Stack to Pick Christie-Antagonizer Mason?


Councilwoman Beth Mason antagonizes Governor Christie on his first visit to Hoboken- May 17, 2010

Here's what a friend on the Dark Side told me this weekend: "Russo won't get it.  Mason will."

We were discussing this from Al Sullivan's column: 
"...Stack also has his eye on Lopez as a possible running mate for one of the two Assembly slots. The other slot would go to one of four possible people in Hoboken, Councilwoman Beth Mason, Councilman Ravi Bhalla, Councilman Michael Russo, or former school board President Frank Raia."
This friend knows Hudson County politics and players. So I had to ask, "What about all the crazy stuff: the law suits, the Nazi Truck...?"

He said, "Stack needs the money."

If that's so, I'm pretty sure Ravi can raise cash like gangbusters; last month he raised $40K in one night at a fundraiser with Newark Mayor Cory Booker. 
At a Dec. 17 fundraiser with Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Hoboken Councilman Ravi Bhalla raised $40,000 toward his Assembly campaign account.  Not a declared candidate at this time, Bhalla said he wants to try to raise $200,000 by the spring and has upcoming California and Manhattan fundraising trips on his schedule.

"We're plugging away," said Bhalla. "One thing about running at that level is that it's earned, not given. I am building a strong fundraising base."
But he brings a lot more with him than fundraising ability.

Bhalla brings ethnic diversity to a ticket representing one of New Jersey's most ethnically diverse populations, District 33.  According to 2010 Census data, Jersey City is 19.4% Asian (46,168)- all of Hudson County is 11.45% Asian.  Bhalla is a rock-star in the Sikh community, and has been a vocal advocate for the Asian community, even crossing party lines to chide establishment Dems in Trenton for not supporting a Japanese-American Supreme Court pick by Governor Christie.
Pursuing an Assembly seat on the LD 33 Stack ticket, Hoboken Councilman Ravi Bhalla bashed establishment Democrats today in a series of tweets targeting the majority party’s treatment of Asian-American minorities.

“If diversity matters, NJ Senate Dems need to cross party lines & support Judge Bauman’s nomination. NJ Asian voters are watching closely,” tweeted Bhalla.


He also offered the following: “NJ Dem Party claims to be party of diversity, but does it include Asians? Are we included? Actions speak louder than words.”


While defending the need for Christie’s nominee to get a fair hearing, Bhalla made it clear he doesn’t intend to change parties. “I’m proud to be a Democrat,” he said. “I am a loyal Democrat. Changing parties is not going to happen, but I’m not a party hack either. You can’t claim to be party of diversity and shut out a minority.”
Like Mayor Zimmer, Bhalla is a Democrat who can work effectively for Hoboken with Republican Governor Christie.  Certainly Hoboken has been the beneficiary of the Mayor's good relationship with the Big Guy.

Mason, on the other hand, has attacked Governor Christie any number of times online and in cable tv ad campaigns, bashing the Governor and linking him to the Mayor- as in the ad campaign Mason launched to attack the Governor's support of our hospital sale.  One ad claimed: "Governor Christie and Mayor Zimmer want to give an out-of-state developer a $155 million dollar parking subsidy"



Here is what Beth Mason told Hoboken411 after Christie stepped in with $5 million dollars of emergency state funding to save Hoboken's only hospital from shutting down operations:

 “Last night four members of the Hoboken City Council took steps to protect the long term viability of Hoboken University Medical Center by asking the Hospital Authority to impose a deed restriction in the sale contract. Furthermore, we asked for transparency in this extremely troubling and secretive process by calling on the Mayor and Hospital Authority board members to release their depositions. Now the Governor wants to support a backroom deal to sell the hospital to one of his biggest campaign contributors for pennies on the dollar. If the Governor wants to reward a campaign contributor he should pay for it, not the taxpayers of Hoboken. Clearly Mayor Zimmer just received a big payback for her early endorsement of the Governor Christie’s re-election.”

Wow.  In fact, relations between Governor Christie and Beth Mason are so bad, that when Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno came to Hoboken to swear in newly elected City Council members on July 1, 2011, guess WHO Guadagno wouldn't swear in?

ALL 4 anti-Zimmer City Council minority members, including Beth Mason.  

Guadagno's body language is telling.   The Lieutenant Governor traveled all the way from Trenton to swear in  Reformers Jen Giattino and Peter Cunningham,  both Zimmer-allies.

Body language.
GA thinks this may be another factor in Stack's consideration.

Would Stack partner with someone who has publicly attacked the Governor and run a media campaign against him?  Especially when Stack has been a friend to the Governor and supported some of his agenda. According to the Wall Street Journal:

Stack said he believes Christie is doing the right things to tackle the high cost of local government and keep property taxes down.

That's not what Beth Mason thinks...

One of Mason tabloid Hoboken411.com's many attacks on Governor Christie

Will Stack choose a sworn enemy of Governor Christie who has made herself a pariah in Hoboken  politics or someone who can work with everyone, offers diversity, and has proven his fundraising ability?

Comments

  1. Apart from access to Ricky Mason's money, it is inconceivable that any politician with a viable future would align themselves with Beth and the tainted reputation owing to her utter failure as a councilman and her non-existent career in the private sector, despite her attempts at an award for fiction, also known as her resume.

    Her hemorrhoidal approach to public service doesn't play well outside the Masonic Temple and the Masonites she rules inside her head. Having afflicted Hoboken for not even a full term of a council seat she barely won, her show won't have a long run in Trenton either.

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  2. It's hard to find worse political instincts in someone who actually wants to be a politician. But Christie is arguably the most popular republican in the United States right now, you might want to see if you can find areas of agreement. He needs an upstate show of bi-partisanship in a democratic stronghold. What is he willing to do for it?

    It's not that complicated. Stack and Zimmer figured it out. But somehow it flew miles over Beth's head.

    Check out the banner on the Union City website. Christie will be cutting a ribbon on a new elementary school in UC. Maybe Beth can go there, stand in the audience and insult him.

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