The Englewood Report

by: carolh

Sun Mar 04, 2007 at 04:17:51 PM EST

http://www.theenglew...

Especially see the story "Who is Joe Ferriero?"

It may have been Howard Dean who inspired me to get involved in Presidential Primary politics.  But it was what has been happening in Englewood over the past few years that compelled me to become more involved in local politics.

While I was rounding up volunteers to walk Tenafly for John Kerry, and the BCDO had given us flyers to hand out for the County positions, I ran into a problem I just never saw coming.

Several volunteers I had called who lived in Englewood asked me if the literature we would be handing out contained information on the County Candidates.  I said yes and they politely declined to help us.  When I asked why, I was informed of how in Englewood, many CC members were gotten rid of by Ferriero by trying that now familiar "put your CC enemies on line 4" trick, that would be used on me not 2 years later.

There were other folks from Leonia that had such a terrible opinion of Ferriero from a Pay-To-Play aspect as well.  The more I heard about these tactics, the more I learned about Joe Ferriero.

Being a Howard Dean fan who would ask EVERYONE for their votes, I was extremely disturbed that tactics used by the head of our Bergen County Democratic organization had actually caused upstanding Democrats to leave the Party. 

When we LOSE people from the party due to ethics - that is NOT a good sign.  I took that sign in consideration when I was asked to support Loretta Weinberg and Valerie Huttle for the Senate and Assembly in 2005.  Based on how Ferriero's tactics had damaged the Democratic Party in Englewood, I wholeheartedly supported Weinberg and Huttle in their special elections.

Now in the middle of the room during two actual BCDO special elections, when I saw how Senator Weinberg and Assemblywoman Huttle were treated by the BCDO, and how I was treated for simply voting for them, I knew I had picked the right course and had backed the right team.  When I then saw Senator Weinberg and team go on to garner 75% of the votes in the general election, I knew I had backed the choice of the voters in the 37th district - including Republicans and Independents.

When I then saw how UNHAPPY Ferriero was that we had done the will of the voters in the 37th district, I knew then that Joe just had to go.  If he was not there to elect popular Democrats to office in a general election, what was he there for?

There were only several answers to that question and none of them good.

There are some folks here that will back up Ferriero right or wrong because he is the head of the Democratic Party here in Bergen County. However, I believe THAT view is shortsighted when it disregards the future effects of the attrition ALREADY BEGUN on the Democratic party in Bergen County. 

It is my party, my responsibility to the voters of my district to make sure the Democratic party here is not run like a Sopranos episode.  As an Italian American myself, (I love a good cannoli probably more than he does) I am still very sensitive to that stereotype and offended by the way Ferriero runs the BCDO. 

Just because the Mob is ORGANIZED and good at keeping their boys in-line doesn't make them choir boys.  The same can be said for the BCDO.

It is precisely Ferriero's antics in Englewood that display vividly exactly what is wrong with Bergen County politics.  I urge you all to read and bookmark the Englewood Report.  It couldn't be more timely.