Sonia
June 28th, 2008, 01:35 PM
I had occassion to meet Bret Schundler, who is polite well-mannered and credible. As a former Mayor, it looks like his candidacy will be received well in Jersey City, and he certainly has the experience to be Mayor of Jersey City. Here is an interview Bret had with Auggie Torres from the Jersey Journal:
A moment with Bret, once and (maybe) future mayor
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler is not cheap and he says he has the credit card bill to prove it. Oh, yeah, he says he is also busy building a grassroots effort to return to City Hall.
- If you don't want to read about Schundler's interesting response to a column about a meeting he had in a Jersey City restaurant that he says wrongly made him look bad, skip down to the paragraph that begins with the small black square where he begins to talk about why he decided to run for mayor. Otherwise, continue to the next paragraph and you don't have to go back to the Main Menu.
When last we discussed Bret, the once and (he hopes) future mayor met earlier this month with Sandra B. Cunningham and her political advisor Joe Cardwell at the Liberty House restaurant in Liberty State Park.
It was said that the group was seated behind some flora suggesting a clandestine session. Schundler wanted Cunningham's support and that when Cardwell said he would not get it, the reports were that the mayor stood, tossed $8 representing his share of the bill and excused himself. It was also noted that at some point, Mayor Jerramiah Healy ran into the group who may run against him next May and stopped to say hello.
Schundler had a different take on the event. First, yes there was a meeting. After that he supplied a different script.
He said he wanted to make the point that one should be careful who provides information. As the election approaches, he expects those who plan to run for mayor will escalate attacks on each other.
His concern was the perception people may get from the column anecdote of him tossing money on a table.
"I don't want people to think that I was acting truculent because I never threw any money," Schundler said. Truculent is an adjective meaning angry or pugnacious.
"What can you get there for $8?" he asked. Well, perhaps a Liberty House salad if you were watching your weight, I suggested.
The former mayor said the bill was more like $300 and that about six people were at the table - mostly all her people, including former Hard Grove Cafe owner Dominic Santana.
You picked up the tab for everyone, I asked?
Well, no. He had the plastic, and everyone else gave him the cash - that was probably tossed on the table. The words "frequent flier miles" flashed in my mind.
"And it wasn't behind plants," he added. "It was out on the patio, pretty much in view of anyone."
Schundler said Healy, and Councilman Peter Brennan, did join them at one point.
"It wasn't a short meeting, in fact Joe Cardwell and I stayed a bit after everyone left," Schundler said. Brandy and cigars? Wheeling and dealing?
He also suggested that Cunningham did not reject his request for support.
"She wanted to wait on who to support until September when she would decide on what she would do (as far running for mayor herself)," he said. Now, that's interesting.
So. Why does Bret Schundler want to run for mayor of Jersey City again? What made him decide to return to Hudson County politics?
"I thought that by being mayor, I can make a difference in my community and serve my neighbors," he said in Hallmark fashion. The point is that he is a very credible candidate in what will be a heated municipal election.
After a career on Wall Street, the former all-state football player from Westfield was mayor of the city from 1992 to 2001. He left for an unsuccessful run for governor in 2001 and did not get the GOP nomination for governor in 2005. The question remains, why the need to be mayor again?
Since the 2005 gubernatorial run, besides getting involved in ventures that help organize political campaigns and other ventures, Schundler says he has been teaching public policy at The King's College, located in the Empire State Building.
When the Harvard graduate is not in Aristotelian exchanges with students, Schundler has been traveling overseas and lecturing foreign officials about government through university exchanges or the Manhattan Institute in response to requests and invitations by think tanks in other nations.
Mostly Eastern European visas are stamped on his passport. Just before last Christmas, he was in Poland at a conference involving a third of that nation's mayors. About a month ago, he was in Albania lecturing.
While teaching urban policy and lecturing on the principles of local government, Schundler felt it strange to be talking about it rather than practicing it. City Hall on Grove Street was looking good again.
NO SHINING CITY ON A HILL
How does he see the state of Jersey City government?
"What is happening is the city is moving back into machine politics," he said. "(City ) spending has has been averaging about 6.5 percent a year," said the former mayor. "I had it at 1.5 percent."
Schundler said the city budget is out of control because of patronage, what essentially lubricates a political machine.
"Promotions are more the function of who is the buddy of the mayor rather than by ability," he said.
And what of the claims of lower city crime rates?
"We had a lot more cops on the street," said the former mayor who added that those friendly with the Healy administration were more than likely to spend their time inside station houses.
"The murder rate is twice what it was when I was in office," said Schundler, who seems to be building up his campaign arguments.
The former mayor and gubernatorial candidate has been busy talking to other potential mayoral hopefuls about the upcoming election. Among them is Ward E Councilman Steven Fulop who - should he run - would draw from the same voting pool as Schundler. apparently, There can only be one from Downtown.
Most likely the talks are about talking the other guy out of running or potential coalition efforts to put together a slate of candidates for the City Council. Schundler said he is starting to rebuild his campaign organiation the way he has in the past, through grassroots effort.
