Who would the the first Passaic County Executive?
By Wally EdgeThere’s a movement afoot in Passaic County to change their form of government and elect a County Executive. It’s being pushed by Freeholder James Gallagher, after Clifton Councilman Frank Fusco initiated a movement by sponsoring a council resolution advocating it. Wayne, Totowa and Hawthorne have since added their support. Insiders don’t expect it to go anywhere. But if it did happen, who would be on the short list to become the first County Executive?
- Gerald Speziale: In Passaic, Sheriff’s are often the most popular politician. That was the case with Speziale’s predecessors, Edwin Englehardt and Frank Davenport, and it’s the case now. The retired New York City cop, who didn’t enter politics until 2001, would probably be the front runner for Passaic County Executive.
- Elease Evans: The Assemblywoman and outgoing Passaic County Freeholder seems to be popular among Democratic insiders and has a solid base among voters in Paterson, where she served as NAACP President before seeking public office.
- Gary Schaer: The brainy two-term Assemblyman and Passaic City Council President can raise money from his statewide contacts, and he has a natural political base in his hometown.
- Bill Pascrell III: The son of the popular six-term Congressman and former Paterson Mayor is the Passaic County Counsel and runs a successful lobbying firm. Insiders say he wants to run for office someday – maybe when his father retires from Congress. The Pascrell name means something in Passaic County, but BP.3 doesn’t have the qualities that have made his Dad so well liked.
- Jim Gallagher: After all, he's the guy who has been pushing it.
Republicans would have an uphill fight to win the County Executive post in a general election, but Assemblyman Scott Rumana, the Mayor of Wayne, would probably be their strongest candidate.
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Scott Rummana? I am
Scott Rummana? I am beginning to think he is the only so called "Republican" in Passaic County. Are there any more pensions that he could string on his charm bracelet?
"Maybe the reason Senator John McCain's campaign has failed to get any traction is that the debates show him to be the kind of arrogant and condescending know-it-all who would be the most dangerous kind of President." Thomas Sowell, Random Thoughts, December 2007
Qualifications?
Oddly enough, among all of the qualifications listed above - popularity, voting base, fundraising, etc. - missing are administrative and financial skills. If this is going to be just a newly-created do-nothing no-show pension-padding position where executive acumen is not needed, then why create the position in the first place? What's that new telephone number of the State Comptroller to report waste in government?
Bill Pascrell would be great
Young Bill pascrell would be the most perfect candidate of the pack. he has a great personality and a beautiful family.
He is a successful businessman and was named among the Top 40 Under 40 in New Jersey.
His grasp of public issues is second-to-none and hi work as the Passaic County Counsel has resulted in the Freeholders adopting one of the toughest codes of ethics anywhere in the nation.
There really couldn't be a better choice than Bill Pascrell 3rd.
Wally..
Hey Wally/Joe,
Rumana resigned as Wayne's Mayor in December
http://www.northjersey.com/news/passaicpolitics/12939487.html
Documents....
1st.. There should be some criteria for the voters to choose a suitable Exec. Let's start with literacy. Then eliminate the weasles. Then....hell, it could be pascrell, speziale, or schaer. Hmmm, WE, there are a boatload of other qualified folks from the great county of Passaic. To be continued...
Its rigged for the Congressman's son
he hold about 5 part-time jobs, runs the passaic organization inhis dad's absence and was the architect of the freeholder borad going Dem. He's the likely choice. Privately most people thinks he's arrogant-not so nice.
Politics of Race.
How anyone would suggest Gary Schaer could possibly win the Democratic nomination countywide is beyond absurd for county executive. He's holding on for dear life with his assembly seat, much less seeking another office in the face of the rampant corruption of Paterson & Passaic.
Jerry Speziale is the hands down choice because he has the funds, organization and grass roots support from employees and Republicans that make him the logical choice.
The question then becomes are Hispanics & African-Americans are willing to take a back seat to a White Democratic nominee for county executive?
We saw this in Essex County where Cardell Cooper and Ken Gibson were vanquished in primaries. If Hispanics and African-Americans forge a coalition, they will control the nominating process.
Should Passaic nominate a minority, look for disgruntled Democrats to forge a coalition with Passaic Republicans which happened with Amato in Essex back in 1986.