By Steve Morris

Often times elections fail to live up to the hype but this year’s May municipal elections certainly did.  2008 seems to be the year of upsets, surprises, and controversy; these elections followed that trend to a “T”.   

RIDGEFIELDPARK

Ridgefield Park looked like it would be a sleepy, quiet election that would see the incumbents re-elected with ease.  Well, it was.  Challengers Frank Scerbo and Junior Hernandez were trounced by a nearly two to one ratio by the incumbent laden slate of Fosdick, Boyd, Anlian, Poli newcomer Adam McNeil. 

MAHWAH

Mayor Dick Martel may have been convicted of driving drunk back in 2005, but the denizens of Mahwah seem to have forgiven him.  Martel defeated ex-councilman Gary Paton by nearly 1,000 votes in what amounted to a landslide victory.  Martell’s superior campaign organization, financing, and incumbent status amounted to a knock out blow for Paton’s mayoral hopes. 

Challengers in the council race were more competitive.  The middle three vote getters, Roth, Alderisio, and Kelly were only separated by a margin of 84 votes.  It appears councilman Alan Kidd, who endorsed the losing slate, will continue to be a lonely soul on the township council. 

RIDGEWOOD

Ridgewoodians voted for “change” on Super Tuesday when the town went for Obama and they voted for “change” this in this year’s municipal election, dumping both of the incumbent candidates.

The landslide victory for the challengers suggests that Ridgewood residents aren’t all that keen on building a parking garage in the village business district, or on letting the Valley Hospital run wild with their expansion plans either. 

Interestingly enough, this marks the second time Jacques Harlow has failed to win re-election to the village council; Harlow was elected in 1996, defeated in 2000, elected in 2004, and now faces defeat once more. 

GARFIELD

Community activist Tana Raymond has been a fixture at city council meetings for years, keeping a weary eye on Garfield’s elected officials.  Now it appears she’ll be an elected official, after squeaking by incumbent councilman James Krone by a margin of 28 votes. 

The team of incumbents Calandriello, Aloia, Moskal, Delaney and Krone crushed their opponents in the fund raising game, raising well over $100,000 in what tuned out to be the most expensive non-partisan race in the county.  Their efforts paid off, with four out of the five returning to the council, and as stated earlier, they were only 29 votes away from a sweep.

Richard Derrig was another big surprise, garnering only about 200 fewer votes than the team of Vistocky, Bonanno, and DeMarco.  Despite having next to no financial support and having never held elected office, he almost achieved parity with Vistocky and DeMarco, members of Garfield’s school board.

TEANECK

Teaneck’s 2008 non-partisan contest has been controversial to say the least.  Teaneck United and Team Teaneck took shot after shot, after shot at one another through out the campaign and it appears that Team Teaneck won a split decision by maintaining control with the victory of Mohammed Hameeduddin.

Toffler cleaned house, leading the next highest candidate by 375 votes. Monica Honis’s victory was less decisive, as she only beat the worst performing member of Team Teaneck, Robert Robinson, by 139 votes.  Mohammed Hameeduddin was the only member of Team Teaneck to get on the council, but his running mates were right behind him, only trailing by 28 and 39 votes respectively.  Audra Jackson finished a distant sixth, rounding out Teaneck United. Teaneck United needed to win all three seats to win control of the Council.

Independents Ned Goldman and Howard Rose were unable to capitalize on public discord with all of the nasty campaigning going on between the two juggernauts and finished last, with Goldman ahead of Rose. 

What does all of this mean for the future of Teaneck politics? 

After all of the negative mail pieces, the hysteria filled meetings, heated candidate forums, and the infamous “Gas Chamber” remark neither side really blew the other out of the water. 

“Unity” may be a popular buzzword thrown around Teaneck these days, but it appears to be just another empty buzzword.  Team Teaneck did well in the North West, a heavily Orthodox area while the North East and South were dominated by Teaneck United, both areas with high concentrations of African-Americans.  Neither side really managed to build any kind of unified coalition amongst Teaneck’s diverse ethnic groups, instead relying heavily on high turnout numbers from their bases.      

With no decisive victor, it appears Teaneck will continue to go on as Joe and Loretta’s ”WWI western front” for the foreseeable future, with the political equivalent of the Battle of the Somme taking place each May.             

By Steve Morris

After I was thrown out of the Teaneck Northeast Block Association meeting Monday night (see story and video below) Councilwoman Monica Honis made what even her running mates admit is interpreted as an anti-Semitic comment that is sending a chilling tremor through a community known for racial and religious harmony.

