Now's the time to join the party

by: Heather_Taylor

Mon Mar 28, 2011 at 01:55:36 PM EDT

People understand that they need to participate in the political process if they want results. For most that participation is limited to showing up on Election Day and casting a vote, for the more engaged it may be going door to door and helping out in a specific candidate's campaign.

What we don't often recognize is that those individuals who assume party leadership have a direct impact on which candidates run and what issues are on the party platform (if any).  These positions are available to ANY concerned citizen and the time to seize the power is now.

The great thing about serving on the county committee is that it does not require a large investment of time, and provides a large measure of control of who represents us in Trenton.

In addition to electing the county party chair and awarding the party line for Senate and Assembly seats along with local offices, the county committee members participate in filling vacancies in office when someone resigns in disgrace, retires, or passes away. Shockingly, more than a third of the legislature has entered office by way of a vote of the county committee, not the general public.

It's because the county committees wield so much power that Senator Loretta Weinberg (D-37) and Senator Diane Allen (R-7) sponsored the Party Democracy Act, to ensure the political parties adopt rules and procedures ensuring fundamental fairness and guaranteeing a secret ballot when making important votes.  The Party Democracy Act was signed into law in 2009, and now every Republican and Democratic voter is offered a fair chance to vote their conscience.

So if you're ready to do something, here are some basic tips for running for county committee. 1) Find out from your municipal clerk which political party committee seats are up for election this year; 2) Complete the Party Declaration Form (Democratic or Republican Party) for the County Committee you wish to run for; 2) Get a petition & required number of signatures from the municipal clerk (in most cases no more than 10 signatures needed); 3) File the petition with your town clerk by April 11th; 4) Show up on June 7th with your family and friends and vote for yourself (most seats are won with just a few dozen votes or less).

Visit www.TheCitizensCampaign.com and take our free, half-hour online class and learn the tips and tools to become a successful neighborhood party leader.  

Once elected, you have the power to adopt or amend your party constitution, create your party platform, and seek the chairmanship of your county party.

The bottom line is, if you want to gain these powers, then you need to take this opportunity to step up to the plate.

Change Starts at the Bottom

by: Matthew Jordan

Mon Jun 14, 2010 at 10:55:13 AM EDT

Each was a unique situation.  All have the establishment wondering what it means to the status quo.  Mayor-Elect Jeff Jones took a complacent incumbent and strong African-American turn out to win 43% of the vote in a non-partisan May municipal race. Jeff Gardner recruited 26 grassroots activists and out hustled, out messaged, and out classed Senator John Girgenti to take over the Hawthorne Democratic County Committee and provide fresh leadership to what was a lackluster under performing local party.  Mayor Domenick Stampone used a combination of establishment support, a strong record of accomplishments, and a diverse ticket to gain over 55% of the vote in a Democratic Primary where he was challenged by a sitting Councilman running with the support of the local municipal leader.  

All 3 races had different circumstances sharing a common thread: an injection of new faces and leadership into the Passaic County Democratic Organization.  In the short term it is hard to tell how these races will affect the current party leadership.    

Chairman John Currie is not reelected until June 2011.  His record has been strong, going a decade without losing a countywide race.  But after a lackluster 2009 cycle where all 4 of his candidates lost, his fate will surely be judged by the electoral outcome of Sheriff Jerry Speziale and Freeholders Terry Duffy and Pat Lepore in November.  Losses in any of these races will surely spark a challenge to his Chairmanship.  Regardless of November's outcome, the Chairman will be dealing with an energized County Committee looking to bring a fresh approach to the party apparatus.  

But the biggest lesson we should all take from the events in Passaic County is if you want to make a difference, get off this site and start organizing.  Start attending your local DFA-NJ meetings.  Join the County Committee in your town or engage local leaders.  You'd be amazed how quickly you can get intertwined in the local political scene.  Writing on Blue Jersey, although a good start, is not enough.  As Jeff proved, change starts at the bottom.  

(Full Disclosure: I was a paid consultant for Haledon Mayor Domenick Stampone's primary campaign and will be working for him through the general election.)

Jeff Gardner's good night in Hawthorne

by: Rosi Efthim

Tue Jun 08, 2010 at 09:16:52 PM EDT

Update: Jeff Gardner is the new Democratic Municipal Chair of Hawthorne, NJ.

Jeff Gardner is now well-positioned to become the next Democratic Municipal Chair of his hometown of Hawthorne (Passaic), having just prevailed over longtime Municipal Chair Senator John Girgenti in a party contest for county committee seats. Voting machine results show Jeff's slate won 19 of 26 seats, to Girgenti's 7 seats. Still to be counted, however, are at least 79 vote-by-mail ballots, which could still change that equation. So, it's going to be a late night in Hawthorne, which may spill into tomorrow before the obvious trend is certified as a clear win.

