JOEY TORRES

PATERSON - Since North Ward Democratic leader Steve Adubato brought New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to the Flamboyan on the weekend after the Democratic National Convention, major Latino leaders have to this point hardly shown overwhelming enthusiasm in their endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.).

Hillary Clinton beat Obama in the Democratic Primary by almost ten percent or roughly the equivalent of the Latino vote, which is heavily Democratic in New Jersey and which was energized for Feb. 5th by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken), Adubato and U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York).

Now heading for the general election in three weeks and mindful - but not fearful - of that primary falloff in Latino numbers for Obama, party leaders held a Spanish and Spanglish-heavy rally here today, in a city that's over 50 percent Latino, in a county where Latinos number 44,849, or well over a fifth of all registered voters in Passaic.

Paterson Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres: Politicker file photo

PATERSON - Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres this afternoon released a brief statement concerning five subpoenas issued yesterday by the U.S. Attorney's Office to the Paterson Police Department.

The subpoenas, said Torres, request records, bills, disclosure forms, credit card usage and the department’s vehicle policy during former director Michael Walker's tenure, "along with all documents pertaining to RDE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Shot Spotter, Proxim Wireless and Lawman Supply Companies."

"The Police Department has every intention of fully cooperating with this investigation and will readily make available any and all records of concern to the U.S. Attorney and his assistants," said Torres. 

Paterson Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres: Politicker file photo 

DENVER - If he felt any angst about his first choice not landing a place on the Democrats’ presidential ticket, Paterson Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres didn’t show it as he landed in the lobby of the Inverness Hotel on Monday, and turned his attention on the Republicans.

"We are fighting a war in our cities, but we are not putting the resources in to fight those wars internally," said Torres, who noted the fall-off in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding during the Bush years.

Failing in a 2005 fight to terminate the program that administers urban aid, the Bush administration sought unprecedented cuts - up to 20%, the highest percentage proposed cuts since the program’s inception in 1982.

PATERSON - As recently as last month, Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres wasMayor Jose "Joey" Torres coy about whether he would publicly get into the Elizabeth Rosadorace against his adversary, Ward Two Councilman Aslon Goow.

"I don't know if a mayor should endorse," the mayor mused, later threatening to get into the contest  if Goow continued his public assault against his record as mayor. 

Today, Torres officially got in the game, lending his voice in a robocall to the cause of Goow challenger Elizabeth Rosado, wife of longtime Torres ally, former Councilman Jerry Luis Rosado. 

Goow, a two-term incumbent, is trying to fend off challenges from both Rosado and mason contractor John Larko. 

Challenger Julio Tavarez greets supporters after his debate performance on Friday night. 

PATERSON: Politics fanatics jamming the tables in the cafeteria in Passaic Community College called this Fifth Ward square-off between Councilman Juan Torres and challenger Julio Tavarez the “can’t hold nothing back” contest.

Tavarez and Torres first butted heads four years ago when Torres’s pointed criticism of a political opponent unleashed a torrent of dismissive words from Tavarez.

Their younger-man versus older-man rivalry didn’t end then.

Having vanquished his other challenger in 2004, Torres now must deal directly with the feisty Tavarez, who thinks he’s built enough of a machine in the years since their public meeting showdown to unseat Torres - an ally but not an immediate relative - of Mayor Joey “Jose” Torres.

After battling all evening, Ward Two challengers John Larko and Elizabeth Rosado came together for a photo.

PATERSON - While his opponents sought to depict him as a cowboy, Ward Two Councilman Aslon Goow in a debate at Passaic County Community College tonight argued that he puts his combativeness to work for the city.

"They all talk about professionalism, decorum," said Goow. "We shut down the mayor’s brother’s liquor store, and kicked gangs off of Union Avenue and Jackson Avenue. The Second Ward has the lowest crime rate in the city, and has an aggressive representative.

"Don’t let them con you," he added.

Challengers Elizabeth Rosado, wife of seven months of former Councilman Jerry Luis Rosado; and mason contractor John Larko fought each other as much as they tag-teamed in an effort to weaken the two-term incumbent.

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, left, leads Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA.) on a tour of the Great Falls with Paterson Mayor Jose Torres.

PATERSON – Hamilton never ran against Washington but if he had he probably would have given him fair warning.

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8) doesn’t deny that competition is good in politics, but U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews’s (D-1) method of challenging an elder statesman was wrongheaded, in Pascrell’s opinion.

"I don’t think it was healthy," said the congressman, standing in Overlook Park above the Great Falls in Paterson on Saturday morning. "The way he waited until the end causes animosity."

Pascrell said Andrews gave his word not only to U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, but to the other Democratic members of the congressional delegation that he wouldn’t run.

They he ran anyway against Lautenberg.

"The animosity will be healed," said Pascrell. "This is one state. Anybody who wants to try to divide it between north and south should move to another state."

Pascrell said the fact that both of New Jersey’s senators are from the state’s northern region doesn’t diminish their ability to deliver for the entire state.

"I’m from North Jersey," said Pascrell, "and in the last budget, I did everything I could to help South Jersey hospitals."

Fifth Ward Councilman Juan Torres

PATERSON - He's been in some tough Paterson scraps, but this year's could be the toughest for Fifth Ward Councilman Juan Torres.

The winner against Virtudes Sanchez in 2000 and 2004, Torres now faces a challenge from Julio Tavarez, a 31-year old Dominican immigrant who teaches technology at Public School 15 and is the founder of patersononline.net.

PATERSON - Both sides chargCouncilman Aslon Goowe that election year politics are behind a full-blown contract talks stand off here between the mayor and fire department on one side, and the City Council on the other.

Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres said he delivered the city’s $26 million contract with the 217-hard-hat strong Paterson Fire Department to the council in November, but has since received nothing but stall tactics and excuses from the governing body. Torres said he believes council members fear getting blamed for the five-year contract come election time on May 13th, and so are attempting to distance themselves.

Not a good tactic, in his view.

"This contract emulates the police contract they already adopted," said Torres. "It’s consistent with the 4% cap that the governor wants.

PATERSON - The brother of Paterson Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres this week said he decided not to run for the Paterson City Council in Ward Two.

Gerardo Torres, the mayor's older brother, who retired as warden of the Passaic County Jail after a 28-year corrections career, said he took out petitions and was set to challenge Councilman Aslon Goow, but took the advice of his wife who told him to stay retired.