Says he'll slay Stack

Thursday, April 05, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Casting himself as David taking on Goliath, West New York Mayor and state Assemblyman Silverio "Sal" Vega officially announced yesterday he's running against Union City Mayor and state Assemblyman Brian Stack in the Democratic primary election for state senator of the 33rd Legislative District.

In an event filled with macho-sounding boasts, Vega called Stack the "beast" he'll "slay in the battlefield."

Throughout the event - held in the West New York Municipal Court inside City Hall - Vega characterized Stack, who is being investigated for a state grant he secured for his estranged wife's day care center, as being one step away from a jail cell.

"I will not stand idly and explain to my daughter why another Hudson County politician got sent to jail - not when I have the power to do something against it," Vega said, cheered by roughly 200 supporters.

Calling Stack "corrupt," Vega added: "This is the time to stand up for Hudson County and stop someone from shaming a county once again."

In response, Stack called Vega "a puppet of the political bosses of Hudson County."

"He (Vega) is a triple-dipper and he has to protect his three jobs," Stack added, referring to Vega's mayor and Assembly posts, as well as his job as athletic director in the West New York school district.

Vega is running as a member of the Hudson County Democratic Organization, which had several bigwigs in attendance, including Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, North Bergen Mayor and state Sen. Nicholas Sacco, Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise, and Hoboken Mayor David Roberts.

Stack is leading a splinter group of Democrats challenging HCDO candidates in the 31st, 32nd and 33rd districts, and for the posts of sheriff, county executive, and county clerk.

Vega also introduced his Assembly running mates: former Hoboken mayoral candidate Carol Marsh and Nicole Harrison Garcia, the wife former Union City Mayor Rudy Garcia - who was recently arrested for racketeering and conspiracy to commit money laundering as part of an illegal sports betting syndicate. Garcia said she shouldn't be judged by the allegations against her husband.

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Vega itching for a scrap with Stack
By Max Pizarro - April 4, 2007 - 10:11pm
Tags: Brian Stack, Sal Vega,

By MAX PIZARRO
PoliticsNJ.com

WEST NEW YORK - Their two immigrant towns stand back to back above the New Jersey Turnpike, where New York doesn't exist without a "West" in front of it, where one-time factory workers belonged not just to a union but to a city.

West New York and Union City.

Assemblyman (and West New York Mayor) Silverio "Sal" Vega and Assemblyman (and Union City Mayor) Brian P. Stack appear to have little in common other than pride in their respective cities, the Bergenline business district that cuts through both their territories, and the fact that they're from the same party, which actually in Hudson County more likely than not means division, which happens to be exactly what it means in this case.
For what Vega and Stack do share in earnest is an intense, mutually exclusive thirst for the Upper Legislative House in that other river town -- Trenton. Now that longtime State. Sen. (and Hudson County Democratic Chairman) Bernie Kenny is retiring, the two politicians are committed to a full bore, mano-a-mano contest in the Democratic Primary.

Vega knows he's in a fight, and at his kick-off ceremony today in West New York he and the fortifications of power around him - other legislators, elected officials from the Hudson County Democratic Organization and a deep room of supporters, many of them Latino -- signaled their willingness to mix it up.

Vega said he's not a Bible-belter. If someone wanted to find a way to identify him with a single slogan, he or she could chose the words "Roman Catholic" and do an adequate job describing what Vega's about, said the mayor, addressing his audience in a second story chamber in City Hall.

But Vega let on that he is familiar with an Old Testament story in which young David arms himself with a slingshot and fells the mighty Goliath.

"I'll meet him on the battlefield," Vega said of his contest with Stack, "and I will slay the beast."

A roar sounded from the crowd.

The well-worn David and Goliath metaphor may be apt, according to some Hudson County insider. Stack -- a Union City native, mayor since 2000 and two-term Assemblyman -- has greater name recognition, and serves a city with a population larger by one-third that of West New York. But his campaign could be hampered by a subpoenas served to him last month by federal prosecutors.

A former Freeholder, Vega took office late last year to fill the unexpired mayoral and legislative terms of Albio Sires, who was elected to Congress. Sires supports Stack for Senate.