During this campaign, Girgenti's team employed disreputable tactics against the upstart party reformers led by Jeff, including sending out a mailer with a snarling police dog, an ugly chain link fence and the headline: Beware of Fake Democrats, accusing Jeff's Democrats for Hawthorne team of being secret Republicans. In fact, something like the opposite was true, as GOP stalwarts in Hawthorne seemed uncomfortable enough at the idea of change that they inserted themselves into the Democratic primary as something quite more than mere bystanders.

But assumption of voter loyalty and contempt for challengers of your own party are no substitute for shoe leather and fresh ideas.

Jeff and the team behind him showed how it's done. His people - who include bluestatejoe - simply and plainly did their work. They were out weekends, and evenings meeting voters, laying out their plans to fellow Democrats and engaging them in the changes to come. Also a factor in Jeff's win was the Democracy for America group he leads in Passaic County, which meets in Hawthorne, enthusiastically supports the primary process, and contributed labor and ideas to the Hawthorne party reformers.

Congratulations, Jeff. Congratulations Democrats for Hawthorne. Next comes the reorganization meeting, and the election of a new Municipal Chair. You earned change. Can't wait to watch you make it. And I hope you have Glee Tivo'd.

Caption Contest: Be Very Afraid

by: Jeff Gardner

Fri Jun 04, 2010 at 01:00:00 PM EDT

This attack piece landed today, accusing the Democrats for Hawthorne of secretly being Republicans. It's a bit of a ridiculous notion considering how well-known our slate is as longtime active democrats - they may as well accuse us of being from Mars. But, I guess when you're willing to spend anything on a county committee race, I suppose you'd be willing to say anything too.

My caption: If their team is as desperate as this dog is scary, we're looking pretty good.

Yes We Did.

by: Jeff Gardner

Thu Apr 15, 2010 at 10:45:00 AM EDT

Democrats for Hawthorne in the Press

So, it was with great pride, and some courage, that I joined with 25 other proud democrats in Hawthorne on Monday to file a full slate of 26 democratic county committee candidates to run in this year's primary election for Passaic County Committee - under the "Democrats for Hawthorne" banner. It is an historic undertaking - there has not been a contested primary for even one democratic committee seat in Hawthorne in at least 20 years. And our work is far from over.

But this is America, and we should still get to vote on who represents us, and who is in charge of our political parties. Publicly, everyone agrees with that sentiment. Privately, not so much.

You see, there's another slate running in town, led by our current municipal chair, John Girgenti. Under his 30-year leadership, Hawthorne has failed to elect even one democrat as Mayor or At-Large Councilmember. And, in the last 10 years, we've elected only 3 democrats as Ward Councilmembers - 1 who has since switched parties, the other 2 who are supporting our slate. Indeed, about the only people not supporting our slate are Girgenti's relatives and "employees" - including the multiple Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission employees who owe their jobs to the Senator's generosity with our tax money.

Our goal is to unite and build the Democratic Party in Hawthorne for a winning future.

But, as you might guess, rather than embrace the increased interest in Democratic organizing this brings to Hawthorne, Girgenti is lashing out, upset that anyone would dare challenge him. He's quoted in the local paper, basically accusing us of being liberal extremists, and blaming others for his own record of failure as Hawthorne's Democratic leader.

And, he nearly came unglued at a public event last Saturday (Sheriff Speziale's campaign HQ grand opening), when he refused to stand next to our only elected Democratic councilman, whose wife is running on our slate. Not very Senatorial. And more importantly, not how a democratic leader should behave in public.

We're braced for much worse behavior than that - money can pay for all sorts of nastiness, and Girgenti has tons of money to spend. But in the end, this is a campaign to organize Democrats in a town that has been voting Republican for far too long, too often with the Senator's help.

It's time we change that. And we took the first step this week.

Run for County Committee

by: Jeff Gardner

Fri Mar 12, 2010 at 12:15:00 PM EST

You can do it alone, with the goal of adding your voice to the process. Or you can do it together with others in your town, with the goal of re-energizing your local democratic party. Either way, it really is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3:

Grassroots win: Challengers NOT Disqualified in New Brunswick!

by: kwilkinson

Fri May 01, 2009 at 02:52:36 PM EDT

T.K. Shamy, campaign manager for the incumbents who sought to have 20 of the 50 candidates from Democrats for Change disqualified, said he didn't know if he would file an appeal of Hurley's decision.

