For anyone who really wants to understand what is going on among Hudson County Democrats these days, you have to look to post Soviet Afghanistan when warlords carved up the county into personal fiefdoms, waging war against anyone who dared to step on their turf.
Inner city America and the feuding street gangs might also serve as an example as to what the Hudson County Democrats have done to themselves.
Although many people have criticized Hudson County as being controlled by political bosses, in truth, nobody is in control and the current mortal combat that the county is planning to wage for the Democratic Primary in June has more to do with protecting each leader’s home turf than it is about running government.
Everybody is looking over their shoulder at who might be trying to get ahead of them, and doing their best to cut down potential opponents before they have a chance to cut them down.
Hudson County is dominated by a handful of warlords. In North Bergen, state Senator Nicholas Sacco rules his roost using Hudson County Schools of Technology and other similar institutions for his personal patronage mill, promising jobs for support.
His wary eye glances uncomfortably over to Union City where state Assemblyman and Union City Brian Stack is becoming a similar powerful patronage mill with the fear that a future change in district might have Sacco and Stack battling out in the same district.
While Assemblyman and West New York Mayor Sal Vega is new to the patronage game since he only took over as mayor a few short months ago, he finds himself at battle with Rep. Albio Sires and Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, who although they have moved up in office still ache to keep hold of the patronage mill in their district.
Although those close to U.S. Senator Bob Menendez claim Menendez is no longer involved on the local scene, the battle in Union City and West New York has his fingerprint all over it.
This has resulted in Menendez apparently shifting alliances from supporting his long-time ally, State Senator Bernard Kenny to a much brighter future with Stack and Sires.
If North Hudson is rife with turf battles, Jersey City is worse, where Mayor Jerramiah Healy sabotage the political ambitions of anyone that might rival his future reelection changes. This may have resulted in the recent move by State Senator and Bayonne Mayor Joseph Doria not to run for reelection to the state Senate. Healy, as Democratic Chairman in Jersey City, refused to allow former Jersey City Council President L. Harvey Smith to run on Doria’s ticket. So Smith decided to run against Doria on a ticket headed by Sandra Cunningham instead.
You might look to Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise to provide leadership in this mess with the hopes of bringing all these turf wars to an end. But DeGise like all the other leaders in Hudson County seems to be more interested in protecting his own turf.
Better grab power before the music runs out
One political observer said the current crisis in Hudson County politics has to do with changes in election funding and the banning of duel office holding being implemented by the state.
This is the last chance for many of the old guard to grab power before funding becomes harder to come by, and multiple jobs becomes illegal.
It is a kind of musical chairs, with too many power brokers looking to grab the last remaining chairs before the music stops.
Those like Sacco, Stack, and even Vega, who are grandfathered under the old regulations, become even more powerful because no rivals can possible unseat them easily.
A mayor is powerful because he or she can provide patronage no one on a state level short of the governor can give. This is the reason why Sires needs to keep hold of the patronage ring in West New York, and the reason why Vega won’t give it up – if Sires and Turner control the patronage, Vega becomes a useless appendage, who might as well stayed on the Hudson County Freeholder Board.
Is Doria’s resignation a message?
Doria’s decision not to run for reelection as state Senator may have been meant as a message to Kenny, who’s seat in the state Senate is being challenged by Stack.
Regardless of many optimistic forecasts, Kenny can’t beat Stack. But a lot of smaller political fish will feed off the carnage a war between the two will bring, as small fish seek to become bigger fish before the net of political regulation makes such moves more difficult.
In Shakespearian terms, Kenny resembles Prince Hamlet, unable to come to grips with the political reality.
Rumors suggest he will soon withdraw from the election leaving Stack to storm into the Senate – just another power broker grabbing power.
Kenny has no choice. But he has plenty of associates telling him to hang in there, not to give up the fight.
He may also have a few former friends stabbing him in the back as North Hudson shifts to support King Stack. This is not say political war will be averted by Kenny’s withdrawal.
Some people are even whispering in Vega’s ear that he should take on Stack in the race for the state senate.
Cunningham supporters this week cheered greatly Doria’s decision, thinking that is somehow guaranteed that Sandra Cunningham will now have a free ride into the state Senate where she can retake the seat death stole from her late husband, Glenn Cunningham.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. While Cunningham many not have Doria to kick around any more, she may find herself facing an even stiffer opponent in the likes of Assemblyman Louis Manzo, who rumor has taking up the gauntlet Doria dropped as candidate for state senate in the 31st District.
With proper backing, Manzo can beat Cunningham, partly because his attractive to voters inside and outside the African American community.