DID HILLARY‘S RALLY IN BERGEN VIOLATE McNERNEY’S NO POLITICKING EDICT?

THE RED FACTION 

Integrity, Personal Responsibility   

BERGEN COUNTY – Did Hillary Clinton’s rally in Bergen County violate County Executive Dennis McNerney’s edict against politicking on county property?  It appears so, says Red Faction chairman Joseph Caruso. 

While campaigning for county executive in 2002, McNerney said one of his first actions as the leader of county government would be to ban all politicking on county owned property.  Yet, McNerney allowed Clinton to use the Bergen Academies high school build to host a rally yesterday.  

The rally attended by a reported 1,000 people was apparently sanctioned by McNerney at the request of Bergen County Democrat boss Joseph Ferriero.   “Did Mr. McNerney make a special exemption to his no politicking edict for the boss? Or has the policy changed,” asked Caruso, leader of the independent Republican organization that emerged on the scene last year and backed winning candidates in a number of municipalities.

“Either there is a no politicking policy in place or there isn’t,” added Caruso. "Mr. McNerney should make it clear what that policy is. If it is a policy to allow only Democrats to campaign on county property, then we need to know that.” 

Caruso said he would like to hold a rally for Republican Presidential candidates Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain in Bergen and would like to use the same venue as Hillary Clinton did.

“The Bergen Academies are public schools supported by taxpayer dollars. If Mrs. Clinton can host a campaign rally there, then anyone can,” said Caruso    

Chris Calabrese, 32, of Upper Saddle River, who has submitted a letter to the county Republican organization, declaring his intention to run for Bergen County Freeholder this year, said he would like to see proof that the Clinton campaign paid for the lighting, manpower and clean up costs of the rally.  

“The taxpayers of Bergen County should not be financing the campaign rallies of Hillary Clinton or anyone else,” said Calabrese, a real estate executive. 

“Mr. McNerney either has to stand up to his political boss – Joe Ferriero – and say no to such obvious abuses of taxpayer owned property and exercise the no politicking policy he instituted -- or admit that he lied to voters in 2002 when he said he would institute such a policy. He can’t have it both ways,” said Calabrese.