Community Corner

Yudin Named to State Transition Committee

Bergen County GOP chair to assist Christie review

A local businessman will help Gov.-elect Chris Christie examine the workings of the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Robert Yudin, owner of Yudin's Appliances on Main Street, will join nine others on a transition subcommittee that is tasked with reviewing the department in advance of Christie's confirmation as governor. Their subcommittee is just one of four that will take closer looks at New Jersey departments as part of Christie's efforts to find efficiencies within the bureaucracy.

Yudin, who is the chairman of the Bergen County Republican Organization, said he was asked to serve on the subcommittee.

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"I'm honored to accept it. It's a challenge, and I'll do my part," he said.

The subcommittee has not yet met, but Yudin is no stranger to such groups. The former Wyckoff school board member served on a similar transition committee in advance of Gov. Christie Todd Whitman's inauguration. He knows there will be a "lot of work" and a "lot of recommendations" to be made, some of which may be difficult, as "everything is on the table.

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"No one likes to lay off... that's a horrific thing to do. There's got to be a reduction, there has to be a savings in that area also," Yudin said of the Department of Labor. "We'll look at it and make recommendations, but I don't want to prejudge anything."

Yudin said he has known Christie for years. The former U.S. attorney and Morris County freeholder is the "guy who can make the changes that are needed to reduce our taxes and reduce spending," in the chairman's view. 

Yudin, who has led the Bergen Republicans for a year and a half, said the issues of taxes and spending largely dominated the election cycle this year, although local voters had additional concerns.

"People came to the decision that it's time for the two-party system to be re-established at the county level," he said. 

Bergen voters did indeed change the composition of the all-Democratic freeholder board, electing Republicans John Driscoll and Robert Hermansen over incumbents Vernon Walton and Julie O'Brien.

"In a year and a half, we've made tremendous progress," he said.

Yudin has extensive experience in politics, going back more than three decades. The Navy veteran has managed campaigns and run for office himself, but has found great success leading the Bergen Republican Organization, which had been "financially bankrupt and also psychologically bankrupt."

Although Dems outnumber Republicans among registered voters, Yudin believed that there was "no reason why we can't run competitive races and win our share of elections."

After getting the organization's finances under control, Yudin worked on bringing the different elements of the party together for the common good. After seeing "how moribund our organization was" when he unsuccessfully ran for freeholder, he made sure to vigorously back municipal candidates for office, which resulted in a number of wins last year.

This year, "we broke through," he said, registering local wins in many towns throughout the county in addition to the freeholder wins.

"Success is all over the place, and I like to think some of that is because of my leadership," Yudin said, with a laugh.

A Belleville native, Yudin has lived in Wyckoff since 1970, and the business started in 1935 in Paterson came to the township in 1972. His daughter represents the third generation of Yudins to run the business, which he said has been affected by the economic downturn. 

However, Yudin won't use his political connections to gain more business. "As long as I'm chairman, we will not do business with any of the government agencies."

The chairman doesn't want even the appearance of a conflict of interest. He feels that there are too many Democratic incumbents in office for "all the wrong reasons," enriching themselves or their firms off of public contracts.

"To change that, we need Republican control," he said. "Next year is the litmus test. We're now in position to take back county government."


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