By David Cruz
Correspondent
It was ostensibly an announcement of a new federal COPS Grant for the borough of Paramus but with two weeks to go before election day, the real purpose of today’s event became very clear.
Democrat Roy Cho has no legislative or public safety experience, so it’s hard to say what role he would have played in the borough getting a federal grant, but Cho’s opponent in next month’s congressional race, incumbent Scott Garrett, voted — along with several other Democrats — against amendments to the COPS Grant in 2009, which was enough to unleash a diatribe from Congressman Bill Pascrell.
“The congressman who represents this district now voted 12 times against funding for COPS Grants, including several times against my own amendments,” charged Pascrell. “Roy Cho would never have done that.”
Cho — a first-time candidate and corporate attorney — is seen as surging in the polls, trailing Garrett by around five points. Perhaps hearing footsteps, Garrett’s camp lobbied charges at Cho, alleging voter fraud because, in 2012, Cho voted in Manalapan while living in Hackensack. Garrett’s spokesperson said today’s event was an attempt at diversion.
“I find the timing of this press conference to be ironic,” read the statement. “Congressman Garrett has a long history of supporting our brave men and women in law enforcement. … Rather than cheap political theatrics, Roy Cho should take some time to get his story straight about his voter fraud.”
Cho repeated his story that he voted in Manalapan because he didn’t consider Hackensack his home at the time. In the election after Sandy, Cho returned to Manalapan to cast a vote, noting that he did not vote in Hackensack. In the heat of the election season, both sides can be criticized for stretching facts a bit, but Cho insisted there is a genuine difference between the two candidates.
“Right now, despite the fact that Congressman Garrett has more political experience than I do, the reality is we have to harness the creativity and the ingenuity of the private sector and apply it to Washington,” said Cho, “because right now in Washington, D.C., we have a Congress that is gridlocked and dysfunctional because you have people who are consistently putting ideology and partisan politics over the everyday interests and needs of all Americans.”
As for the COPS Grant, it allocates over $600,000 over three years for Paramus to hire five new cops. Good news for the borough, but also a month old. Still, news of a federal grant never goes stale, especially so close to election time.
With Cho closer than most people expected, the Democrats see a real opportunity to pick up a seat here so you can expect them to keep the pressure on, especially with events like this one.