Bergen County 
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Wed Mar 03, 2010 at 02:30:00 PM EST
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Say what you want about former BCDO Chairman Joe Ferriero, but he knew how to rack up Democratic wins in Bergen County. As for his successor, Michael Kasparian, 2009 didn't look too good but let's not give him all of the blame for the loss of two freeholder seats and a near draw between Christie and Corzine in the backyard of the very popular Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate. After all, he did have to come in on the heels of a cloud of corruption and it didn't go away (probably still hasn't). That being said, Kasparian did say that he was not going to be the same type of leader as Ferriero and would have more transparency in the BCDO. I assume he also had a goal of restoring the tarnished image of the BCDO.
Which makes the information I have been hearing that much more puzzling as well as maddening.
Now, knowing that Scott Garrett is by far one of the most out of step Congressmen, tucked safely in a district that is hand drawn for a Republican to hold on the Congressional level and the desire for the Bergen Democrats to lay as low as possible, I can understand a level of concern, given the county and statewide election results last November. But I have heard from at least four different people in four different parts of the county who have spoken to three very well known and high profile people high up in the BCDO - all of whom have indicated the chosen strategy of the BCDO (and I am paraphrasing): We think it would be best to not run a challenger to Scott Garrett in the hopes that Republican voter turnout will be depressed and our local candidates will have a better chance of winning
Where to even begin here? How about the following reasons why this is quite possibly the absolute dumbest and worst political strategy I have seen in a good long time:
- Republicans are more motivated this year than in the past 6 years. To think that they won't be coming out stronger and hope they will forget there is an election is fantasyspeak;
- Having no Congressional candidate will not "free up motivated volunteers" to help with, for example, Freeholder, County Executive, County Sherriff or other lower tier races - local races where quite frankly, most people don't know or care enough to get involved;
- Voter turnout in an off year (i.e., non-Presidential) is low as is - without giving the base a real reason to vote - and voting just for downticket races is hardly reason enough to get the full base out to vote - will only depress Democratic turnout further;
- Sending a signal that you don't even want to field a top of the ticket candidate is a message of fear - a losing message. This will likely (1) depress the base vote further, (2) depress the motivated activists who would otherwise vote for an entire ticket, tell their friends and neighbors to do the same, volunteer and talk up the race and (3) create a backlash and resentment among those who know the damage that Scott Garrett does to the people of this district; and
- Give the impression that an attempt to save their own personal political lives is more important than helping those constituents who they hope will elect (or re-elect) them to serve.
What message does it send to me - a motivated activist who has spent the better part of my four years living in New Jersey working to oust Garrett? That I should not only suck it up and let Garrett walk to a win - even if he ends up embroiled in his own horrific scandal - but I should also be a sport and team player and have all of my friends and neighbors come out and vote for downticket candidates because why?
And I know that there are hundreds of people like me - people who can get hundreds more to vote for a whole slate of Democrats. What the Bergen Democrats don't realize, just like the New Jersey Democrats who don't understand Garden State Equality's stance on not donating to the Democratic Party as a whole, is that our votes, our time and our money is earned.
By not running a Congressional candidate, the Bergen Democrats are doing none of the above - and they will only lose by a larger margin than if they had a Congressional candidate.
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Mon Nov 23, 2009 at 02:31:15 PM EST
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Promoted from the diaries by Rosi
Wow. What an election. The Statehouse. The Freeholder Boards. The Borough Halls. Across the State and across the board, Democrats lost big at the ballot box as New Jerseyans voted overwhelmingly for change.
This is particularly true here in Bergen County, where we Democrats are still trying to make sense of it all. Why did it happen? What are the implications? What should we do next?
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Mon Nov 02, 2009 at 03:23:33 PM EST
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John Agostinelli and Mark Bombace have been all over the 40th District campaigning to bring real world values to the State Assembly. From Ringwood to Verona, Mahwah to Wayne, they have proven that they are the leaders we need to bring reform and accountability to the Legislature.
But they still need your help.
In the next 48 hours, we need to get our voters to the polls so John and Mark can finish this campaign strong. Please call me at our campaign headquarters, (201) 857-2539, to make phone calls and get out the vote on Election Day.
This campaign is too important to sit on the sidelines. John and Mark will bring a new perspective to the State Assembly; common sense solutions to issues like public safety, education, and property taxes. They have the real world experience our legislature so badly needs.