As the new Congressman looked on, Stack unveiled his own candidacy yesterday with an appeal to ethics, standing under a bronze Jersey City statue titled "Mystic Lincoln." Today Vega made the same appeal, minus the statue. He said his father told him once, "If you choose to run, I'll support you, but don't ever shame our family name."

Vega won't, he promised.

Where Stack had Lincoln, Vega invoked the memory of his own political mentor, the late Sen. Christopher Jackman of West New York.

"Twenty years ago, he stood in a room like this to announce his ticket," which included the young Robert Menendez and Kenny for the district's two Assembly seats. Strong candidates, Vega pointed out.

Accompanying the West New Yorker on his ticket are two equally strong women, he noted: former Hoboken Councilwoman Carol Marsh and Nicole Harrison Garcia, the wife of former Assemblyman (and Union City Mayor) Rudy Garcia.

They spoke, and so did Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise, who underscored the hard edge of the contest.

"Sal is a strong leader who never walks away from a fight," said DeGise. "This ticket is a wonderful ticket, made up of women and men: new ideas with old wily veterans like Sal and me."

The Cuban-born Vega made an impassioned closing argument to his supporters in Spanish, saying it's important for the future of the children, for immigrants to fight - and not be used anymore.

"We are important," he said to cheers.

And a moment later he welcomed Jersey City Mayor (and incoming Hudson County Democratic Party Chairman) Jerramiah Healy to the microphone, to sing "God Bless America."

"This song is particularly appropriate," said Healy. "It was written by a Jewish Russian immigrant. ...Before he came to America he was labeled as dull, stupid and lazy by his teachers. He became one of our greatest songwriters: Irving Berlin. This is a country built by immigrants, and sometimes some of our leaders forget that."

Healy took the lead singing and the room joined in, and the relentless battle hum was quelled for a few moments, replaced by Healy's baritone and Berlin's words and a suggestion of abiding peace, and then the song ended, and the room was tense again with the campaign.

Stack was not available for comment.

In Hudson County :

Democrats = Corruption

That?s why Governor Corzine has an issue with these bastards !!!

Stacked against the odds

By Max Pizarro - April 3
PoliticsNJ.com

Slapped with a subpoena last week by the U.S. Attorney?s office, Assemblyman (and Union City Mayor) Brian P. Stack today made ethical integrity his staple issue in the race for State Senate in district 33.

?It?s about defeating the political bosses in Hudson County,? said Stack, who appealed to the people ? the 600,000+ residents of Hudson County in a kick-off ceremony in Jersey City?s Lincoln Park emceed by Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner.

Heralded by his allies as a 24-7 workaholic, Stack is running against the Hudson County Democratic Organization with other alternative tickets headed up by Assemblyman Louis Manzo, State Senate candidate in district 31; and Sean Connors, State Senate candidate in district 32.

Stack, who is under investigation for allegedly diverting money to an organization where his then-wife worked, is running on a ticket with Hoboken Councilman Ruben Ramos, and West New York Commissioner Claridad ?Carrie? Rodriguez.


?I expect a very dirty campaign. Why? Because they don?t have a record to run on,? said Stack, who faces Assemblyman (and West New York Mayor) Silverio Vega in the primary.

Manzo runs from the outside

By Max Pizarro - April 3
www.PoliticsNJ.com

JERSEY CITY - Assemblyman Louis Manzo announced his candidacy for State Senate today and will face the widow of his onetime political ally in the 31st disrict Democratic primary.

Manzo, a Jersey City Democrat, will run with Assembly candidates Nicholas Chiaravalloti of Bayonne and Shelia Newton-Moses of Jersey City against the Hudson County Democratic Organization slate: Sandra Bolden Cunningham for Senate, and Bayonne Councilman (and former Assemblyman) Anthony Chiappone and L. Harvey Smith, a former Jersey City Council President who served briefly as a State Senator and Acting Mayor, for Assembly.

Manzo, who said he was a friend for twenty years of the late Jersey City Mayor (and Senator) Glenn Cunningham, said the HCDO has sacrificed principles for political expediency, and presented himself and his ticket as "unbossed and unbought."

Chiaravalloti, who left his post as U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez's District Director to make the race, said the choice in the election is "between change and the status quo," while Newton-Moses urged the voting pubolic not to be fooled in assessing herself or the likewise youthful Chiaravalloti.

