Rafael Román Martel

It was an anti-democracy blast.

It was a Banana Republic stunt, a Fidel Castro political emulation, with half-wits and useful idiots carefully spread out and crafted around American democracy. That might include fat puppet-elected county officials who suck-up to Vega in political parties while being rejected and despised by what they thought were their life partners. Now they run to Vega’s crowded bed for comfort and consolation.

But the people of West New York know better.

Born in Cuba, Silverio Vega’s family escaped Communism to raise their son in a democratic and free society. This Friday Alcalde Vega underlined his commitment to democracy by launching all his powers to stop the democratic process in West New York. His small and out of control clique of “followers” began the process of repression. West New York is five minutes away from the greatest and more democratic city in the world: New York.

Nevertheless Sal Vega’s tactics in dealing with democratic opponents are a carbon copy of a Communist state.

The few members of his police department that hang on to his self-styled cult leadership harassed opposition members w ho gave out flyers in West New York. They were advised that they would be arrested under a city ordinance if they continued placing flyers in cars’ windshields. Later they were stopped and their cars searched as if they were common criminals for the “crime” of spreading information about opposition candidate, Dr. Felix Roque. After they spread flyers throughout the town they were followed by an aggressive woman who used an old lady to take the flyers out of the windshields.

A week before, Vega’s thugs, led by a out of control delinquent, and a family member nicknamed El Bitongo, harassed Dr. Roque and his followers. Dr. Roque leads a recall election against Silverio Vega and his puppet commissioners. One of Dr. Roque’s friends came out of a democratic meeting only to find out his car tires had been slashed. Vega’s politicos used insults and physically threatened Roque’s people.

This is how Silverio “Sal” Vega practices democracy in West New York, in the United States, where his family brought him to save him from a totalitarian regime.

This explains to me why in the more than 25 years that I’ve been involved in anti-communist causes I have never seen Silverio “Sal” Vega in one protest, not even in one protest organization meeting, not even in one gesture of public support for the pro-democracy Cuban cause.

Vega’s measures against the democratic action of special recall elections include trying to prevent senior citizens from eating ice cream in front of a senior citizen building, using a woman and a group of his paid assistants to “advise” senior citizens that they shouldn’t go out and eat one ice-cream paid by someone whose life is dedicated to alleviate the pain of others. As anxious senior citizens watched from their windows and the lobby of the building, located at 58 Street and Jefferson, the “security guard” looked menacing at the ice-cream truck. Some greeted Dr. Felix Roque but most stayed inside, whose ice cream invitation to the senior citizens of West New York seems to be a threat to the Vega reactionary establishment.

¿Using a security guard to threaten senior citizens? ¿Is this Sal vega’s democracy?¿Using a senior citizen to pick up flyers in the rain? ¿Using some members of the police department to threaten and harassed people in full exercise of democracy? ¿Is this Sal Vega’s way of gaining public support?

We get daily reports that Vega’s political agents use language against city employees and board of education employees with the implied threat of firing them if they answer telephone calls on working hours or are seen speaking with Dr. Roque’s supporters.

Even WNY building inspectors have been “advised” of these measures. They have also been reminded that more than 100 municipal employees could receive pink slips.

It’s sounds like if Vega and his advisers are flying high on a power trip. Just ask his “secretary”, whose reputation, according to our reports, runs in front of her in a political blood thirst festival. Jannet Passante makes more than $100,000 a year with a high school diploma, and an assortment of vulgar expressions, and the attitude of a Nazi Concentration Camp Director in WWII.

We received information that before his recent “fundraiser”, conspicuously called “The Mayor’s Ball”, Vega’s agents suggested -read forced- city and board of education employees to pay for tickets. Convinced that they couldn’t sell the tickets he gave many away for free.

This week a local publication shows dozens of pictures of Vega “supporters” partying hardy while property owners and all residents must scratch their wallets to pay their rents and their taxes.

Sal Vega needs help.

He also needs the early retirement plan from public life that Dr. Roque is facilitating, free of charge.

He needs a crowd even if it’s a crowd of hypocrites and silent detractors because he lost the popular support. He has lost the respect of the people of West New York.

Dr. Felix Roque has the popular support. Against all ads he has confronted the bully.

Dr. Felix Roque’s mission is clear, and light is the enemy of corruption. That’s why Sal Vega and his old-style political machine will fight hard and dirty to stay in the darkness, where they relish in their high salaries and perks.

Corruption is always aggressive because it defends obscure and evil interests.

On the other hand, many of the people working under Sal Vega’s administration are good, hard-working people. Some of them are personal friends, some are Cuban patriots for whom I have tremendous respect and admiration. I know in my heart that they feel the same way I do. I know that every day that Vega employs these totalitarian tactics he loses more and more people who used to support him. Their hope in Vega is lost as a result of his dirty politics, his scandalous lifestyle, and his lack of leadership.

Sal Vega raised property taxes 47% in less than two years. He’s involved in a sex scandal with another man—his former Chief Financial Officer—in court. He has shown total disregard for property owners and tenants alike. He has been surrounded by scandals and treason. He has betrayed the trust of politicians and residents alike. He hasn’t been legitimately able to claim one success during his administration. The streets of West New York are dirty and filled with potholes as his close circle of friends enjoy huge salaries at the expense of higher and higher taxes, while surrounded by political operatives of his moral and professional level Sal Vega’s popularity sinks by the hour.

People who have turned against him before, people close to him await the right time to cross the line and jump to Dr. Roque’s side. Some have been doing it for weeks.

The Sal Vega Political Machine is at desperation mode. That’s why he urgently attempts to stop this recall. That’s why he’ll do anything to stay in power.

He has been groomed by political machines to be a creature of failure.

His leadership is a local myth.

Silverio “Sal” Vega is a failure no matter how much television they use as make-up to cover up his tormented public image.

“I have friends!” he yelled at one of his recent meetings when asked how he would solve the crisis in West New York.

Friends are not Miracles. Friends cannot stop the voice of a free people. Political tricks can help Mr. Vega confuse the good-natured people of West New York in a recall election but sooner of later he will fall like the bricks of the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.