West New York Mayor “Sal” Vega may be getting the impression from last week’s political reports that some people don’t like him, and worse, want to put him out of office.
As incredible a concept as this might be – that some people don’t like Vega – it looks like he will have a tough fight ahead if he hopes to keep his seat as mayor.
Assemblywoman Caridad Rodriguez is expected to announce that she will team up with Fior D’Aliza Frias and Dr. Felix Roque – who led a failed recall attempt against Vega last year – creating a very powerful ticket against the mayor.
This means if West New York is moved into the district of State Sen. and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco, he will pick someone other than Rodriguez to run for the state Assembly. Although some have suggested that Gerry Lange will get the nod, those in the know say the seat will be offered to a Latino candidate.
West New York has been something of a thorn in the side of State Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack, since Vega is reportedly an ally of Sacco, whose feud with Stack goes back a few years to when Bernard Kenny was the state Senator for the 33rd district. Stack – then an assemblyman – wanted Kenny’s seat, but Kenny resisted.
At the time, Stack believed Kenny and Sacco conspired to draft anti-dual job holding legislation that would prohibit Stack from being state senator and mayor at the same time.
Stack ran for the state Senate seat anyway, but Kenny did not, and Sacco backed Vega for the Senate in what many see as one of the nastiest campaigns in recent local history.
Stack never forgave Vega or Sacco, although an uncomfortable peace later emerged.
This peace is being threatened again by the state’s legislative redistricting, since it is likely Stack will lose Guttenberg and West New York to Sacco in exchange for a portion of Jersey City.
Secaucus Democrats shopping for a new leader
In disarray after the arrest of former Mayor Dennis Elwell two years ago in the statewide FBI corruption sting, the Secaucus Democrats are looking for a new leader who can begin rebuilding the party.
While state Assemblyman Vincent Prieto stepped into the position as Democratic municipal chairman after Elwell’s resignation, many in the party are not happy with the losses the party has suffered – even though these probably had little to do with him and more to do with the popular political uprising behind the Take Back Secaucus movement.
Rumors have centered on a number of possible choices that include former Acting Mayor Richard Steffens, former mayoral candidate Peter Weiner, even former 3rd Ward Council candidate Mark Bruscino. None seem to have inspired a groundswell of support, so some are trying to start a movement to draft former Councilman John Shinnick.
Hoboken’s clumsy political moves
Someone suggested last week that the term “reformer” no longer applies to anybody in Hoboken, partly because those who claim it seem to look less and less like reformers at all, and more like people who do not know what to do with power once they got it.
The move to draft pay-to-play legislation aimed at Councilwoman Beth Mason, because she used an election loophole to help fund Tim Occhipinti’s successful 4th Ward challenge against incumbent Councilman Michael Lenz in last November’s special election, is only one of many clumsy political moves being made in anticipation of the upcoming May council elections.
Mason is facing a strong challenge by reform candidate Tom Greaney – one of two critical elections that could win back control of the council for reform Mayor Dawn Zimmer.
There is also a certain paranoia among some reformers who seem to think that removing long-standing poll workers and replacing them with reform poll workers will somehow change the outcome of the upcoming elections.
While the Mason team will likely try to use Greaney’s Republican affiliations against him, they are denying that they are behind a telephone push poll conducted last week that apparently asked people how they would vote if they thought Greaney was a friend of former Vice President Dick Cheney.
The poll-taker apparently was a little taken aback when she started asking this question and found that the person she’d called was Tom Greaney himself.
She said she had to talk to her supervisor, and when she returned to the telephone, she told Greaney he didn’t have to finish the survey.
Mayor Zimmer also faces a tough balancing act when it comes to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which annually has caused significant havoc among the non-partying residents.
Zimmer has to appease residents who do not want rowdy characters roaming the streets at all ungodly hours, and yet can’t afford to offend the tavern owners who rely on the parade’s popularity to boost their sales.
Councilman Peter Cunningham – whose seat Zimmer needs to retain to regain control of the council – apparently successfully spearheaded a campaign to change the day of the parade from Saturday to a weekday, operating on the concept that, unlike the old days of Hoboken politics, drunks vote less than irate parents. Zimmer announced on Tuesday the city will change the St. Patrick’s Day Parade to a Wednesday during the day with the hope that, facing work the following day, most partiers will be discouraged from making it an all-night affair.
But instead of reducing the problem, the Wednesday parade could start the celebration early so that revelers will have Wednesday through the end of the weekend to make havoc. Some critics of Zimmer’s move suggest that the problem isn’t the taverns or their clientele, but private parties – which will be held on St. Patrick’s Day regardless of when Zimmer schedules the parade.
Rumored slate against Sen. Cunningham not real
Bruce Alston, who is running against incumbent state Sen. Sandra Cunningham, dispelled reports that he will team up with Denis Wilbeck and Robert Mays, although he is looking at Assembly running mates. Mays also said the rumors are not true.
“I’ll be supporting Sandra in the upcoming primary,” Mays said.