Is New Jersey’s Next Republican Congressman from the 5th District Hiding in Plain Sight?
by Joseph L
In May of this year, former banking executive Frank Pallotta of Mahwah, entered the race for United States Congress to represent New Jersey’s 5th District – encompassing parts of Bergen, Sussex, Warren and Passaic. With virtually no political experience, Frank entered the race to unseat former Bill and Hillary Clinton speech writer, Josh Gottheimer; who himself, had never held political office before narrowly beating Scott Garrett in 2016. If you think having little to no political experience is a hurdle to winning an election; think again. Most everyone knows that Donald Trump never held political office before winning the presidency in 2016. However, what many don’t know is that the 116th Congress that took office in January of 2019, saw not only one of the largest classes of freshmen congressman and congress women, but more than half of them had never held a political office prior to their current roles (also an historic number). Josh Gottheimer has been called the human fund-raising machine, but his seemingly easy victory in 2018 over a woefully underfunded and underwhelming candidate, John McCann, is the biggest reason his war chest currently tops $5 million.
Before looking to any candidates’ qualifications for office, one must first look at both the makeup of their district as well as the state of the district itself. What practical background and experience does the candidate bring to the table and how does it help – or hurt? After reviewing the candidates’ qualifications, it then makes sense to evaluate their stances on issues important to the overall district, as well as the collective beliefs of the people and businesses in that district. Finally, a voter would need to decide which candidate best represents their district BOTH from a philosophical standpoint as well as their ability to address the needs of the community.
Without question, the burden of high taxes is the primary issue facing voters in the 5th District. New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation, along with one of the highest corporate taxes in the country. As a result, New Jersey was the number one “exodus” states in the country in 2018. What’s more, the current democratic leadership in Trenton wants to continue to raise taxes on everything from rain and gas to property and the wealthy. New Jersey doesn’t have a revenue problem. New Jersey has a spending problem.
The other hot topics keeping New Jersey residents up at night, are infrastructure, housing, healthcare, and the environment. Itshouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that the person best suited to address these issues, is not a politician or speech writer. It requires someone with not only a background in business, but with the ability to listen and negotiate across all levels of an organization. They must also possess a sound understanding of how to succeed in the private sector. Frank has quietly built up a resume in the private sector over many years that appears to fit well with exactly what the district needs – and what Josh Gottheimer lacks.
As the weeks and months progress, voters in the district will come to know Frank as a voice of reason with a common sense and methodical approach to tackling the issues affecting the 5th. Many people however, in Mahwah, Upper Saddle River and other surrounding towns, already know him. He has taken the lead in some of the most debated and divisive local matters in recent years. While his professional experience might suggest otherwise, Frank Pallotta has played both quiet and not-so-quiet roles in exposing elevated levels of toxins at the former Apple Ridge Golf and Country Club, and in helping work through an historic successful recall election – the first in Bergen County in more then 25 years. He has also spoken up against the bullying of town residents and officials and assisted in the accurate dissemination of relevant data related to the placement of a cell tower in Mahwah, that will soon provide badly needed and long-overdue cell service to more than 15% of the town’s 26,000 residents.
What makes this important is that Frank’s background is not in chemical engineering or in politics, nor is it in radio frequency and cell transmission. Frank sees a wrong or an injustice and works with all sides to find a common-sense solution that benefits the greatest number of residents, in the shortest amount of time, with minimal disruptions. When Frank found out about potentially high levels of toxins in the soil at Apple Ridge [Orchard Ridge Mahwah & Preserve Upper Saddle River], and then watched as turbid rain waters flowed unabated for more than a year into the streams, sewers and storm drains of SR, USR and Mahwah, he was struck by the simple fact that his towns’ residents had no idea of the precise levels of toxins at the site. Inaccurate information was mixed with sound scientific data, hyperbole and finger-pointing. His first instinct was simple. Hire a service to test the toxicity levels in the water at the site. Once the facts were presented, the discussions around a solution could begin. Frank didn’t protest, rally, argue, blame or speak out against town officials. In fact, he sent his findings directly to those officials within 24 hours of receiving the certified results. He was also very up-front about the fact that while the test showed high levels of toxins at the site, the resultsconformed to NJDEP standards. Frank’s only request was that the officials and developers work to keep the towns’ residents informed. In connection with his role on Mahwah’senvironmental commission and planning board, Frank twice entered the ARCC site to inspect the property. What he foundrecently, was a series of gravel structures and wells, with industrial strength baffles and filters to capture heavy metals and toxins from the site, before they enter the streams. While the developers and engineers appeared to have addressed the issues, the residents were not informed of these fixes and as a result, continued to believe nothing was being done to address their concerns. This alone highlights the importance of transparency.
The same could also be true in the recent battle for the placement of a cell tower in Mahwah. For years, a small number of town officials and residents with little to no knowledge of the exact science behind optimal cell frequencies, wetlands and tower safety, were pitted against residents who wanted only to make a simple cell phone call. It wasn’t until the new Mayor commissioned a non-partisan report by a highly qualified expert in the field, that the town’s residents heard for the first time, what they already knew – that the cell tower “hold-up” was more a question of obfuscation and deceit, than anything else. Transparency and truth paved the way for a simple solution and left little doubt about what should be done.
Frank’s more than 25 years of private sector experience in dealing with the behemoths and red tape of large bloated corporate and government organizations are the perfect proving grounds for addressing the pitfalls and waste in government. This fresh approach in an era of federal overreach and under achievement, is exactly what is needed in DC. His fiscally conservative viewpoints together with a practical, roll-up-the-sleeves approach in protecting our veterans, the environment and the underserved, will not only help District 5, but will help set an example for future leaders around the country, that our elected officials serve at the pleasure of the voters, and not the other way around.
