A tale of two Borg newspapers

No matter who wins the race for State Senate and Assembly in District 36, Stephen Borg will be on the winning side: he is the Publisher of the Herald News, and the Publisher of The Record. The Herald News endorsed the re-election of Democratic incumbents Paul Sarlo, Gary Schaer and Frederick Scalera; The Record endorsed the three Republican challengers.

The two Borg papers also split in the 35th district: The Record backed Republican Chauncey Brown for State Assembly, while the Herald News picked Democrat Elease Evans.

In the 36th - Editorial
Wednesday, October 31, 2007

NEW JERSEY'S corruption problem is no abstraction for the 36th District's all-Democratic delegation. State Sen. Paul Sarlo of Wood-Ridge has been subpoenaed in the federal investigation of a fellow senator from a neighboring district. Assemblyman Gary Schaer heads the City Council in Passaic, where the mayor was arrested recently in another federal investigation.

The lawmakers are bystanders in these cases, but one might expect them to be alarmed by all the FBI agents crawling around. Not so: Sarlo, Schaer and the district's other assemblyman, Nutley's Fred Scalera, all quickly shrug off any notion of a corruption epidemic or a legislative cure.

The trio is also unimpressed by the idea that New Jersey's nationally unique tolerance of officials serving multiple masters might contribute to a culture of self-dealing. Sarlo is seeking reelection to both his Senate seat and the Wood-Ridge mayoralty next week; he also works as an engineer for a major state contractor. Scalera is the only one of the incumbents who does not hold a second elected office, but he has a ranking appointed position in the Nutley Fire Department.

That's not to say this team lacks influence and accomplishments, including praiseworthy legislation on autism, financial literacy, energy efficiency, religious accommodation and other issues. Schaer, a freshman, has risen quickly in the Democratic ranks. Sarlo is considered a contender for the Senate's No. 2 post.

The shoestring Republican opposition here is led by Senate candidate Michael Guarino of Lyndhurst, a retired Bergen County health director. Guarino's single-minded focus for several years has been EnCap, the subsidized mega-development that's supposed to turn Meadowlands landfills into golf courses and housing. Guarino's argument against the project is neither measured nor concise, but it's probably right: The more we know about the now precarious project, the more it seems to vindicate his dogged opposition and condemn Sarlo's early support of it.

Guarino's running mates for the Assembly are Don Diorio of Carlstadt, who owns an events management business, and Carmen Pio Costa of Nutley, who works in commercial real estate. They lack their opponents' government experience, but show a better grasp of the opportunities for reform and restraint in Trenton. In the current climate, discomfort with the status quo and its attendant corruption seems more valuable than any amount of political savvy.

The Record endorses Guarino, Diorio and Pio Costa.

The 36th District is: in Bergen County, Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Garfield, Lyndhurst, Moonachie, North Arlington, Rutherford, Wallington and Wood-Ridge; in Passaic County, the city of Passaic; and in Essex County, Nutley.

A capable slate of Dems - Editorial
Friday, November 2, 2007
HERALD NEWS EDITORIAL

On Tuesday, voters in the 36th Legislative District will chose between a slate of influential, capable and experienced incumbent Democrats and a slate of eager, affable but inexperienced Republican challengers.

We endorse the incumbents: Sen. Paul A. Sarlo; Assemblyman Gary S. Schaer and Assemblyman Frederick Scalera. They have produced a solid legislative record on everything from autism to affordable housing. They have also provided consistent constituent service.

A civil engineer by profession, Sarlo serves as Wood-Ridge mayor and as a state senator. He's deputy majority leader of the state Senate.

Flush with a campaign fund of more than $700,000, Sarlo clearly has his eyes on a bigger prize, perhaps majority leader. He vows to work to hold down the costs of state government and to help provide tax relief to homeowners. He says he recognizes that "politics is perception." Sarlo, who has testified before a grand jury regarding the corruption probe of a fellow senator, says he intends to run his office in a manner that would be beyond reproach and a tribute to his upbringing.

Like Sarlo, Schaer is a dual office-holder. In addition to his Assembly seat, he's serves as president of the Passaic City Council, a body that has been rocked by the federal corruption sting that has ensnared Mayor Samuel Rivera and Councilman Marcellus Jackson, both former Schaer political allies.

Like Sarlo, Schaer has been touched tangentially by a corruption probe, but he has not been implicated in any illegality.

If rising stars Sarlo and Schaer continue to build power bases in Trenton, they should end their municipal duties so as to avoid any perceived conflict of interest.

Scalera, a Nutley deputy fire chief, has been a reliable state assemblyman and staunch supporter of that body's Democratic leadership. Assembly challenger Camen Pio Costa dismissively summarizes the Scalera voting record: "He (Scalera) always votes yes."

Still in his late 20s, the bright and energetic Pio Costa is the most promising member of the Republican slate. But before we'd support the Nutley businessman for the Assembly, we'd like to see him display a grasp of the issues and their nuances that matches his enthusiasm.

Michael Guarino, a retired administrator from Lyndhurst, seeks to hold politicians accountable for what he believes are their bad decisions. Throughout this campaign, he's dogged Sarlo about his early support of EnCap, a troubled Meadowlands development. A self-described "gadfly," Guarino seems better suited to that role than to elective office.

Don Diorio, a late addition to the Republican slate, is a staunch supporter of lean and efficient government. Nevertheless, during his campaign, the Carlstadt businessman proved much better at framing the issues than articulating how he'd address them in the Assembly.

At a time when political corruption plagues New Jersey, the growing chorus chanting "Throw the bums out" is predictable and correct.

But we must refrain from throwing out able incumbents that have not been accused of anything illegal, especially when their potential replacements have not demonstrated they could do the job better.

The 36th Legislative District includes: Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Garfield, Lyndhurst, Moonachie, North Arlington, Rutherford, Wallington and Wood-Ridge in Bergen County, Passaic in Passaic County, and Nutley in Essex County.