May 29, 2008 - 10:43am
Will Ferriero probe hurt Democratic fundraising efforts?
By Wally EdgePublished reports that Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero has been subpoenaed as part of a federal criminal probe related to his ownership of a company that helps secure government grants could – and likely will -- turn New Jersey’s political landscape upside-down. Bergen is still politically competitive, but Ferriero’s fundraising and organization has kept Democrats in the victory column. Some insiders suggest that Ferriero’s current legal woes will hamper his ability to raise money, and allow his rival, State Sen. Loretta Weinberg, to enhance her clout among Bergen Democrats.
Since 1998, Ferriero has been the key player in transforming Bergen from a Republican stronghold to a solidly Democratic political operation. Democrats now control the County Executive’s office, enjoy a 7-0 majority on the Board of Freeholders, have a Sheriff and Surrogate, and have made enormous gains at the local level. The last time a Republican statewide candidate carried Bergen was in the 2000 U.S. Senate race, and their last wins countywide were in 2003. But the EnCap development has cost them a considerable number of mayors and councilmembers in South Bergen, and Democrats were unable to oust Republican incumbents in District 39 last year.
Bergen Republicans continue to struggle. GOP County Chairman Rob Ortiz is facing a serious challenge in his bid for re-election to a second term, and the party is divided into a multitude of factions and has trouble raising money. But if the fledgling scandal gets worse, the Republicans could have an opportunity to win key races in 2008 – their lone countywide officeholder, County Clerk Kathleen Donovan, is on the ticket, as well as three Freeholder seats.
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Ferriero's success went sour
Bergen Boss Joe Ferriero has admirable campaign skills and used his political savvy to take a moribund Democratic organization and turn it into a magnet for votes.
But somewhere by the time he won control of the County Executive's office in 2003, he had begun to lose his way. The Boss turned the entire Democratic organization into a private kingdom for the accumulation of his own personal power and money.
He adapted the ways of a political despot, bullying his way through the politics of Bergen County, squelching dissent and becoming increasingly insular in his operation.
This federal probe became inevitable when he morphed from brilliant campaign strategist into a greedy narcissist who apparently put his own personal agenda ahead of the public good. He showed disdain for the decent public officials who entered the political arena for all of the right reasons but opposed his point of view.
Shame on the individual members of the Bergen Democratic organization who gave Ferriero and Oury a blank check to operate the Party as they wished. County Democratic organization members should demand integrity and an adherance to Democratic principles from their leadership. Neither the Party organization or taxpayer funded government entities are to be treated like a private piggy bank, in operation to enhance the prestige and profits of the Chairman and the organization's chief counsel.
Shame on those who were silent while Ferriero and Oury made a mockery of the political system in Bergen County. They turned government into a 24 hour ATM.
We have to ask ourselves, if we cannot keep our own house in order and purge it from the elements and influence of the likes of Ferriero and Oury, do Democrats deserve the electoral success that the voters, the taxpayers themselves, have conferred upon us?
On The Waterfront since 1954
Rothman
This is Steve Rothman's chance to seize the reins of the county party.
He threatened to do so when Ferriero flirted with Rob Andrews, and now he should overhaul the BCDO.
the answer to this question is NO
The same long line of lawyers, engineers and county contractors will continue to fill the BCDO and their county campaign accounts.Changing the names of the leaders at the Crook Factory of the BCDO in Hackensack will not make any difference. Even when they are all convicted. Corrupt contractors with their no bid contracts have been trained too well to stop now.
Jobs
No one asked for anything better of a standard cause they got jobs and family got jobs for serving the boss. Not to mention all the great free parties.
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Mark Rushmore
one sick puppy
Power
"Power tens to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." --Lord Acton (1887)
The System Breeds Ferierros
Unless/until we get 100% public campaign financing there will always be a greedy pig ready to replace the ones that get busted.
99% of the corruption is LEGAL!!!
These idiots get caught up on petty stupidity and excessive hubristic greed.
The whole Bush administration is a bunch of Ferierros; greed and ruthlessness are non partisan.
Chris Christie will never nail the many many hundreds of corrupt NJ officials and those private sector entities that are complicit in the corruption. No doubt that a lot of the people/entities that pay off Ferierro also give money to Republicans.
Pay to play is an equal opportunity corruptor.
Meanwhile, ordinary people who just struggle to survive continue to get shafted left and right.
From Frederick Douglass