Dear Editor:
As a Latino parent and resident of Union City, I wish to address comments made by Angel Rivera of Union City in a recently published Letter to the Editor commenting on how Latinos shouldn’t vote if there is no Latino candidate. I also wish to comment on Mr. Rivera’s attack on Mrs. Katia Stack and her “attitude during toy drives and the way she treats people in general.”
First, I think that given the demographics of Union City, the Latino vote in our city speaks for itself. The overwhelming and quite sizeable vote in the past election and previous elections was from Latinos. A candidate’s nationality should have no bearing when it comes to their credentials. Although Mayor Stack is not of Latino origin, he is very sensitive to the needs of our community since he too was born and raised in Union City. The last election was proof of the fact that Latinos do get up and vote! They voted for the only unchallenged candidate for Assemblyman, because he was one of our own. Mayor Brian Stack was chosen by the people because he is caring, hardworking person who has dedicated the larger part of his life to serving the people of our community. It is because of his continuous efforts to make Union City a better place to live that he holds the well-deserved position he has today. Anyone who knows Mayor Stack realizes that he puts “super effort” in any task he undertakes, and he does it with a good heart. As a people person, he always puts others first.
Most troublesome to me were Mr. Rivera’s comments about Mrs. Katia Stack, which do not reflect my personal experiences and observations of the First Lady. The numerous ways that she has served the people of Union City, both on her own free time and as an advocate to her husband and other agencies in the city to make a better life for all of us, is too lengthy to list here. However, most worthy of mention are the care for fire victims left homeless at a fire scene in the early morning hours; the toy and gift distribution to children during the Christmas holiday; the planning of the Easter egg hunt; the timely filing of income tax returns for thousands of residents needing assistance over the last several years; and the establishment of social and after-school programs to assist working parents and their children. I have always found her to be pleasant and her demeanor appropriate in her capacity as First Lady. Having a Latino background, Mrs. Stack knows firsthand the trials and tribulations that immigrants face, and she is sympathetic to their needs. As a college graduate, she is a role model for Latino students and female Latino students in particular. Therefore, she deserves praise and applause, not only because she is the Mayor’s wife, but because she has earned respect and adoration in her own right for what she has done and continues to do for this city.
Finally, I would like to add that the Stacks have dedicated endless hours to helping the people of our community way before Mr. Stack was ever voted into an elected position. His civic association has helped thousands of people with their legal status in this country and provided assistance in other countless ways. Brian Stack is one of the few Mayors you can always reach and who works as tirelessly throughout the year as he does during election season. He has given so much of himself and continues to do so because he is committed to seeing our community and its residents succeed.
Lenny Calvo