Joe Vas concession speech at Liberty House 6.6.2006

http://www.hudsoncountyclerk.org/cgi-bin/election.pl

Election Results- ONLY for Hudson County (

Dem - House of Representatives- 13th District
73/288 25.35% counted
Vote Count
Albio Sires 3,282
Joseph Vas 1,273
Personal Choice 1
Total 4,556

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from http://www.nj.com:

All counties
U.S. House District 13 (12% Precincts Reporting)
Albio Sires Dem 1,476 52.10%
Joseph Vas Dem 1,357 47.90%

The County/HCDO decides where the names are placed on the ballot. It is not pick of the draw.

I voted at 6:30PM -- E17 and was number 45, including the pink signature slips.


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I voted a few minutes ago. Can we discuss how biased the ballot is? I am a highly educated and fairly smart person and it took me a bit to figure out how to vote for Vas.

I realize that this is a primary and is therefore run by the party, not the government, per se, but the HCDO candidates are given an unfair advantage. Especially since, to answer a previous question, the party and the HCDO are technically NOT the same thing. Although in reality . . .

Right, I figured out that they were unopposed, but who are Elizabeth Roman and Osvaldo Roman???

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Thanks to SuperFurry and Steve Fulop for the pointers. I'll be leaving work shortly and will try again to vote.

The county committee people in Hoboken were unopposed, unfortunately. DFA should try to field a slate of challengers next year, countywide.

If you support Vas, vote for column C and you are all set. It should take all of two seconds once you are in the polling booth. The other democrats are unopposed and it is inconceivable that they could lose.

Does anyone know who the county committee candidates -- Elizabeth Roman and Osvaldo Roman are. Any relation?
In Hudson County a male AND a female committe person is elected.

Line 2 is for the two year term (2007-2008)

Line 3 is to fill the current vacancy of Menendez. But this wont take place until November. So basically line 3 puts someone in the House for 2 months.

What is the difference between row 2 and row 3 for House of Rep? Do I vote both rows?

http://www.hudsoncountyclerk.org/elec ... _files/JCity%20Form12.pdf

My reason for voting for Vas came down to a few things.
1. The endorsement from Kuccinich.
2. In the Jersey Journal endorsment for Sires, they listed their views side by side. They were exactly the same except for one thing: Vas supports punishing companies who hire illegals.
3. Sires was once a Republican and pro-life. I don't think we need a wishy-washy candidate on this subject in the House at this time.

Kermit,

That polling station has been moved to inside McNair Academic at 7th/Coles. The reason is that the board of elections needed a place that is handicap accessible.

I will call the board of Elections to ask for signs to indicate the change as we were under the impression that they were going to send you notification of the switch....

Thanks for pointing it out
Steven Fulop

Wish someone else was running for Hudson County register!
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Willie Flood, Jersey City councilwoman at large, runs unopposed for the Democrats, while Ondeka Sumter runs unopposed for the Republicans.
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Can we get a Bill passed so that people can only hold one job at a time!

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From today's Philly Inquirer,

With Menendez moving to the Senate, there has been a mudslinging contest between Democrats Albio Sires and Joe Vas for his U.S. House seat.

While Vas, an assemblyman and Perth Amboy's mayor, and Sires, an assemblyman and West New York's mayor, have similar views on most issues, each has sought to draw a distinction by exposing his rival as sleazy not for what he has done but for whom he knows.

A Sires radio ad has attacked Vas for asking for leniency for a man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. And a Vas TV ad informed viewers that Sires' chief fund-raiser was convicted in a West New York sports-betting scandal.

John Guarini is running unopposed for the Republican nomination for the House seat.

I went to my usual polling site this morning--Resurrection Church on Brunswick and 7th--and it was closed and there were no signs.

I can't find a map of polling sites. Does anyone who usually votes there know where I should go?

Lets keep this thread alive all day today so people are reminded to come out. This is our shot to say F You to the powers that be.

Thank you, 25 McWilliams, for the information you shared.