State Senator Loretta Weinberg (Teaneck) often the first to comment on issues affecting her community has been silent on Honis' comments. Many of Honis’ backers are also Weinberg supporters.

Here is the Record story on that comment and Orthodox Jewish Councilman Adam Gussen’s statement calling for Honis’ resignation. (See statement below)

Honis, who is facing a tough challenge for re-election from Team Teaneck, a ticket comprising an incumbent Orthodox Jewish Councilman, a Muslim candidate and an African American candidate said her re-election without her running mates' election would be like sending her to “the gas chambers” in returning her to a Council with an Orthodox Jewish Majority.

While I was still in attendance and still taping at the Monday night rally where Honis later made her comments, meeting organizers scoffed at Team Teaneck’s calls for racial and religious harmony.  See video below.  This will all be decided this Tuesday, May 13th when the voters of Teaneck go to the polls.

STATEMENT BY COUNCILMAN ADAM GUSSEN:

Having listened carefully tonight I am deeply saddened for Teaneck by the disingenuous comments, statements, and misinformation by the leadership of Teaneck United.  These attempts to obfuscate the real political issues which voters must decide with manufactured issues of race and gender are despicable.

The most crucial responsibility for any council member is to decide on budget and taxation issues protecting residents' dollars.  How I or any councilmember votes on these issues is not only fair game in an election, it is an essential element voters must weigh.  To voice outrage against being held accountable for one's voting record is the epitome of hubris.

By Steve Morris

There is a major contest for control of the Teaneck Council coming up this May 13th, and if last night was any indication it is going to be a bloody battle. Inside Bergen is just lucky we have it all on tape. No one would believe us otherwise. The last of the three videos below has the best action scenes. 

Here's scene number three placed first. All three videos are on the second page under "read more" below...

Here is the proof that you don’t need “press credentials” to cover municipal political events.

Rutherford Republicans aren't the only local GOP organization facing a primary this year. Republicans in Saddle Brook will also be engaged in a primary battle to decide who will represent end up on the council ticket come November.  Although this contest is not nearly as contentious as the proxy battle being fought between Mayor John Hipp and local GOP chairman John Daub, it is still a primary and an undesirable one at that. 

After watching Democrat Mayor Louis D'Arminio and fellow Democrat, Council President Edward Kugler at each other's throats, one would think the local GOP would be licking their chops at the opportunity to capitalize on the discord created by all of the infighting.  The Democrat controlled council has gone so far as to appoint investigators to probe alleged misconduct regarding a purchase of over $10,000 worth of technological equipment with taxpayer funds, the mayor's exclusive use of a new Police vehicle and allegations that he allowed two contractors to store equipment on township-owned property, free of charge. 

By Steve Morris

When developers Samuel Dayton and Christopher Stuart began buying up farms adjacent to the new Godwinville train station an idyllic suburban paradise began to sprout up in what had previously been the domain of pigs, chickens, cows and corn.  Some things have changed over the past hundred years; agriculture has disappeared from Bergen, Dayton and Stuart are long gone, and Godwinville is now known as Ridgewood.  Other things have not, including Ridgewood's status as a suburban paradise, and this year's council candidates aim to keep it that way.

Incumbents Betty Wiest and Jacques Harlow will take on challengers Paul Aronsohn, Keith Killion and Anne Zusy on May 13th as the five candidates compete for three seats on the village council.  Councilwoman Kim Ringler Shagin is also up for re-election but declined to run for another term.    

Betty Wiest is an active environmentalist and the current deputy mayor.  The Wiest family has a history of political involvement in Ridgewood; Wiest's husband Quentin  served a four year term as mayor during the 1980's.  Jacques Harlow rounds out the other half of "Team Incumbent."  Harlow's political stock is cyclical and resembles that of many US automakers, as he won in 1996, lost his re-election bid in 2000, and rose from the ashes of defeat to the council chambers once again in 2004.  Harlow has been an advocate of public utility reform and once attempted to forge a co-operative among 19 Bergen municipalities including Ridgewood to buy electricity together. 

By Steve Morris

As the merry month of May approaches so do Bergen’s five nonpartisan municipal elections in Mahwah, Ridgewood, Teaneck, Ridgefield Park, and Garfield.  The candidates are out making stump speeches, local civic organizations are putting their two cents in, and the opinion sections of the weekly newspapers are chock full of commentary on the candidates and on the issues.  This is all well and good, but what do the campaign finance reports say about the candidates and their campaigns?

