The Democratic Primary on June 6 is just over a week away and candidates West New York Mayor Albio Sires and Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas are in a tight race to fill the seat in the 13th Congressional District, which Robert Menendez vacated last January.
Menendez left his seat to become a United States senator when Jon Corzine became governor.
In Hudson County, the 13th Congressional District includes Union City, West New York, Weehawken, East Newark, Guttenberg, Harrison, Hoboken, and parts of Jersey City, Kearny, Bayonne, and North Bergen.
Throughout the last couple of weeks there has been a vast amount of political mud slinging between the Vas and Sires campaigns, including the recent reports of Vas’ ties with aiding a convicted heroin dealer and a convicted child molester to be released from prison.
However, Vas explained to the Reporter that the allegations of him assisting the heroin dealer were incorrect. Apparently, in that particular incident he was with his brother, who works as a bail bondsman, and accompanied him to the prison while he was doing his job. The information was later misreported, but claims that Vas did ask for leniency for a child molester in 2004 were correct. Supposedly, a long time friend had asked Vas for his help, and he used official letterhead to ask for leniency. Vas has said that he regrets this course of action, which he took without fully knowing all the details.
Vas claims this is a critical primary for the 13th Congressional District and has positioned himself as a man of the people.
“I’m taking my campaign to the voters and I am going to be a voice for the people,” Vas said recently. He has blasted Sires as not being a loud enough voice for the people and has also accused the former Assembly speaker of being a political opportunist by flip-flopping on party issues and political parties to further his own ambitions.
“The person voters send to Washington has to stand up and be counted [upon],” Vas said. “I believe I’m that person.”
However, Sires has what he defines as “a practical” approach to politics and a proven record of getting things accomplished for the constituents of his district despite his opponent’s claims.
“I have had a foresight about some of the problems that have faced the state, and I did something about them,” said Sires. “I’m an individual who likes to get things accomplished and look for a solution.”
Coming into this election, Sires said he brings a record of accomplishments that demonstrate his ability to represent the district in Washington, D.C.
“I’m going to Washington with a proven track record and a set of accomplishments that few people have,” he said. “I’m not going to tell people what I will do, I’m showing people what I have done and will do again.”
Both Vas and Sires were both elected to the state Assembly in 1999 and do double duty as mayors.
Records speak
While Vas claims a significant record of bills while in the Assembly, Sires said as speaker, he allowed Vas to sign onto legislation that other people authored, inflating his record.
“Basically I have been a mayor and an Assemblyman Speaker for four tumultuous years,” said Sires. “Throughout that time I have gained experience in issues that affect not only the 13th District, but the state of New Jersey.”
Sires has authored and successfully passed numerous legislations stemming from senior health care to continuing education courtesy of the Stars bills, and is credited with the creation of the lieutenant governor position after former Governor Jim McGreevey’s abrupt resignation to ensure a smooth transition for a successor.
“I handle 2,000 bills a session, and in four years as speaker I never failed to pass a bill I put on the agenda,” said Sires.
Vas has been dogging Sires to debate with him, but as time runs out before the June 6 primary, exchanges have been limited to one joint television interview and this story about the candidates’ positions.
Regardless, Sires said last week, “We already had our debate. We have been going back and forth everyday [throughout the campaign].”
With just days left leading up to the election, poll numbers have shown Vas as slightly ahead of Sires, although in primary elections, polls tend to be less reflective of the actual turnout among the party faithful.
Last week, both candidates spoke to the Reporter to give their positions on various issues.
Immigration
“The practical solution is to close [America’s] borders, not just for illegal immigration but to curb global terrorism,” said Vas.
Vas is critical of immigration policies that target illegal aliens but allow business owners who benefit from their cheap labor to go unpunished. Vas said those who hire illegal aliens below minimum wage should face charges as well.
“Those convicted of a second offence should face criminal charges and possible incarceration,” he said.