If you need to find your polling location, click here, or if you have any issues voting please call 877-344-VOTE.
From the entire campaign, we thank all of our supporters. We could not have run this campaign without you.
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Thu Oct 15, 2009 at 04:15:00 PM EDT
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Joe Ferriero has been on the stand defending himself at his trial and when pressed on using his influence to help get business, here was the exchange that took place:Honig suggested that Ferriero set up a new business where he would recommend municipalities to pursue for business and use his "influence" to help get the grants get passed.
"By me having relationships," Ferriero asserted, backing away from the word "influence."
"Influence - that's your word," Honig said, referring to an e-mail between Ferriero and David Spatz, who eventually was hired by GGC to write grant applications.
"It's not a bad thing," Ferriero responded.
That's right, influence itself is not a bad thing. It's how you use that influence that determines whether there are problems. The defense rested their case today and the jury is scheduled to begin deliberations on Monday.
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Tue Sep 15, 2009 at 02:11:28 AM EDT
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Matt's thoughts on redistricting - - promoted from the diaries by Rosi
I don't know what anyone else in the Blue Jersey community thinks, but I know nothing aggravates me more in New Jersey politics than the configuration of our current Congressional and Legislative Districts. If one were to Google Incumbent Protection Plan - New Jersey should be at the top of the list. Democrats and Republicans share the blame on this matter. Legislators cut deals all over the State to make their districts safer - and we should not let that happen again in 2010.
Competitive elections are the bedrock of effective and accountable representation. We need more "toss up" Senate and Assembly races up and down the State so that legislators are governing and serving the best interests of their constituents, and not best interests of corporate lobbyists and political insiders. I will address the political implications that will arise (for example 2 incumbent Senators from varying or like parties falling in the same district), but will not make political circumstances the basis for my analysis.
So in the interest of creating a more effective, and more importantly, more democratic, State Legislature, I am going to propose hypothetical legislative districts. My formula will be simple: New Jersey's population is approximately 8,682,661 people; therefore, each district should have roughly 217,067 people in them. Secondly, I will make every effort to keep municipalities together within a County - it makes sense from a logical and logistical standpoint. Finally, I will not breakup any cities or towns into separate districts. Democrats effectively broke up Newark and Jersey City during the last go round, and even though my party benefited from it, I still think it is wrong.
Some other notable points in how I will come about developing a hypothetical district: I will make every attempt to keep like communities together. For example, my hometown of Wanaque shares a regional high school with neighboring Ringwood; as such, there is no reason why we shouldn't share our State Senator and Assembly members. I will make every attempt to make as many districts as possible competitive and will only be looking at Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Passaic counties in a vacuum-I don't know enough about local politics and municipalities in the other counties, so I wouldn't be able to render a fair assessment like I can for the aforementioned counties. Therefore, I will only be creating hypothetical districts for LD27 through LD40 (while plucking the Passaic towns from LD26 and excluding LD30, which for whatever reason is listed with North Jersey legislative districts).
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Thu Sep 10, 2009 at 12:15:00 PM EDT
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Oh the irony:Attorney Dennis Oury says his failure to tell his accountant about $25,000 he received from a grant consulting business is like the "innocent oversight" cited by former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie in neglecting to report interest income from a loan to a colleague.
Without mentioning the Republican gubernatorial candidate by name, Oury's defense lawyer, Gerald Krovatin, alluded to him in court papers seeking to strike certain language from a revised indictment as irrelevant to the crimes charged, and prejudicial to Oury. Here's what they want changed and their justification for the motion:Oury is seeking to strike language from four new counts, added in July, alleging willful failure to file tax returns for the years 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007.
The passages in question allege that from 2004 through 2007, Oury "concealed" from his personal accountant $25,000 he received from GGC in 2004 and only after he became aware of the grand jury probe in 2008 did he instruct his accountant to include that income.
Krovatin said Oury's memory was jogged by the investigation and, in an apparent reference to Christie, described the lapse as an oversight, "similar to an innocent 'oversight' of interest income from a personal loan to a colleague or friend." Prosecutors opposed the motion made by Oury's team. I didn't think it was an oversight for Christie and I don't think it's one for Oury either. But it's certainly an interesting legal argument that keeps the Christie loan story in the news.
