Mad Magazine said it best when its symbolic character Alfred E. Newman asked rhetorically, “What? Me Worry?”
The Hudson County freeholders were prepared last week to dump a truckload of embarrassing rhetoric on North Hudson’s mayors at this past Thursday night’s freeholder meeting, regarding the mayors’ proposal to save money by doing away with high school sports at the public Hudson County Schools of Technology. But in truth, the mayors and political forces behind the move have very little to worry about.
Parents and more importantly the students engaged in these after-school programs might feel cheated, but these cuts will not have the political impact that similar cuts would have had if one of the towns had to do away with its own high school sports program.
County school officials can claim they made the cuts in order to save educational programs, passing the ultimate blame up to Gov. Christopher Christie, who says school districts across the state must go on a fiscal diet in order to keep from starving taxpayers. Some parents aren’t buying it, but they are too spread out across the county to be able to put the kind of pressure on leaders that voters in a municipality could.
So it is likely, after all the hoopla of the meeting, county school officials get to walk away bruised but not beaten, leaving a trail of former county sports stars behind them.
The man who brought USS New Jersey to New Jersey dies
Last month, Hudson County lost a political leader who worked very closely with local officials. Former state Assemblyman Joseph Azzolina was largely responsible for bringing the battleship USS New Jersey back to the Garden State.
Azzolina served three terms in the state Assembly at various times, from 1965 to, most recently, 2006. A World War II and Korea veteran, he also headed the Food Circus Supermarkets Company and owned a weekly newspaper in Middletown.
Although he was a Republican from Middlesex County, he worked closely with then-Assemblyman Joseph Doria to have the USS New Jersey brought to Bayonne, but eventually had to settle for the ship being permanently berthed in Camden.
Mr. Nice Guy will go to jail
Former Jersey City Councilman Phil Kenny cried this week in a Newark courtroom when he was sentenced to one year and one day in jail for accepting bribes in a federal sting operation.
Kenny, known as Mr. Nice Guy, was a close associate of Freeholder Bill O’Dea, and considered one of the upcoming political people in the county before being ensnared in a federal sting operation that some believe was a political stunt designed to help Christie become governor.
Kenny is one of nine Hudson County public officials so far who have pleaded guilty to accepting bribes last spring from Solomon Dwek, who was cooperating with federal authorities in order to reduce the impact of charges against him.
Kenny joins former Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini, convicted earlier this year, as the only two of the nine to be sentenced so far.
Christie takes over the high court
Following in the footsteps of his mentor, President George W. Bush, Gov. Christie has decided to take control of New Jersey government by reshaping the state Supreme Court. This week he nominated Anne Patterson, a prominent Republican lawyer, to replace Justice John Wallace – the only African-American on the high court. Christie’s move, if approved by the state Senate, would give Republicans a 4-3 majority on the top court. However, Democrats have refused to accept the nomination, and say they plan to use Senate procedure to hold over Wallace until he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 in 2012.
Menendez won’t be back as HCDO chair
Rumors that U.S. Senator Robert Menendez may come back as chairman of the Hudson County Democratic Organization seem to be farfetched, according to several key Menendez people.
This latest bit of wishful thinking comes at a time when Democrats are embroiled in local feuds bordering on another political civil war.
Once seen as the premier Democratic organization, the HCDO is suffering serious financial problems and is reportedly unable to pay its bills, including rent on its headquarters.
Political squabbling and other factors seemed to have made the once-influential organization into a has-been, which may explain why State Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack is reluctant to take up the helm – despite requests from Menendez to do so.
Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner has been rumored as a possible choice, but he has already thrown his support behind Stack, and because of his relationship with Stack, Turner might not get approval from State Sen. and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco or from West New York Mayor Sal Vega. Some Vega supporters claim Turner and Rep. Albio Sires were behind a recent failed effort to recall Vega.
Rumors that Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop would take the seat seem also to be fading, leaving Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, Jersey City Councilman Pete Brennan, and Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith (up for re-election in Bayonne on Tuesday) as possible choices.
Selection for HCDO will be made after the June primary. The chairman has the power to pick candidates throughout the county who will be allowed to run on the Democratic line on the ballot in primaries and could affect the choice in upcoming freeholder elections next year.