Over two decades ago, I did some volunteer work for a non-profit organization in Syracuse, New York. One of the executives at that organization was a young man named Dave Valesky. I remember his genuine appreciation toward me and other volunteers for putting in time to help there. His attitude toward his volunteers made working there fun and rewarding.
After I moved to New Jersey, I was pleased to learn that in 2004, Valesky was elected to the New York State Senate to represent the people of Central New York as a Democrat.
I was even more pleased to read this Catholic senator from a conservative district has been a supporter of marriage equality, leading to full marriage rights in the Empire State.
So even though the parameters of the marriage equality battle may be different in New Jersey, I reached out to Valesky to learn about his decision to vote for equality and how it might help the upcoming debate here. He was gracious enough to spend some time with me on a telephone interview.
News of a few minutes ago, via politicker, John Girgenti will not pursue re-election.
Girgenti has had a year-plus of hard blows. His statement on the Senate floor on December 7, 2009 sent shockwaves through the thousands of marriage equality supporters who filled every room in the State House, and its annex, and immediately vaulted him to the top of a priority list to challenge and replace.
Bergen Record columnist Charles Stile called Blue Jersey's own Jeff Gardner, a bona fide giant slayer for doing just that, when Jeff's opening volley was to challenge Girgenti for control of the Hawthorne Democrats, which the senator led for a long time as Municipal Chair. That party contest showed mastery of grassroots organizing on the part of Jeff, and his team, many of whom are also regular participants in the Blue Jersey community.
Jeff's party victory in the hometown he and Girgenti share was a wound to the long-time senator and Passaic County Democratic powerhouse. And it showed considerable progressive muscle.
Girgenti's, redistricted away from the town he was born in - Paterson - and the fact that the state Attorney General is investigating his ties to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners were two of the last blows.
Girgenti has served in the Senate for 21 years. His history is long and distinguished. Perhaps some of his constituents here would like to weigh in.
Edit: A federal district court found in 2001 that New Jersey's legislative district residency requirement violated the Equal Protection Clause of the US Constitution, so much of what's in this diary is incorrect. Girgenti can move to Paterson to run in the 35th district if he wants. Whether he is serious or merely bluffing about moving is another matter entirely. If he does "move" to Paterson before he submits his petition (on which he certify that he is a resident of the district in which he is running), someone should check to make sure the address submitted actually exists and that Girgenti is actually residing there. I leave the original diary below the fold.
I'm nearly speechless. Thank you to Rosi, Jay, and most importantly the entire Blue Jersey community for helping to make my campaign's money bomb an incredible success yesterday.
Together with Democracy for America and BlueAmericaPAC, we raised well over $10,000 from nearly 500 contributors - all online, all in one day. Amazing! And it brings our online fundraising across ActBlue to nearly $15,000 from over 500 individuals. And we're just getting started! I hope you'll join my facebook campaign page, and stay engaged as the campaign moves forward.
As the candidate, of course, I am very grateful for the support. Every campaign needs money, and yesterday was a real boost. But, as a member of the progressive community here in New Jersey, more than anything, I am proud. Proud of the strength of the community we have built and continue to build. As I've said over and over, this is a people's campaign, and yesterday's success was your success.
I have a hunch we'll hear from Jeff later. Meanwhile, big thanks from Blue Jersey to everybody who gave in yesterday's money bomb! - Rosi
Big hat tip to the Blue Jersey community, Blue America PAC, and Democracy for America for making the money bomb a huge success. - Matt
Honestly, when we had our initial conference call on the money bomb idea - Rosi, Jay, a DFA national staffer, and myself - we all thought somewhere between $1,000 on the low end and$5,000 on the high end would be a successful for a one day haul. This just has never really been done in a state legislative race, so we just weren't sure what to expect.
435 donors and $10,728 raised was double our best case scenario. If the establishment wasn't listening before, they are now. more below...
Wow! When we decided to try this money bomb thing, I confess, I wasn't exactly sure how it would go. But, I guess there's something about a primary campaign against a 30-year incumbent that gets the juices flowing, because it has been sensational. Maybe we should do this more often!