Boss Joe in the NYT

by: carolh

Sat Jan 03, 2009 at 10:49:30 AM EST

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01...

Bet Boss Joe is gonna hate this.   He hates to be called a Boss, you know.  But that is exactly what he is.  And his minions - like Lynne Hurwitz certainly owe him everything.  

And so I pulled out a little ode to our Boss Joe that I wrote a while ago:

The recent article in the newspapers where Joe Ferriero had a sit down like Dick Cheney has sometimes with Tim Russert really cracked me up.  The Chairman has a lot of problems with the Boss title.

Oh, but he has earned it.  Why deprive the man of the honor of elevating Pay to Play to an art not even dreamed of in Tammany Hall?

I was watching the History channel when the story of Boss Tweed was on.  I was struck by just how similar these stories are.  Tweed had begun as a humble civil servant - a volunteer firefighter but soon realized his inner politician and capitalized on it in a big way.

I thought as a fun little thought experiment I would compare the two men and their legacy:

Tweed: initially a volunteer firefighter
Joe: the son of a firefighter.

Tweed: Progressed from alderman in New York city in 1851 and to NY State Senator.
Joe: Dumont Councilman at age 20 - failed in run for Assembly - but liked the behind-the-scenes action much better and became Chairman of the Bergen County Democratic Organization at the age of 45.

Tweed: In 1868 he handpicked a slate including Governor of NY and Mayor of NYC
Joe: Handpicks ALL candidates down AND UP the ticket.  He is a Kingmaker in NJ politics.

Tweed:  took kickbacks from contractors after awarding them contracts.  Allowed them to overcharge for services and the City footed the bill.
Joe:  Is publicly in favor of Pay to Play where contributors to the Bergen County Democratic Organization are often granted no bid contracts for bond work, insurance, engineering, construction, and borough Attorney.  He calls Pay-to-Play  Free Speech.

For example:
Schoor DePalma, a Monmouth County engineering firm, gave $10,000 to the BCDO and $1,000 to Democrats Council candidates in Rutherford in 1999. Barely a year later, Schoor DePalma became borough engineer in Rutherford AND Ridgefield after Dems won election there too.  That $11,000 investment netted them $771,857 from Rutherford and Ridgefield.  It worked so well - Schoor DePalma has donated $100,000 to local and county Democrats since 1999.

Tweed: Commissioner of Public Works
Joe:  Influences who gets appointed to Utilities Authorities and quasi-governmental bodies who spend lots of taxpayer dollars for bonds, and insurance, and large capital projects in NJ  (NJ's modern form of shadow government.)  Think Bergen County Improvement Authority, Passiac Valley Sewer Commission, etc.

Comic Relief
Tweed: the subject of Thomas Nast's cartoons that finally swayed public opinion. Folks who couldn't read could get the gist.
Joe:  Jimmy Marguiles 2007 cartoons of Boss Joe are legendary already

Tweed: bribed opposition Republicans not to vote
Joe:  has folks elected to Council flip allegiance to him - as in Hasbrouck Heights immediately after taking office on Republican platforms.  He uses Republicans when he needs to.

Tweed: Controlled Democratic nominations of both the State and NY City by various means:  Intimidating and bribing Republicans, paying crooks and drifters to vote. Controlled all Democratic New York state and city nominations from 1860-1870.

Joe: Folks ineligible to vote, wound up casting votes at County Committee elections for his handpicked candidates.  He has challenged legally seated County Committee members to prevent their votes from being cast. His henchmen have actually forged the signatures of county committee members to get them off the Committee.  He routinely throws incumbents who dissent (like me) from the BCDO line on the ballot even though they received tremendous public support in general elections..  He has done this to sitting Council members like Real Bergen Dems County Clerk candidate Gail Frasco.  He has failed to allow Committee Members to speak from the floor.  He has denied calling a convention although the proper signatures were obtained by the required number of Committee members.

Tweed: Contractors overcharged for work done, false bills presented, no show jobs were granted
Joe:  Will not release records of financial transactions as is required by the Bylaws and requested by Committee members.   A majority of the County Committee Municipal Chairs now have County jobs.  Engineering firms who get no-bid contracts with the county charge a lot for their services - then donate $$$ to the BCDO.

