The south rises to
the occasion
PBA GETS OUT THE VOTE
All in the family
Members of Paramus Local 186 showed up to support Holly TedescoSantos (center).
For Holly Tedesco-Santos, running for her first term on the Paramus City Council was truly a family affair. Her father, Bergen County
Executive and former Paramus Mayor James Tedesco III, came to
her support during the crunch time push for votes at Biagio’s Ristorante on Nov. 3.
So did her husband, Ho-Ho-Kus Local 353 Member Chris Santos,
who recalled his reaction when Tedesco-Santos announced she
wanted to run for office:
“It was a no-brainer,” he said. “We live in Paramus, my children
live in Paramus. It was an easy decision to support her.”
Likewise, Tedesco-Santos had a clear message of promise to the
PBA:
“I have a vested interest just like everyone here because it’s my
husband’s livelihood,” she stated. “It’s how we pay our bills every
month. I want to support you because I’m in the thick of things
also.”
Tedesco-Santos’ greater law enforcement family – the members
of Paramus Local 186 who she now represents – also showed up in
support.
“Holly sees every day what we’re dealing with,” asserted Paramus
Local 186 State Delegate Glenn Pagano. “It’s not a joke – it’s getting
crazier out there and nothing is getting better. These politicians that
are here have always been there for us. They’ve always shown their
support for us, and the only way to get legislation changed is by supporting those who have our backs.”
Pagano brought with him more than 20 Local 186 members to go
door-to-door encouraging Paramus residents to vote.
“There were guys who worked midnights (to be here) and it’s a lot
easier to just lay on your couch and watch football,” Pagano admitted. “But this is an important issue and guys realize that. You can’t sit
idly on the sidelines anymore. The PBA is a powerful force and we’re
here to make some changes.”
Officer Santos, likewise, had two vested interests in attending the
rally:
“Supporting my wife, and being part of the Bergen County PBA,”
he listed. “For us to pull together and support the legislative candidates shows how powerful we are as a union. I am humbled by the
amount of people who showed up. It’s incredible and it speaks volumes. We’re getting the word out and we’re not going to take ‘no’ for
an answer anymore.” d
Inside the Mainland Local 77 office in Egg Harbor Township,
Atlantic County PBA members took to the phones on Election
Day to get last-minute voters to the polls.
“We’re here because we need to elect the local politicians who
stand up for the needs of municipalities and our membership,”
stated Atlantic City Local 24 State Delegate Keith Bennett.
Members rallied behind Assemblymen Chris Brown and
Frank Mazzeo thanks to their support of law enforcement, especially as southern New Jersey continues to bounce back after the
closings of four casinos in Atlantic City, resulting in the loss of
more than 9,000 jobs. And uncertainty about the future of Atlantic
City has caused the number of homes in foreclosure to climb.
“We need someone like Brow