During the debate hosted Tuesday by the Community News, Candidate O’Donnell made a few statements that are quite debatable. The following O’Donnell statements were leaked:
The Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation needs to focus on helping the poor, not wasting money on parties. Fact – These parties are actually fund-raisers that assist the BEOF with delivering on their core mission of providing assistance to those in need. As an added bonus these “parties” helped to unite the community with various ethnic themes: Italian, African-American, Irish, Latino, and Polish. Raising funds, bringing the community together, celebrating our ethnicities, sounds like a home run to me.
All these music events and festivals are not bringing people together. Fact – The Hometown Fair and Bergen Point Fall Festival bring thousands of people together on Broadway, all having a good time. The majority of the attendees are from Bayonne. Young people, seniors, and families share the music, events, food, and activities. The Music on Broadway, Musical Monday at the Museum, and the Mayor’s Summer Sounds by the Bay have all become staples in the lives of Bayonne residents. Whether it the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra String Quartet, Doc Watson, George Orlando, the Party of Five, or the Nerds, all residents in Bayonne enjoy the music and enjoy it together.
Bayonne is not benefitting from development, only out-of-town developers are. Fact – For the properties that have a PILOT agreement, left as they are they would produce $51 million in tax revenues. With the PILOT agreements they will produce $510 million, a ten-fold increase. Also, many of the approved projects are being built by Bayonne developers using Bayonne labor.
You the voter deserve to know the facts before you vote. As any inaccurate statements are made by the candidates, will we endeavor to correct them.
Just the Facts Maim