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Fri Sep 04, 2009 at 09:41:54 AM EDT
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Earlier this week our campaign called for 6 debates , but I wanted to reiterate how important I think political debates are to the electoral process, and democracy in general. Career politician and Trenton Insider Scott Rumana refused to debate his opponents during the contested Republican primary and this is simply unacceptable. What is he doing to help the many families of the 40th District who are being affected by these difficult economic times? How is his Legislation improving the lives of his 40th District constituents and what he plans on doing if he gets reelected in November? Its time for Rumana to explain to his constituents why he should continue to represent them at a salary of $49,000 per year.
What is his plan for to help 40th District families that are struggling with out of control property taxes? How is he going to help bring money back to the 40th District for education and transportation improvements? Rumana and David Russo do not even have a campaign website-they both have been elected officials for the last 2 decades-a fact that is simply unacceptable.
Mark and I plan on running a campaign about the issues-and where we stand and what our plans our for the 40th District are clearly laid out on our campaign website: Agostinelli & Bombace for Assembly.
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Tue Jul 21, 2009 at 02:18:11 PM EDT
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We have been making a concerted effort in our campaign to use new mediums to reach voters to keep them up-to-date with where John Agostinelli and Mark Bombace stand on the issues, but also what they are doing day-to-day on the campaign trail. The next step in the process is the launching of our campaign website, www.40thDistrict.com. This website will serve as the launching point for our online operation and a resource where 40th District voters can learn about John and Mark and their history of community service and where they stand on the important issues facing their everyday lives.
However, the campaign has been on the Internet for some time now, most notably our Facebook Group which has been growing in numbers everyday. This is a place where you directly interact with the candidates (Mark often posts on the wall) and stay informed about campaign events, such as our Campaign Headquarters' Grand Opening on July 23rd at 7:30 pm. Already a member? That is great, I hope you will invite all of your friends to join the group. This is one small, generally easy task you could all do to help the campaign.
Is Facebook not your cup of tea? Then please follow John and Mark on Twitter, they update daily, usually while they are walking from house to house throughout the 40th District. Have your friends follow @40thDistrict to grow our numbers and spread our message of real world values and practical solutions for 40th District families.
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Mon Jul 20, 2009 at 10:59:27 AM EDT
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I wanted to personally invite everyone in the Blue Jersey Community to the grand opening of our campaign headquarters on Thursday, July 23rd at 7:30 pm at 27 Chestnut Street, Ridgewood, NJ Suite 2A. Opening this office is the first step to truly challenging Trenton insiders Scott Rumana and Dave Russo for their failure to 40th District residents.
A common cliché in electoral politics is that we need change from the current incumbents or administration. I do not think anything could more true of the current incumbent Assemblyman for the 40th District. During the primary season, when they were challenged by a Republican splinter group-instead of the focus being on the loss of jobs, unemployment or other important issues facing us the constituents-it was the same old tired rhetoric of politicians playing politics. When our country is facing the challenges of our generation, we need leaders who can rise to the need of the people and get working on making a difference in people?s lives. We can not be wasting our energy on old style politics. We all deserve better leaders and we need them now. I have done my part to challenge the status quo, John nor I alone can get us elected to represent you. I can only hope that people see the need for better leaders and that we need your help during this election.
Our campaign will be about the issues facing 40th District families. We will be legislators that work on building consensus and delivering solutions. As President of the Ridgewood Board of Education I worked tirelessly to build consensus among the Board and I will do this as a State Assemblyman.
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Sun Jul 19, 2009 at 05:14:38 PM EDT
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Al Doblin, in his July 17 column,
http://www.northjersey.com/new...
rightly points out that Senator Weinberg is the best choice for Lt. Gov.
Today's Record column by Charles Stile shows that Doblin isn't the only Loretta fan out there.
http://www.northjersey.com/new...
The slogan "Everybody Loves Loretta!" that Stile coins pretty much captures the spirit here in Bergen.
I know Loretta. I trust her completely. It is nice to see that Al Doblin and Charles Stile see what those of us who witnessed the bruising battle for the soul of Bergen saw firsthand.
There is NO OTHER elected official in the state of NJ, that I have ever met, who even comes close to my Senator in terms of ethics, and standing up for good government as well as delivering legislation that really matters to NJ.
There is simply no contest. If cleaning up NJ politics is important to you, Senator Weinberg is THE most knowledgable and effective elected official we have who knows what we are dealing with, and how to fight for good government - and actually win.
