be business as usual. Alan Marcus instructed them to finish their tenure and not seek reelection.
Michael Agosta
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