"I've been talking to many community groups and I'll be visiting many more," he said.
Can he repeat his past success in this city? His last victory saw a great deal of support from the city's black and Hispanic voters. The question is whether they will go for him again.
A moment with Bret, once and (maybe) future mayor
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler is not cheap and he says he has the credit card bill to prove it. Oh, yeah, he says he is also busy building a grassroots effort to return to City Hall.
- If you don't want to read about Schundler's interesting response to a column about a meeting he had in a Jersey City restaurant that he says wrongly made him look bad, skip down to the paragraph that begins with the small black square where he begins to talk about why he decided to run for mayor. Otherwise, continue to the next paragraph and you don't have to go back to the Main Menu.
When last we discussed Bret, the once and (he hopes) future mayor met earlier this month with Sandra B. Cunningham and her political advisor Joe Cardwell at the Liberty House restaurant in Liberty State Park.
It was said that the group was seated behind some flora suggesting a clandestine session. Schundler wanted Cunningham's support and that when Cardwell said he would not get it, the reports were that the mayor stood, tossed $8 representing his share of the bill and excused himself. It was also noted that at some point, Mayor Jerramiah Healy ran into the group who may run against him next May and stopped to say hello.
Schundler had a different take on the event. First, yes there was a meeting. After that he supplied a different script.
He said he wanted to make the point that one should be careful who provides information. As the election approaches, he expects those who plan to run for mayor will escalate attacks on each other.
His concern was the perception people may get from the column anecdote of him tossing money on a table.
"I don't want people to think that I was acting truculent because I never threw any money," Schundler said. Truculent is an adjective meaning angry or pugnacious.
"What can you get there for $8?" he asked. Well, perhaps a Liberty House salad if you were watching your weight, I suggested.
The former mayor said the bill was more like $300 and that about six people were at the table - mostly all her people, including former Hard Grove Cafe owner Dominic Santana.
You picked up the tab for everyone, I asked?
Well, no. He had the plastic, and everyone else gave him the cash - that was probably tossed on the table. The words "frequent flier miles" flashed in my mind.
"And it wasn't behind plants," he added. "It was out on the patio, pretty much in view of anyone."
Schundler said Healy, and Councilman Peter Brennan, did join them at one point.
"It wasn't a short meeting, in fact Joe Cardwell and I stayed a bit after everyone left," Schundler said. Brandy and cigars? Wheeling and dealing?
He also suggested that Cunningham did not reject his request for support.
"She wanted to wait on who to support until September when she would decide on what she would do (as far running for mayor herself)," he said. Now, that's interesting.
So. Why does Bret Schundler want to run for mayor of Jersey City again? What made him decide to return to Hudson County politics?
"I thought that by being mayor, I can make a difference in my community and serve my neighbors," he said in Hallmark fashion. The point is that he is a very credible candidate in what will be a heated municipal election.
After a career on Wall Street, the former all-state football player from Westfield was mayor of the city from 1992 to 2001. He left for an unsuccessful run for governor in 2001 and did not get the GOP nomination for governor in 2005. The question remains, why the need to be mayor again?
Since the 2005 gubernatorial run, besides getting involved in ventures that help organize political campaigns and other ventures, Schundler says he has been teaching public policy at The King's College, located in the Empire State Building.
When the Harvard graduate is not in Aristotelian exchanges with students, Schundler has been traveling overseas and lecturing foreign officials about government through university exchanges or the Manhattan Institute in response to requests and invitations by think tanks in other nations.
Mostly Eastern European visas are stamped on his passport. Just before last Christmas, he was in Poland at a conference involving a third of that nation's mayors. About a month ago, he was in Albania lecturing.
While teaching urban policy and lecturing on the principles of local government, Schundler felt it strange to be talking about it rather than practicing it. City Hall on Grove Street was looking good again.
NO SHINING CITY ON A HILL
How does he see the state of Jersey City government?
"What is happening is the city is moving back into machine politics," he said. "(City ) spending has has been averaging about 6.5 percent a year," said the former mayor. "I had it at 1.5 percent."
Schundler said the city budget is out of control because of patronage, what essentially lubricates a political machine.
"Promotions are more the function of who is the buddy of the mayor rather than by ability," he said.
And what of the claims of lower city crime rates?
"We had a lot more cops on the street," said the former mayor who added that those friendly with the Healy administration were more than likely to spend their time inside station houses.
"The murder rate is twice what it was when I was in office," said Schundler, who seems to be building up his campaign arguments.
The former mayor and gubernatorial candidate has been busy talking to other potential mayoral hopefuls about the upcoming election. Among them is Ward E Councilman Steven Fulop who - should he run - would draw from the same voting pool as Schundler. apparently, There can only be one from Downtown.
Most likely the talks are about talking the other guy out of running or potential coalition efforts to put together a slate of candidates for the City Council. Schundler said he is starting to rebuild his campaign organiation the way he has in the past, through grassroots effort.
"I've been talking to many community groups and I'll be visiting many more," he said.
Can he repeat his past success in this city? His last victory saw a great deal of support from the city's black and Hispanic voters. The question is whether they will go for him again.