Hoboken’s Chris Campos had an unusual way of campaigning for re-election in the 4th Ward. As part of his effort to help the poor in the projects there, he went to see them – driving through the most impoverished part of town in his brand new BMW convertible.
The new auto was purchased around the same time as Campos’ acquisition of a job with the Hudson County Transportation Management Agency. The latter has become a campaign issue by his chief challenger, Tony Soares.
Will it matter to the voters of the 4th Ward that Campos pulled down a county job? Or will they take it for granted that county jobs are part of the spoils for supporting the current administration?
Jersey City council members E. Junior Maldonado, L. Harvey Smith, Bill Gaughan, and Marianno Vega did not try to hide their dual identities when they popped up on the county administration building steps this week to blast Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham. In fact, when questioned why they had picked the administration building to hold their news conference, they proudly boasted: Because we’re also county employees.
Getting a county job in some towns is so common that it seems much like a fringe benefit of running for council. In Secaucus, Councilmen John Reilly, Fred Constantino and Bob Kickey have all scored such employment after showing their undying support for Mayor Dennis Elwell and the Democratic county regime – although Kickey could see the boot for his recent threatened break from the mayor.
But even in Secaucus, some ties with the county are best kept hushed, such as the recent cocktail hour held at Nina’s in the Park in Belleville as a fundraiser for Elwell.
Nina’s, long a hot spot for Essex County politicians, has recently been acquired by Jersey City insurance broker, Ronald Manzo – brother of former Hudson County Freeholder Lou Manzo running on the Cunningham ticket for state Assembly. Elwell needs the county Democratic organization’s money, so his followers are keeping quiet that the place is owned by Manzo, whose brother is running with Cunningham against the Democratic organization’s candidates in Jersey City.
Of course, the principal targets of this cocktail hour, and the numerous other fundraisers ongoing around Hudson County for a variety of candidates, are the vendors doing business with government. These people have money and would like to get contracts with the county and various towns. While a cynical soul might say their money gets the business, the truth is that in most cases, politicians rarely see such characters as more than cash registers from which to take out withdrawals – hoping to get enough money for votes for office.
Why are you giving money?
But patronage is a way of life in New Jersey politics, although not in many other parts of the country. People who support a candidate for higher office expect to get favors, such as jobs or business with the government.
But politicians get support from a collection of characters, and not every one of them is interested in jobs. Eugene Wyman, a prominent Democratic fundraiser in the 1970s, once catalogued people who give money. Some know the candidate personally. Others like the candidate or believe in his or her cause. Some people give just to be involved in the election process, while others – problem solvers – think they can solve a city or county’s problems through that candidate. There is what people call “ego money,” people who pay just to be seen around a popular candidate. There is “loyalty money” from followers who know their candidate will lose, but support him or her anyway. There is also “sure thing money” from people who just want to be on the winning side, no matter who it is or what that candidate believes. Then, there is the “just-in-case money,” from people who actually support another candidate but give a little to the opposing candidate in case their first choice loses.
Republicans soon to announce
Jose Arango, chairman of the Hudson County Regular Republican Party, said patronage and corruption will be issues in this year’s election for statewide seats.
“We’re not going to emphasize party affiliation, but credibility instead,” Arango said. “As a Republican chairman, my priority will be to promote Republican candidates. But the problem is not political parties; it is lack of decency. We have two sitting freeholders who are under indictment and we have a Latino congressman telling another Latino that he isn’t Latino enough.
I believe the candidates we’ll put up for election will do better than that if elected. People are skeptical. They are sick of the old guard and the old way of doing business. We’re going to provide them with an alternative.”
Pot pourri
Douglas Peterson, who claimed we mistakenly reported him as pulling out of the Board of Education race in Hoboken two weeks ago – has pulled out of the race this week.
About 150 people showed up for Manzo’s announcement for state Assembly in 31st Distict for June Democratic primary at the Knights of Columbus in Jersey City.
Among the guests at the event was Bayonne Councilman Anthony Chiappone, who is running on the same ticket for state Assembly. Melba Walsh a possible candidate for county executive on the Cunningham ticket, also made an appearance, as did former Jersey City Mayor Gerry McCann, and two key ward leaders, Mike Manzo and Mary Spinelli, along with Freeholder Bill O’Dea. Cunningham soldier Jimmy King was also on hand.