Tweed: Cost of doing business was passed on to the city - 1869 - 1870 the debt was $97 million and he responded by making his flunkies auditors.  Municipal services went down.
Joe: His attack on the government of Englewood is nearly complete.  He took over the government in Englewood and supported Mayor Michael Wildes at the same time Wildes dismantled an effective planning board.  Buildings with extra floors got built, right across the street from the Borough Hall. Contracts got awarded, zoning applications got passed and government services failed in early 2008.  Streets were not salted during snow storms resulting in dozens of accidents and calls for aid to surrounding towns.  Bergenfield struggled under the weight of Pay to Play until last year when several of Joe's cronies were ousted and the Borough got rid of Joe's favorite Borough Attorney.  

In 1999 any freeholder candidates were required to sign over all control over fundraising and campaign spending to the BCDO.  He encouraged money to be dumped into the BCDO from outside the county in return for help in statewide elections.    He put all funds into one big pot instead of having candidates raise and spend their own money.  Individuals can contribute a limit of 2,200 to a candidate's campaign, but can contribute up to $37,000 to the party coffers.

Tweed: Patronage was only given to loyal supporters. The effect was that anyone who gave money to an opponent - like the Republicans were denied gov't contracts and jobs.
Joe:  You get help from Joe for an election, you are asked to promise to let him or his cronies choose the Borough Attorney or Borough Engineer.  This happened in Tenafly.  We manage our own fundraising and spending without BCDO help so we were able to tell Joe "No thank you. You've done enough.  Really".  Bergen County government is completely controlled by Joe now.  He spent $3 million to keep McNerney's seat.  Why so much?

Tammany came from an Indian name and was a sort of social club.
Ferriero holds court in restaurants in the Hackensack area.  A sort of boys club where things get decided.  Pity the poor Bergen County Democrat who gets called to a meeting at a North Jersey diner with Boss Joe.  

Joe gives jobs to people to get their loyalty.  And he offers jobs to people to buy their silence.  It's sort of like getting a bribe BEFORE you are a government employee.  Gordon Johnson was offered a job to drop out of the Assembly race recently.  He refused and ran for office without Joe's help and won handily.  Joe runs an operation mostly on what was affectionately called "honest graft".  Basically legalized bribery. You know it as Pay to Play.

Tweed:  The Tammany Hall honest graft method was to buy land up before the government needed it and sell it back at a high profit.
Joe:  He and his consigliere Dennis Oury are both land use attorneys who have profited mightily in this era of real estate fever.   Zoning variances wanted were mostly zoning variances granted in Bergen County for both Dennis and Joe - especially if the attorneys and engineers involved got their jobs thanks to the BCDO.

Tweed:  Conned and plundered the city of New York out of between 30-200 million dollars
Joe:  The cost of taxes in NJ is out of control and going higher.  Patronage jobs DON'T help the property tax situation on either a County or LOCAL level.  Ask the folks in Bergenfield who overpaid for land thanks to Governmental Grants Consulting, the firm that got Joe and Oury in hot water with the Feds.

Tweed: Elected a New York State Senator in 1867
Joe:  Not a state Senator himself but controls several State Senators by withholding or granting financial support.  Senatorial courtesy is a huge incentive for Ferriero to control the appointment of anyone from districts that are served by that Senator.  Disgraced Joe Coniglio was one of those Senators.  Paul Sarlo is another.  Ken Zisa would have been another if our votes from Tenafly were not counted in 2005.  Lautenberg even needed Joe's support to win re-election.  Everyone need to kiss Joe's ring at one time or other - no matter how high up the political food chain.

Tweed:  Built his power in Tammany Hall through the appointment and election of his friends (called the 'Tweed Ring')
Joe:  has a loyal and loud group of supporters who think he is a Democratic god because he made sure they got high paying county jobs.  

Tweed:  Elected into the US House of Representatives in 1852
Joe:  Enjoys being kingmaker for Congressmen and Senators alike.  Rubbed shoulders with Hillary Clinton on stage last year while she extolled the virtues of getting rid of "crony capitalism".  What you'd call "IRONY".

Tweed: Used illegal means to force election of his choice for New York governor, New York City mayor, and speaker of the assembly.
Joe:  Joe and his Friend Dennis Oury stand indicted while His loyal supporters Elaine Rabbitt and Dennis Mulligan from Bergenfield stand indicted on forgery charges.  Forgeries that surfaced in 2005 to aid the Chairman's candidate for State Senate to replace Byron Baer in D37.  

Tweed:  Raised public indignation against graft and was convicted and sentenced to prison (Note: He was also sued by the city of New York in a civil suit. He escaped from jail and fled to Spain. He was identified there from a cartoon drawn by Thomas Nast. He was returned to New York and died in jail there.
Joe:  Recently indicted on corruption charges for concealing interest in a firm he founded to make money off grants obtained by pressuring elected officials around the state to give his firm business and $$$.  But he is still supported by his loyal flunkies afraid to lose patronage jobs, even while Joe stands indicted.

http://www.northjersey.com/new...