"We are not newcomers to the issues," said Newton-Moses.

Speaking at the Lincoln Statue in Lincoln Park, Manzo, a two-term Assemblyman, ex-Freeholder and unsuccessful mayoral candidat, said he was motivated to get into public life by the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sen. Robert Kennedy, particulalry the former's "I have a Dream Speech."

"I would ask you to judge this team by the content of their character," he said, paraphrasing King's 1963 speech.

Manzo invoked the integrity of Lincoln as he stood under a statue of the sixteenth President, and promised to deliver integrity in the spirit of Lincoln and the late Mayor Cunningham.

He says he will self-finance his campaign.

Manzo claimed Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy left him out of the decision-making process as the HCDO began talks about putting together a District 31 Legislative ticket. The fact that Sandra Cunningham went with the HCDO under the circumstances detracts from her credibility, in Manzo's view.

Healy says Manzo refused to talk. Manzo says that's not true.

"I never felt welcome," said Manzo, who said he believes Healy was leaving him out of the process so Manzo would be shut down politically and not be in a position to challenge Healy for Mayor in 2009.

That's a charge that Healy vehemently denied last week in Bayonne, calling it "ridiculous."

Proud to stand outside the power structure, Manzo said the worst thing the HCCO has done in his estimation is commit what he describes as a slur to Cunningham by characterizing the late Mayor as desirous of a seat at the table controlled by the Democratic Party power brokers.

"Mayor Cunningham wanted to set a table for the people of Hudson County," Manzo said.

The incumbent Senator, Joseph Doria, is not seeking re-election. Assemblyman Charles Epps is also not a candidate for a second term.

Stack announces his ticket, at Lincoln's knee
Wednesday, April 04, 2007

S uddenly, Hispanics have become a very important demographic in the Hudson County Democratic Party's civil war.

Triggering this "mi partido es su partido" mindset was the announcement yesterday of the countywide ticket in the June 5 primary of Union City Mayor and 33rd District Assemblyman Brian P. Stack and his various allies.

The strange thing about the introduction of candidates is that the "Democrats For Hudson County" (DFHC) team chose to have the event at the entrance to Lincoln County Park in Jersey City - at the foot of the county's famous sitting Abraham Lincoln statue. Although he started out as a member of the Whig Party, Lincoln was instrumental in creating the Republican Party.

In the end, the DFHC has four Hispanics on the ticket. The Democratic organization that is trying hard to promote itself as a party of "inclusion" and not "of the machine, by the machine, for the machine" is also considering a fifth Hispanic to run in the 32nd District.

The Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) has three of its own Hispanics, but it is also aware of Stack's popularity with the Latino population. Perhaps to counter this perception, it will reach into its political leadership among Jersey City Puerto Ricans. A Hispanic rally for the HCDO was planned for today at the county courthouse, but it was canceled in anticipation of inclement weather. The DFHC dismissed it as Hispanics On The Payroll for DeGise.

The HCDO has promoted its five women candidates and the DFHC says they have four women and one of them is vying for the top spot, county executive.

Let's go down the DFHC list.

Running for County Executive is Noemi Velazquez, a Jersey City educator and an interesting choice because of her connections. Velazquez was an executive board member of Latinas United for Political Empowerment, a statewide women's group, and member of the board of directors for Aspira Inc. of New Jersey, in Newark.

Even more interesting is the fact she was the Ward E candidate on current County Executive Tom DeGise's "Keep Jersey City Moving Forward" Jersey City municipal ticket in 2001 that lost to the slate of Glenn D. Cunningham.

The other constitutional posts, sheriff and county clerk, are being sought by incumbent Joseph Cassidy of Jersey City and Mary Jane Desmond of Bayonne, respectively.

In the District 31 contest, the candidates are Assemblyman Lou Manzo of Jersey City, who is seeking state Sen. Joseph Doria's seat. Doria chose not to seek re-election. The Assembly candidates are Nicholas Chiaravalloti, senior state director for U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, and Sheila Newton-Moses. Newton-Moses is founder and CEO of Sunnyside Academy of Jersey City and academic advisor for the Urban League.

