Domino Theory alive in Hudson politics
Politicial Insider From The Jersey Journal
Saturday, October 14, 2006

The Domino Theory was a 20th century hypothesis that the takeover of a country by a communist regime will set off similar advancement of communism in nearby countries. Read your history about the involvement of this country in Vietnam.

In Hudson County, this theory is applied to political advancement. As an example, when Robert Menendez was appointed in December to the U.S. Senate, it started a linear reaction that will eventually affect other members of the Hudson County Democratic Organization.

The next domino in the line is Assemblyman and West New York Mayor Albio Sires. Sires is running for Menendez's old seat in the House. First, he is running unopposed next month for an interim term as congressman, from November to January. In the same election, he is also running against Republican candidate John Guarini for the full two-year term in congress.

When Sires' interim term election is certified, he will resign as mayor tentatively about Nov. 10. Should he win the contest for the full term in office that begins in January, look for him to resign his state Assembly seat about Nov. 13.

The thud of the next domino is in West New York where the Board of Commissioners is expected to name resident Caridad Rodriguez to the empty commission seat and Commissioner Sal Vega will be tabbed by the board as the next mayor. Then, look for Vega to resign his post as chairman of the Hudson County Board of Freeholders because he will be too busy trying to replace Sires in the Assembly.

Who will replace Vega as a freeholder? While the front-runner appears to be town Commissioner Gerald Lange, some administration officials said he has not been anointed because several others have asked to be considered - which is a polite way of saying that West New York wants to let other mayors know what they plan to do before it is official.

This brings us to a very interesting teetering domino at the Board of Freeholders where people seem to be lining up for Vega's chairmanship. Freeholder Bill O'Dea of Jersey City confirms that he is seeking the chairmanship and that he has asked for the support of his mayor, Jerramiah Healy, and others.

It is likely that the North Hudson mayors, including West Hudson, may support Freeholder Thomas Liggio of North Bergen.

"That's possible for the interim term, but I'll be seeking the full term," said O'Dea of Liggio's prospects.

The Jersey City West Side official expects to get the backing of his fellow hometown freeholders, Jeff Dublin and Eliu Rivera. The question is where will the other votes come from? How will Bayonne vote? Mayor Joe Doria should be very interested in what goes on because the state's 31st legislative district, where he is a state senator, is also home turf for O'Dea and Dublin?
Next year will be a keystone year for Hudson County.

The senior member of the Hudson County Board of Freeholders, Maurice Fitzgibbons of Hoboken, announced at Thursday night's session that "this is it for me, I'm not running again" to make certain that a statement he was making to county workers was just not the hyperbole of a politician.

So, why is it that there is no big announcement of Fitzgibbons' intended retirement?

Could it be that he has also been busy asking mayors to support him for chairman of the freeholders?

The county Democratic leadership held their weekly meeting yesterday and Sen. Majority Leader and HCDO Chairman Bernard Kenny made it clear to everyone what was expected of them in the Senate race. Kenny said Menendez needs at least a net vote result of 58,000. Consider that Gov. Jon Corzine received more than 61,000 net votes against the GOP's Doug Forrester in the 2005 gubernatorial race, so it is possible.

Kenny was also not happy with the polls that show Menendez up by about 5 points when the Democrats believe he should already on top by at least 10 points. Making it worse, in the eyes of HCDO leaders, their polls show Hispanics favor Menendez over Kean 66 to 22 percent. They had hoped for at least 75 percent and on top of this, there is very little support from black voters - this is why U.S. Sen. Barack Osama of Illinois was brought in Wednesday to introduce Menendez in Camden, Trenton and Newark.

Obama was obviously a big hit but how much that will translate into Menendez vote is questionable. It almost seems that the Obama visit was meant more as a signal to other voters around the state to brush aside GOP Senate candidate Tom Kean Jr.'s attempt to define Menendez as a product of a "corrupt" Hudson County.

The big question is why have state Sen. Wayne Bryant introduce everyone at the Newark stop? Federal authorities are investigating Bryant and his alleged no-show job at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

The most disappointed organization in Hudson County is not considered a political one. Although, its members are mostly traditional Democrats.

The Friends of Liberty State Park are "more than" peeved at Gov. Jon Corzine for backing the proposed 9/11 memorial, "Empty Sky," on what is considered the public commons of the huge state park. The memorial calls for a 10-foot high landscaped mound supporting long metal walls with the names of New Jersey victims of the World Trade Center attacks etched on them.

Friends were unhappy that there was no public debate over the memorial that they say blocks the prime viewing area of the New York City skyline. When Corzine announced he would back the original design and location, it guarantees a court fight.

The governor is not the only official who has raised the ire of the park's volunteer watchdogs. At this moment, Friends leader Sam Pesin and other Hudson County "green" warriors have a very poor opinion of Kenny.

"Bernie Kenny stabbed us in the back," said Pesin who said he was hurt when the Senate leader announced that he supported the governor's decision.

All this makes us wonder how the open spaces crowd in Downtown Jersey City feel about City Council President Mariano Vega. Vega, who portrays himself as a champion of green spaces and parks, cast his vote in favor of the AMB mega-warehouse in the PJP landfill in the Marion section of the city.

One has to flip a coin to decide whether it was as bad as Downtown City Councilman Steve Fulop's decision to abstain from the warehouse vote? Local officials can not understand why he did not vote against the warehouse making himself look more of a pro-open spaces official than Vega. His vote would not have changed the outcome, but an abstention is like having no opinion.