HACKENSACK, NJ – The failing Labrosse/Canestrino Team has escalated their assault on the First Amendment as they desperately try to cling to power in the upcoming Hackensack City Council election. Mayor John Labrosse has seen much of the community turn against him, including many of his most ardent supporters and former council member colleagues, as a result of his personal employment scandal involving the trading of $47 million in give-backs of Hackensack taxpayer money in exchange for a promotion and salary increase from his employer, Hackensack University Medical Center.

Labrosse and Deputy Mayor Kathleen Canestrino, who voiced her support of give-backs in a hastily written statement earlier this week, have trained their fire on those who have been critical of their administration, in an attempt to bully and intimidate residents from supporting their opponents, Hackensack United for Progress. Their latest actions are consistent with their conduct in office, which has resulted in numerous civil rights lawsuits filed against them, and which have exposed Hackensack taxpayers to millions of dollars in payout settlements.

Plaintiffs in those lawsuits have described the shocking actions and comments of the two highest ranking officials in City government in court documents obtained by Hackensack United for Progress, which voters should find disqualifying in their bid for re-election.

One employee described being “imprisoned” in her office by Canestrino, as the Deputy Mayor believed the employee was a political adversary. Labrosse told a former colleague, who belongs to the Jewish faith, that the Mayor would make her “life a living hell” and blamed the “Jews” for the failure of his fish market in Teaneck. Canestrino told that same employee that Christian holy water would make her “fizzle and melt into a puddle of scum.” Plaintiffs also described Labrosse’s use of the “N- word,” and of Canestrino’s successful efforts to block the judicial appointment of a highly qualified African-American in favor of a lesser qualified white applicant.

And local residents are not quick to forget the Labrosse/Canestrino Team’s retaliatory attempts against the sanitation department, which luckily were thwarted through the advocacy of many concerned residents, including those on the Hackensack United for Progress ticket, who spoke out at council meetings against a plan that would have cost taxpayers top dollar for inferior services, in an attempt to intimidate and punish dedicated municipal workers.

As usual, the Labrosse/Canestrino Team’s most recent attack contained over a dozen false statements as they furiously try to retain the positions which they have so greatly personally benefited from. “The Labrosse/Canestrino Team has become accustomed to bullying their political adversaries and those who they think can’t defend themselves,” said Caseen Gaines, campaign manager for Hackensack United for Progress, “but after four years, the city’s residents and municipal employees have become accustomed to their games. We will not be intimidated into giving this administration another term to run our city into the ground, despite what their taxpayer funded political mailers say.”

Gaines revealed that yet another major Canestrino/Labrosse scandal would be breaking this coming week.

Hackensack United for Progress candidates Lara Rodriguez, Jason Some, Michael Williams, Carlos Merino and Rommy Buttafuoco have a long history of community service and are eager to restore honest and responsible government to Hackensack. They plan to increase ratables through responsible development and end the reckless borrowing which is destroying Hackensack’s future. They plan to hire and promote employees based on merit and put an end to the cronyism and unlawful conduct of the Labrosse/Canestrino Administration.

Hackensack United for Progress is a broad-based coalition of residents, merchants, and organizations united to end the chaos and corruption of the past four years and put Hackensack on the path to success as a community. 

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