An Interview with Senator Loretta Weinberg
June 26, 2007 |
Interviews
The Englewood Report: Thank you
Senator Weinberg for consenting to this interview
with us at The Englewood Report. During the last few
contentious months, you have demonstrated a political
stature that clearly doesn't come from the Bergen
County Democratic machine, but from the strength of
your relationship with the majority of voting
Democrats. It must be gratifying to know that
you held "... a commanding lead over
organization-endorsed opponents."
Hence, our first question: before April 12, Joe Ferriero's handpicked Senate candidate impugned your ethics. During that same period, you were quoted as saying, "We're going to beat the bosses, we shall not be moved." Yet, on April 12, The Record reported that you moved to the boss's line without dealing "a significant defeat for the chairman." Do you disagree with The Record's assessment?
Senator Loretta Weinberg: We never gave up the fight! Our opponents withdrew!
I met with Mr. Ferriero on the morning of April 11th when he stated that the three BCDO candidates would withdraw from the race. We did not accept that endorsement until we met with our Union supporters that very afternoon, and in that same evening with our local supporters and candidates. There was a consensus that we had just won the election 54 days before election day! There was also a majority opinion that we should not give up our Real Bergen Democrat line and that our resources could then be better directed to our local Mayor and Council candidates in Englewood and Bergenfield.
So our decisions were made collectively. With all due respect to the Record, we did deal a significant defeat to the Chairman. In fact it was the third straight defeat that the group that who became the Real Bergen Democrats handed to Mr. Ferriero. The first was the convention and subsequent court fight which enabled me to become the Senator from our great district; the second was the bylaws defeat at the County Committee meeting; and the third was our never bowing to his demand to drop one of my Assembly colleagues resulting in his organization folding their opposition. Of course, the fourth was our great victory in the June primaries in Englewood with Charlotte Bennett Schoen's victory and in Bergenfield with the great win of Timothy J. Driscoll, Bruce Carlson and Barry Doll. These wins were proudly accomplished on our Real Bergen Democratic line, with our unqualified and very public endorsements and resources.
This battle was always about Joe's demand to substitute one of us with Ken Zisa. We withstood his demands, threats of a primary, and promises of an endorsement until they read their own polls and decided to give up their opposition. This became the simple fact: we just had no opposition candidates against us.
To sum up, this was a collective decision not made in a vacuum. We won other battles in Englewood and Bergenfield. We are ready for the future if we work together to improve our local Democratic Party, to make it more open and inclusive, to support the very best candidates, and the ideals we represent. We can only do that with your support!
The Englewood Report: You point to your victories both here and in your recent politicsnj.com interview. But some of your supporters seem disappointed that, as one blogger put it, you did not "go in for the kill" against the Boss and his pay-to-play machine. Rather, you have opted to "..continue lobbying within my party to change some of the ways we do business" and "continue lobbying against the kind of excessive pay to play that I've seen going on."
Senator Weinberg, you have experienced firsthand how pay-to-players viciously attack anyone who challenges their right to win and profit from their gravy train. How do you envision the process by which "lobbying" them will effect reform? And, assuming you succeed, what would post-reform political funding look like?
Senator Weinberg: County Committee members (a man and a woman from each election district in the County) are chosen every other year in their respective party primaries. It is those 1100 (plus or minus) folks who elect the County Chair and our other party leaders. That election will be held in June of 2008 for a two year term. Those terms were not up for election in this 2007 primary. Those who think we should have "gone for the kill" must help win at that grass roots committee level in order to fundamentally change our party in next year's primary. So that's where we begin the basic change.
Meanwhile, I will continue working along with others to get local pay-to-play ordinances adopted or put on the ballot for referendum as we are petitioning to do in Teaneck. How about lobbying for a good ordinance in Englewood? I will continue to work within my legislative caucus to tighten up the laws in this area. And I hope we will join together next year to recapture the grass roots of our party. That is an opportunity which just didn't exist in this year's election.
Yes, I (and my running mates) have experienced first hand the attacks from the pay-to-play bosses. But we have withstood those attacks because others were willing to stand with us. Labor unions, environmentalists, women's groups, gay and lesbians, and many other progressives joined the battle. Remember, no one is a boss unless others allow him (or her) to be.
The Englewood Report: Clearly, you have emerged from this primary season with great prestige and even greater political capital. How involved will you be in leading the effort to attract and elect the reform-minded municipal committee candidates that you see as necessary to "fundamentally change" the Bergen County Democratic Organization?
Senator Weinberg: I, along with my Assembly colleagues Gordon Johnson and Valerie Vaineri Huttle, will be very involved in trying to attract reform minded folks to assume roles in the structure of our Party. We know that the Real Bergen Democrats will also be working to win primaries for new grass roots activists, just as they did this year in Bergenfield and Englewood. The Bergen County Democratic Organization should not represent the worst of the pay-to-play interests. Together, we need to recapture our party and that's just what we will do!