Her efforts to pass the Party Democracy Act have been amazing, and progressive dems all over NJ will benefit. She has broken that glass ceiling for us all - allowing democracy to not just exist in name but actually flourish. People are getting more involved in their government due to the inspiration of Senator Weinberg. I know, because I am one of them.
There are so many people in Bergen county - not just Dems - who vote for Loretta every time. Who else can get over 70% of the vote reliably - nearly every time - the way Loretta always does?
In 2005, Corzine recommended Loretta for Senator even when it angered Boss Joe. I hoped then that he was sincere in wanting corruption cleaned up. If he chooses Loretta as his Lt Gov, he will have made it crystal clear to the voters of Bergen as well as NJ that he really intends to continue his committment to cleaning up corruption in our state.
There are very few legislators in Trenton who even come close to Loretta's experience who also possess her unfailing moral compass and courage in facing down party bosses.
As much as I hate to lose my favorite Senator, I don't mind sharing her with the rest of the state. We are more proud of her than ever. She nearly singlehandedly brought democracy back to Bergen. Something most Dems here had given up hope about long ago. I am not just saying that - I saw her do it with my own eyes.
Even Republicans here respect Loretta. Maybe Loretta's consistent 70% will bring Corzine the edge he needs to win in November. Corzine would be making the smartest possible choice choosing our Senator as Lt. Gov.
This is no TV game show, or airheaded beauty contest, we are talking about the future of our state. Smart government calls for qualified, experienced elected officials.
Choosing Loretta Weinberg for Lt. Gov. is obviously the best choice.
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Tue Jun 09, 2009 at 09:51:26 AM EDT
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The hot rumor (Wally broke it) that Mayor Cory Booker will endorse Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) for Lieutenant Governor is ramping up the buzz about how the Corzine pick and the Christie pick for their lieutenant governor running mates will shift the race.
Right now, some of that action has shifted to Bergen County. Senator Weinberg, who bucked her own county party leadership in Bergen, would be a progressive choice who would activate Corzine's base. And Booker, a national figure now whose signal he wasn't interested in LG himself boldly telegraphed his own 2013 Drumthwacket intentions, is an obvious major player in the direction this race will take. A potential lightning-rod.
Before Kathleen Donovan's entry into the LG sweepstakes, conversation about the Christie choice centered on Sen. Tom Kean, Junior and Sen. Diane Allen. Donovan, still a dark horse, is an interesting development because she is an electorally-successful Republican who can generate votes in deep-blue Bergen County, where Democrats show up, but hardly unify.
Donovan was a one-term Assemblywoman who was briefly the GOP state party chair (several months during 1989-1990), one of just a handful of women to run either party. It's not the worst pick Christie could make, given her ability to garner votes in the hostile waters of Bergen County. She's on her fourth term as Bergen County Clerk.
Weinberg, who was nationally endorsed by Democracy for America (DFA) in her intraparty battle with disgraced former Bergen Democratic Chair Joe Ferriero, and who loves telling audiences she was a hot-tag grandma (she's 74) on Blue Jersey, could light up activists in the Garden State, many of whom call her The Godmother of Progressive Politics in NJ.
And Corzine/Weinberg? .... Man, that would be a fun race.
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Wed May 06, 2009 at 05:41:43 PM EDT
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Vice President Biden will be in Lodi tomorrow with Governor Corzine and Senator Lautenberg. He will be there to discuss the federal stimulus package and make the public aware of how the money is being spent. "There are literally hundreds of these visits brought on by the stimulus program," Corzine said. "This is about jobs. It's about building schools, environmental projects. People should expect there to be many many more." But the Governor didn't want to hear anything about the visit being political:Corzine shrugged off the suggestion that the vice president's visit may benefit him in his bid for re-election, saying that Biden was just in Minnesota to examine how the stimulus money is being spent there.
"I can't emphasize enough. This is about pushing for economic recovery," the governor said. He may not want to talk about the politics, but it can't hurt to have the Vice President in a popular administration talking about spending projects in a county that is vital to the Governor remaining in that position come the fall. Corzine also said that Biden will help him inaugurate a road project. If you're near Lodi and attend the event, feel free to post photos and a story here on the blog.
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Tue May 05, 2009 at 04:00:00 PM EDT
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Was there something in the water in the Sarlo household. We all know Senator Paul Sarlo keeps busy with all of the hats he wears including the Senate and Mayor of Wood Ridge. His brother Tom Sarlo is a councilman in Little Ferry.
