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The Observer | www.theobserver.com
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
Thoughts & Views EDITORIAL Murphy’s up for re-election soon. Don’t forget his 2019 inaction
I
t has never been the policy of this newspaper to endorse candidates for elected office. After all, endorsements get half the population angered and half the population smiling. And let’s be frank, when was the last time you heard someone say, “Oh this newspaper endorsed candidate “X,” so I am voting for her!” It’s true. Newspaper endorsements rarely, if ever, swing voters and make a difference in elections and cause more angst than good. But this upcoming race for governor, which pits the incumbent Philip D. Murphy, a Democrat, against Jack Ciattarelli, a Republican, we vowed back in 2019 we would not soon forget all Murphy did to ensure the Keegan Landfill remained open when West Hudson was suffering through the worst health crisis it had seen until 2020 and COVID-19 rolled along. And while we’re eternally grateful the Keegan is forever closed, we know it is because of the hard work of Mayor Alberto G. Santos, the Kearny Town Council, grassroots citizens like Cristina Montague and countless other residents who said “no way!” The Keegan Landfill is closed, today, in no way, shape or form because of anything Murphy did or did not do. If anything, his stubbornness, his arrogance, his refusal to intervene only made the saga drag on substantially longer than it had to. And while it seems, based on the number of Democratic votes he got in Kearny in an uncontested primary in June, that a lot of people here are still willing to give him four more years, we have to ask — have you already forgotten what he did and didn’t do for us during that fiasco? It wasn’t that long ago, folks. If he had gotten his way, that landfill would still be open, generating income for the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority. Fortunately, your voices were louder. So while we aren’t saying vote or don’t vote for Murphy, we’ll end it here, with a question. How’d you forget so fast?
St. Stephen’s 9/11 Memorial
To the Editor: The “911 Memorial” at St. Stephen’s, Friday evening, was moving and touching. The Boy Scouts of Troop 305 placed 2, 977 American Flags which formed an “aisle of remembrance” for those that died that day in N.Y., PA, and Wash. DC. The service began outside on the lawn, by the Cross that was made from a beam taken from the World Trade Center..... followed by a procession into St. Stephen’s church. Religious leaders from
the community spoke and prayed. Honored specifically were those from Kearny that lost their lives: Patrick Dickinson, Antoinette Duger, Judith Reese, Michell Robothan, Antonio Rocha, George Strauch and Thomas Sullivan. Judith Reese’s brother Joe spoke about her life growing up and the kind of person she was, loving, outgoing, comical and witty.... and to this day is missed so much by he, his wife and daughter. Mayor
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Santos spoke on the tremendous loss of lives that day and the affect it has had on all of us as well as thanked everyone that took part in helping to save as many lives as possible. Father Joe, Pastor of St. Stephen’s deserves a word of praise for hosting and planning this memorial and I was proud to have shared in it. Jo-Ann Dolan
CORRECTION Last week’s edition contained an error in the spelling of Lenny Kaiser quote from Bergen County Commissioner Steve Tanelli. “My thoughts and prayers are with the Kaiser family during this difficult time. Lenny demonstrated that there was no Democrat or Republican way
In Memoriam Mary A. Tortoreti 1942-2016
to pave a street. He knew that once the elections were over, everyone needed to work together for our constituents. People in government today should take a page out of Lenny’s book and learn to work together – it can’t always be about campaigning.”
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