MAHWAH – Sitting mayor Richard Martel may have been convicted of DUI back in 2006, but that hasn’t phased his fund raising efforts one bit; Martel has out raised his opponent, former councilman Gary Paton, nearly six to one. 

The overwhelming majority of Martel’s contributions have been below 300 dollars and have been raised in the past six months, with Martel only carrying over about $500 from his 2004 re-election bid, suggesting a strong base of support among township voters.  In stark contrast, 88% of challenger Gary Paton’s campaign cash came from one Gary Paton. 

RIDGEWOOD - Bergen’s sign vendors and print shops shouldn’t count on having a very strong year in Ridgewood.  Incumbent councilwoman Betty Wiest leads the pack with a whopping $2090 raised to date, followed by former Clinton administration policy wonk Paul Aronsohn, and longtime village cop Keith Killion.  Jacques Harlow’s report is MIA and Anne Zusy’s campaign does not have a bank account. 

TEANECK – The dominant candidate thus far in the fundraising department in this race is incumbent councilwoman Monica Honis.  “Team Teaneck” (Elnatan, Robinson, and Hameduddin) generates most of their money from large $300+ contributions mostly from sources located outside Teaneck and the rest of the candidates are either majority self funded or have yet to break the $3500 barrier in fundraising.

Team Teaneck does possess the organizational edge though, as three candidates are operating as one significantly reducing expenses and broadening their base of potential donors. 

With the exception of Honis, the other two candidates running with the endorsement of “Teaneck United,” a local civic group in opposition to Team Teaneck are not enjoying the sort of support one would expect of true grassroots candidates, lending support to the notion that Teaneck United is simply a Wienberg astroturfing operation.  66% of Barbara Toffler’s campaign fund came courtesy of her checking account and Audra Jackson has yet to break the $3500 mark in fundraising.

The numbers suggest that the residents of Teaneck have opted out of the latest battle between Joe and Loretta, instead writing their checks to Monica Honis or not at all. 

GARFIELD – If winning elections was a simply a matter of out-fundraising your opponent, then this year’s municipal contest in the “city of champions” would have to go the incumbents, who have raised five times as much money than their primary threat of challengers Bonnano, Demarco, and Vistocky.  Maverick candidate Gaetana  Raymond’s campaign fund consists of a loan she made to herself and Richard Derrig’s campaign fund has yet to take in more than $3500 in contributions. 

So where have Calandriello, Aloia, Delaney, Krone, and Moskal been spending all of that money, aside from the printer and the sign guys?  Donating to all of Garfield’s various civic organizations, that’s where. One will be hard pressed to find a church, club, or other organization operating in Garfield who has not recieved a check from this slate of candidates. 

RIDGEFIELD PARK – Challenger Frank Scerbo has purchased some lawn signs, and fellow challenger Junior Hernandez hasn’t cracked $3500 yet.  As for the rest of the  mostly incumbent candidates            who are running together, their ELEC filing is MIA.  The real winners in Ridgefield Park seem to be the village’s DPW, as a drive through the village recently revealed it to be sign-less for the time being, and with a slate of popular incumbents taking on two poorly funded challengers, we are willing to bet it will remain so for the foreseeable future.     

By Steve Morris

Will Lyndon LaRouche be the surprise special guest?

After pledging to give up his Englewood Council seat after one term, Assemblyman/Councilman Gordon Johnson is gearing up for a fundraiser targeted to those whose interests are "development" to raise money for an upcoming 2009 City Council race, with a May 20th fundraiser at $150 per head.  The Loretta Weinberg "Real Democrats Reformer" is apparently seeking to continue holding two political offices, a complete 180 degrees from the Assemblyman's rhetoric. 

Last year, Johnson was caught in conflict when the “reformer” was chastised by the Englewood City Manager for soliciting Assembly campaign funds from city government employees on government property.

By Steve Morris

Rutherford continues to be a political hot zone as a heated primary battle appears to be brewing on the horizon between the Mayor John Hipp-endorsed slate of Frank Wilson and Joseph DeSalvo Jr and the anti-Hipp slate of Marietta Marquart and James Dowden. 

While Wilson and DeSalvo may enjoy the support of the Mayor, Marquart and Dowden have municipal GOP chair John Daub on their side. 

“Jim Dowden and Mary Marquart are organically grown candidates and have paid their dues doing all the little jobs around the party for so long. They have my full support,” said Daub about the 2 candidates.