Now apparently their brother, Charles Sarlo is running for Mayor of Washington Township. After 27 years in office, the Republican Mayor resigned following rumors he didn't even live in the town anymore.
They could have a family slogan: The Sarlo's - running North Jersey one town at a time. Each Sarlo covers a different legislative district too. Now that's what I call covering all your bases. We'll have to see whether the Bergen Record pays the same amount of attention to Charles Sarlo as the do Paul.
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Sat May 02, 2009 at 02:40:41 PM EDT
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Well this didn't take long. Yesterday morning, I made reference to the reporting that Hackensack University Medical Center had canceled all of their advertising in the Bergen Record and banned the paper from the hospital as a result of a Sunday article focused on their practices. A few hours later, they rethought that stupidity and had their PR firm issue this statement:"The leadership of the Hackensack University Medical Center Board of Governors consulted with the hospital administration and everyone agreed to reverse the decision regarding The Record. We apologize to our patients and our staff for any inconvenience, and we apologize to The Record. We are putting this incident behind us and moving forward." Maybe they hadn't heard the saying, never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel. I don't see how they even could think the decision to ban the paper would make the problem being reported on go away. Instead of banning the paper for reporting, they should go after the practice that's being criticized. I guess they thought it would be easier to try and attack the messenger. In reality, all they did was draw more attention to the issue.
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Mon Apr 27, 2009 at 09:25:52 AM EDT
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The captain of the Ridgewood Fire Department is running in the 40th. Thanks for weighing in, Cap. Good to hear what's on your mind. - promoted from diaries by Rosi
A few weeks ago my running mate, John Agostinelli, posted his reasons about why he was running for the Assembly in the 40th District. Now I would like to take some time to introduce myself to the Blue Jersey community and ask for your help to get us elected to represent you in Trenton this November.
I grew up in Ridgewood and except for living in Ringwood for 10 years, have spent my life in Ridgewood. I feel that I have a desirable and unique skill set that is not represented in Trenton- one whose foundation is in the usage of common sense as a basis for all decisions. I think you will agree with me that there is a lack of productive and sometime rational representation in our district, state and country. John and I strongly believe important characteristics for representatives to have are a good work ethic, be a good listener, and possess good moral character. We have spent our lives building just that type of reputation.
I have been a career firefighter for 25 years, rising to the rank of Captain in the Ridgewood Fire Department. I love firefighting as a career. I have learned much about the importance of teamwork and how precious and fragile life can be. On September 13, 2001 as I stood on the remains of the World Trade Center, I took a few seconds from work of the day to look around. Overwhelming emotions welled up inside of me as I came to the realization that I was experiencing a paradox of the absolute worst of humanity and the best of humanity. The impact of that moment is indelibly etched in my mind and lives with me in almost everything I do.
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Sat Apr 25, 2009 at 02:34:29 PM EDT
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Updated by Jason: It was pointed out to me that the last time these by laws were last amended as of January 22, 1994 Promoted by Jason Springer: The BCDO gets an A for effort putting up the bylaws, but their "html version" isn't very clear or searchable. A helpful reader has posted a real html version. County Committee members should have received a letter from BCDO Chairman Michael Kasparian detailing his progress with the programs he promised to implement back in January.
Here are the highlights:
A BCDO ethics training, spearheaded by retired Superior Court Judge Daniel Mecca, will be held on May 20th. Governor Corzine has been invited, and plans to participate. The BCDO web site is up and running. (It looks a little wonky on Firefox, but it works.) Looks like they've got a decent bit of content there, including the BCDO bylaws and a list of all County Committee members and Municipal Chairs. (Addresses are not included, and I think that's an understandable precaution.) An independent financial assessment is being conducted by Bederson Associates. An Executive Committee meeting was held in March, and another will take place in June. A fundraiser will be held on May 21 at Le Jardin in Edgewater; invitations will be forthcoming. Executive Director Daniel Ortega, Fund Raiser Marissa Heluk and Treasurer Mat McCarter are leaving their positions. The new executive staff includes Executive Director Matt McHale, Fundraiser Allison Zayas and Treasurer Donald Lenner.
I like that the web site is up, and overall it looks like progress has been made. I'm not familiar with most of the individuals named in this letter, though, so I can't speak to what sort of direction the staffing choices suggest.
Any other thoughts?