This Has Never Happened Before, not Here

by: Rosi Efthim

Tue Jun 03, 2008 at 05:23:57 PM EDT

In the crimson heart of what used to be solid-red Hunterdon County, is Readington Township, a particularly hard nut to crack if you're an active Democrat. And that's what Soham intends to be; among his accomplishments is as co-founder of the 134-member Hunterdon High School Students for Obama facebook group. He goes to Hunterdon Central HS in Flemington.

The male/female glitch - apparently originating in the county clerk's office - is interesting enough. But what I find remarkable is that in a county where County Committee seats often go begging there are two males competing for that spot. That's a big deal in a county like Hunterdon.

In the last hour, the young candidate called me, I called the Board of Elections, who called the County Clerk, and they consulted with lawyers from the Attorney General's office. And I called NJSDC Exec Cirector Rob Angelo, so he'd be in the loop. And I learned something I didn't know - according to the Attorney General's office, the laws reserving one county committee slot per voting district for a female and one for a male, were changed some years ago. Nobody's quite sure how Soham's situation will be resolved yet. Lawyers are talking to lawyers, and certain issues like whether the county party bylaws would have to also be updated, are answers I just don't have yet.

Oddly enough, this is Soham's first election as a candidate, but it's not the first time he voted. He turned 18 a few days before the cutoff to register before Super Tuesday, and sent his application in before the deadline. But when he got a letter saying he was registered to vote but not in time for the Presidential Primary, I took him to court along with a lawyer donating his time for election protection work for ACLU-NJ. Hunterdon Superior Court Judge Steve Rubin determined Soham was not at fault and ruled he could vote. Soham's a bit of a veteran.

Two things seem remarkable here:

1. An 18-year-old is so determined to exercise his civic responsibility that he goes to court to safeguard his right to vote, and places his name on the ballot the first time he can. Hats off to Soham Gupte for that.

2. That things are changing so much, even in Hunterdon County, even in Readington, that County Committee slots are competed for. Hats off to everyone who makes sure that 50-State Strategy is 21-County Strategy in NJ, for that one.  

So, You want to make a difference!

by: carolh

Fri Dec 07, 2007 at 12:40:09 PM EST

According to Loretta Weinberg, the main sponsor of the Party Democracy Act, "Roughly 1/3 of the members of the State Legislature became incumbents" as a result of appointments by County Committee Organizations.

Let me repeat that:
"Roughly 1/3 of the members of the State Legislature became incumbents" as a result of appointments by County Committee Organizations. 

That is why the Citizen's Campaign is working to help pass the Party Democracy Act.  They want YOU to be able to actually participate in democracy, not just pull a lever in race that has been decided long before you even stepped into that booth on election day.

Here is information that Party Bosses here in NJ DON'T want you to know.  Like some alien monster in a Star Trek episode, they get bigger and more dangerous by feeding off voter apathy.  They don't want you to know that knowledge is really power.  So, prepare to get your first lesson in actually getting involved:

If the state won't interfere to make sure that the County Committees in NJ are run democratically, then you should get on the County Committees yourselves and make SURE they run honestly.  Courtesy of The Citizen's Campaign here is Lesson #1

HOW TO RUN FOR A COUNTY COMMITTEE SEAT

Things to request from the municipal clerk's office:
1. Party declaration form (incase you are not an official party member)
2. Your election district number.
3. A current list of your town's incumbent committee people.
4. A map of your election district.
5. A nominating petition to run for county committee and ask how many signatures are required.

Things to request from the County Superintendent of Elections:
1. A list of registered voters in your municipal election district sorted by party and then sorted by those who voted in the last Primary election. (Requesting this in electronic format could save you loads of time.)
2. If you are simply going to write your name in on the ballot, request an ''Oath of Allegiance'' form in case you win. You have 7 days to file this form with the county clerk

Get nominated and file!
1. Gather the required number of signatures from registered members of your party in your district.
2. Submit the notarized nominating petition to the municipal clerk well before the deadline on April 14th, 2008. The clerk may find some signatures invalid, in which case you have until April 17th to submit an amended petition.
3. Follow up to make sure your name will appear on the Primary ballot.
4. Request a copy of the local party by-laws, if any, so you know how the organization operates. (And pray the organization follows them in case the Party Democracy Act is not passed by then!)

