Dear Editor:
I’ll say at the outset of this letter that Anthony Cruz is my brother, just in case it’s not obvious after I sign my name. But I write this letter not only as a Cruz, but more importantly, as a life-long resident of Jersey City and someone who’s covered Jersey City as a former editor of the local weekly newspaper.
Next week, voters in the 4th District will be electing a new freeholder, and in case you’re reading this letter and haven’t made up your mind, I hope you’ll take a moment to consider Anthony Cruz.
For starters, it’s important to remember that the election for freeholder was made necessary by the conviction of the former freeholder on corruption charges. Clearly, ethics is an important issue. That’s why the county machine has put up a lawyer as their freeholder candidate. It’s supposed to convince you that they’re restoring “integrity” to county government. An attorney. Get it.?
What they fail to highlight is that this attorney still has to consult Mapquest just to find his way around the district where he supposedly lives. Nice enough guy, I’m sure, but not someone who’s going to know enough about anything to challenge the status quo, which is what this election must be about.
Don’t expect the county Democratic organization to suddenly become the house of ethics because one (or two or three) of their own recently got stealing. If you believe that, you’d have to believe that Janiszewski acted alone.
On the one hand, you have the machine candidate with no public record. On the other hand, you have another candidate whose record is criminal. Crimes, he says, that were committed during the period when he didn’t happen to be mayor. Can’t you appreciate the difference? “I only screwed the bankers. I’d never screw you. Honest!” You’re supposed to replace one convicted felon with another convicted felon. Seriously.
For 20 years, Anthony Cruz has quietly put his heart and soul into helping people on an individual basis, from tenants to artists, from merchants to single moms. His record of personal integrity and honest hard work is unmatched by any of the candidates in this race.
Anthony Cruz heads into this election owing no one. Not the mayor, who I believe has yet to fully appreciate his deputy mayor. Not the so-called Hispanic leadership, which, as always, is wearing its collective “For Sale” sign at election time. Nor the big-money contributors with county contracts in their back pockets. They’re funding the machine’s candidate.
Anthony Cruz stands alone, head and shoulders above the other candidates in this race. This is something you should consider as you head into the voting booth on Nov. 4.
Thank you,
David Cruz