Coniglio out of State Senate race

Joe Coniglio resigned because he had too. He would not win re-election and the party abandoned him because Ferriero is pre-occupied trying to install Sarlo as majority leader. Coniglio's presence damages Ferriero's chances of adding another senator from Bergen in the 39th. But ironically, it is Ferriero's pay for play reputation and arrogance that will prevent him from winning in 39 and Sarlo losing to Vitale for majority leader.

...but didn't resign. My error.

I think he should have resigned too. As it is his every vote will be seen as suspect and his very presence in the Senate will weaken Democratic prospects in the 38th LD.

He did, in fact, do the right thing to drop out (yes he was forced; but he could have been stupidly stubborn and chose not to).

In any event, I still think that Bergen County deserves a Democratic Party that is actually democratic; and that the BCDO under Ferierro needs to "change course" before it runs aground.

<em>From <a href="http://www.buildingequality.us/Quotes/Frederick_Douglass.htm">Frederick Douglass</a> </em><blockquote><em>If there is no struggle there is no progress......Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.</em></bl

With Fair Lawn, Lodi and Fort Lee in the district, there is little chance the Republicans could steal seats from Democrats. Assemblymembers Gordon and Voss will be easily re-elected.

Although Coniglio did the honorable thing in finally stepping down off the ballot, any Democrat who replaces him will also easily win. There may be some hoopla and hollering on the part of the Republican candidates here, but they offer no solutions to New Jersey's problems in Trenton.

Their best platform is an anti-Boss Ferriero, anti pay-to-play message. But it won't be enough. It's all about voter demographics.

Nevertheless, for the sake of good government and for the opportunity to save the future of our state and the Democratic party, the Assembly incumbents and the new Senate nominee should adopt that same anti-Ferriero, anti-pay-to-play message and mean it. Otherwise, nothing much is going to change in District 38 and that's the simple truth.

Do you think Gordon and Voss are tainted by scandal and also need to go?

Assembly members Bob Gordon and Joan Voss are distinguished public servants and are in no way tainted by this scandal.

And the issue here isn't the grants awarded to Hackensack University Medical Center but the $5,500 per month that Senator Coniglio received during that period of time. Government grants to hospitals are a good cause and a fitting way to utilize grant funds. HUMC is a leading medical facility in the region and saves people's lives every single day.

But that is no excuse for them paying off Coniglio by greasing his palm with $5,500 per month. That is the issue at hand and strikes at the heart of Coniglio's political judgment and overall character. There is much more to be revealed in this matter (investigation is ongoing) as I am sure that there are high ranking hospital officials and perhaps other political types entangled in the matter of the $5,500 per month payoff.

Thank you for being the lone voice of reason on this comment section today. They all should be ashamed of themselves. So much for innocent until proven guilty.

The Coniglio conundrum is but one molecule of frozen water sitting astride the tip of a massive iceberg.

Pay to play (legalized bribery) has been the "standard" of NJ politics for wayyyyyy too long. We simply can't afford it any longer.

The State is in debt to the tune of billions of dollars and is having serious problems meeting its obligations to the pension and health care funding of its own employees/retirees.

The next generation of NJ taxpayers will be footing the bill for the past generations of de facto corruption that has become "normal" in this State.

This problem transcends all party lines.

The Republican corruption was/is a bit slicker and more "professional" but it all amounts to the same result; taxpayers being screwed and services/infrastructure suffering as a result of inadequately funded/managed programs.

It's not enough just to make a few cosmetic/superficial changes around the edges
of the problem.

We need 100% public financing of all campaigns in NJ. Let's have honest elections across the board.

When politicians understand that their real constituencies are PEOPLE who VOTE and not "contributors"; then, and only then, will we see real change.

Joe Coniglio and his boss, Joe Ferierro are the dying vestiges of a brand of politics that needs to become obsolete/extinct.

Whether Coniglio can be indicted or convicted of outright lawbreaking remains to be seen; and if he is technically "innocent" I hope that justice is served.....and if he is indicted and found guilty then that too would be just; but, either way, the system that Coniglio is part of is itself morally/ethically corrupt on its face.

Coniglio's withdrawal was not the result of a pang of conscience; he was pressured by state Democratic party leaders who saw his candidacy as an embarrassing political liability. Even Joe Ferierro himself (after a bit of kicking and screaming) was forced to accept it as the right thing to do.

This isn't about a legal presumption of innocence (which is not in dispute); it's about what's best for the residents of the 38th district, the State of NJ and yes, the Democratic party!

So, Vet1948, thank you for your service in defending our freedoms/Constitution "from all enemies foreign and domestic"; but please consider the possibility that the pursuit of clean, fair and just politics is also a way furthering that effort.

As for Christie's partisanship; I agree with you 100%.

He only goes after the most blatant obvious stupid levels of corruption and doesn't touch the systemic slick corruption (which no doubt serves the interests of lots of rich Republicans too ;-).

Just about anyone who works for any level of government in NJ would, I dare say, own up to how dirty politics is here.

Enough is enough. The citizens/taxpayers of this State have been bled dry; there is no more left to steal. At this point the system is stealing from future generations. It's an outrage; and the fact that most of the stealing is actually LEGAL and accepted as "business as usual" makes it even more outrageous!!!

