When Jon Corzine was held to 77% of the vote in the 2009 Democratic primary against a former Glen Ridge mayor with no organization or money, a Guttenberg man claimed to have witnessed the U.S. government planning the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and a designer of coffee mugs from Phillipsburg, it was viewed as an indication that the incumbent governor had a problem with his base.  Bergen County Executive Dennis C. McNerney might have a similar problem.

At the Bergen County Democratic convention last night -- where there was a contested race for an open Freeholder seat -- a full 40% of the Democratic County Committee did not turn out to vote.  Of the 829 elected Democratic committee members who did attend, 119 (14%) did not vote for McNerney, who was unopposed. The vote was by machine.

Also troubling for Democrats was that Freeholder Director James Carroll ran 67 votes behind another incumbent, Elizabeth Calabrese, and 28 votes behind Northvale Mayor John Hogan, who had the support of Democratic County Chairman Michael Kasparian.  Carroll might have had a larger problem had he not promised to drop his simultaneous re-election bid for Mayor of Demarest last week.  Carroll, Calabrese and Hogan were the ordained candidates of the party leadership; major challengers, like former Freeholder Julie O’Brien, Westwood Mayor John Birkner, and Maywood Mayor Tim Eustace, dropped out when it became clear that Kasparian was pushing Hogan.

The conventional wisdom is that there in some uneasiness among a group of Bergen Democratic leaders who have not seen the party change much since the 2008 departure of County Chairman Joseph Ferriero, who has since been convicted on federal corruption charges.  Earlier in the day, five-term Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood) beat up on Ferriero’s handpicked successor, Kasparian, for not delivering on a list of promised reforms.  "He was brought in to be a reformer of the party," Johnson said of Kasparian. "But I have not seen much action in regard to him being the change agent the party needs.

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DEMOCRATIC ASSEMBLY BUDGET COMMITTEE MEMBERS ON PENSION REFORM HEARING

Stress Need for Deliberative Process that 'Gets it Right the First Time'

(TRENTON) - The Democratic members of the Assembly Budget Committee today issued a multimedia package discussing the need for a thorough review of pension and benefits reforms. They released the package following a presentation to the panel by the state Division of Pension and Benefits.

TRENTON - On the day of the Democratic Convention in Bergen County, Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood) doesn't have any warm and fuzzy words for Party Chairman Michael Kasparian, who took over last year after the feds demolished former Chairman Joe Ferriero.

"He was brought in to be a reformer of the party," Johnson said of Kasparian. "But I have not seen much action in regard to him being the change agent the party needs. We'll see how the candidates shake out tonight. But I have not seen a countywide strategy for Democrats to win."

A political boiling point this year as GOP County Clerk Kathleen Donovan eyes the county executive's seat now occupied by Dennis C. McNerney, Johnson says the battle-ready prep work in his party simply isn't there, starting with the party chairman.

"This is a critical, difficult election year," he said. "I have to see what plans and strategies they come up with. Right now they're not there. We need something tangible no later than April."  

Joe Ariyan, legal counsel for the Bergen County Democratic Organization (BCDO), strongly objected to Johnson's characterization of the party chairman. 

"This is a chairman who agreed to serve in a tumultuous time," Ariyan said. "He instituted ethics training for all county committee people, we had a packed house last week for a BCDO candidates night, the likes of which we haven't seen in a decade. He was brought in to stabilize the party, and I don't think the criticisms are fair or warranted."

CAPUTO, JOHNSON, TUCKER & COUTINHO BILLS TO HELP LAID-OFF POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS ADVANCING TOWARD LAW

(TRENTON) – Two Assembly Democratic bills to help laid-off police and firefighters have received Assembly approval. The bills are sponsored by Assembly members Ralph Caputo (D-Essex), Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen), Cleopatra Tucker (D-Essex) and Albert Coutinho (D-Essex).

CHIVUKULA, VOSS, RAMOS, JOHNSON & COUTINHO BILLS TO HELP BUSINESSES AND CONSUMERS WITH UTILITY BILLS APPROVED BY ASSEMBLY

(TRENTON) - A three-bill package sponsored by five Assembly Democratic lawmakers to make it easier for consumers and businesses to pay utility bills and to help businesses save on energy costs is advancing toward law.

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ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS ON STATE TREASURER'S FY 2010 BUDGET CUTS TESTIMONY

Stress Need for Legislative Involvement; Exploration of Cuts that Lessen Impact on Middle & Working Class

(TRENTON) - Assembly Democrats issued a multimedia package Monday in which they discuss testimony from state Treasurer Andrew P. Sidamon-Eristoff on Gov. Chris Christie's FY 2010 budget cuts.

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATIC STATEMENTS ON MONDAY BUDGET HEARING

(TRENTON) – Democratic lawmakers on the Assembly Budget Committee released the following statements Monday after the panel convened a hearing with acting Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff:

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DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OF ASSEMBLY BUDGET COMMITTEE ON GOV. CHRISTIE'S CUTS TO FY 2010 BUDGET

Stress Need to Find Alternative Places to Cut

(TRENTON) - The Democratic members of the Assembly Budget Committee Thursday issued a multimedia package in which they discuss the impact cuts made to the FY 2010 budget by Gov. Chris Christie will have members of the public and the need to find other cuts.

CAPUTO, JOHNSON, TUCKER & COUTINHO BILLS TO HELP LAID-OFF POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS ADVANCING TOWARD LAW

(TRENTON) – Two Assembly Democratic bills to help laid-off police and firefighters are advancing toward law. The bills are sponsored by Assembly members Ralph Caputo (D-Essex), Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen), Cleopatra Tucker (D-Essex) and Albert Coutinho (D-Essex).

CHIVUKULA, VOSS, RAMOS, JOHNSON & COUTINHO BILLS TO HELP BUSINESSES AND CONSUMERS WITH UTILITY BILLS RELEASED BY ASSEMBLY PANEL

(TRENTON) – A three-bill package sponsored by five Assembly Democratic lawmakers to make it easier for consumers and businesses to pay utility bills and to help businesses save on energy costs was released Monday by an Assembly committee.

The three bills are sponsored by Assembly members Upendra Chivukula, Dr. Joan M. Voss, Ruben J. Ramos Jr., Gordon Johnson and Albert Coutinho.

“Technology is so readily at our fingertips in this day and age, but our laws haven’t kept pace when it comes to paying a utility bill or finding ways to help businesses save on energy,” said Chivukula (D-Somerset), who chairs the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee that released the three bills. “With these bills, we would make it easier for consumers and businesses alike.”