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Fri Apr 03, 2009 at 10:52:24 AM EDT
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We like it when candidates come by to introduce themselves. We hope he sticks around for the conversation. - promoted by Rosi
I have decided to run for the Assembly in the 40th District for many reasons, but no reason is more important than 40th District residents receiving the representation they deserve in Trenton. Currently, the Republican State Legislators are not accountable to their constituents, and are not serving their interests. Assemblyman Scott Rumana is more interested in controlling the Passaic County Republican Organization than he is in serving all of the residents of the 40th District. We can and we must do better, and that is why I am running to be the next Assemblyman for the 40th District.
I have a long history of serving my community and the 40th District. As a Committeeman in Little Falls I fought Omnipoint to stop construction of cell towers along our Main Street and Great Notch Area, led an effort to change our form of government to allow our residents to vote directly for their Mayor, and organized residents to stop developers from building in our flood plain. Additionally, I worked tirelessly with our Congressman and Freeholders to procure open space and green acre funding. I led the effort on the creation of a special improvement district for Little Falls, which would create new and much needed tax rateables. Also, I helped created a neighborhood group to convince NJ Transit to maintain train service at the Great Notch train Station.
As an Assemblyman I hope to build upon these accomplishments. I want to provide 40th District constituents with accountable, transparent representation. Assemblymen Rumana and Russo take for granted their seats in the Assembly, and have not been going out and reaching their constituents. That will not happen if I get elected to serve in Trenton.
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Mon Jan 26, 2009 at 02:30:00 PM EST
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An interesting read about the saga of the Bergen County Democrats getting a new chair gives us this profound statement of where things stand:However, a source who is a longtime observer of Bergen County politics believes that more days of dissension and disunion lie ahead as the BCDO leadership struggle plays out.
"Everybody has gone to such extremes," said the source, who asked not to be named. "You can't negotiate with people who want to get rid of you. It's like Israel trying to deal with Hamas. There is no negotiation, because they just don't want you to exist. But like they said in the movie "The Godfather": every now and then you need a war to clear out all the bad blood." I could see why the source wouldn't want to be named if they're saying that. I think that comparison might be a bit of a stretch though, as thankfully we haven't seen mortars lobbed in Bergen. Do you agree with the anonymous long time observer that more days of dissension and disunion lie ahead?
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Mon Jan 19, 2009 at 10:54:54 PM EST
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Promoted from the diaries.
For many Bergen Democrats, this week is turning out to be a study in contrasts.
On the federal level, we are excited about a dream realized with the inauguration of the first African American President. On the county level, however, we are concerned about a hope deferred with another seemingly uncontested election for our Party?s leadership.
On the federal level, we are celebrating a democratic process that gave rise to one of the most robust, most engaging, most accessible elections in American history. On the county level, however, we are lamenting an undemocratic process that gave rise to cancelled meetings, hastily called conventions, and a questionable firing.
On the federal level, we are ushering in an era of much-needed change. On the county level, however, we are anticipating another era of status quo.
In other words, for many Bergen Democrats, this week represents the best of times and the worst of times. We are thrilled about the inauguration of Barack Obama on Tuesday, but we are troubled about the convention of the Bergen County Democratic Organization on Thursday.
Our reasons are essentially three-fold:
1. The convention was hastily scheduled ... not by the Executive Committee, but by the outgoing Chairman, who was directed to resign by January 15 by the Executive Committee due to his indictment on corruption charges.
2. The organization's lawyer was summarily fired ... not by the Executive Committee, but by the outgoing Chairman, who was directed to resign by January 15 by the Executive Committee due to his indictment on corruption charges.
3. The presumed winner of Thursday's convention was hand-picked ... not by the rank-and- file, but by the outgoing Chairman, who was directed to resign by January 15 by the Executive Committee due to his indictment on corruption charges.
And while there are certain personalities at the center of these issues, our concerns are not personal. At the end of the day, this is not about Joe Ferriero or Mike Kasparian or anyone else. (In fact, many of us appreciate all that Kasparian did to help get Barack Obama and other Democrats elected.)
Rather, this is about our values ... our principles ... and our belief that our party - the Democratic Party - should stand for something larger than itself. It should stand for integrity. It should stand for inclusiveness. And it should stand for the many individuals who work hard, live right, and try to make our community a better place.
Again, this week will be a study in contrasts for us Bergen Democrats - a real-life tale of two cities. But it is incumbent upon us to view the historical events in the city of Washington as a reminder that we can do better and must do better here in the city of Hackensack.
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