May through June: GET OUT THE VOTE!
1. Mark the Primary election day on your calendar: June 3rd, 2008.
2. Put on your sneakers, put some dog treats in your pocket, and spend about 2 hours for several Sundays walking door to door to the registered party members in your district.
3. Concentrate on those who voted in the last Primary election. Use the list you requested from the county superintendent of elections.
4. Introduce yourself and tell them you would like to represent their interests to the local Democratic/Republican Party. Explain that you'll be the neighborhood's eyes and ears. Ask about their neighborhood concerns, listen, and take notes next to their name. Some candidates choose to leave a small sheet of paper listing their qualifications, contact information and poll location/voting hours. You cannot leave these flyers in mailboxes. 

The Week before the Primary Election: the BIG PUSH!
1. In many cases you need less than 30 votes to win. Revisit each door you knocked on. Ask, ''Can I count on your support on June 2nd?'' Keep track of your ''yes's'' and ''maybes''. Take your copy of the Sample Ballot which you will have received in the mail by then and show them where your name appears on the ballot.
2. Show your voter list to friends and colleagues in town to see if they know any of these people and wouldn't mind calling them to endorse you and to remind them to vote.
 
The Day Of:
1. Go and vote for yourself.
2. Revisit the ''yes's'' and ''maybes'' to ask them if they've been to the polls. If you like, you can go to the polling place when they close to find out the results.
  *If you win or lose, thank those who supported you either through a letter or in person and congratulate  your opponent on a good race.

For more Information ask the Citizen's Campaign
"Teaching regular folks, with limited time and money, how to gain real political power"
450 Main Street
Metuchen, NJ 08840
732.548.9798

It bears repeating that I was elected to the Bergen County Democratic Organization because of my own one vote in 2004.  And ONLY because Loretta Weinberg explained how important the County Committee was in 2003 at a Dean Meet-up.  I could not leave the voting booth at the Primary in 2004 with NO candidate in the space for County Committee.  I wrote myself in.  In 2005, my one vote at a County Committee special election helped elect then Assemblywoman Weinberg to the State Senate where she won by a total of only 4 votes.  Think about that. 

It WILL be a tough fight in '08.  In 2006, the Party Bosses realized the Party had been crashed by the average Democrat, and so I was moved to Column 4 for being an upstart with a lot of other reform-minded Dems.  So, the fight in 2008 will be fierce compared to my entrance into the BCDO.  Expect to work hard next year, we all will have to - to even keep our seats.  But I look forward to welcoming a lot of new faces into our County Organization next year!

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.

The 37th has a great team

by: carolh

Wed Jan 31, 2007 at 02:51:13 PM EST

He spent over $70,000 on ONE party he basically threw for himself at the most expensive club in the newest Atlantic City casino and spent millions on the County Executive race that he needed to keep our County Employees held hostage to his whims, and spent NOTHING on the race for the Congress in the 5th district. We are dealing with guys who would be considered local warlords if we were in Afganistan.  I for one refuse to appease Mr. Ferriero.  I want to keep my honest legislators where they belong.

I hope you will join me at the Hackensack Middle school tonite. Ferriero's goons will be there, intimidating our County Committee folks, but the votes should be secret, and even though Mr. Ferriero has twisted arms to get signatures on the propaganda he sent out this week, the consciences of individual committee members I hope should be enough to shoot down this ill conceived attack on our very democracy. 

Think about this folks. Part of your property taxes go to pay for professional services.  In a Ferriero town, you can bet you are paying much more for a Borough attorney or engineer than you would be in a non-Ferriero controlled town.  How else can money get funneled back to the BCDO and Ferriero's machine? 

This huge problem affects so many more things in your local government than you realize.  If we stop the pay-to play nonsense, then maybe our County employees can breathe easier and not be beholden to one man who can destroy their careers in a heartbeat.  Our civil servants in Bergen county are hostage to Boss Ferriero.  Lets free them.  Come to the Hackensack Middle School and send a message to the local warlord.  WE will choose our own government.  Not you, sir. 

One Vote

by: carolh

Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 02:50:22 PM EST

One vote.  That's sometimes all it comes down to.  One vote.  I learned quite a bit this year.  I began my political journey three years ago in June of 2003 because I thought my vote didn't matter at all.  Now I know better.  My vote does matter.  I am a Bergen County Democratic Committee member. 

June 2003, I set out to support Howard Dean, a man I long admired from as far back as a decade ago when I was sitting in my apartment - jobless and poor after a devastating 10 day hospital stay.  I heard this man speaking on CSPAN to a Congressional Committee about health care - he had specifics and ideas they were trying in Vermont.  Ten years later after his ideas had proven successful - he was actually running for President.  A man I had told people ten years before that should be President was actually running.  How often does that happen?

