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Before starting this open letter to the Roselle Park Democratic Committee, I want to make some things clear. I am a lifelong registered Democrat who has been a homeowner and resident of Roselle Park since 2006. I do not want to nor will I ever run for any political office or elected position. I do not want to lead nor even take part in the Roselle Park Democratic Committee or the Roselle Park Democratic Club. I will not be changing my Party affiliation.

I simply want the Roselle Park Democratic Committee (RPDC) to do its job and represent the Democrats of Roselle Park. It appears that those who currently represent the Democratic Party in Roselle Park (outside of elected officials) namely Gregory Kinloch, Carl Hokanson, and Robert Zeglarski, Sr. have not represented any recognizable Democratic tenets, at least not these last couple of years. I have spoken with others who, like myself, feel their concerns and positions are not being addressed by the RPDC. They have become inactive in their local Democratic Party – with some even switching political parties due to the lack of substance or sincerity from the RPDC. I, myself, will not change my Party affiliation; I actually believe it is those who do not have Democratic tenets who should leave my Party.

Just as a brief overview, here are some situations on which I base my observations. There are residents and neighbors of all ages who are in need of assistance, financially and otherwise, who are not having their circumstances addressed by the Roselle Park Democratic Committee. There are disturbing undercurrents of prejudice with regard to neighbors of differing backgrounds (ethnic and otherwise) who contribute to our community that are being ignored by the Roselle Park Democratic Committee. There is presently an important matter before the public with regard to the Romerovski Property that has already been used to make ridiculous speeches disguised as suggestions. It is situations such as these that require the entire town to come together and work to find a solution, not use them as political fodder. Please be aware when mentioning “mayor & council” you are including two Democrats on that council.

These, among other issues, are not being addressed by the RPDC. It is a shame when I see Democratic representatives (not Democratic elected officials) dealing with personalities instead of issues. I have witnessed rhetoric instead of substance. I have seen reactionary responses from my own Party to problems that arise instead of proactive, or even productive, measures that can help the borough and its residents.

In addition to that, there is a notable lack of presence by the Roselle Park Democratic Committee in the community. There is no communication with the business community, no liaison with the various groups in our borough, no volunteer programs, no positive visibility, no sponsored outreach volunteer programs; just finger-pointing, vague assurances of change, an uninformative web site, sporadic newsletters, embarrassingly non-productive comments, and candidates who only show up for meetings in the year they run for office and soon disappear after the elections are over.

As an example to show how opportunities are lost to contribute to the borough, there is a Neighborhood Watch that was started, in part, by first ward councilman Laurence Dinardo. There has never been a presence or active support from the RPDC when Mr. Carl Hokanson, a former police officer, would be a valuable asset to the Neighborhood Watch. Not only that, but members of the RPDC are neighbors who, I would think, would want to take active participation in the safety and quality of their neighborhoods if there is such a problem with crime in the borough as publicly touted during the last mayoral election. In another instance, third ward councilwoman Mrs. Larissa Chen-Hoerning has touched on issues dealing with recycling and the environment but there has never been public support or mention of any such initiatives by the RPDC.

There are Democratic tenets, outside the scope of elections, that are being disregarded by the RPDC. It is important to remember that the Democratic Party is not the “I don’t like Republicans” Party. It is a party of values in action — beliefs in practice. The RPDC needs to remember that. Instead of making the Democratic Party in Roselle Park simply about pointing out the failures of ‘them’ - Republicans, the RPDC should constantly be working on achieving successes in and for the community. It is not about helping or listening only to those who hold the ‘party line’ of attacking, but helping all residents so that we can all benefit from what the Democratic Party has to offer in terms of service, cooperation, and involvement.

I want you to understand that I am not talking about politics; I am talking about the core Democratic doctrines that are meant to help residents, not take control of a political office. The Roselle Park Democratic Committee needs to return to working for the people as opposed to working for the votes. I ask that you go past my criticism, however unpleasant, to understand that I sincerely wish that the Roselle Park Democratic Committee stop passing on opportunities to help our borough. Being a public organization, the RPDC is in a position of influence and has the ability to better address issues in a constructive and productive manner. I realize that various members of the RPDC do volunteer in the community as private citizens and I do not want to diminish any of those good works. I am thankful for that. It is the RPDC and its lack of positive involvement that I take issue with.

In closing, if I am misinformed or flat out wrong, please feel free to contact me. I welcome any discussions which will help better not only involvement in Democracy, but improve the lives and quality of life for all residents of Roselle Park.

Regards,

Saul Qersdyn

The following is a letter that Mr. Carl Hokanson sent to the Union Leader.

The headline in one newspaper, “Residents left in the dark,” accurately describes the growing mess at the Romerovski building site in Roselle Park.

Come April 16 at 6:30 p.m. the borough will finally start to see the tip of the iceberg of municipal mismanagement. Let’s look at what we know already.

The developer says the mayor asked him to refrain from any action on the project during the mayor’s re-election campaign. The property owner says he has privately “consulted” with Councilman At Large Ricky Badillo.

The hapless borough officials now complain that the years of delay have resulted in the developer seeking to “bully” the borough into accepting 300 apartment units. Not to be left out, Superior Court Judge Mariana Espinosa said in her decision, “Roselle Park had not adopted land use ordinances that addressed the borough’s fair and affordable housing.”

At the very time the state is moving to trim back the use of eminent domain, our officials are threatening these tactics against the multi-million dollar Avalon Bay Communities, who have a reputation for playing hardball with municipalities — especially small communities such as Roselle Park.

Lately, our shell-shocked officials are attempting to hide behind a “gag” order which makes it too convenient for them to avoid the questions of a very concerned public.