Are you ready for this update? As of 6:00pm (with six more hours to go!), here's the numbers from today:
As you know by now, Blue Jersey's part of a national money bomb for Jeff Gardner's Senate primary campaign against 30-year incumbent John Girgenti. It's been a 10-day lead-up. And it all happens today - ticktickBOOM. Money bomb is a concentrated effort to ramp up focus & fundraising for a priority campaign, in a one-day burst. Today. This is Jeff's first money bomb, and Blue Jersey's. And it's trending hot. Can you join us?
THANK YOU to everybody who's already contributed. Every amount powers up Jeff's campaign, and gets us closer to having a fine and tough progressive working for his District and for all of us. So, at around 3:20pm, with hours left to go, here's an update:
None of us has ever done this before, and we didn't know what to expect. Your response is off-the-charts. We breezed past our $1,000 initial goal early this morning, and we're now pushing toward a goal of $5,000 or more today. And the buzz is ramping up. Jeff just finished his 2nd live-chat of the week at BlueAmerica's page at Crooks & Liars. And today, there were two posts about Jeff on the Recommended list at Daily Kos.
Well, today is the day. I am asking all of my friends and supporters looking to change Trenton to head to my Act Blue page and make a donation to support my campaign.
The idea behind a money bomb is simple: it's a term used to describe a grassroots fundraising effort over a brief, fixed time period - usually to support a candidate for election by dramatically increasing, concentrating, and publicizing fundraising activity during a specific hour or day. In my case, the time is now, the day is here, and the link is this: Jeff Gardner Money Bomb
This money bomb is about showing the strength of the progressive netroots, and the stark difference between Senator Girgenti's campaign and mine. We're a people powered campaign.
I'm raising money from normal, everyday people looking for better representation in Trenton. My opponent is raising money from special interests and lobbyists looking for something in return. We need leaders fighting for the people in the State Senate, not just the politically connected. more below
An earlier version of this post had the wrong date for DFA Chair Jim Dean's arrival - it's tomorrow (Wed), not Thursday.
Hey, Blue Jerseyans, I just wanted to give you all a brief update on Jeff Gardner's white-hot and grassrootsy campaign for Senate.
A little background: Right now, of course, this is a primary campaign; Jeff is running against the 30-plus year incumbent John Girgenti. The legislative district, as it now stands, is LD-35. We don't know yet how redistricting will shake out for Paterson and the surrounding areas that now make up the district (Jeff testified last month). But as it happens, Jeff and Girgenti live in the same town: Hawthorne. Jeff was once an active volunteer for Girgenti, who was both state Senator and Hawthorne's Democratic municipal chair. But last June, Jeff challenged Girgenti for that chair. And Jeff's win was a huge upset for the powerful Girgenti, a slam-dunk grassroots victory for Hawthorne Dems, and the real start of the changes yet to come.
Jeff's national DFA endorsement: Jeff's been a statewide leader for Democracy for America-NJ (DFA-NJ) since its start. I'm totally bragging on my friend to say it's been my privilege to work alongside him there since Howard Dean started DFA 7 years ago. Jeff's success is now a huge national priority for DFA. And tomorrow, DFA Chair Jim Dean (yes, Howard's brother) will be at Jeff's campaign office for a press conference at 2:30pm, and after a big canvass goes out for Jeff, will headline a fundraiser for Jeff. (Jeff's campaign HQ)
Fantastic post about Jeff in Down With Tyranny: If you don't know Jeff or his history, Howie Klein's very supportive words are a great intro. And he gave Jeff the opportunity to post at his national-readership site. If you already know Jeff, it's all just a great read.
Jeff Gardner has a question for Chris Christie: Why did the governor head to Little Falls and Wayne to tour flood-ravaged areas, and skip over Paterson, one of Jersey's largest cities?
Raising money for Jeff: John Girgenti's had 30 years to build up a war chest. Jeff's campaign is built on grass/netroots organizing. Read up on Jeff, now a district, state and even national progressive priority. Send a message to Trenton that you want real Democrats in the State House. Back Jeff with some money - any amount you can give matters. And I'll make it easy: we're 2 days away from Jeff's Money Bomb Day - Thursday. (RSVP for Jeff's Money Bomb here).