Candidates in the 32nd District include Senate candidate Sean Connors, a Jersey City police officer, and Assembly candidate Tom Troyer, a Secaucus school trustee. In his speech, Connors made a point of noting that his uncle was former Sen. Tom Cowan of Jersey City, who was forced out of office and replaced by Sen. Nick Sacco of North Bergen.

The 33rd District has Stack for senator and Assembly running mates Hoboken Councilman Ruben J. Ramos, Jr. and West New York Commission member Caridad Rodriguez.

The DFHC is also running Jose Mu?oz of West New York in the special election for the remaining freeholder term of Hudson County Freeholder and West New York Mayor Sal Vega, who is the HCDO's candidate for senator in the 33rd District.

The HCDO has yet to determine who will be its freeholder candidate, although West New York Commissioner Gerald Lange Jr. has been holding the seat temporarily. His chances to run plummeted after he sent his wife to the hospital with a broken nose, as a result of what Lange says was an accident.

Albert Cabrera of Weehawken, and brother-in-law of North Bergen Commissioner Hugo Cabrera, is expected to be named by the HCDO. The last time we heard, Cabrera was a member of the GOP, but then again, the DFHC's Mu?oz was a Republican several years ago.

For county posts, the HCDO has incumbent DeGise running for re-election and Jersey City Police Deputy Director Juan Perez of Bayonne for sheriff and for county clerk, Barbara Netchert, head of the Jersey City Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce.

The HCDO's Senate candidate in the 31st is Sandra Bolden Cunningham, widow of Jersey City Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham. She is running with Assembly hopefuls Bayonne Councilman Anthony Chiappone and former Jersey City Councilman L. Harvey Smith.

Incumbent Sen. Nick Sacco leads the HCDO 32nd District slate. Fellow incumbents Joan

Quigley of Jersey City and Vincent Prieto of Secaucus are Assembly running mates.

Vega is taking on Stack in the 33rd and the HCDO's Assembly hopefuls there are Nicole Garcia of Union City and Carol Marsh of Hoboken.

The war of words started awhile ago, but Manzo kept pace yesterday by telling those at yesterday's announcement that voters ". can be assured that he knows the fine line between reconciliation and self-opportunity." It was an obvious shot at rival Bolden Cunningham's decision to run with the HCDO.

He continued his attack by saying he would use the words of "a great man, Glenn D. Cunningham" to say he is "unbought and unbossed."

Gov. Jon Corzine isn't returning the phone calls of Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who is anxious to talk about his city's municipal budget. The conventional wisdom in City Hall is that the sudden telecommunications problems have cropped up ever since Healy became a state coordinator for the presidential aspirations of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois. Corzine is a Hillary Clinton supporter.

Hoboken City Council Second Ward candidate Beth Mason said she was upset because it was mentioned in Saturday's column that she was among those who agreed to accompany Hoboken Mayor Dave Roberts to an HCDO rally in Schuetzen Park, North Bergen, along with Michael Lenz, Tony Soares and Carol Marsh. Mason denies that she ever attended the rally - with or without Roberts - and said that she was doing some political work in her ward.

On Saturday, readers were left with a puzzle. In this season of name calling, who has been so described:

1. "An empty suit."

2. "Barney Rubble."

Number one is Stack. This is what Kenny called his nemesis at a North Bergen rally by the HCDO - among other things.

Number two is Kenny. This is Stack's favorite description of the man who refused to step down to make way for the Union City mayor to join the Senate. More nastiness to come.

Stack to intro his slate

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

The newly formed "Democrats for Hudson County" is scheduled to announce its candidates for the June 5 Democratic primary today at noon at the Lincoln Statue in Jersey City's Lincoln Park.

Led by Union City Mayor and state Assemblyman Brian Stack, the new group is bucking the Hudson County Democratic Organization for political supremacy in the county.

The group is expected to announce a full slate of candidates for state offices in the 31st, 32nd and 33rd legislative districts, as well as candidates for county executive, sheriff and clerk.

Besides running Stack for state Senate in the 33rd District, the group is backing state Assemblyman Lou Manzo, D-Jersey City, for state Senate in the 31st District; acting County Clerk Mary Jane Desmond and Sheriff Joseph Cassidy for their current posts; and Jersey City Board of Education supervisor Noemi Velazquez for county executive.

KEN THORBOURNE