I was originally thinking that I might not vote. I was really fed up with the amount of flyers left on my door and how negative they all are. When I first read your list of endorsements, my first thought was, "The Sierra Club endorses the guy leaving all the flyers???"

But, now that I read this, I can understand that it takes a lot of campaigning to beat the HCDO. It also means a lot to me that Steve Fulop endorses Vas. I respect Steve Fulop.

I also found Tris McCall's piece on "Why I'm Voting for Vas" to be helpful.
http://www.trismccall.net/jcj_vas.htm

I will get out of bed a little bit earlier tomorrow to vote for Vas. (Also, thank you Mia, for poll times info.)

In my mind, any vote against the HCDO is probably a good one.

Keep in mind the Hudson County Democratic Organization does NOT want you to vote in the election tomorrow. Not registered? Great! They are crossing their fingers that you have something better to do. Rain or a hail storm would also be nice. They are banking on an apathetic electorate to tilt the election in their favor. The pressure is on county and city employees to vote for the HCDO candidates in column A.

The Sierra Club endorses Vas, which is good enough for me!



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You are correct when you look at it that way. To get that many endorsements when you are not affiliated with the machine is impressive.

No, it's not.... Vas is running against the endorsed machine politican so what do you expect? Most of the HC pols could never get elected on their own. Unless the party puts them on the ticket they'd never get elected so consequently they'll never support someone not endorsed by the HCDO. That's how it works... Only those who fall in line get selected by the HCDO....

That'll change when people take notice and get informed... hopefully soon before we're bankrupted....

Mia

That's a pretty lame list of endorsements. . . I am surprised that Teddy or some kid's zine didn't make the list. :)

Joe Vas - Democrat for Congress!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Vin Gopal (732-299-5625)
Monday, June 5 2006

* LIST OF OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENTS *
ORGANIZATIONS:

* National Sierra Club
* Hudson County Chapter of Democracy for America
* Middlesex County Democratic Organization
* The New Jersey Stonewall Democrats
* Garden State Equality

NEWSPAPERS

* El Nuevo Coqui (Puerto Rican) Newspaper
* The Post Eagle (Polish) Newspaper
* El Mensaje Newspaper
* El Observador Newspaper
* The Urban Times Newspaper

ELECTED OFFICIALS

* 2004 Democratic Presidential Candidate, US Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH)
* Woodbridge Mayor Frank G. Pelzman
* Elected City Councilmembers from Woodbridge
* Elected School Board Members from Woodbridge
* Elected City Councilmembers from Carteret
* Elected School Board Members from Carteret
* Perth Amboy City Council President Peter Jimenez
* Elected Perth Amboy School Board
* Perth Amboy Councilwoman Geraldine Bolanowski
* Perth Amboy Councilman Frank Sinatra
* Perth Amboy Councilman Robert Sottilaro
* Downtown Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop
* Jersey City Political Activist Sandra Cunningham
* Bayonne Councilman-at-large Anthony Chiappone
* Bayonne Councilman-Elect Gary LaPelusa
* Former Hoboken Councilman Carol Marsh
* 8 out of 9 members of the Elizabeth School Board
* Elizabeth City Councilman Bob Jaspan

Question: is the Hudson County Democratic Organization legally identical to the Hudson County Democratic party? Does it have a Web site? If so, what's the address? If not, where do you go to try to crash it?

BOYS AND GIRLS CAN YOU SAY "TOOLBOX?"

MR. ROGERS iS LAUGHING HIS A#% OFF AT THIS TOOL "REv3434". ARE YOU FOR REAL?

QUOTE " As one of the two elected committee persons for the Hudson County Democratic Committee in Ward E's District 22, which includes Newport...."

I RE-READ HIS POST ON HEALY AND SIRES FIVE TIMES, AND IT MAKES MR. ROGERS MAD. THIS POST IS MORE REASON TO VOTE FOR VAS THAN ANYTHING ELSE I HAVE SEEN.

MR ROGERS THINKS THAT WE NEED TO THROW TOOLS LIKE "REv3434" OUT OF THE NEGHBORHOOD ALL TOGETHER.

