For departing Bayonne Mayor Joseph Doria, Gov. Jon Corzine is a gift from heaven, a powerful friend who rushes to the rescue any time Doria calls.
In the past, when Doria needed to win his election, in came Corzine along with his sidekick, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, to save the day, such as what happened in May, 2006 when Doria faced off against challenger Patrick Congahan for mayor.
Corzine brought word of expansion of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail days before voters went to the polls.
The events of the last few weeks seemed to highlight the strong relationship between Doria and Corzine, when Corzine not only provided the Bayonne Medical Center with funds needed to keep up its cash flow – thanks to Doria’s request – but Corzine also seemed to back the plan that allowed the Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority to sell a portion of the former Military Ocean Terminal to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for $50 million – nearly the exact amount that allowed Doria to leave Bayonne for a state post without a guilty conscience.
The cash will balance the 2007 and 2008 FY budget without layoffs.
The common connection between Corzine and Doria seems to be Menendez, who has been instrumental in obtaining federal funds for improvements and upgrades to the MOTBY.
Corzine’s rise to power seems to have been part of a political plan hatched in the mid-1990s when Menendez put aside his own ambitions to become U.S. senator and allowed Corzine to take the seat instead.
This incredible bit of generosity remains one of the great mysteries of Hudson County politics, since Menendez had ached to become U.S. senator since the retirement of Bill Bradley in the mid-1990s and Robert Torricelli stole the seat out from under Menendez.
Torricelli and Menendez again bumped heads when Menendez backed Jim McGreevey for governor. Perhaps Corzine’s undying loyalty to Doria came three years ago, when Menendez and Corzine tried to force Gov. McGreevey to leave office early.
Doria, hardly a fan of McGreevey after McGreevey robbed Doria of the Assembly speakership in 2001, sided with Corzine. While the Democratic state house coup failed, Corzine apparently retained enough gratitude not only to come to Doria’s rescue again and again, but to recently give Doria the post of commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs when the Bayonne municipal economy is in trouble.
>b>A big vacuum in Bayonne
In some ways, Doria’s leaving creates a political vacuum which will not be filled easily.
Many Doria loyalists are predicting doom no matter who wins the Bayonne mayoral, since Doria seems to have padded his administration with a significant number of patronage jobs, many of which may cease to exist or will see new faces when a new mayor takes office after the 2008 special election.
In the meantime, the City Council must choose an acting mayor, and even this may be a chore. When Doria steps down on Oct. 8, City Council President Vincent Lo Re becomes interim mayor. The council then has up to 30 days to select an acting mayor to serve until the special election in November, 2008.
Currently the most prominent names being floated for acting mayor include former Municipal Judge Patrick Conaghan, Lo Re, Councilman Ted Connolly, and city Business Administrator Terrence Malloy.
But in truth, anyone could be named. The City Council may not come to a consensus candidate, and Lo Re would become acting mayor.
The November, 2008 election will look more like a circus than an election, with nearly everybody hoping to win the mayoral lottery, since the candidate with the most votes will take the seat until the regular election in May, 2010.
Former Councilwoman Mary Jane Desmond is opening a civic association headquarters this week, suggesting she may be taking a shot.
Councilman Anthony Chiappone may also take a shot at mayor, although he previously said he would not.
This is part of a larger campaign orchestrated out of Ward F in Jersey City, where advisors of Sandra Cunningham are seeking to secure a solid voter base for her in future senatorial elections. Chiappone and Cunningham are running with Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) support this year, but seem convinced that in the future, the HCDO will not back them. If Chiappone becomes mayor of Bayonne next year, he will control the patronage mill and may be able to guarantee Cunningham a strong political organization in the future.
Rumors are already circulating that the HCDO is looking ahead to replace Chiappone as a candidate in the 2009 primary so Chiappone might become mayor of Bayonne instead.
The person who wins the November 2008 special election for mayor may regret it, since he or she may come into office with a balanced budget thanks to the Port Authority deal, but will face the same annual $25 million municipal budget shortfall – but without the likelihood of another sale of land to fill it.
Freeholder races gearing up
Desmond, too, is rumored to be a candidate in the 2008 primary for Hudson County freeholder. State Senator and Union City Mayor Brian Stack is reportedly scheduled to come to Bayonne for the grand opening of her headquarters. So is Rep. Albio Sires. Stack has vowed to challenge HCDO control of the Freeholder Board. Bayonne, along with three of the four seats in Jersey City, is considered vulnerable.
Eliu Rivera reportedly is not seeking re-election, and though many people expect former Jersey City Councilman Junior Maldonado to run for his seat, the HCDO will apparently back former Cunningham supporter Edgar Martinez for the spot. Stack will counter with Sean Connors.
The HCDO will also likely run Alberto Cabrera, who was defeated by Jose Munoz in a special election in June. Cabrera might have won the seat if his runningmate, West New York Mayor Sal Vega, hadn’t self destructed mid-way through the election.
Stack will undoubtedly support Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons for re-election while the HCDO may back Frank Raia or Tony Soares as a challenger.
While both sides will challenge each other in strongholds like North Bergen, Secaucus, and Union City, these seats will not likely fall – although some reports suggest Freeholder Tom Liggio might not run for re-election in North Bergen.
While the HCDO will most likely backed Oren Dabney for the seat currently occupied by Jeff Dublin, the Stack team appears to be looking for John Watson, who ran an unsuccessful ticket several years ago. Watson is a close friend of Gene Drayton.
Reports suggest that Rev. Ed Allen will seek to replace Freeholder Bill O’Dea with HCDO support if O’Dea gets a deal for deputy mayor. While state Assemblyman Louis Manzo is rumored at the Stack-backed candidate, many believe Manzo is holding out for another run for mayor in 2009. One small mistake in last week’s column listed O’Dea ally Phil Kenny as running for freeholder when he is likely going to run for Jersey City Council in Ward B.