It was exactly because our Primary was in June that I felt compelled to get off the couch and do something in the 2004 election.  I knew my vote didn't count, but there were folks in other states that needed to be told - in person - that their vote DID matter.  Folks in Iowa, New Hampshire, and in states where the primary is held early.  You know - the people who decide who the rest of us will rubber stamp from our party.  I went to my first meetup around early June of 2003 and heard of a bus trip to NH and VT to canvass and to be present when Dean announced his candidacy.  That bus trip turned into a more of a three car caravan, but it changed my life.  Less than a dozen of us made it to Manchester, NH from NJ, including Byron Arneo, Bertin Lefkovic, and Mitch Manzella, but we made it.  I had my first experience canvassing and was hooked.  Our group decided to stop by a lakeside cabin in VT the night before Dean's announcement.  Our little group grew closer.  We had only all met on this trip.  We didn't know each other before, but I will never forget what a fun impromptu camping trip we had.  The next day while wondering around Burlington waiting for the announcement to start, our little group ran into not only a reporter for NPR, but the news crew for ABC World News Tonite.  The young students in our troop were well spoken and captured the hearts of the crew who showed the clip on the news that night.  Of our little group, one is running for office this year, another is working now for Frank Pallone, and most of us run into each other still at political events.  After that I attended regular meetups, and even drove up to NH on Primary day and stood in the 15 degree weather sporting a Howard Dean sign.  One of the meetups, though - at the Bergen County Children's Museum, run by Dr. Anne Summers, I remember especially well.

It was the first time I met Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg.  I suppose most people don't forget first meeting Loretta.  Being completely new to politics in general I was surprised to learn how people are actually elected to office in NJ.  I knew I had a vote in the Primary and in November, but how do candidates get their names on the ballot?  Loretta filled us in.  The County Committee, she told us, decides who gets to be on the ballot - everyone from dogcatcher to governor.  Wow, what an important committee.  How can it be that most voters in Bergen County don't know who these people are and what they do?  Well, I filed away that little piece of information for further use.

When Howard Dean dropped out of the race - I went to the New School in Manhattan to hear him speak about the new direction for the party.  I then went to New Brunswick for the statewide caucus of Dean supporters to talk about what to do next.  We decided to focus on electing progressive candidates we liked and even running for office ourselves.  But the key to Dean supporters which many politicians found confounding was a desire to vote for candidates who were progressive and NOT to just throw our weight behind candidates just because they had a "D" after their names. 

I decided to support Anne Wolfe in the Primary after hearing her speak at a Democracy for America meetup in Glen Rock and after hearing from Congressman Frank Pallone that Democrats are regularly shut out of meetings in the House of Representatives - making "Representative" a relative term.

In my support of Anne Wolfe, whom I had met at a Dean Meetup, I knew I had to vote in the primary.  There were so few people there that day that we literally woke up the poll workers.  That is how primaries are here in Bergen County.  I dragged Eric Nelsen with me.  Before entering the Tenafly Middle School, Eric stopped to pick up the American flag post which had fallen in the wind.  It seemed to be a sign for what we were about to do.  While in the booth, I noticed that in the space for county committee woman and county committee man - there was no name.  How could that be?  We don't have anyone representing us for this really important position?  I decided to write myself in.  I didn't have time to ask Eric but I wrote him in too.  What were the odds? 

Walking back from the Middle School, I explained what took me so long in the booth.  Eric felt bad that he didn't write me in too and said "Wouldn't that be funny if we got elected based on your one vote?"

Funny little thing happened the next day.  Eric and I received letters stating that we indeed had been "elected".  We now represent the 7th District in the Borough of Tenafly. By just one vote.  I later got the chance to tell Howard Dean in person about our "win".  He gave me a high five.

However, being on the county committee was not what Eric and I expected.  Looking back, we should have been given a rubber stamp as a gift when we entered the Bergen County Democratic Committee.  That is how it seemed at our first real meeting.  Not one real peep of dissent was heard - everyone seemed to be in lock step.  When Eric and I went to our first "convention" where I was hoping to have the chance to choose between Codey and Corzine - two excellent choices I was excited about - I was dismayed to find the choice had already been made.  We only had one choice - it seemed all the way down the ticket.  Was I dreaming, or was I in the old Soviet Union, where you get to vote but only one guy is on the ballot?  That upset me. 