GO VAS!! BREAK THIS CORUPT HCDO OPEN!

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Vote for Vas -- his supporters can break text into paragraphs!

Ok, cheap shot, but, sorry, the machine is just plain creepy, in and of itself.

Also, Healy might be a perfectly good mayor, but why, then is he so wishy washy about tax abatements and hostile toward the efforts to preserve the reservoir and
the embankment?

Perhaps more important, what is Healy doing to help persuade the Jersey City schools to create some kind of duplicate of Learning Community Charter School? Or, ideally, one or more LCCS programs within several different regular public schools?

I think you could make an argument that any Jersey City politician, including (sorry, love the guy) Steve Fulop, who's not working day and night to replicate LCCS is a dunderhead.

As one of the two elected committee persons for the Hudson County Democratic Committee in Ward E's District 22, which includes Newport, I take exception to the characterization that if you support candidates on the HCDO ticket somehow you're not progressive, enlightened and informed on the important issues. For example, whoever characterized Mayor Healy as a buffoon is simply sadly mistaken. First, like I'm sure many of the supposed hip writers on this site, he was against the Iraq War from its inception and indeed, has spoken out passionately against this tragic war. Second, unlike Mayor Guiliani when he was New York's mayor and had the chance to, Mayor Healy believes in and has applied community policing as one of several methods to address the recent rise in crime. As for Albio Sires, he has a progressive record we all can support, whether against the Iraq War, for an increase in the minimum wage, for increased funding for education so young kids from lower-income families can actually go to college and for after-school programs to keep kids off the dangerous city streets in our poorer neighborhoods. It seems Vas supporters are simply rebelling against those in power without basing it on any actual policy issue or social problem the powers that be have caused. It's one thing to address the serious problems caused by Bush and the Republican Congress but what local issue do you blame on Mayor Healy, the City Council or Assemblyman Sires. In fact, Vas has failed to balance the Perth Amboy budget, a tiny budget of a mere $58 million. IN this regard, how does experience dealing with a small budget which he can't balance translate to representing us in Congress where he'll be responsible for a $trillion budget? At least Sires has dealt with the state's $30 billion budget and has the personality to deal with the extreme right wing in power these days and therefore, may actually accomplish something. Vote for Sires and don't throw your vote away as a protest vote against the maching.

Tuesday- June 6th - Primary Elections
Tomorrow is Election Day. In Hudson County whoever wins the Democratic Party's primary wins the General Election since the Republican Party is practically non-existent. Independents can elect to vote in the primary. If you're an independent, at the poll, tell the worker you choose to vote in the Democratic primary. Being an independent in Hudson County is like giving away your vote...

One of the open seats is our district's rep to the US House of Representatives to replace Bob Menendez, who was selected to fill Jon Corzine's US Senate seat when he became Governor January 1st....

Talking Politics is endorsing Joe Vas - 2C on the ballot.. He's running against the HC Democratic Party's endorsed candidate Albio Sires, the current speaker of the NJ Assembly. On our website, I've pasted links to various news articles and their bill sponsorships. They're both currently in the NJ Assembly in Trenton.

Vas is the primary sponsor for assembly bill A957 which "Provides for mandatory forfeiture of retirement benefits of elected official convicted of crime involving office held". Tony Chiappone introduced that bill last year but unfortunately lost his seat to Charlie Epps Jr, who has done nothing but "Londongate" may kill his Assembly career. No loss... This bill is not supported by the HCDO. This bill has teeth. The corruption in this state, articularly Hudson County, will bankrupt us... We need that bill. See our website, "Indicted Officials" for a listing of HC pols indicted.

Vas has sponsored 95 bills to Sires 22 for this year. Sires is a one of the sponsors for A3190 - "Permits a local realty transfer fee on property located in cities of the first class." Jersey City, Newark & Paterson are the 3 first class cities. That's more taxes! Sellers of real estate already pay a transfer realty tax to the state but now they want a city tax.

