Political Insider: Jersey City mayor is slowly showing his tougher side

By Agustin C. Torres/The Jersey Journal
on December 07, 2013 at 12:01 AM

This week there were some notable events that placed a spotlight on the administration of Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop. Mst people, including the mayor, would think the high point was the visit of highly popular, former Democratic President Bill Clinton to a mayoral fund-raiser. I think not.

While interesting, and an achievement for Fulop to get the Arkansas rooster to help raise about $600,000 for future campaigns, it?s my opinion that the mayor?s appearance at a Monday breakfast, annually held by the Hudson County Central Labor Council, was far more compelling.

The public sees an affable, smiling and smart young man. But at the labor morning meal at Puccini?s, it was the ?mayor,? and not so much Fulop who showed up. He?s been in office six months and the ?hard? part of his personality that has always remained hidden is now surfacing. His emerging persona is what some old timers in the Hudson County Democratic Organization feared ? proof that he wants to take control of the county?s Democratic Party, they say.

The late Glenn Cunningham fit the Hudson County Democratic Organization?s mold of a countywide boss wannabe soon after Cunningham was elected mayor and made demands for more say in county politics. Glenn was always a friendly individual. He often visited the late columnist Peter Weiss and me at the Journal newsroom late in the evenings. This changed quickly.

As head of the county?s largest city, Cunningham wanted more say in the Democratic Party. A harder Glenn emerged and when the HCDeadO resisted, he fought back by successfully running for the 31st District state Senate seat.

It?s a little different for Fulop, who is dealing with a much weaker HCDeadO. After all, after several approaches, he agreed to go along with Secaucus Assemblyman Vincent Prieto as the HcDeadO?s new chairman, replacing Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith, who is no longer on Fulop?s holiday greetings cards list. Fulop is expected to make changes from inside the shrunken belly of the no longer beastly.

It?s not like the mayor was undergoing a noticeable ?Metamorphosis,? so much as a slow imperceptible maturation after navigating his way through an eight-year local election campaign

On Monday, Fulop entered Puccini?s and he spotted Freeholder Bill O?Dea in a corner by himself. The mayor introduced O?Dea to labor people from Hudson, Essex and Bergen counties at every table.

At the function were members of the old city administration, including ex-mayor Jerramiah Healy, and council members Bill Gaughan, Peter Brennan and Mike Sottolano. Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise was also with the very veteran pols, as usual. The ex-officials were to be honored with plaques. They also had a table at the front of the room while Fulop, who was to be the event?s only speaker, was several tables behind them.

While visiting the Bergen County Building and Construction Trades Council table at the front of the room, O?Dea asked the question, ?Did we win?? BCBCTC President Rick Sabato said, ?we?ve got your seats right here,? as he pulled out two chairs.

When Fulop spoke, he began his remarks with a shout-out to O?Dea whom he credited with helping the Jersey City administration with economic and development policies and promised everyone that the freeholder will make great (political) strides in the future. It wasn?t a public endorsement, but it was a bold and fawning statement, with DeGise sitting in the room and the county executive race looming in 2015.

The mayor made a gracious statement in acknowledging Healy and his running mates. Several people in the room claim Healy then turned to one of the people at his table and said ? and let?s paraphrase to be safe ? "Is he (expletive deleted) kidding me?"

Fulop must be able to read lips because he immediately regretted letting his ?hard? personality slip.

U.S. Rep. Albio Sires was among the many political personalities at the breakfast and his communications aide, Erica Daughtrey, adamantly argued with the labor folks to allow Sires to say a few words instead of just having his presence acknowledged. In the end, they let Sires say a few words.

Why was this significant? It means that Sires? congressional seat is on the table as a bargaining chip when it comes time for O?Dea to announce he is challenging DeGise. Then he and the 800-pound gorilla, Fulop, will use it to attract another mayor to their side of the coming battle.

During the morning, Fulop made a beeline to the table of Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith and 31st District Assemblyman Jason O?Donnell. Lip readers said O?Donnell and Fulop exchanged words. The assemblyman asked if everything was OK between them and that they should sit down and talk. Fulop mumbled some assent. The Jersey City mayor turned and walked away never looking at or speaking to Smith.

Like I said, this event had many ramifications. Fulop is making political plans. They include dealing with Bayonne, backing O?Dea should the freeholder decide he wants to make the leap and willing to use a congressional seat to get want he wants. The ?Mr.Smith goes to Washington? facade is gone.

INSIDER NOTES

? This morning I know some Bayonne folks expect to read about my visit Wednesday to a fund-raiser at the Villa Maria held by Police Capt. Jimmy Davis, who hopes to unseat Smith. Look for it early next week. Hey, I run out of hours in the day.

-- Fulop?s people had a tough time negotiating with Clinton?s before the president?s visit. Bill?s gang wanted the president to handle only three shout-outs but eventually agreed to five. Everyone and his cousin wanted a quick portrait shot with Clinton, but most of them would go to the 35 or so VIPs -- those who raised $10,000. Clinton would allow only 40 shots but after some haggling, it was agreed that 80 pictures would be taken. Naturally, there were plenty of smartphones on the side.

-- Tomorrow is the annual freeholders' reunion at the W Hotel in Hoboken. Bayonne alums Neil Carroll and Cornelius Gallagher may attend. Just want to know if they take their Ensure shaken or stirred, neat or on the rocks? Sooner or later, we'll all have that cocktail served, if we're lucky.

-- Can't wait for former West New York Mayor Sal Vega to announce he's running for a school board seat either in the January special election for a two-seat expansion of the school panel or in April when three spots on the board become available. Thank goodness the good town people are taking politics out of education.

-- With the long black coats Fulop wears now that cold weather has arrived, I want to nickname him "Neo," but let's hold off on monickers until something more Hudson-appropriate comes along. Remember what they called Tommy Smith?

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