Republican freeholder candidates take on Dems over Oury
By Megan Stewart, Politicker.com ReporterThree Republican freeholder candidates in Bergen County are crossing their fingers in the hopes that a federal investigation of payments to Dennis Oury, the former counsel for the Bergen County Democratic Organization, foreshadows the downfall of some top local Democrats.
In a statement today, Paul Duggan, Chris Calbrese and Jeffrey Heller assailed the county's Democratic leadership, with Duggan claiming that the "Democratic organization is at its core morally corrupt and possibly a criminal enterprise" and has been for years.
The statement arrives in the wake of the United States Attorney's office issuing subpoenas for information about Oury to several municipalities around Bergen County and to the Bergen County Improvement Authority. According to an article in The Record, Oury is the attorney for the Improvement Authority and has connections to all towns that received subpoenas except Bergenfield, where he was the borough attorney until January of this year.
Calabrese tried to draw other Democratic officials in the corruption probe as well, alleging that "the Dennis Ourys of the world could not exist if they were not supported by a vast network of elected officials on the county and local level of government." Calabrese continued his attack stating that Democrats abused tax payer money "in order to feed a Democratic political machine."
Heller cites the county's expansive budget and recent tax increases as signs of widespread greed throughout the Democratic Party.
The GOP freeholder candidates are calling the investigation a "welcome sign that federal oversight has finally arrived in Bergen County."
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"I’m here to talk to people not pose for pictures with you." -- Former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie to Assemblyman Rick Merkt, his former running mate and now his rival in the race for the Republican nomination for Governor, according to Merkt.
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Read the expanded Wake Up Call, our summary of today’s news media coverage.
Today’s Must Reads:
Yudin may be waffling on word to GOP boss ― CHARLES STILE
The City Boss Becomes the Country Boss ― DICK BENFIELD...MUST READ
Ferriero's support a curse for Kasparian? ― CHARLES STILE...MUST READ
Trenton must stop thinking outside box― DOUG FORRESTER
Three's a crowd, but one man isn't a party― ALFRED DOBLIN
Newspaper Shuns Web, and Thrives― DAN JACOBSON
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Time for BCDO to clean up its act ― CHARLES STILE
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Bergen County Voters Need To Wake Up
The One Party Control of the Bergen County Freeholder Board needs to be immediately ended. Many of the Bergen County towns pride themselves on being blue-collar voters who are independent enough to make smart decisions on their elected officials yet they keep electing the corrupt boss Ferriero backed candidates to the Freeholder board.
2008 needs to be the year this stops. Republicans are fielding three excellent candidates and have the right message going for them even before this happened.
With McCain on top(exactly the kind of Republican who can compete big time in Bergen) and the very popular County Clerk Donovan running for re-election this is the year Bergen County Voters can get rid of Boss Ferriero's dominance on the Freeholder Board and elect Calabrese, Heller, and Duggan to give a voice to the taxpayer.
If Rutherford voters were smart enough to throw out Encap McPherson..Bergen County voters can take a hint and do the same.
bergen repubs
Message to ESedler: Keep dreaming.
The beginning of the end...
Oury will roll on Ferriero in a heartbeat to save his own hide. The house of cards is finally going to come down and who is gonna be there to step in? Loretta Weinberg, the powerhouse fundraiser? We may be on the verge of GOP renaissance in Bergen if the GOP can get its act together.