See my JC Budget TV show ( which streams off our Talking Politics website) on the public hearing for JC's SFY 2006 budget. We got socked with an 18% tax increase to cover MORE HIRING/ PATRONAGE plus the city/Healy did an early retirement BUT has hired back many of the folks so they now collect TWO paychecks! The more you give them, the more they squander. There is no shame under the Healy administration!

Stand up & vote so we can break this absolute power of the HCDO which corrupts absolutely..... PLEASE VOTE!

VOTE FOR Joe Vas - 2C

Tomorrow--- Tuesday, June 6th

6 AM to 8 pm - polls open
your regular polling district

Mia Scanga

Met both candidates, Joe Vas certainly has put a hell of alot of face time in JC including the Meatball, JCLC Awards Ceremony and other places. He also talked with the pubic and seemed to listen. Albio Sires while also attending my neighborhood association (after Vas did) seemed to mostly hit the political events (maybe only these people will vote in the primary).

While discussing Common Cause's Redevelopment Pay to Play ordinance with Mr. Vas, he stated that the redevelopment that has occured in Perth Amboy was done without tax abatements. While assuming that there may be specific reasons for this, it is interesting. He also tossed around some statistics that the people filling the new developments are mostly relocating / empty nesters from within Perth Amboy.

On the negative side, how Mr. Vas does in the primary will impact the political jockeying of the JC politicos endorsing him.

It would also be interesting to see as mrrogers points out, what will Mr. Sires do if wins the special election and loses the full term.

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Sorry I missed it. Hope you had a good turnout. I'm glad to hear DK is out and about. Joe Vas for Congress.

Jersey City music legend/political guru/arts-community leader Tris McCall signs up for Team Vas!

From trismcall.net:

Why I'm voting for Joe Vas

If there could ever be a contest that could turn even the most hardened pollwatcher off of electoral politics, the Sires-Vas contest in our 13th Jersey Congressional District would be it. Every day, my mailbox (and yours, too, probably) is flooded with more glossy circulars about police scandals and absentee voting records and friendships with heroin dealers and child molesters. We have all seen WWF events conducted with more dignity. It's arguable that the only sane response to this kind of thing is to stay indoors on Tuesday, forget the whole thing, watch Gilmore Girls re-runs, and pretend we're governed by wise men who are above third-grade name calling.

The trouble is that this isn't some dinky Council election to decide who gets to sit to the right of Mariano Vega and argue about whether Van Vorst Park needs a dog run. We can't afford to blow this one off; we're selecting a United States Representative. We only get one. And barring some kind of radical redistricting, we'll be stuck with the one we get for at least a decade.

When I lived in Union City, Assemblyman Sires was the mayor of West New York. He neither distinguished nor embarrassed himself up there -- he just tried to make himself a functional and non-flashy part of a local political operation that had been in place for years before he'd gotten there, and will likely be in place for years to come. New Yorkers will know what I mean when I say he's the Peter Vallone of Hudson County. He's the guy who always gets promoted by going along with the bigwigs. Then you wake up one day, and he's a bigwig himself.

In our case, Sires became Speaker of the State Assembly. And for the past few years, every time a higher-up in Jersey politics caught a cold or got a paper cut, we had to hear about how Bob Menendez was going to ascend to that post, and (as an afterthought) how Sires would inherit Menendez's seat in Congress. We heard it so much that it started to feel inevitable and natural. Again, Sires was in line for a promotion for no other reason than somebody with power decided he ought to get the job.

Whenever someone takes the "friends and neighbors" route to prominence, you always have to worry about how he'll react when he's challenged. Albio Sires got challenged, and he didn't respond well.

Joe Vas, Assemblyman and mayor of Perth Amboy, threw his hat in the ring this winter, and immediately began some de rigeur posturing on Sires's left. This was exactly what you'd expect from the non-HCDO candidate: a little "alternative-to-the-machine" rhetoric, a little "outsider" crapola, a little "real Democrat" stuff, you know, the usual. Vas sent around a circular outlining his opposition to the Iraq War, promising to bring the troops home and stand up to George Bush. Forget that Joe Vas is about as likely to end the Iraq War as Don Mattingly is. He was actually attempting to inject some debate and substance into the race. (By contrast, Sires's campaign materials had shown him standing around, stiffly and pointlessly, with senior citizens).