It's time to cut the crap and to seriously clean up NJ Politics for once and for all!!!

From Frederick Douglass

If there is no struggle there is no progress......Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.

I suggest that you add Matt Ahearn's name to the poll as to who should be Coniglio's replacement on the ballot; or failing that, a vote for "none of the above".

I realize that this is an establishment blog; but you should, at least, acknowledge the existence of a reform movement in NJ.

From Frederick Douglass

If there is no struggle there is no progress......Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.

Under the following conditions. 1) 4 years max term limits 2) money can only be collected by mail or door-to-door ** No union or special interest involvement in collecting clean elections donations I know that this has huge constitutional problems and will never come to pass

100% public financing is a wonderful idea. Except I don't believe that the public would agree to raise their taxes (how else would you finance these campaigns) to do it.

vet1948 says....

>>>>>100% public financing is a wonderful idea. Except I don't believe that the public would agree to raise their taxes (how else would you finance these campaigns) to do it.<<<<<

The first year it might actually cost us money; but with each passing year, the results (cleaner more efficient/effective governance and legislation) would actually pay the costs of the clean elections many many times over.

I predict that after ten years you'll see a net DROP in the cost of government while also seeing services and quality of schools etc increasing (that's including the costs of the elections).

The current campaign finance system is legalized bribery and provided all manner of incentives for everyone to screw everyone else since "everybody else is doing it". This results in massive wast, fraud, abuse and a demoralized work force that hates their politicized government jobs.

Further, the penalties for any kind of corruption in the public and private sector need to be raised to the level of (at least) armed bank robbery!!!

This is just a scratch on the surface/off the top of my head response but I'm sure you get the idea.

Again; these are not partisan issues; the whole SYSTEM is fouled up and ALL the people of this state must demand change. At that point, we will get what we want.

Democracy: Use it or Lose It!!!

PS  Now I gotta go watch President Bush..... 

From Frederick Douglass

If there is no struggle there is no progress......Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.

...assertions it actually bolsters the case I've already made for bringing more people into the political process by education/informing/motivating them to vote in their own best interests.

Come on, admit it; the forces and interests that profit from the status quo are terrified of large numbers of people actually becoming informed active voters/politically active.

There more ordinary folks are aware of; the more likely it is that they're going to want to claim their own "piece of the action". That's called democracy: you gotta problem with that?

From Frederick Douglass

If there is no struggle there is no progress......Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.

....and I'll use your own words to frame the reasons why.

>>>In order for democracy to work you are s'pose to have an 'educated' society... which is something that we are failing quite horribly at...<<<

I generally agree with that statement. However that doesn't discredit democracy, it just gives us another strong reason to educate each other so that democracy can become more effective.

>>>Just look at any election in well i have no idea how long... 90%+ of the people simply vote party lines... and, my belief ( from people i've spoken to ), is that they don't even know who they voted for...<<<

I agree with that too. The answer is not to throw up our hands in disgust (as tempting as that may be ;-). The answer is engage/challenge each other to find ways to educate/motivate the general public so that we/they will become active participants in the democratic process.

>>>and if by "education / motivation" you mean to have the press fill people with 2 second sound bites, and constant radio / tv / news that consists nothing more than mudslinging...<<<

No, I don't mean that. What you describe is one symptom of the existing problem; not the solution.

>>>now the numbers 'may' be slightly different in local elections like the ones coming up, but that simply because nobody votes in them...<<<

Not sure exactly what you mean by that...but yes, local elections pull far fewer voters than, say, presidential ones.

>>>so... i'll say yes, i agree if you are actually able to educate people properly, the system would work a lot better, but until then i'd rather not "bring out the vote"...<<<<

The "vote" that is now "brought out" (especially in the more local elections) consists of a minority of registered voters....who are themselves a minority of the people eligible to register. That means that less than 25% of the eligible citizenry determines who will make our laws and who will administer/enfrce them. That's not good enough.

It's pathetic that many local elections are swung by small numbers of party loyalists many of whom have direct "connections" to the outcomes.

Even in the statewide/national elections we have an electorate that is mainly "informed" by superficial mailings and short snappy commercials that obscure as much as they inform...so, yes, you are right; the existing electorate is generally woefully uneducated.

What I am advocating is grass roots/viral marketing of the idea of real citizen democracy. This are very basic American values that are 100% protected by and in harmony with our Constitution.

The most patriotic thing any of us can do is to increase the numbers of truly informed and deeply motivated voters. That means that people actually UNDERSTAND why they are voting for a given candidate/initiative.

I realize that what I am "shooting for" is a very high aim. I dare say that many of the "old pros" who frequent this site are now laughing at waht seems to them pollyannish naivte'; but that's ok. Doing the right thing virtually always entails going "against the grain" of the "conventional wisdom".

Jeff, (in a nutshell ;-) we all have a choice to make: we can take the "easy way" and "go with the flow" of a corrupt/pathological status quo or we can choose to joyfully positively work/struggle to leave the world a better place than we found it.

Following first path brings one to an ugly cynicysm that impoverishes/destroys the human spirit. The second leads to, at least, the possibility of enjoyng a meaningful life as a human being.

From Frederick Douglass

If there is no struggle there is no progress......Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.