The Englewood Report: Thank you, Senator Weinberg. For more information, readers can contact the 37th District legislative team by calling (201)541-1118 or by visiting their Englewood offices at 1 Engle Street, Suite 104.
Hence, our first question: before April 12, Joe Ferriero's handpicked Senate candidate impugned your ethics. During that same period, you were quoted as saying, "We're going to beat the bosses, we shall not be moved." Yet, on April 12, The Record reported that you moved to the boss's line without dealing "a significant defeat for the chairman." Do you disagree with The Record's assessment?
Senator Loretta Weinberg: We never gave up the fight! Our opponents withdrew!
I met with Mr. Ferriero on the morning of April 11th when he stated that the three BCDO candidates would withdraw from the race. We did not accept that endorsement until we met with our Union supporters that very afternoon, and in that same evening with our local supporters and candidates. There was a consensus that we had just won the election 54 days before election day! There was also a majority opinion that we should not give up our Real Bergen Democrat line and that our resources could then be better directed to our local Mayor and Council candidates in Englewood and Bergenfield.
So our decisions were made collectively. With all due respect to the Record, we did deal a significant defeat to the Chairman. In fact it was the third straight defeat that the group that who became the Real Bergen Democrats handed to Mr. Ferriero. The first was the convention and subsequent court fight which enabled me to become the Senator from our great district; the second was the bylaws defeat at the County Committee meeting; and the third was our never bowing to his demand to drop one of my Assembly colleagues resulting in his organization folding their opposition. Of course, the fourth was our great victory in the June primaries in Englewood with Charlotte Bennett Schoen's victory and in Bergenfield with the great win of Timothy J. Driscoll, Bruce Carlson and Barry Doll. These wins were proudly accomplished on our Real Bergen Democratic line, with our unqualified and very public endorsements and resources.
This battle was always about Joe's demand to substitute one of us with Ken Zisa. We withstood his demands, threats of a primary, and promises of an endorsement until they read their own polls and decided to give up their opposition. This became the simple fact: we just had no opposition candidates against us.
To sum up, this was a collective decision not made in a vacuum. We won other battles in Englewood and Bergenfield. We are ready for the future if we work together to improve our local Democratic Party, to make it more open and inclusive, to support the very best candidates, and the ideals we represent. We can only do that with your support!
The Englewood Report: You point to your victories both here and in your recent politicsnj.com interview. But some of your supporters seem disappointed that, as one blogger put it, you did not "go in for the kill" against the Boss and his pay-to-play machine. Rather, you have opted to "..continue lobbying within my party to change some of the ways we do business" and "continue lobbying against the kind of excessive pay to play that I've seen going on."
Senator Weinberg, you have experienced firsthand how pay-to-players viciously attack anyone who challenges their right to win and profit from their gravy train. How do you envision the process by which "lobbying" them will effect reform? And, assuming you succeed, what would post-reform political funding look like?
Senator Weinberg: County Committee members (a man and a woman from each election district in the County) are chosen every other year in their respective party primaries. It is those 1100 (plus or minus) folks who elect the County Chair and our other party leaders. That election will be held in June of 2008 for a two year term. Those terms were not up for election in this 2007 primary. Those who think we should have "gone for the kill" must help win at that grass roots committee level in order to fundamentally change our party in next year's primary. So that's where we begin the basic change.
Meanwhile, I will continue working along with others to get local pay-to-play ordinances adopted or put on the ballot for referendum as we are petitioning to do in Teaneck. How about lobbying for a good ordinance in Englewood? I will continue to work within my legislative caucus to tighten up the laws in this area. And I hope we will join together next year to recapture the grass roots of our party. That is an opportunity which just didn't exist in this year's election.
Yes, I (and my running mates) have experienced first hand the attacks from the pay-to-play bosses. But we have withstood those attacks because others were willing to stand with us. Labor unions, environmentalists, women's groups, gay and lesbians, and many other progressives joined the battle. Remember, no one is a boss unless others allow him (or her) to be.
The Englewood Report: Clearly, you have emerged from this primary season with great prestige and even greater political capital. How involved will you be in leading the effort to attract and elect the reform-minded municipal committee candidates that you see as necessary to "fundamentally change" the Bergen County Democratic Organization?
Senator Weinberg: I, along with my Assembly colleagues Gordon Johnson and Valerie Vaineri Huttle, will be very involved in trying to attract reform minded folks to assume roles in the structure of our Party. We know that the Real Bergen Democrats will also be working to win primaries for new grass roots activists, just as they did this year in Bergenfield and Englewood. The Bergen County Democratic Organization should not represent the worst of the pay-to-play interests. Together, we need to recapture our party and that's just what we will do!
The Englewood Report: Thank you, Senator Weinberg. For more information, readers can contact the 37th District legislative team by calling (201)541-1118 or by visiting their Englewood offices at 1 Engle Street, Suite 104.
