An old joke has a married couple working over their monthly finances with the wife looking at the husband saying, “Okay, I like to spend money. You tell me what other extravagance I’m guilty of?”
Money is at the core of the Jersey City School district’s arguments these days, and is the apparent motive behind Councilman Steven Fulop’s call for new leadership – in particular, a move to replace Charles Epps as superintendent of schools.
While Fulop and Gov. Christopher Christie may not see eye to eye on every subject, the cost of education is one place where they agree, and both appear to think the problem isn’t actually what happens in the classroom, but in the patronage mill that bloats school budgets by creating jobs for political supporters or paying political supporters more than they are worth.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize a problem. This year’s $520 million Jersey City municipal budget – which some say is bloated – serves about 240,000 residents. Jersey City’s $650 million school budget services about 30,000 kids. Out of the district’s 40 schools, 35 are considered below passing by the state.
Fulop’s argument in calling for a new superintendent is that repair of the municipal economy has to start with the schools.
Is the political war about to start?
Trying to save every penny in Jersey City, Mayor Jerramiah Healy is apparently poised to combine the Jersey City Improvement Authority, the Department of Public Works, and Forestry Department. At least one personnel switch during this transition will hurt his political rival, state Sen. Sandra Cunningham. The new head of the combined department will be a Healy supporter, while the person being dumped from the Improvement Authority – thought of as a patronage mill for supporters of Cunningham – is, in fact, a Cunningham supporter. This may be the first blow in a long anticipated war between Cunningham and the Hudson County Democratic Organization, and a possible foreshadowing of Cunningham being dumped as the official HCDO candidate for state Senate in next June’s Democratic Primary.
Cunningham won disfavor with County Executive Tom DeGise two years ago when she blocked DeGise’s appointment to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in favor of an out-of-county candidate favored by her political ally, Union County State Sen. Ray Lesniak. DeGise has vowed to push her out of the state Senate seat in 2011. Some have suggested Cunningham may join forces with state Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack to run an alternative ticket – although Stack’s last effort four years ago failed largely because Cunningham went with the HCDO.
Another sign of an impending war is the fact that a Cunningham legislative aide, Robert Mays, has been seeking support for a possible run for the 31st District state Assembly seat vacated by the resignation of Cunningham ally Anthony Chiappone.
Last month, Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith – who serves as chairman of the HCDO – nominated one of his city directors, Jason O’Donnell, to the post, and was successful in getting the Democratic committee to vote O’Donnell in. Cunningham didn’t oppose the nomination, but she also did not attend the vote count in Bayonne, a highly significant snub that suggested she did not want O’Donnell but also did not have the votes she needed to keep him from taking the seat.
A third sign of an impending war is Cunningham’s apparent support for Sheriff Juan Perez for reelection, even though the HCDO has dumped Perez from the Democratic line.
The Urban Times News – a Jersey City publication well-known for its strong support for Cunningham – has printed numerous positive pieces about Perez. It has also benefited significantly from Sheriff’s Foreclosure advertising.
Will Mariano Vega cop a plea?
Everybody is reading the tea leaves to try and predict what Jersey City Councilman Mariano Vega will do when it comes to federal charges against him. To date, Vega has insisted on fighting charges brought by federal authorities against him as a result of the Solomon Dwek sting operation last summer.
But it is clear from others charged in the federal sting that if you plead early and accept your fate, you will likely get a lighter sentence if you try to fight and lose.
Vega recently moved up the date of his daughter’s wedding, feeding speculation among political observers that he will be making some sort of legal move soon.
If he does plead guilty, then the important issue is: when does he do it? If he pleads before Sept. 10, then there will be a special election this November to name his replacement; if after, then a special election will be held in November, 2011. Reports suggest that Amando Roman will replace Vega.
Latino power – but for which party?
U.S. Sen. Harry Reid set off a firestorm when he said earlier this month, “I don’t know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican.”
Jose Arango, chairman of the Hudson County Republican Committee, called the remark “insulting and ignorant.”
“As A Hispanic Republican, I guess Mr. Reid cannot understand my position,” Arango said. “His comment about Hispanics not adhering to a ‘herd mentality’ is borderline racist. What group of people is he referring to? For years, liberal Democrats have taken certain minority groups for granted at election time, only to forget about their promises the minute the polls close. Many Hispanics believe in the Republican ideals of small government, pro business, family values, school choice and lower taxes, unlike the tax-and-spend Dems.”
Arango said Republicans are not insensitive to teachers losing their jobs, but simply want to trim the fat from the top, especially high-salaried administrative positions.
“He should hope that the Hispanic Dems don’t come to realize that the only way to improve our economy and save our country is to embrace Republican ideals,” Arango said.”
When that happens, Senator Reid and his ilk will have bigger problems to deal with, such as defeat at the polls on Election Day.”