Transcript of Remarks from Edison Resident Joel Bassoff at the February 27, 2025 EDO screening session

 A Big Shout-out to Joel for telling it like it is.

Transcript of remarks to the Edison Democratic Organization screening session:

I’m Joel Bassoff, and I’m here because I’m angry and I need to vent.

· I’m angry that Sam Joshi is spending almost $12 million on the Sports Complex in Papaianni Park – a rectangle of artificial turf and a prefab steel building that was supposed to cost $5 million. Our full-time Mayor let the cost balloon to $12 million!

· I’m angry about the Silver Lake lawsuit. Sam Joshi spent almost $13 million for land that the next door property owner has a legal claim to. Our full-time Mayor testified under oath that reading the documents would have been, quote, “a complete waste of my time.” A waste of his time to find out what he was buying for $13 million of our money?!

· I’m angry that Sam Joshi brought an entourage of four police officers on a trip Chicago – at taxpayer expense!

· I’m angry that Sam Joshi gave a million dollar no-bid contract to an engineering firm – after the firm hired the Business Administrator’s husband.

· I’m angry about the water main breaks in South Edison. Our full-time Mayor had no plan to replace crumbling water infrastructure? Running water is about as basic as it gets.

· I’m angry that the Mayor held a campaign fundraiser at the Ray Catena dealership – while Ray Catena has a case in the Zoning Board to expand their parking lot into a residential neighborhood. How would you like it if a car dealer put a parking lot next to your house?

· I’m angry that Sam Joshi let Edison miss a crucial deadline for affordable housing. He’s opening up Edison to builders remedy lawsuits, which means that outside developers decide where to build their apartment complexes regardless of what’s best for the residents.

· I’m angry that Sam Joshi tried to take the library away from the Clara Barton neighborhood, and that he fired the Library trustees who stood up to him.

· I’m angry that Sam Joshi evicted the Arts Society from the Municipal Building so that he could turn the space into a shrine to himself.

· See this refrigerator magnet that says “Mayor Samip Joshi” in big letters? I’m angry that Sam Joshi uses taxpayer money to mail his campaign materials. I’m angry that we have to pay for campaign brochures like The Illuminator.  I say: Pay for your own campaign flyers with the money you got from Ray Catena.

· I’m angry that Edison is an international laughing-stock because Sam Joshi’s yes-man tossed a resident out of a Council meeting – for holding up an American flag!

You can cross my name off the ballot. I’m not running for anything. I just needed to vent.

I just want Edison Democrats to nominate candidates that we can be proud of.

Thank you for listening. Good night.

Anyhoo, we need more Joel's and less Joshi's in this politically-corrupt town.