Who Were Rivera's "Guaranteed Votes" On City Council?

Passaic, NJ -- District 36 Republican Assembly Candidates Carmen Pio Costa and Don Diorio call on Passaic Council President/Assemblyman Gary Schaer to join them in calling for an independent investigation into the Passaic City Council in light of Mayor Rivera's arrest.

According to US Attorney Chris Christie's charges, "Passaic Mayor Samuel 'Sammy' Rivera, 60, allegedly accepted $5,000 on Aug. 13, 2007, after assuring the Company that he could deliver four of seven city council votesto make the undercover company the insurance broker of record for Passaic."

"This is why dual-office holding is so unfair to the taxpayers," added Diorio. "Someone serving two demanding jobs can do neither well. This is just another example, like the healthcare benefits fiasco, of a distracted council President unable to see what's happening right in front of him."

Just a couple months ago, Gary Schaer admitted making an "egregious error" in voting for the Passaic Council to award themselves lifetime health benefits after only 15 years of part-time work, ten full years ahead of any other municipal employee. Schaer at first failed to even rescind the resolution before public outcry forced a second vote to cancel the benefits. Council members complained of not being able to "understand" the bill.

"After the arrest of Mayor Rivera, Councilman/Assemblyman Schaer said 'the people of Passaic deserve honest government.' It's time Councilman/Assemblyman Schaer gave them that," said Pio Costa.

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