As I see it, Albio Sires responded to Vas's rudimentary attempt to elevate the tone of the contest in two ways:

He copied Joe Vas's rhetoric.
He attempted to make Joe Vas look like an outlaw.

About two weeks after getting the Vas circular, we got a nearly identical mailer from Sires. Now he was going to stop the Iraq War and stand up to George Bush. His campaign barely bothered to change any of the phrases in Vas's advert. If you were a high school English teacher, and Albio Sires handed you this circular, you'd report him to the principal's office for plagiarism.
This secondhand propaganda was accompanied by a barrage of some of the most grotesque attack ads I've ever seen in my life -- and I've lived in New Jersey for almost all of it. Joe Vas bailed out a drug dealer. Joe Vas helps child molesters. And so on. One of them had a crying child on it (Vas's fault, of course, he makes babies cry); another had a picture of giant hypodermic needle on the front and a shot of a cadaverous Vas on the back. I don't expose myself to political talk radio, but I do listen to Mike and the Mad Dog. For the past month, I couldn't get through the opening segment without hearing a crudely-produced HCDO spot that called Vas "criminal."

The natural reaction is to laugh at this, and to simply allow it to satirize itself. But the United States government is no joke. It does things like launch gigantic, expensive, and unending invasions of foreign countries on barely-understood pretexts. And I know nobody around here wants to hear this, but for the past fifteen years or so, Robert Menendez has been awfully effective at turning the machinery of the federal government to the advantage and enrichment of District 13. We're not voting to replace some bum who never amounted to anything. We're looking for a successor to one of the legendary political figures in the history of Hudson County.

Albio Sires is Menendez's chosen successor. That's just one man's opinion. It doesn't have to be yours. And the more Sires behaves like he's simply entitled to the office because he always gets to step on the rung where Menendez's shoe used to be, the more I wonder if he's got what it takes to become a big-league legislator. The frontrunner is supposed to be the guy who shows statesmanship and decorum. He's not supposed to bury his opponent with gratuitous (and patently ridiculous) character attacks. Sires has been a frontrunner his entire life. I expected him to show a little more class, or maybe just an ounce of respect for a process that's gotten him pretty damned far in life.

In a surprise move, Assemblyman Vas denied all of the allegations and fired back with some lousy attack ads of his own. There's some truth to Vas's claims: Sires did used to be a Republican, and his support for reproductive rights has not always been unwavering. If you're the sort of person who always votes for the most conventionally liberal candidate available no matter what sort of a jerkoff he is, well, there is good reason to believe that Vas is indeed the more orthodox Democrat in this race. But the older I get, the more I realize what a wretched approach to the ballot this is. We need to elect leaders who aren't bullies -- guys who will listen, and who we actually stand a chance of working with.

It's also true that once this election reached the Mutually Assured Destruction stage, Vas's ads became nearly as intelligence-insulting as Sires's were. But since these candidates are treating us as if we're eight years old, I'm forced to use an eight-year-old's criteria to settle the dispute: Sires started it. Sadly, on June 6, that's the best we can do.

Meet Joe Vas and Dennis Kucinich
Event Type: Rally

Organized by: Team Vas

Hi Everyone,

Joe Vas and Dennis Kucinich will have a rally in Kellogg Park off North Avenue in Elizabeth June 4th at 1:00 pm. This is your opportunity to meet our candidate and see for yourself why he's surging ahead in the polls. Also this is a once in a life time opportunity to meet former and possible future Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich.

Joe also asked me to pass the word along that he's very grateful for such strong support from all of you.

Hope to see you at the rally.

Event Date: Sunday, June 4, 2006
Event Time: 1:00 PM Eastern

Venue Name: Meet Joe Vas
Address: North Avenue
West of Route 1 & 9
City: Elizabeth
State: NJ