Paul Perez
Trenton’s next municipal elections will be held in May of 2014. In an effort to give the citizens an opportunity to learn more about each of the five individuals who have already announced plans to run for mayor the Trenton Downtowner invited the candidates to submit a 700-word piece introducing themselves to voters.
Starting in June, we asked each candidate to tell us about their family; when, where and why they decided to run for mayor of Trenton; and to list things they have accomplished that they think qualify them to be mayor. They were asked to provide concrete examples of achievements that demonstrate their ability to solve problems.
Each candidate was also allowed up to an additional 125 words to rate the performance of current mayor, Tony F. Mack.
The profiles were run in the order in which the candidates filed their campaign paperwork with the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission. This month’s final installment comes from Paul Perez.
I come from very humble beginnings. My parents came here in the early 1950’s from Puerto Rico with six children when my father, Mariano Perez, was assigned to Fort Dix as a soldier. My mother Antonia worked as a housekeeper at Mercer Hospital and night shift at the old Broad Street Bank.
They eventually moved to Trenton in the 1960s, when I was born. I am number 11 of 15 children. Learning how to share, listen and have respect for one another were the pillars of our home values. Always proud of our American heritage, eight of the Perez family brothers and sisters went on to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. I am married to Janet Perez, (formerly Lagares) of Trenton, and have two sons: 1st Lt. Paul Perez, Jr. and Capt. Steven A. Perez.
The people of Trenton demand a functional government. If I were to pick up the telephone and use a lifeline to call President Obama and ask “Why do we need government?” he would surely refer me to the preamble to the U.S. Constitution: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
We need government to engage the city; create a more perfect union. We need government to protect us from law breakers; establish justice. We need government to keep our day-to-day lives stable and safe; maintain domestic tranquility. The first duty of any city government is to represent the citizens who live there. Elected officials have an obligation to listen and act on the concerns of citizens, and create conditions to support a local economy.
Trenton over the past decade has suffered from a lack of strategic vision, poor business decision making, rising crime, little if no job development, an absence for collaboration by the city administration with the different levels of county, state, and federal government representatives; and a shortage of taxable base. We have a school system that has been taken over by the state government that forces our children to attend high school in a building that in any other community would have been condemned long ago.
I believe I am the most qualified candidate. I possess the skills to take this city into a new direction. The problems faced by this city are enormous, and require a steady hand and reach-back capability I possess. I am a retired military officer and served in senior executive positions in the military, private sector and public sector. I have experience developing national level policy, strategic planning, and implementation of programs in support of the president’s administration. My most recent post was at the National Science Foundation where I served for three years as the division director, Division of Administrative Services.
While at NSF, I was responsible for supporting a $9-billion dollar organization dealing with universities across the country and around the world. I led several fiscal reviews of programs that resulted in over $4 million dollars in savings. A very successful tour, I was recognized for my community involvement, support to the Veterans workforce, and received several management awards to include NSF’s Director’s Award for Collaborative Integration during the Global Summit on Merit Review for “Successful Launch of Ground Breaking International Initiatives.” I believe it is this record of accomplishment and experience that has prepared me to lead Trenton.
Tony Mack has failed all those who believed in him and has done nothing to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of this city. His grade is a well-deserved “F”.
We need to ask ourselves, are we ready to help lead Trenton into a new era of prosperity for future generations or do we want to support candidates of sameness armed with failed ideas of the last two decades? My hope is that my vision resonates with you and that I am your choice to lead this city in a new direction.
On the Web: paulperezformayor.com.
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