The following statement is sent from BettyLou DeCroce, former NJ State Assemblywoman and current candidate for the General Assembly in LD 26.

“With each succeeding week, Assemblyman Brian Bergen demonstrates how little he knows about government and finances and shows that he lacks the temperament to be taken seriously in Trenton or anywhere else.  

After sending me threatening emails in an effort to shut down discussion of his curiously failed attempt to get a Covid-19 loan for his defunct business, now Mr. Bergen is assaulting my right to hold a job that I am more than qualified for.

(By the way, Mr. Bergen, thanks for the heads up on your problematic grant application – we are certainly reviewing that now.)

For some reason, Mr. Bergen, whose lack of knowledge about government is only bested by his bullying and temper, seems to think there is something wrong with my position.  

Yes, I have a public sector job – just like Mr. Bergen does. Mr. Bergen is also paid by taxpayer dollars. My job pays more than his does because it is infinitely more difficult and requires a level of expertise and experience that Mr. Bergen is unfamiliar with. I’m sorry if Mr. Bergen is jealous or angry that a woman makes more than he does. I am paid commensurate with what the market for the job I do demands. If I did not hold my current position, someone else would and that person would get the exact same salary as I do. Since it’s unlikely Mr. Bergen believes in equal pay for women, it’s not surprising that he spends so much time attacking the job I hold. He should be talking about the job he’s done in Trenton.

If Mr. Bergen would like to know more about my position, or simply would like a course on how government in NJ works, I encourage him to make an appointment and visit me at my office and I will try to explain the intricacies of government to him.”