By Frank Pallotta
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been so impressed by the way New Jerseyans, and particularly families and small businesses in the Fifth Congressional District, have all come together to weather the storm. People are concerned about their communities—not politics—but sometimes when it’s important, you find that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. That’s why I’m speaking up.
As we are all painfully aware, New Jersey routinely sends more to the federal government than we ever see come back to us. I plan to fight against this imbalance by advocating for infrastructure funding and coming up with a workable solution on SALT when I go to Washington, but it’s in times like these that this disparity hurts the most.
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What happened was this: in the latest stimulus bill meant to aid hard-working Americans in this crisis, Nancy Pelosi pushed for an outdated funding formula that decides how the money given to each state would be allocated. It’s no surprise that the ever-calculating Pelosi insisted upon a formula that left Republican-leaning areas like Sussex and Warren Counties out in the cold, despite COVID-19’s devastating effect on these communities.
In the days following the bill’s release, it was eventually revealed that Sussex and Warren would be excluded. Of course – and only after the fact – Josh immediately found his way to a camera and a press release to demand more funding.
…except it was his Party that wrote and passed the bill! We won’t dwell on the fact that Josh sat silent when Nancy Pelosi dragged out the process by loading it up with Green New Deal goodies like tax credits for solar panels and carbon emission restrictions. Apparently, that delay was acceptable. But there was no time to contact the leader of his own Party to insist that counties in his district – in a state that’s been one of the hardest hit in this pandemic – also receive assistance.
What did Josh do to stop it? Exactly nothing. Better yet, what’s the use of having someone representing us in Washington who neglects half of his district?
Just like President Trump, I grew up in Queens, New York, in the shadow of Manhattan; so I know exactly how Sussex and Warren feel. You can bet that when I feel like any part of our district is getting the short end of the stick, I won’t be silent.
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FRANK PALLOTTA is a Father, Husband, Former Senior Banking Executive and a Small Business Owner, running for Congress in New Jersey’s 5th District against Incumbent Congressman Josh Gottheimer. Learn more about Frank and get the latest updates at PallottaforCongress.com.
