As terrified as some Hudson County Democrats may be at the prospect of Republican Gov. Christopher Christie taking office on Jan. 19, only a few tears should be shed for the Democratic loss of the State House.
Since taking the over the office at the beginning of the decade, the Democrats have been wrapped up in mismanagement, scandal, and political corruption, and have spent so much time in political intrigue they failed to address many of the problems ordinary people in the state had to deal with day to day.
While outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine came in with significant business experience, he leaves with the state knee-deep in problems, some worse than his administration was willing to admit until after the campaign ended and voters bounced him from office.
While some of the problems go back decades, Democrats early in this decade came into power and conducted business as usual, often offering their friends and business associates sweetheart deals rather than buckling down and finding solutions.
Although remembered largely for his resignation speech revealing that stated he was gay, Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned at the height of political scandal involving close associates’ dealings, whether they were with or without his knowledge – this even before Christie came on the scene with his corruption-busting campaign.
Corzine’s switch from the U.S. Senate to the State House was typical of the political games Democrats played in order to keep power in the hands of a select few, and though Corzine made efforts in the end to resolve some of the tax burdens and other issues ordinary people faced, his administration remained one of political insider trading.
Gloucester County lost nine towns to Republicans because Sen. Stephen Sweeney was fighting with state Sen. Dick Codey in order to get the title of Senate president.
Although Hudson County did not go Republican, the county’s Democratic vote was largely taken for granted by the Corzine campaign, which did not listen to the local leaders about what was being said on the ground.
Most local leaders knew Corzine was in trouble long before Corzine did. This is partly because state Democrats fell out of touch with their own voters. Corzine remained aloof, and though he went through the motions of seeking union support, Corzine hardly inspired working people to vote for him.
In the end, many people – even many who voted for him – are muttering “good riddance” under their breath, not because Corzine was the wrong man for the job, but because like so many Democrats around him, he simply didn’t do the job voters needed him to do.
Christie may not be the right man for the job either, but on his shoulders rests the future of the state, and many people are hoping the new governor will avoid the mistakes the old government made and will avoid political intrigue in favour of good government.
Even a week before Christie is sworn in, the makeup of New Jersey government changed as Sweeney became president of the state Senate and Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver of Essex County became the speaker of the Assembly. The loss of allies of local Democrats means a huge loss for Hudson County, and it is fortunate that a few local officials such as state Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack made the right moves supporting Sweeney. But this, too, smacks of political infighting, since Stack had little love for Codey or the other members of Corzine’s political machine.
Stack’s new influence showed very well this week when Union City received about 25 percent of the last-minute state aid that went to a few towns, a late Christmas gift from departing Democrats before the Christie administration closes the financial spigot to Hudson County and redirects funds to other parts of the state.
Some local officials – especially in Bayonne – are upset with the lack of representation in the 31st District, with two of the legislators under a government investigation. Their sentiments come even though the third representative, state Sen. Sandra Cunningham, appears to have significant clout. Bayonne was left out of a bill that allows municipalities hosting rail mass transit to consider various redevelopment options. Apparently Cunningham got her marching orders from Union County state Sen. Ray Lesniak, who decided to keep Bayonne out of the bill. Lesniak was also apparently behind Cunningham’s effort to block Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise from an appointment to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The motive? Apparently, DeGise would have acted as an advocate for Hudson County interests particularly after the Bayonne Bridge is torn down. Billions of dollars will be flowing past Bayonne and Hudson County into ports Newark and Elizabeth, which are largely controlled by Lesniak’s political machine. DeGise on the Port Authority would have demanded that some of these revenues and jobs come to Hudson County.
What’s a deputy mayor?
Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli made his first political mistake last week when he angered some of his core supporters by naming Councilman John Bueckner to the post of deputy mayor.
Technically, Secaucus’ form of government doesn’t technically have a deputy mayor, it has an acting mayor, and while the distinction seems trivial, it is isn’t for those who witnessed former Mayor Dennis Elwell’s takeover of government in late 1999, when a backroom deal between the late Assemblyman Anthony Impreveduto and Elwell anointed Councilman John Reilly as deputy mayor in exchange for his support of the political coup. Reilly’s appointment as Deputy Mayor in early 2000 became an early rallying cry for those opposed to Elwell, a cry Gonnelli – who was then on Elwell’s side – apparently never heard.
Gonnelli’s next big political decision will be whether or not to reinstate three volunteer firefighters who were implicated in a gay-bashing incident in 2004. The idea has already been floated.