Passaic County Freeholder Candidate Frank Pietropaolo issued the following statement on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s remarks on America’s greatness.

As the son of Italian immigrants who came to this country to make a better life for themselves, I cannot disagree more strongly with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s remarks that America is not Great “and it was never that great,” whether the governor’s unfortunate remarks were made in an attempt to pander to the anti-Trump resistance movement, or to curry favor with the socialists who are taking over his party doesn’t matter. He was wrong to say them and as the grandson of Italian immigrants he should know better.
His family has benefitted from America’s unique greatness. His grandparents came to America and operated a successful business. His father was able to go to college and became governor of key state and flirted with a presidential run, and now Andrew is a governor and his children are successful. If that is not a sign of American greatness I don’t know what is.

My parents taught me to love and appreciate America and what it has to offer. But they also taught me that nothing in America is given to you. The rewards in America come to those who work hard to attain them. America is indeed a great country; it gives opportunity to those bold and committed enough to grab it.

My father came to America as a barber and he still operates a shop in Bergen County. My mother worked various jobs to help supplement the income necessary to raise our family. I am fortunate to be a college graduate and currently a manager for a major construction company and to afford a house in Wayne Township and provide for my family. That’s American greatness for you. What my family achieved, has been repeated many times by millions of families in America over many generations. Yet – liberal Democrats fail to acknowledge that. They dwell on the negatives.

Liberal Democrats denounce America because they believe that personal initiative should be replaced by government handouts, constant complaining and generational dependence on government programs. The notion of hard work and sacrifice is unappealing to liberals like Gov. Cuomo – and the Democrats on the Passaic County Freeholder Board. They practice the politics of division and spread the idea that people are “owed” something from government. What that really means is that they want to take money from people who work hard for it, and give it to those who don’t work very hard or perhaps not at all. I reject their philosophy, which we see in practice in state and county government. Their government philosophy puts a great burden on hard working middle class people and deprives them of much of the money they work hard for.

If Governor Cuomo’s view of America is shared by the Passaic County Democrats, they should tell us. If not, I call upon the Passaic County Freeholders – all 7 of them – all Democrats – to disavow Gov. Cuomo’s insult to America. I call upon them to recognize the greatness of America.
I’ll be waiting for an answer.

Frank Pietropaolo