Meanwhile, in addition to the board attorney and the special eminent domain attorney, the borough is poised to also hire a special redevelopment attorney. It is painfully clear the delay in action has exposed us to far more tougher requirements for low and moderate income housing. The final result could be a huge influx of school-age students.

The real answer may be that Messrs. Badillo and DeIorio are looking for an escape hatch — like we really didn’t want to do this but the court made us do it.

So while our borough officials look for some cover, the rest of Roselle Park is to quote the headline writer: “left in the dark.” What a mess.

The letter, which was also distributed around town, offered no suggestions or solution. In a wasted opportunity, the chance to show the residents of Roselle Park that the Democratic Committee can contribute to the borough — by attending previous meetings, doing some checking on AvalonBay or Mr. Israel Braunstein, asking questions during the presentation on April 16th, or even becoming familiar with COAH (Council On Affordable Housing) regulations — is forsaken in order to use this very serious matter as political fodder.

If the present council that is being criticized, which includes two (2) Democratic councilmembers, then stating so without offering any plan of action is contributing to keeping residents in the dark. As a representative running for office Mr. Hokanson should, at the very least, have something to offer other than “look at what they did”.

The Roselle Park Democratic Party appears to not be a presence in the borough. Their web site is the same. There are no press releases, no announcements of meetings, no notice of involvement. The RP DEMS web site (www.rpdems.com) would be an excellent way to get their platform out to the public. Posting announcements, meeting dates, and/or reactions to borough incidents would be good use of such a resource.

If there is a change in representation leadership, perhaps someone could let them know to let us know what their stances and plans are for the borough of Roselle Park.

And now, some words of identification from the Democratic Party:

We Democrats are the oldest political party in America and the youngest in spirit. We will remain so, because we enjoy the challenge of government. Time and again, for almost two centuries, the Democratic Party has made government work - to build and defend a nation, to encourage commerce, to educate our children, to promote equal opportunity, to advance science and industry, to support the arts and humanities, to restore the land, to develop and conserve our human and natural resources, to preserve and enhance our built environment, to relieve poverty, to explore space. We have reached difficult and vital goals.

At the heart of our party lies a fundamental conviction, that Americans must not only be free, but they must live in a fair society.

We believe it is the responsibility of government to help us achieve this fair society:

• A society where the elderly and the disabled can lead lives of dignity and where Social Security remains an unshakable commitment;
• A society where all people can find jobs in a growing full-employment economy;
• A society where all workers are guaranteed without question the legal right to join unions of their own choosing and to bargain collectively for decent wages and conditions of employment;
• A society where taxes are clearly based on ability to pay;
• A society where the equal rights of women are guaranteed in the Constitution;
• A society where the civil rights of minorities are fully secured and where no one is denied the opportunity for a better life;
• A society where both public and private discrimination based upon race, sex, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, economic status, philosophical persuasion or physical disability are condemned and where our government moves aggressively to end such discrimination through lawful means;
• A society where we recognize that the strengthening of the family and the protection of children are essential to the health of the nation;
• A society where a sound education, proper nutrition, quality medical ca re, affordable housing, safe streets and a healthy environment are possible for every citizen;
• A society where the livelihoods of our family farmers are as stable as the values they instill in the American character;
• A society where a strong national defense is a common effort, where promoting human rights is a basic value of our foreign policy, and where we ensure that future by ending the nuclear arms race.

Some numbers.

On Tuesday, the 5th of February 2008, there were 2,149 Roselle Park residents that came out and voted in the Presidential primary election.

Out of those residents, there were 1,504 who voted, and thereby registered, as Democrats. The other 645 voted as Republicans.

That comes out to be about 70% Democrats to 30% Republicans.

That means for every 10 people who voted on Tuesday, seven of them agreed with the directive proposed by Democratic candidates. This is also evidenced in that the Democratic candidate who had the second-highest number of ballots had more votes than the Republican candidate who won the borough.

And still, in election after election (for the most part) the Roselle Park Democratic Party fails to relay a message that residents can get behind in a borough that is, by last count, 70% Democratic.

Either the residents feel there is no Democratic representation they can follow in the borough or the Roselle Park Democratic Party has no presence or message, other than “We’re not them”.

A brand new year in Roselle Park and hopefully a resolution from the Roselle Park Democratic Party will take affect once certain questions are addressed:

What has the Democratic Party of Roselle Park done for the the borough in 2007?

What have they done as far as having representatives regularly attending and/or participating in council meetings?

What have they done in developing business relationships either through community outreach or the Special Improvement District (SID)?

What have they done with respect to inviting or attracting business to invest in Roselle Park?

What outreach have they attempted with respect to developing a relationship with various immigrant-based communities?

What have they done to unite all the various cultures in our town and make them feel welcomed and accepted?

What have they done to confront problems with crime, since they have stated there is one?

What have they done to clean up Roselle Park in areas that need attention?

What have they done to address the incident with Monica Montoya and officer Harold Breuninger?

What is their position on the incident with Monica Montoya?

What detailed viable plans does the Party have on improving the town?

From what I have seen, The Roselle Park Democratic Party does not practice Democratic tenets. I have contacted the Democratic Party and numerous Party members but, as of yet, have not received any response.

A party that states they are going to be better than the current administration should be doing something to give evidence to that statement. Do something to show that you are poised to head the borough in a different direction. Simply stating the ‘we’ are not ‘them’ is a futile endeavor and one that will lead to further damage to the Democratic tenets that the Democratic Party should believe in and practice. Instead of spreading innuendo and mudslinging, show that you are representatives of substance.

Either that or leave my party.