Why would a Township Committee Candidate say that?

Dear Editor,

In her letter of October 19th to the Editor of Patch, Democrat Carla Pappalardo stated that if elected to the Wyckoff Township Committee, she looked forward to working closely with Rudy Boonstra, along with other Committeepersons. It goes without saying that those of us who are fortunate enough to be elected to the Township Committee have a duty to the voters to govern in a cooperative and collegial manner. Nevertheless, I feel her statement, which used my name, is a bit presumptuous as we do not know each other, she did not ask my permission, she has not attended one Township Committee meeting this year, nor has she reached out to get to know me.

In addition, at a recent Ramapo Indian Hills Board Of Education meeting, at which the subject was student busing, she referred to Wyckoff as, " a cheap-a** Dutch town." I interpret this type of stereotypical remark as an ethnic slur aimed at me and members of my family who have served Wyckoff well for decades in numerous capacities. This is not a welcoming statement from someone that seeks to be elected to the Township Committee!

I am not sure if this type of rhetoric is what Ms. Pappalardo is referring to when she states in her letter that her goal is, "to make Wyckoff an even better place to live." Some clarification is in order.

Very Truly Yours,

Rudy Boonstra

Wyckoff NJ