Vas believes the United States has to deal with illegal immigrants that are already here, and that they should be allowed to become legal, “but they can’t go to the front of the line ahead of people who obeyed the rules.”
Vas also said people seeking legal status here must relinquish citizenship in other countries.
“If your going to come to America, your loyalty should only be to America,” Vas said.
One area of sharp disagreement between Vas and Sires has to do with providing illegal aliens with a driving card.
Vas has proposed the Driving Privilege Card in New Jersey, which would allow residents to obtain drivers’ licenses even if they can’t prove they are legally in this country just by showing proof of auto insurance.
“I truly believe in heart that it was good public policy and morally correct to do so,” said Vas, who hopes that the card will give immigrants a valid form of identification.
Sires is opposed to the program, citing security issues.
“Two of the terrorists [from 9/11] had bogus licenses from New Jersey,” he said. “Since then, I worked with the Department of Transportation to come up with a more secure licensing program. We now have one of the most secure programs [and other states are modeling it.]”
The pending federal “Real ID” program will require state motor vehicle departments to verify legal residency of driver’s license applicants by 2008. Licenses that do not comply will no longer be valid IDs to board airplanes or enter federal buildings.
Sires also says he helped revamp the emergency response system after seeing some of the problems the area faced in the aftermath of 9/11 through the Homeland Security Committee.
“Mayor Richard Turner and I were down by the ferry, and we saw the lack of coordination among the [responding agencies],” said Sires. “This will have all emergency responders working together if there is another emergency.”
Both oppose the war in Iraq
Vas and Sires have both expressed being adamantly opposed to the war in Iraq and that it was a mistake for the United States to have gotten involved in the conflict. But while Vas believes and has called for an immediate withdrawal of troops, Sires believes that the withdrawal of troops should be done in a proper way; not just picking up and leaving.
“I always thought the war was wrong, and I think we should withdraw our troops in an orderly fashion,” Sires said. “We should never have gone into Iraq. I believe Bush lied to the people.”
“We have done what we were asked to do, now it is up to the Iraqi people,” said Vas. “We are not nation builders.”
Vas has also blasted President George W. Bush for the loss of nearly 3,000 American lives and the wounding of 11,000 soldiers, not to mention the $500 billion cost.
“The soldiers have won the war but the president has lost the peace,” said Vas. “This has been bad foreign policy.”
Vas also criticized the increasing trade deficit and federal debt under the current administration, and that at least four other countries have elected anti-American leaders.
Senior citizen issues
Vas has been an outspoken critic of Medicare D, calling the current federal plan “a handout to the pharmaceutical industry” and a gift to insurance companies at the expense of senior citizens and the disabled.
“We need a reform, one that will benefit our senior citizens, not the prescription drug companies,” Vas said.
Sires, however, said he has already taken steps as speaker of the Assembly to help curb some of the problems with the federal system by making certain state programs such as PAAD and Senior Gold were in place. He said he has worked with senior groups to minimize the negative impact of the federal program.
“I was able to get the PAAD Program funding, and I was the first to push the millionaires tax before anyone else in the state and used it [to fund] programs I thought were important to New Jersey,” aid Sires.
Sires also said he had worked to provide affordable housing through the state that benefits seniors and others.
Other areas of concern
Sires said over the years he has been a big supporter of education. He has pushed through laws to help kids afford college such as the Stars Bills, which provide free education to low income students in community colleges and additional financial benefits, up to $2,000, to students who move onto other state colleges.
He is particularly concerned about the under-funded federal “No Child Left Behind Act,” which he said must be revamped to make some of its demands less odious to districts like West New York.
Vas disputed the claims of many Sires supporters that Hudson County would lose its last seat on the House of Representatives if Vas were to be elected instead of Sires.
“I’m going to represent the whole district and will have an office in Jersey City,” he said, noting also that this would likely be the busiest of his district offices since Jersey City is the second largest city in the state.