In a campaign sweep that included almost a dozen stops throughout Hudson County, U.S. Senator and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jon Corzine appeared before Bayonne senior citizens at the Chandelier Restaurant on Oct. 4.
State Sen. Bernard Kenny (who, like Corzine, lives in Hoboken) said the tour snaked through West New York, Jersey City, and Bayonne in an effort to energize the Democratic vote behind Corzine.
“He is our friend,” Kenny said. “We want it so that when someone like Mayor [Joseph] Doria calls up the governor’s office to get something done, we will know that he will be listening to us, that we have a friend there.”
The gathering brought together some of the most powerful federal, state and local Democrats and resembled an old-fashioned religious revival meeting – but instead of preaching passages from the Bible, organizers pontificated on the need to support the Democratic cause when polls open Nov. 8.
Among the dignitaries who were on hand to welcome Corzine were Rep. Bob Menendez, Assembly Speaker Albio Sires, state Sen. and Bayonne Mayor Joseph Doria, Assemblyman Lou Manzo, County Sheriff Joe Cassidy, and Hudson County Clerk Javier Inclan.
Corzine was behind schedule, although his handlers had arrived early to set the stage. Doria and others roused the interest of the seniors with a fervent pitch telling them how important it was to vote for the Democrats this year – giving reasons to keep control of the State House and other key legislative districts.
Corzine is facing off against Republican candidate Doug Forrester, who has been gaining in popularity.
Five years in politics
Corzine, although a U.S. Senator since 2000, actually looked nervous when he arrived, although his smile never wavered and he shook hands with people the moment he came through the door. He seemed as if, despite years as a successful business person and a politician, he really didn’t feel very comfortable in public.
Doria sang Corzine’s praises as Corzine sat at one of the tables with some of the senior citizens.
At times, Corzine stared at the floor as if thinking of what he wanted to say, or pressed his hands together while listening to other speakers sing his praises.
He often smiled embarrassedly, which seemed to reflect the modesty of his upbringing.
In introducing Corzine, Doria might well have been describing Abe Lincoln. He told of Corzine’s upbringing on a small Illinois farm, making note that out of these humble beginnings Corzine rose to become one of the most successful men on Wall Street.
Corzine served as chairman and CEO for financial firm Goldman Sachs, and later, as U.S. senator for New Jersey, largely funding his own campaign.
“This is a man who wants to help people,” Doria said. “He did not have to get involved.”
Menendez talked about how hard people work in Hudson County, and how each generation seeks to make it better for the next one.
“That’s what the people are about here in Bayonne,” Menendez said, commending the city and its administration for creating economic opportunities that will provide jobs and make it so that people do not have to leave Bayonne. “So that the people who are young in Bayonne, stay in Bayonne.”
Sending a message to Washington, D.C.
Menendez said that keeping taxes down has been one of the great challenges faced by the local administration. He claimed Corzine has a plan that will help provide property tax relief.
Menendez said that Democrats have to send a message to Washington, D.C. about the direction the country needs to take.
He said Corzine helped lead the fight to preserve Social Security benefits, which forced President George W. Bush to back off from plans for privatization.
“Jon’s leadership skills, supported by people throughout the country, helped preserve Social Security as we know it,” Menendez said.
Corzine, others noted, was instrumental in several key Democratic victories during a time when the Republican-held White House seemed to set the agenda for the nation.
Corzine managed to get federal funds to protect the state’s drinking water, helped preserve New Jersey’s senior citizens’ prescription program, and after the Enron and WorldCom scandals, he used his Wall Street experience in crafting laws to crack down on corporate abuses.
In encouraging people to vote for Corzine, Menendez pointed to the deep sense of community Bayonne has maintained, and he told the seniors that Corzine wants to bring that same sense of community to the whole state.
Doria said he and other state legislators need a governor in office who will work with them to get things done.
“Jon Corzine is going to be that governor,” Doria said. “He’s kind, he’s dedicated to the proposition that he wants to get the job done, and he wants to help people.”
Corzine promises to create jobs and improve the economy Corzine, a Marine Reservist, said he had shaken the hands to two veteran Marines when he came through the door.
“Bayonne is one of those places that has been over and over the hero of the nation,” Corzine said, “always standing up for what it right. [Former] Mayor [Dennis] Collins is one of [the people who always stood up for what is right]. It is some responsibility for those who come later to provide the next generation with the same opportunities we had. I take that incredibly seriously.”
Corzine praised Doria for his support of education, Menendez for his steady support for Bayonne, and other legislators for their efforts to bring back things a local community needs and for supplying programs such as Head Start to provide for the future.
“I’m going to fight for those things too,” Corzine promised. “We have to take care of our children.”
But, Corzine said, creation of jobs is also important, and he celebrated the redevelopment of the Military Ocean Terminal as one of the key projects in America, not just in New Jersey.
“The refitting of that to provide economic opportunity in Bayonne will drive economic opportunity in New Jersey and beyond,” Corzine said. He said that an investment in projects that create jobs will allow the state to deal with its financial crisis.
“My whole life has been about growing business,” Corzine said. But, he said, the money created would be used to provide property tax relief, not tax cuts for the wealthy.
Busy campaign
Corzine and opponent Forrester’s campaign has been heated. It came to light this summer that Corzine had given a large loan to his ex-girlfriend, a union leader, then never required her to pay it back. Forrester was also scrutinized because he self-funded some of his campaign while owning an insurance company that does business in New Jersey, and there are state laws against New Jersey insurance companies contributing to political campaigns. But Forrester said his company is not based in New Jersey, but rather, Washington, D.C.
The election will be held Nov. 8.