Original Post 11/10/2011: I was able to get a copy of the machine vote totals from the November 2, 2010 election and was able to make a few observations about the results in the Second Ward that were different from the rest of Hoboken.
- The percentage of votes for Republican candidates were higher than all other wards and city wide.
- Two districts in the 2nd Ward 2-1 and 2-3 went Republican.
- The race for County Sheriff was only separated by 8 votes on the machines in the 2nd Ward.
 |
| Hoboken Election Results on the Machines for 11-2-2010 in the Second Ward |
City Wide Results for 11/2/2010 election (machine vote):
Congressional Seat
Henrietta Dyer (R) 35.9%
Albio Sires (D) 60.7%
Sheriff
Juan Perez (R) 41.5%
Frank Schillari (D) 54.3%
Second Ward Results for 11/2/2010 election (machine vote):
Congressional Seat (smaller margin of defeat for Dyer than city wide results)
Henrietta Dyer (R) 42.5%
Albio Sires (D) 55.6%
Sheriff (very close race in this ward)
Juan Perez (R) 47.8%
Frank Schillari (D) 48.5%
My comment: The second ward machine vote tally was very close in the race for Sheriff perhaps because Juan Perez was a former Democrat but who really knows for sure. One thing that is apparent is that the second Ward has at least become more fiscally conservative thanks perhaps to the recent influx of expensive condos in that ward inhabited by taxpayers footing very large property tax bills. The results posted here are for a partisan set of elections but one has to wonder how this might affect the non-partisan election for 2nd Ward coming in May.
A far right candidate who wants to slash government to the bone just cause they have to slash for the sake of ideology won't win in Hoboken as the Nathan Brinkman experience can attest to. This is not a slight on Nathan for running for office since I thought he handled himself well in the Mayoral debates but it is rather just a reflection of political reality. A far right candidate won't win in Hoboken in my lifetime but a moderate who believes in balanced development and well measured reductions in government spending will likely find that their chances are fairly good to win if the candidate is likable, able to articulate their vision and executes the get out the vote strategy well. I am all for non partisan Ward and Mayoral elections since this is the best way to get a consensus against the old guard and the tired old way of doing things (i.e. patronage, kickbacks, money laundering, vote buying, etc.).
For the reasons that I have listed below, I think these numbers show that Beth Mason is in some trouble for her re-election bid. I can easily see that many reformers on the Democratic side of the aisle (such as myself) would gravitate towards a local candidate on local issues that best represents reform minded thinking or even better put, good efficient governance.
In these acts and statements Beth Mason has left herself vulnerable:
- Her vote on Church Square Towers PILOT. This was irresponsible since not only did it not include a means test but that the procedures for how people get on the list were kept secret. Not exactly a shining example transparency by Beth Mason.
- Beth's refusal to support the Zimmer Police layoff plan. A smart politician would know that giving the Mayor the leverage she needed to negotiate was the only way to get the 13 senior officers to retire sooner rather than later. They needed the incentive to retire and giving the Mayor the tools she needed will lead to even more savings for Hoboken.
- Her very awkward criticisms of certain aspects of Chris Christie's Municipal tool kit that were passed by a large margin by both Democrats and Republicans.
- 80% of the budget is salary and benefits. Beth Mason has made no meaningful recommendations for cuts while on City Council. She criticized the Mayor's Office and two salaries for aides but in her usual disingenuous fashion forgot to mention to the public that the Mayor's office budget is down at least 25% from Peter Cammarano's brief Mayoral term of one month.
- Beth Mason moving to the Russo political side of the fence which is a family that has profiteered for many years at Hoboken's expense does not bode well for the perception of her as a fiscal watchdog.
- Her position on returning all of the budget surplus shows she simply does not understand municipal finance or worse lying to pander votes she could not get in the last Mayoral election when she abandoned the majority of her base.
- She ran for Mayor on a platform of "cutting wasteful spending and lower taxes" but has not made any meaningful recommendations that are fiscally responsible while in a budget workshop or at City Council meetings.
For reference: Below is my analysis of the machine votes only for the November 2, 2010 election in Hoboken city wide. I did not tally the Question 1 results due to formatting constraints but it was heavily in favor of the yes vote. I highlighted the districts that were either closely Republican (light purple) or went Republican (in red). Liberals should not despair as most districts in Hoboken still remain heavily Democratic but I would imagine that the margins are less now than they were 20 years ago in Hoboken. Hudson County still remains a bastion of the Democratic Party (not without its share of demerits and yes I am a registered Democrat) but in one little pocket of Hoboken, i.e. the Second Ward the gap is closing.
◦
