Dear Editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to respond to an article in the November 19 edition of The North Bergen Reporter. In a feature article Jim Hague wrote of an ongoing problem between Mayor Sacco and several town residents. As one of these residents (Russell Pascale not Ross Pascale), I would first like to mention how much respect I have for Mr. Hague. As always his article was fair and unbiased.
The dispute that I have is with Mayor Sacco and the manner he conducts business in North Bergen. As a resident and taxpayer I feel I have a right to be treated with respect and to have any fair and legitimate questions answered. However, Mr. Sacco as throughout his entire tenure labels any question as an attack. I can only ask what’s wrong with this question, “What is the township budget for the fiscal year?” or asking the mayor to have town meetings at night so the residents can attend? This was one of his promises when he first ran for office.
Instead of answering these questions and others like them, Nick Sacco attacks my character and the characters of the other residents who take time out of their schedules to attend meetings. Furthermore, I do not appreciate Mayor Sacco’s distorting of the truth, and failure to accept criticism. Case in point, I brought up the fact that Sier Bath is a DEP-designated “worry site” because of chemicals on the property, yet Mr. Sacco acts as this is a political attack, when in truth peoples’ lives are at stake. Remember, nine members of our community have been diagnosed with cancer in that area.
It is so unfortunate that our mayor refuses to act as champion of the people. Mr. Sacco seems to think he is either a dictator or a Mafia boss. This is so evident by the way he arbitrarily runs his meetings. I could only ask North Bergen’s residents to judge for themselves as meetings are on alternate Wednesdays.
Note that during the Commissioners’ meeting of November 22, the public speaking forum was canceled.
Russell Pascale