 |  | |
 |
|  |
 |  | |
| | |
|
| |
| | |
|
|
|
Posted by Vinnie Peanuts () on March 16, 2002 at 12:14:33:
Glenn: Menendez must quit Peter Weiss By Jason Fink "Bob Menendez has divided this county," Cunningham, flanked by a crowd of cheering supporters, said during a news conference on the steps of City Hall. "Rather than working the halls of Congress to protect our homeland and make us safe in this age of terrorism, he (is) . . . working hard to control the city halls of Hudson County and county government as well." Reached by phone in Washington, Menendez, D-Union City, said he had "no intention whatsoever" of resigning as chairman, and his office released a statement signed by 10 of Hudson's other 11 mayors - Joe Smith of East Newark did not sign - expressing support for the five-term congressman as county chairman. Menendez reacted with scorn when told of Cunningham's remarks, in which the mayor also called him "greedy" for power and accused him of trying to control the county to steer contracts toward his political supporters. Yesterday's noontime news conference, at which Cunningham declared that it was "High Noon at City Hall," came less than a week after Menendez made a public show of sweeping the sidewalk outside his Jersey City district office and accused the mayor of not being able to keep the city's streets clean. Both men have traded increasingly hostile barbs in recent weeks, repeatedly accusing one another of reverting to the days of machine politics at the expense of good government. The public fight is essentially being waged over the position of county executive, vacated in the fall with the resignation of Robert Janiszewski. Cunningham's choice to replace Janiszewski, who was also the county Democratic chairman, is interim Executive Bernard Hartnett Jr.; Menendez has not said publicly whom he will support, but former City Council President Tom DeGise, whom Cunningham defeated in last spring's mayoral race, has been mentioned as a possibility. Menendez supported Cunningham for mayor, but the two have since split, opening a rift in the local Democratic Party. Cunningham has argued that as mayor of the county's largest municipality, he should have significant influence over the county executive candidate. About 40 percent of Hudson County residents live in Jersey City, which like most of Hudson is overwhelmingly Democratic.
In their statement, the 10 mayors - none of whom attended yesterday's news conference - said they support Menendez as county chairman. Cunningham was not mentioned by name, but his battle with Menendez was alluded to.
"The candidate for county executive should not and will not be chosen by a single individual, but by a mayoral consensus in agreement with our party leaders," the statement said. "Congressman Menendez has made the time to meet with each and every one of us . . . to make sure our communities receive the aid they need and deserve."
Cunningham had questioned Menendez's ability to "bring home the bacon" from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which the city has asked for reimbursement for police and overtime costs associated with Sept. 11.
All the mayors - including Cunningham - and Menendez are expected to meet today.
If no agreement can be reached on a county executive candidate, and neither side has indicated any willingness to reverse course, Cunningham said he will support someone to challenge Menendez in the Democratic primary in June.
"Menendez's position itself is threatened," Cunningham said. "He's never had a hard election."
Although he would not mention any names, Cunningham said he would choose a candidate who, like Menendez, is of Hispanic origin.
And while he continued to praise the congressman for much of his work in Washington, perhaps allowing for a reconciliation if the two can come together on the local issues that divide them, the majority of Cunningham's rhetoric implied otherwise.
The mayor suggested that Menendez's desire to lead the county party is really motivated by a political debt to Secaucus attorney Donald Scarinci, who does legal work for the county.
If Menendez has political control, Cunningham said, he will only shower Scarinci with more lucrative contracts.
"He is interfering with the operation of government for the sake of his political benefactor, Donald Scarinci," Cunningham said. "This is not going to be a government of the people, by the people, for Donald Scarinci."
Reached yesterday, Scarinci said: "This is a political matter between the mayors, and I won't comment on Mayor Cunningham's remarks."
Menendez flatly denied the assertion.
"I don't have interests in Donald Scarinci's contracts," Menendez said. "He's a friend, he's a supporter, but that's all."
|
