To the Editor:
Some early observations. With more revelations and predictions to follow. First of all a belated congratulations to Mayor Jimmy Davis and his entire council running mates. As a veteran of 35 years of being an elected union officer and or in union politics, I’ve been involved in many bare knuckle and back alley brawls. I can from experience tell you that believe it or not the easy part is over – you got elected. The hard part began when you raised your right hand and swore “I do!” The real hard work of striving to get re-elected also began with that same “I do.” People make all kinds of promises to get elected. They became victims and succumb to their own words and actions in striving to carry out those very same promises. Bayonne people are some of the most intelligent constituents one can have. They are unbelievably loyal, but don’t think you can fool any of these people any of the time. I would hope that the last edition of your Peninsula City Tribune is not a prelude to what the expectations from your administrations are; for your sake reign in your people. Display some of that supposed class your people bragged about. Taking the cheap shots that were unleashed is for washed up has-beens (losers) going out the door. Not for newly crowned victors coming in. Your scorch the earth and kill them all and let God sort them out might have got you narrowly elected but will not help you get re-elected. Just remember you have gone from being the hunter to being the hunted with a huge bull’s eye on your backs. By burning everything down you must be careful it leaves some sort of foundation on which to build. That our after election statement of this election did not divide this city is alarming. Isn’t that what your out of town handlers proposed, divide the city and get rid of the incumbents? Well mission accomplished. Just remember you had some brilliant people who very accurately and amazingly remembered every promise and quote of your opponent. Remember someone is compiling your every quote. Snippet and sound bite! As well as copying every article from you, or about you. So beware or a new and longer shadow will come out of the darkness and shed some light on the following rent, board of education, elections, transparency, nepotism in government. Number of jobs on 7/1/14 and forward. Just a few of potential topics. In closing I would be greatly remiss in not offering up a public congratulations personally to 1st councilman Thomas Cotter. Boy oh boy did you go from a very devoted hard-working union representative I had the privilege of working with. Please Tommy remember by laws.
Be Proud, Be Strong and most of all Be Union my brother!
JIM FINNEGAN
Former president local 2406 of the oil, chemical and atomic workers