There is a shrill wind blowing from the suburbs of New Jersey saying taxes are too high and that newly elected Gov. Christopher Christie should do something about it. The New Jersey Education Association, the union representing teachers throughout the state, has become Christie’s primary target, a group whom Christie has called the “bully of State Street.”
This is something of a scene out of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm,” but in reverse. In a capitalistic society where people are encouraged to sell their talents to the highest bidder, making sure a worker doesn’t undersell his or her talents, apparently public employees – especially teachers – are to be excluded.
When Christie came to Bayonne, he attempted to put a wedge between teachers and their union, saying that basically teachers are good people, but the union that represents them is bad.
Unfortunately, teachers would be working against their own best interests if they defied the unions, regardless of the public outcry.
Of course, with school elections coming up, residents do not necessarily have to wait for the governor to act, or for his administration to break the back of the teachers union. He has cut state aid to the districts, and now their proposed budgets for next year may include layoffs and tax increases. The public can vote for or against the budgets on April 20. However, in most cases, these budgets throughout the state are voted on by less then 10 percent of registered voters.
McCann not a favorite among teachers’ union
Christie, of course, is not the only one to run afoul of the teachers’ unions. It appears that teachers in Jersey City are actively seeking to keep Jersey City Board of Education Trustee Gerald McCann from being reelected.
McCann has been subject to a variety of assaults in and out of Hudson County recently, many of them generated by Hudson County political bosses, who somehow see him as a threat. He has predicted massive teacher layoffs due to the school aid cuts.
While some claim the local teachers’ unions have the blessing of people like Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and County Executive Tom DeGise, these same critics claim Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop is in league with the unions as well. They are all seen as strong teachers’ union supporters who get support from the unions during their elections.
Talk about strange political bedfellows – when is the last time Fulop and Healy were on the same side on any issue?
Perhaps Fulop is seeking to appease the political bosses in North Hudson for his eventual bid to replace Healy as mayor.
No deal, really?
Secaucus has a new city attorney and he is a member of Chasen Lamparello, a local firm with strong ties to state Sen. and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco. The Town Council interviewed about 10 firms – including those of former Secaucus Town Attorney Michael Bukatman and Secaucus Public Defender Peter Weiner. The council – with Mayor Michael Gonnelli abstaining – voted for Lamparello over an equally prestigious firm led by former Gov. Jim Florio.
Last August, sources said that Gonnelli had come to an agreement with Democratic Chairman Vincent Prieto that the Democrats would decline to put up a candidate for mayor against Gonnelli in exchange for Gonnelli naming Lamparello to the post as counsel for the town. Ironically, this is the firm that was formerly hired to protect Secaucus against a lawsuit brought by Gonnelli. The firm withdrew from the suit last fall, and the town settled with Gonnelli just prior to his swearing in as mayor.
Gonnelli vigorously denies making any backroom deal with Prieto, even though Prieto – over the strong objections of some members of the Democratic Committee – decided not to run a mayoral candidate against Gonnelli this past November.
The expected purge of allies of former Mayor Dennis Elwell apparently isn’t taking place as expected. Gonnelli has not yet replaced David Drummelleras town administrator or done away with the legal contract for powerful Union County Senator Ray Lesniak. Even Frank Leanza, former town attorney, has been reassigned to the town’s Alcoholic Beverage Control board.
Who’s the boss?
The concept of who gets to run on the Democratic line in Hudson County looms large with the sheriff’s race in the Democratic Primary in June. Apparently, these decisions are often made in smoke-filled restaurant rooms in Bergen County rather than in committee meetings.
This is part of the reason that Sheriff Juan Perez, the darling of the Democratic Party when he opposed former Sheriff Joe Cassidy three years ago, has been cast aside in favor of a new Democratic favorite, undersheriff Frank Schillari.
This column previously reported Perez as being an outcast at several St. Patrick’s Day Parades, which may have been somewhat misrepresented since some of the witnesses to these events have taken sides.
Perez, of course, has since thrown his lot in with the Republican Party with the hopes of keeping his seat. But in Hudson County, once you lose the Democratic organization’s support, you most likely have to hang it up.
Perez is not the only victim of political bossism.
The concept that a handful of people – political bosses – can determine whom voters can choose in an election is at the heart of political problems in Hudson County.
Recently, incumbent Secaucus Democratic Councilman John Shinnick was told the party bosses have decided he is no longer acceptable as a candidate for re-election in November. These same party bosses also tried to remove unacceptable Secaucus Democratic committee people from the upcoming primary election in Secaucus in an attempt to purge the party.
The battle over chairmanship of the Hudson County Democratic Organization involves this power over people’s political fortunes.
Ideally, committee people – two from each election district – talk to Democrats in their district as to which candidates should be supported, and then vote based on that fact. But in Hudson County, it appears that the chairman of a town’s political party ignores that town’s committee people and simply talks to the party bosses, and then dictates to the committee people.
It is uncertain whether or not Shinnick will run for reelection in what is clearly an uphill battle.
Last week, this column mistakenly claimed Shinnick might run with Michael Makarski for council. It appears that Makarski may actually try to replace Shinnick on the council.
Gonnelli and his Take Back Secaucus team have unfortunately become a victim of these powerful forces intruding.
One Gonnelli supporter recently denied the Sacco was behind a move to control Secaucus, saying “All Sacco wants is peace.”
But peace at what cost? Are Democrats to be disenfranchised because the party boss wants peace in his own backyard?