Winter 2004 Edition     

An Expensive Campaign   The Assembly race between three Fair Lawn residents -- Bob Gordon (Democrat), Ed Trawinski (Republican) and Matt Ahearn (Green Party) -- proved to be nasty and expensive.   The President of the League of Women Voters of Fair Lawn, Jane Spindel, said “Each year, we thought we had seen it all, the negative campaigning just gets worse.  We were all inundated, especially towards the end, with glossy brochures (on photo at left) and postcards denouncing and discrediting the opposition."   She said “campaign managers must see the majority of voters as a bunch of idiots who can be easily duped by the lies and innuendo that is perpetrated upon us."   Millions of dollars were spent in Fair Lawn’s Assembly district (it includes 13 towns from Elmwood Park to Fort Lee ).  Most of it came from the county and state Democratic and Republican parties as well as other Assemblyman and Senators (who wanted to ensure a Democratic or Republican majority).   One insider told Fair Lawn News, "No wonder people think so little of their elected officials.  The accusations were distorted and did nothing to help educate the public."   Here are some of the accusations that flooded Fair Lawn's mailboxes.  Note that Ed Trawinski ran on the ticket with Republican Rose Heck and Bob Gordon with Democrat Joe Coniglio.    Accusations in Democratic Mailings   'Where The Heck Did Rose Heck Spend Our Transportation Dollars'.  Rose Heck supported a new train line in South Jersey, while North Jersey gets more traffic.   Rose Heck protects corporate polluters who contaminated Passaic and Saddle Rivers.   Trawinski cuts deals with developers by cutting open space.  (with photo of 'Trawinski's idea of open space', a parking lot with a thousand cars).   'As Seen on TV'. Rose Heck All-in-One Corporate Gadget.  (with photo of Army Swiss Knife).   Where were you when the lights went out in Bergen?  Heck was helping the utility companies.  (photo of flashlight in the dark)   Don't trust the quality of your tap water?   Blame Rose Heck   Accusations in Republican Mailings   McGreevey Team placed a tax on newborn baby screenings. (with photo of a disappointed little old lady).   Coniglio also voted to raise property taxes on seniors, tax nursing home, utility bills and health insurance.   Bob Gordon raised property taxes in his hometown by a staggering 272%.   Joe Conglio has a new magic trick. He's making your money disappear right before your eyes.   (with photo of disappearing money).   Coniglio Hurts Seniors:  Coniglio raised property taxes on NJ seniors and voted to spend money on more welfare (with photo of a disappointed little old lady).     Also, "Our Seniors Helped Make America the Greatest Nation on Earth.  McGreevey and his allies in Trenton thanked them by raising their property taxes" (with photo of Mom hugging her son returning from WWII).   MccGreevey and his allies cut money for our schools so they could send it to Newark and Camden.    McGreevey Team.  "Yes to wealthy team owners,  'No' to schools and taxpayers.  Coniglio wants to use $100 million in taxes to improve Continental Arena (help wealthy team owners and we get higher property taxes).