Everyone here knows Jeff's story. We know how strong of a leader he would be in the State Senate. We know his commitment to progressive ideals and local organizing. The bottom line is we need more people like him running for office. If we don't take back the Democratic Party now - when are we going to?
That is why I'm hoping everyone who is able will commit to donating this Thursday for the Jeff Gardner for Senate money bomb. Jeff doesn't have special interests or Trenton lobbyists donating to his campaign. He doesn't have employees at various state authorities filling his campaign coffers. He has normal people like you and me. People that care about who is representing us. People tired of so many failed policies coming out of Trenton. People who want to make a difference.
If you aren't financially able to donate, there are plenty of other ways you can chip in to help his campaign. Spread the word about his Facebook and Twitter pages. Post a blog. Write a letter to the editor. Reach out to the campaign and canvass on the weekend in the district. Every little bit will help.
My friendship with Jeff goes back three years. After meeting via the common link of Passaic County on this site, we had coffee and talked about the County Committee and turning red towns blue. To this day, his apt for organizing and energy for democratic ideals never ceases to amaze me. We need him fighting for us in Trenton.
Full disclosure: I'm working on Jeff's Senate campaign.
Today, we kick off a 10-day Countdown to March 24th, the day we join progressives in New Jersey and across the nation to raise money for Jeff Gardner's campaign for the New Jersey Senate. March 24th is Money Bomb Day.
We've heard from all corners of NJ that Jeff's campaign is a statewide progressive priority. Here at Blue Jersey, we're proud Jeff's one of our own. Everyone here knows about Jeff Gardner. Rock solid progressive. A fighter. A leader.
Campaigns cost money. If Jeff's going to unseat a 30-year incumbent, he'll need our support. March 24th Money Bomb.
So - What's a Money Bomb?: A grassroots fundraising effort concentrated in a short time period. We're going to use it to support Jeff by dramatically ramping up, concentrating & publicizing his fundraising.
What you can do right now: Click "I'm Attending" on Jeff's Money Bomb page. Then come back March 24th and donate!
Every contribution counts - $5, $10, or $25 donations add up. If the progressive community shows our real strength - by making Jeff the next Senator from the 35th District - maybe Democrats in Trenton will think twice before they betray fundamental policies the Democratic Party stands for.
On Twitter: Tweet your support for Jeff! Use hash tag #GardnerMoneyBomb.
Until we step up and start electing better Democrats, we'll never get the representation we've been longing for. We'll never get the type of leadership a blue state like NJ deserves. We are going all-in for Jeff's campaign. And we need you. Money Bomb March 24th!
For almost 15 years I was an attorney at the National Labor Relations Board - so I know union busting when I see it. What is going on in Madison and across the nation is a collective attempt to weaken worker's rights. We can't let it happen in Wisconsin, and we can't let it happen here at home in New Jersey. We need to continue to stand with union members and the middle class they represent.
Jeff (Gardner) is much more than a single-issue person. He's a person who cares passionately and wants to do what's right.
Those were the words of Passaic County Democratic Chairman John Currie who adopted a neutral tone on the unfolding Senate showdown in LD35 between entrenched 30-year incumbent John Girgenti and his Progressive challenger Jeff Gardner.
Looks like Girgenti's only argument (which was sad and half-baked to begin with) was roundly snuffed out by his own political master.
If you didn't know about the Democratic senatorial primary fight in the 35th legislative district, a column by Bergen Record columnist Charlie Stile at northjersey.com is a clear snapshot and of what divides the two combatants, Sen. John Girgenti and Jeff Gardner. - Rosi Efthim
Jeffrey Gardner's shoebox-size law office in Hawthorne's downtown suits his budget. After all, he opened his practice only a month ago.
The Lafayette Avenue office is also a fitting symbol of his new place in Passaic County politics.
The 42-year-old liberal activist seized a small Democratic Party beachhead last June, taking control of the Hawthorne Democratic Municipal Committee. The precinct-level victory yielded a modicum of power but a bounty of statewide buzz - he defeated John Girgenti, the 35th District state senator who joined the Legislature four years before Hosni Mubarak took control of Egypt.
