July 18, 2008 - 10:19am
Ganz FBI interview latest drama in Bergen politics
By Wally Edge
Category: LocalTags: David Ganz, Bernadette McPherson, Vernon Walters, Joseph Coniglio, Joseph Ferriero, Loretta Weinberg
After a three hour interview with FBI agents investigating a grants consulting company, Bergen County Freeholder David L. Ganz insists he’s not the target of the federal probe. The U.S. Attorney’s office won’t confirm or deny that – as is their policy – and Ganz said the investigators told him that they just needed him to verify documents relating to grant business in Fair Lawn when Ganz was the mayor. Still, since Ganz is up for re-election in November (among Democratic candidates, he was the low vote getter in the 2005 general and the 2008 primary, and lost re-election to his Fair Lawn Borough Council) and some Democratic are concerned that he is the weak link on the Democratic ticket.
There is some speculation that Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero, although emboldened by deep splits within the county Republican organization, could change candidates before the general election if he believes his incumbents are in danger of losing.
Last year, Bergen Democrats pulled State Sen. Joseph Coniglio off their ticket after published reports that he was the target of a federal probe. Democrats were concerned that Coniglio could lose his seat, even though he had not been charged with anything and there had been no official comment from prosecutors.
Bergen Democrats face a potentially tough election year as Coniglio prepares for his corruption trial (he was indicted earlier this year), and as the probe of a grants company involving top Bergen Democrats continues. The EnCap project at the Meadowlands continues to be a hot issue in South Bergen, which is critical to continued Democratic victories. More than a dozen local officeholders have lost re-election over EnCap, including Ganz’ running mate, Bergen County Freeholder Bernadette McPherson, who lost her bid for re-election as Mayor of Rutherford in 2007 by a wide margin. Another incumbent up this year, Vernon Walters, who was appointed to fill a vacancy, must deal with a divided Democratic party in Englewood and strong opposition to his countywide campaign from some Democrats who support State Sen. Loretta Weinberg’s faction.
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Republicans WIll Eventually Take Over Bergen County...
.....unless the Real Bergen Democrats (and/or similar groups) find a way to run across the board slates at every level and for every office.
The Ferierro machine is dead....but still walking. And who can "blame" them? Thieves will continue to steal until they get caught. This is what thieves do. They can't stop.
No amount of power or money can fill the void that is at the hollow miserable core of all that is corrupt.
Unfortunately, simply having the Republicans "take over" in a few years won't solve the problem.
Let's not forget that the Democrats took over in response to Republican corruption.
It's the old twedledee and tweedledum good cop/bad cop game.
The system of legalized bribery is the existential heart of the problem.
Until we get 100% public financing of campaigns and truly serious/draconian punishments for those who would dare violate the public trust; nothing much will change.
From Frederick Douglass
Nick is dreaming, but
Just look at what Joe's Freeholder team did to the Weinberg team in the primary. 80% of Bergen voters think that a Freeholder is someone who lives in Freehold NJ. They are clueless as to their role and function. Nick on the bight side there are a few good Republican Candidates this year that do not fit the old Twedledum or Twedeldee mode
Nick IS dreaming
What Republican corruption are you referring to?? There were never any indictments of anyone from the Schuber administration or any of the Bergen Freeholders from the Schuber years. So, not sure what Republican corruption you're talking about.
Bergen Republicans Abused The Pay To Play System....
....though they were not as slick at it as Ferierro & Co. They also had their share of patronage and favoritism etc......by my lights that's all corrupt.
As I recall there were numerous stories on how Republicans padded the costs of building the new jail....and that Democrats ran on a reform platform. Isn't that why the Democrats won?
My essential point is that it's the system itself that breeds the corruption and that the corruption, is for the most part, 100% legal.
It's only the most egregious/stupid/greed idiots who take it too far that ever get busted.
Every industry in the state from banking to insurance to developers to chemicals etc etc etc etc buys pols with "contributions" and brainwashes/intimidates them wth lobbyists and spends hundreds of millions on "PR" pros to divert the public's attention from the scams and to make them think the scams are for their own benefit.
In a sane clean system I bet we could cut the costs of government in HALF and still get more and better services.
In a clean and sane system the costs of goods and services (especially banking, insurance, health care, housing and education) would all go down since they would no longer be able to game the system and legislators/regulators woyuld actually be loyal to THE PEOPLE instead of the narrowly focused greedy selff serving "special interests".
I'm talking about something that is really quite obvious common sense. It doesn't require a polisci degree to get this stuff.
Obviously, the quote below comes into play.
The people that profit from the pathological status quo don't give a shit about the whole, all they care about is that their own little particular cancer keeps growing. Yes, I said cancer. Our body politic is being eaten alive by parasitic malignancies of legalized (and illicit) corruption.
From Frederick Douglass
Broy, as for dreams...
...I take your point. I understand how my spiel can come across to you as unrealistic idealistic fanatsy.
However, consider this....
America is a "dream". WIth all our many flaws and uglinesses; America is the fulfillment of a most improbable set of ideals.
I suggest that we keep on investing in our dreams in order to form a "more perfect union".
The same kinds of people who hated the idea American democracy in the eighteenth century are the ones who would tell us that there is no hope for global social justice, universal prosperity and peace for the future.
Think.
There are people and interests that profit (in the short run) from things being screwed up.
Which side of history do you wish to contribute to? The struggle to realize/actualize/manifest humanity's highest ideals/dreams; or the cynical parasitical side that just wants to steal, rob, rape and pilliage the future? That's a stark dichotomy, but at the core, that's what's going on.
From Frederick Douglass