When we county committee folks were told we had an actual choice between several qualified candidates when Byron Baer retired, we were moved to immediate action.  The fact that our County Chairman, Mr. Ferriero, did not want us to have a choice because it would be "divisive" is unfortunate.  What are we here for?  I became a Democrat because - look at us - we are diverse and we DON'T walk in lockstep with a dictatorial leader.  The strength of the Democratic party is in our diversity - our empathy - our generosity - our VISION. 
And so I went from an ordinary citizen in 2003 to someone who had Candidate Ken Zisa stop by my home the night before a special election to ask for my support.  In person.  I appreciated the fact that Mr. Zisa made the effort to seek my support in that way and felt glad I had two great candidates to choose from.  Mr. Zisa may have been a fine candidate and it is a shame that Mr. Ferriero's influence kept Mr. Zisa from being seen as simply a qualified candidate for office.  Because some county committee people could not be sure about how Mr. Zisa would vote as a senator and that he would not be beholden to Mr. Ferriero for his election, Mr. Zisa may have lost votes. 

That said.  I voted for Assemblywoman Weinberg because I knew her record and felt excited about sending her to the State Senate.  I was voting FOR Loretta instead of against Mr. Zisa.  Many committee members expressed the same thoughts to me.  They were voting for Loretta although they liked Mr. Zisa also. 

The problem here is one of perception and philosophy.  The perception of our County Chairman is that it is dangerous to give the county committee members an actual choice.  This perception is the direct result of the philosophy that we must remain united to win against a Republican opponent in a general election. 

That is unfortunate.  I am a county committee woman because I believed in the philosophy of Howard Dean that we have the power to change our government and that in a democracy, power comes from the grassroots up.  Tenafly is a town that boasts Elizabeth Cady Stanton as a former resident, a town that does not discriminate against women in office, a town that values its historic districts and the environment, a town where education is a top priority, a town that cares deeply about healthcare and issues often viewed as "women's issues".  The very issues Loretta Weinberg cares about. It really was no surprise that Tenafly committee members chose to vote for Loretta Weinberg. 

It was my support - my one vote - for Senator Loretta Weinberg that caused me to be challenged to vote for Valerie Huttle in the County Committee election to fill Loretta's vacated Assembly seat and cost me the ability to run for re-election in the same column as the Bergen County Democrats in the primary Tuesday June 6 - even though I was the incumbent in that position.  And I would do everything again the same way even though it was difficult.  Because in the end, it was the education of the public, the contributions of a free press, our hard work and contact with our constituents that allowed the incumbent committee people in Tenafly to retain their seats.  We all won that night. 

One vote.  Yours. It really does matter.

BCDO Bylaws changes Vote is January 31 at 5 pm

by: carolh

Wed Jan 24, 2007 at 12:14:07 PM EST

Shortly after my election to Borough Council, our Tenafly Committee people were advised by the BCDO staff to give up our Committee seats if we won a council seat - so we could "have more votes" in the elections.  Fortunately, I was suspicious and found out that Councilmen and women who are not on the Committee any longer CANNOT vote on the bylaws.  If you are an elected official and you gave up your committee seat as you may have been advised by the BCDO staff, you have given away your right to vote on the Bylaws this coming Wednesday.  Hence the Bold face type in the first paragraph that "Only County Committee Members are eligible to vote on these Bylaws changes."

Just one more in a series of ethically challenged moves by our Chairman. 

That is also why he kept me on Column 2 on the ballot for Council and put me in Column 4 for my county committee seat in the Primary last year.  The Committee seats are much more valuable to the BCDO.

4/10/06 News Roundup

by: mariel2036

Mon Apr 10, 2006 at 09:42:36 AM EDT

Democratic Committee petitions are due April 10

by: LLiibbyy

Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 10:17:00 PM EST

The good news is, you probably need only about a dozen signatures.

The bad news is, you're running out of time.

This is such a simple first step for anyone seeking:

1. to get his/her feet wet in elected politics
2. to get involved in changing your party from the inside
3. to learn how things work, to meet party people, and to become a more effective and informed activist

Don't know how to go about this? Two resources you should consider:

1. The Center for Civic Responsibility has tons of helpful information to get you started. Visit here: http://jointhecampaign.org/pages/

2. Visit NJ for Democracy, www.njfordemocracy.org or DFA-Link (http://www.dfalink.com) to find your nearest local affiliate of Democracy for America or sign up for the DFA County Committee project at http://www.dfalink.com/group.php?id=654 to find people who know the ropes and, assuming you are a good progressive candidate not opposing a good progressive incumbent, will probably give you lots of help working your way through the process.

RUN, don't walk, to your municipal clerk and get those petitions!!!!!