Later, speaking of the next race he's likely to run against Senator Girgenti, for Girgenti's 35th District seat in the Senate:
If he tells his story and I tell my story, then I win. If he tells his story and nobody hears mine, he wins.
- Jeff, thanking guests today
Hot Hot Progressive Ticket
All I can say is Jay Lassiter gives one hell of a Pink Sangria party. Jay's beautiful house was wall-to-wall people today, all of us there to join the Senate campaign of Jeff Gardner. Blue Jersey people. DFA people. Garden State Equality people. People from Jeff's district, and from all over the place, confirming once again that the progressive community is itching & ready as hell to elect good people to represent us.
I had a lot of fun meeting people who've been posting at Blue Jersey for years, but I've never met in the flesh. Y'all know who you are - it was a total pleasure seeing you today. Jump with me for the pictures.
There's so much incestuous patronage surrounding Senator John Girgenti, it's a small miracle members of his entourage still have the use of their opposable thumbs.
On Tuesday, pressure began mounting on Sen. John Girgenti (D-Hawthorne) about his recommendation of people for jobs at the PVSC. In recent years, Girgenti has been the recipient of more than $30,000 in campaign contributions from PVSC employees. Sources in the state Attorney General's office have confirmed that they are investigating a fundraiser that Girgenti held at the Brownstone House in Paterson last year.
With Democrats like these, who needs corrupt Republicans?
Jeff is a candidate for the NJ legislature. Depending on redistricting, he may be Girgenti's opponent. Both reside in Hawthorne. --Rosi
It's tough being a candidate. Now, all of a sudden, every time I want to say something about politics, I feel like it will be viewed through the lens of a political campaign. That's too bad, because today's news out of the scandal-plagued Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission really can't go left uncommented on, campaign or no campaign:
Governor Christie on Monday delivered what he called "direct property tax relief" to residents when he fired 71 employees of the scandal-plagued Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission.
As if it doesn't bother me enough that the governor has been handed this PR goldmine on a silver platter, what really gets me is how there could be so many people on the public payroll who no one seems to think were actually needed there. How did they get hired in the first place?
Certainly, earlier stories have tied Senator John Girgenti to the PVSC, including to indicted officials there who had been contributors to his political campaigns. But, I think the public deserves to know just how closely connected Senator Girgenti is to the corruption at the PVSC. With reports that Girgenti was using the Commission as his personal patronage mill and political fundraising machine, taxpayers deserve to know just how deep that involvement goes.
That's why in the wake of today's news, I'm calling on Girgenti to fully disclose who among the terminated workers he played a role in originally hiring, and to release the list of all current and former Commission employees who have contributed to his political campaign.
If New Jersey is serious about cutting taxes without reducing services, we can start by getting to the bottom of scandals like this one.
Jeff is a candidate for the NJ legislature. Depending on redistricting, he may be Girgenti's opponent. Both reside in Hawthorne. --Rosi
I have something to say to politicians who use political patronage and hand out public jobs to their family members, political donors and assorted cronies: It's. Not. Your. Money.
Sunday's Star Ledger shines the light on a practice everyone knows exists and everyone claims to despise, but which has continued essentially unabated for decades as "business as usual" or just "New Jersey politics." It's the fleecing of taxpayers to enrich the campaign coffers of certain politicians.
State Sen. John Girgenti (D-Passaic) does not work for the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners.
Instead, it appears to work for him....
In Girgenti's most recent campaign finance report, employees wrote checks totaling $7,900 in support of his re-election.... That same report showed those who do business with the commission kicked in another $14,000 for Girgenti's election.
The article goes on to report that "tickets for political fundraising events were being sold at [the PVSC] itself by supervisors there, and its employees were being pressured to buy them out of fear of retribution." This comes on the heels of last week's PolitickerNJ piece detailing this all-too-common practice, which drives up the cost of government, and in turn drives up our taxes. It's as simple as that.
As we look at the hard choices presented by the state's budget crisis, we're often told we need to choose between higher taxes or reduced services. But, if we're serious about holding the line on taxes, while keeping the services we want and need, maybe what really needs cutting out is this kind of corruption. It's too expensive.
