About Last Night

What happened at last night's Hoboken Democratic Committee Reorganization meeting?

Da Kurt has a nice summary of the evening, with pictures. I brought my camera with me, too but cleverly left it's memory chip in my laptop at home. So I'll paint a picture with words. Or a line drawing.

I'd heard a rumor that "Column B' folks and their supporters were heading down early to pack the place, Room 84, before the 8 pm meeting. So I arrived shortly after 7 pm. The downstairs room, a stylish white cave partitioned on either end by floor-to-ceiling sheer white curtains, was still being set up, and the place was empty. So much for rumors.

Around 7:30 pm folks started to trickle in, but... it became apparent that the place was filling up with 'Column C' folks.

Uh-oh.

I stood by the 'check in' desk which was manned by 2 elected 'Column B' Committee persons and one who had lost his seat, when a force of nature entered the room. Michelle Russo. I'd never met her in person (technically still haven't). Wow. I watched her pitch a fit at the sight of the former Committee person; she was angry, insisting that he was not entitled to be inside the room, since he was no longer on the Committee. She yelled a bit, then it stopped. As more 'un-entitled' persons showed up, among them a smiling Lane Bajardi, Perry Belfiore, Carol Marsh, Ravi Bhalla's brother.

The un-entitled folks, an assortment of political allies and enemies- a toxic brew combined, were ushered to the back room where I was wishing to be a fly on the wall.

Meanwhile, I chatted with a smiling and upbeat Mike Russo, who I've known for some time through friends at Church Towers. He's gracious and charming in person. He teased, "Are you voting for Ines?", and I said my vote was my secret. Then he laughed, "I know which side you're on", suggesting I could be recruited in the future. With a smile.

I am relaying this for a reason.

Beth Mason cabal, pay attention: you don't need to spit on your political opponents. You don't need to destroy them. You don't need to dispatch nasty political operatives from Weehawken to pound them on their fishy blog. It is possible to be civil and courteous to your opponents while you you fight them on the political battlefield. Nasty mailers, smear merchants and scummy political operatives do not apply. Ditch the malice. Ditch the dirt. Ditch the crazies. Stop feeding your critics.

Lesson over.

So by 8 pm, most of us were seated and waiting. As I surveyed the room, it seemed the 'Column B' side was out-numbered.

How could I tell the 'B's from the 'C's, you ask?

Easy.

In stark contrast to the mood of their leadership, the 'C' Committee persons were dour, unsmiling, looked peeved. The 'B's on the other hand looked anticipatory, upbeat. In contrast to their leadership, a worried-looking Ravi Bhalla standing in the corner running through a list of names. 5 on the list hadn't arrived, in addition to the 2 who were traveling and couldn't make it. Numbers, numbers.

Those stragglers did finally show up, bringing the total of 'B' attendees to 38, and the 'C's at 27.

So, guess what the final vote was in the Ines Garcia Keim- Ravinder Bhalla face-off for Hoboken Democratic Party Chair? I'm not telling you, see above numbers and figure it out. No defectors.

Ines looked quite disappointed. I got the feeling she expected to prevail. When the Executive Committee nominees were announced, she nominated herself for Treasurer, opposing 'B'-side nominee Gary Holtzman. She lost.

Next Chairman Bhalla announced the Honorary Chair, Mayor Dawn Zimmer would be arriving shortly, and get this: most of the 'C' side stood up and left. A supreme snub, discourteous and disrespectful to the Office of Mayor. What do you think? There was a lot of anger in the room.

I heard from a Committeewoman about grumbling overheard on the stair, to the effect of "First they take over the Board of Ed, now THIS".

Or, more succinctly expressed by the ever-lacking in impulse control Lane Bajardi, "F*ck you, F*ck you, you piece of sh*t!".

Yes, as Bajardi was leaving, he said, "F*ck you, F*ck you, you piece of sh*t!", to a Committeeman whom I believe he felt "betrayed" his people, the Russos.

The victim does not wish to be named. But this disgraceful and profane outburst by a public figure became a running joke for the rest of the evening. I repeatedly asked his victim, "So, did he say F you, F you, you piece of S?"

Message to Bajardi. Get a grip, man.

Message to everyone else: let's work together, guys. A new day is not a bad day.

Here they are, the Hoboken Democratic Executive Committee:

Dawn Zimmer Honorary Chair
Ravi Bhalla Chair
Ilsie Bennen Vice Chair
Phil Cohen 1st Vice Chair
Latrenda Ross 2nd Vice Chair
Keith Furman Secretary Correspondence
Rami Pinchevsky Secretary Recording
Gary Holtzman Treasurer
Peter Biancamano Sergeant at Arms