Vote Row C for Kurt Gardiner - for Freeholder Hudson County November 8th

Here is my latest update on my race for Hudson County Freeholder District 5....

Kurt Gardiner for Hudson County Freeholder

Vote Column C for Change on November 8^th, 2011

For those of you who may not know me, my name is Kurt Gardiner and I am running for Freeholder District 5 in Hudson County this coming November 8^th. My opponent, the incumbent Anthony “Stick" Romano was hand picked by former Hoboken Mayor Dave Roberts to run on the HCDO ticket in 2008 is up for re-election after one three-year term in office. The Office of Freeholder is a county legislative position of which there are 9 seats in total representing Hudson County as whole. The Fifth District consists of Hoboken in its entirety as well as parts of Jersey City Heights. Hudson County taxes make about 1/3 of your property tax bill with School and Municipal/City tax making up the other 2/3ds.

 

The reasons I am running are quite straightforward:

1) Hoboken was taxed $46 million in 2010 and received pennies on the dollar back in services. Hoboken is being financially pillaged by every other municipality at the County level. It really is fiscal piracy. Romano has passed all three bloated County Budgets while Freeholder.

2) Hoboken needs an independent representative that will finally advocate for Hoboken taxpayers rather than sit idly by and take directive from County bosses. These are the same County bosses that donated to my opponent’s campaign war chest at his recent fundraiser.

3) My campaign will at least give Hoboken voters a choice. Up until early June, Anthony “I love the Russos” Romano was planning on running unopposed until I stepped into the ring. “An election without a choice is not democracy but rather a coronation”.

4) I feel I have issues that are worth discussing such as operational audits and viewing government from a serviced based architecture rather than a patronage based one which has been the dominant viewpoint of the County for decades. This political patronage has led to the creation of low show and now shows jobs that make our County Government more inefficient than it should be.

5) It is my hope that my campaign will create more awareness about Hudson County issues and how they affect Hoboken and Jersey City Heights. This is not about my future as a politician but rather the core issues I am running on. As an independent going against an entrenched political machine, I am aware that I am a long shot to win this race. However, this election is just a beginning and not an end. I will continue to try to peel away at the smelly onion that is Hudson County Government to expose how little it serves the constituents of Hoboken and even Jersey City Heights.

6) Anthony “Stick” Romano is allied with the political opponents of the Hoboken taxpayer. He is an ally of Mike Russo, Terry Castellano, Carmelo Garcia, Tim Occhipinti, Frank “Pupie” Raia, and third place 2009 Mayoral Reject Beth Mason. Beth Mason and her money have tried everything to sabotage the Hospital deal which would cost the Hoboken taxpayers greatly should it fail. It is a shame to see these political “friends” of Anthony “Stick” Romano have such disregard for the Hoboken taxpayer just to make the Mayor look bad. He even had the audacity to Award Beth Mason the Columbus Park Italian woman in the year which was a real slap in the face to the tireless efforts of Toni Tomarazzo who as chair of The HUMC Board and has used her skill to work on saving the hospital while Mason spewed her venom and spent her money.

7) It would appear my opponent doesn’t want to talk about the issues. My opponent had initially challenged me to two debates which I gladly accepted before the Labor Day Holiday. Now however, it would appear he is trying to back out of the debates now that political handlers like Jaime Cryan are involved in his campaign. It is a shame it appears that his campaign doesn’t want the issues brought to light and host an open discussion on them. Very undemocratic.

8)   Anthony Romano isn’t raising the bar that much. During the 5 term 15 year reign of error by Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons (another Anthony Romano political ally) prior to Romano, Hoboken got the short end of the stick as well when it came to county services. That didn’t stop Maurice from pocketing large contracts for various municipal entities such as the Hoboken BOE and North Hudson Sewer Authority just to name a few. Anthony might not be pocketing contracts himself but somehow Michelle Russo almost seemed to land a County job she had no prior experience in. “Stick” remained silent but the resulting controversy eventually led to the offer being withdrawn. It was seem what is good for the goose isn’t always what is good for the gander. Stick comes from a long line of Hudson County yes men that are inserted into power so that Hoboken’s money can be divvied up among the others. Very little has changed. So a couple of roads got paved. What about Washington Street? That should be a ! Are we supposed to kiss his feet because Hudson Street got repaved after more than a decade?

Hoboken gets no giggity from our current
Freeholder Anthony Stick Romano

9)   I am a taxpayer not subsidized by government. Anthony Romano lives in Marine View Plaza which was designed as middle income housing to assist people who want to stay in Hoboken and need a break on rent. Despite having now a substantially larger income than the average resident there he still remains in that facility. This is not at all illegal but shows how my opponent feels entitled to governmental services he no longer needs. As an elected official he should set a better example and let someone else who needs the lower rent. I have no problem with assisting lower income people with respect to housing but I will maintain that all assistance for housing should be means tested. How Anthony Romano doesn’t get point and lead by example is beyond me.

10) End the Quagmire.

Quag-mire (noun)

1. An area of miry or boggy ground whose surface yields under the tread; a bog.

2. A situation from which extrication is very difficult: a quagmire of financial indebtedness.

3. Anthony “Stick” Romano’s nickname in some circles.

4. A Family Guy character that is a lothario stuck in the free love 70’s and says stupid things like giggity giggity. Amusing but not useful.

5. Another three years of Anthony “Stick” Romano as Freeholder of Hudson County District 5.

Stop the insanity and vote Kurt Gardiner Row C for Change and a County Tax Cut on November 8^th. Go to http://www.gardinerforfreeholder.com/ for more information.