Dear Editor,
My name is Sam Labkovsky, and I have been a resident of Parsippany since the year 2000.
I am writing to raise a red flag surrounding the wrong direction the GOP in Parsippany is headed and what I believe we can do about it. I was born in and fled Soviet Russia to escape extreme policies and wrong-headed governmental decisions. I would like to draw the attention of voters to a concerning issue that should be considered before casting their ballots in the upcoming election on June 6th.
What got me paying attention to politics again was the PLA disaster when I saw the Mayor and a now bobble-headed Councilman, Carifi, sell out the Town to special interest groups despite the bad reaction against it from us that live here! Maybe Councilman Carifi wanted to do this because he got something from PLA we don’t know about. Maybe he wanted good press, as the Unions sent to the town thanking the Council and Mayor for passing the PLA shortly after. Maybe he knows something he’s not sharing. Still, it feels very similar to when I grew up watching Soviet bureaucrats do things they knew were wrong simply because they personally or politically profited from such decisions.
Another negative was in a 4/18/23 article from the Parsippany Focus about the Mayor being unwilling to have a public discussion about his budget. To me, it seemed like Mayor Barberio and the others on Council tried not to share information and plans with residents. We should have people on our Council that want transparency and don’t have anything to hide as it can lead to problems for our Town.
Over the past two years, Parsippany has experienced a staggering 15 – 20% increase in taxes under the leadership of Councilman Carifi and a compliant Council.
I voted for the Republicans against Soriano, but Councilman Musella is the only one living up to his campaign promises. Republicans in town should be more like him, who are supposed to support lower taxes, good policies, and reduced government spending. Still, under pressure from the Mayor–Councilman Carifi did the opposite.
On June 6th, I believe it is time we send a message that the GOP is headed in the wrong direction and do not send back to Town Hall people like Councilman Carifi that support big tax increases and PLAs.
Thank You,
Sam Labkovsky
Long-time American Republican & Parsippany Resident
