Rafael Román Martel

Vega does not forgive, because Vega has never made any mistakes in his life. He is the most prominent representative of the Neo-Inquisition movement in Hudson County. When he attacks these individuals, he fails to have respect for whether they have families, children, mothers or fathers. He only cares about winning the State Senate seat- at any and all costs. At the expense of the Cuban community, the Dominican community, and everyone unfortunate enough to get caught in his way, Vega sees all of Hudson County as a mirror reflecting a distorted image of himself, above which a neon sign reads: I AM THE SENATOR.

His behavior as both a candidate and a mayor is little more than a cheap imitation of Dominican dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo with a dash of communist undertones; his motto is carved from the words of Karl Marx himself: “the ends justify the means.” He has surrounded himself with thugs that try to intimidate the followers of Brian Stack; he threatens and fires West New York employees that refuse to show the utmost reverence and submission. He has even incited his cronies into attempting to intimidate journalists, a flagrant disregard of the First Amendment.

One of these sycophants, unfortunately graced with a name similar to my own, has taken up as a new pastime parading the streets of West New York vomiting out barely-coherent physical threats against my person to other similarly dim-witted members of the Sal Vega Fan Club. This bizarre character, known in some obscure circles as “bankruptcy”, I openly invite to express his grievances against me in person, should he be brazen enough to defend his unsubstantiated threats with equally crude behavior. I would be more than happy to introduce his body, stained with Vega’s authoritarian inanity, to the ideals of democracy that Vega fled his homeland to enjoy.

This character epitomizes the sleaze which, unfortunately, has ubiquitously found a home in Hudson County political campaigns. I am accustomed to their presence. This is the filth of Sal Vega.

Thus Vega has bottled himself up in his Campaign of Hate. He is possessed by the demons of power. He had a bright future ahead of him before he showed his true self. Win or lose, he is a dirty, classless politician. He is a traitor. He is a man who does not care for the people. He has no morals under which to accuse anyone. He deserves neither our vote nor our respect. His disgusting campaign designates to him a position on the lower tier of the human political ladder. Neither the Cuban nor Dominican communities will ever forget his insulting attacks.

Brian Stack is not perfect, but he is a man. He has demonstrated loyalty to his friends. As his co-Campaign Manager in 1998, when we suspiciously lost against a powerful political machine, I expressed to him my frustrating despair at losing such a close race. “We lost a campaign,” he answered, “but you won a friend for the rest of your life.” To this day he has kept his word, because he does not betray his friends. He does not assault entire communities. He shows no disrespect towards those that lend him his friendship or trust. Sal Vega is the exact opposite of this.

I trust in the people of the 33rd District, in the people of West New York- now enslaved by Vega and his dispicable secretary. I believe in the good Cubans of West New York, in Cary and Joe Rodriguez and the many excellent people that live in this city. I believe in the people that have faith in democracy, and not in authoritarianism. I believe in those who know that Albio Sires is a good man that has been the driving force behind reconstruction in West New York and that has been betrayed by he in which his city had faith.