Bob Gulack's Letter to the Editor

Written by: Paul Eisenman on Nov 30, 2008 1:23 PM EST

Linked to groups: Bergen Grassroots, DFA New Jersey

Hi %%first%%,

The Record published a letter from Steering Committee member Bob Gulack today (Sunday), outlining our plans for Wednesday's meeting. As it actually appeared in the printed edition, photos of Aronsohn, Ferriero and Corzine appear as insets, giving the letter much greater visibility. 

We anticipate this could attract many more people to our meeting. How about you; is this important meeting on your calendar? 

All the best,

Paul

======================

 

No vacancy yet at Democratic top

Paul Aronsohn's "Bergen Democrats need to polish their image" (Other Views, Nov. 26) states that, with regard to the issue of replacing Bergen County Democratic boss Joseph Ferriero, now under federal indictment, "[e]veryone involved seem to agree: It's time to move on."

Well, I can tell you one person who doesn't agree, and that's Joe Ferriero. And, unfortunately, under the current Bergen County Democratic bylaws, Ferriero's opinion is the only one that counts on this issue.

The fact that seems to be escaping both Aronsohn and Governor Corzine ("Corzine will help pick Ferriero successor," Political Stile, Page L-3, Nov. 16) is that the bylaws contain no provision for forcing out a chairman who does not wish to resign.

Far from going voluntarily, Ferriero has already arranged to keep in control of the party for the indefinite future by taking a leave of absence and passing on all of a chairman's powers to his vice chairman until he may decide to come back. Bylaws limit powers of the vice chairman "[i]n the absence of the chairman" to presiding at meetings.

The only remedy is for committee members to call a convention, amend the bylaws, and oust Ferriero. Both Corzine and Aronsohn are jumping the gun by discussing who may be elected someday to fill a vacancy that does not yet exist.

Robert Gulack

Fair Lawn, Nov. 26

The writer, a former member of the Bergen County Democratic Committee, serves on the steering committee of Bergen Grassroots, which will be discussing this issue at its Wednesday meeting at the Ethical Culture Society in Teaneck.

Thank Our Representatives

Written by: Paul Eisenman on Jul 10, 2008 11:29 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Bergen Grassroots, DFA-Link Organizers, DFA New Jersey

Fellow Grassrooter,

A majority of the Senate has sided with the Bush administration and against the rule of law. It was a sadly bipartisan effort, with more than two-thirds of senators voting for a bill that includes blanket immunity for companies that assisted the administration's illegal warrantless wiretapping. Even in an election year with demagogues ready to scream appeaser at those who take a stand, it's a disappointing day. We should be able to expect more from our public officials.

Today, the other shoe dropped: As expected, President Bush signed into law the FISA Amendments Act. I know many of you joined the members of the Bergen Grassroots Steering Committee in denouncing this outrageous behavior by our elected representatives.

To our credit, we can point with pride to our Senators, Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez, and to Congressman Steve Rothman all of whom stood with us to the end. For those of us who are unrepresented by Scott Garrett, I guess we must shrug our shoulders and say, "When are we ever proud of this clown?"

Bergen Grassroots proposes to send the following letter to these officials:

"The members of Bergen Grassroots (DFA) wish to express our profound gratitude to you for your steadfast commitment to the fight for our constitutional rights and liberties. Your stand against the FISA Amendments Act—in the face of a disgraceful bipartisan clamor by elected representatives to prove themselves more "patriotic" than the President—demonstrates that you feel the pulse of your constituents and are determined to support that view with your votes. Obviously, the Senate chose election-year politics over our Constitution. We're proud that you lost with us.

"Bergen Grassroots pledges to support your future efforts to correct in the next Congress this dreadful step backward."

If you wish to sign this letter, please respond to this email with your name, street address, town and zip. We'll take the names of all adult family members. Please respond by Sunday at midnight so that we can send the letter on Monday.

For the Bergen Grassroots Steering Committee:
Paul Eisenman, Chair  

We're Co-Sponsoring Memorial Week Demonstration

Written by: Paul Eisenman on May 17, 2008 11:49 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Bergen Grassroots, DFA-Link Organizers, DFA New Jersey, Hudson DFA

Hi%%first,%%

Your Steering Committee has voted unanimously to join forces with the
Bergen County chapter of Military Families Speak Out and the Teaneck
Peace and Justice Coalition in support of their weekly vigils.  A
number of other organizations also co-sponsor the vigils. Some
Grassrooters are already regular participants and we want to encourage
all our members to support these protests; clearly, we share the
anguish at the continued illegal and immoral occupation of Iraq and
the consequent loss of life and treasure. Therefore, we will regularly
bring their activities to the attention of the 450+ members of Bergen
Grassroots.

The vigils occur every Wednesday of the year between the hours of 4:30
and 6pm at the National Guard Armory, at the southeast corner of
Liberty Road and Teaneck Road, Teaneck.

A major vigil will take place on Wednesday, May 28, rain or shine.
This will be the second annual Memorial Week Demonstration honoring
the war dead by demanding that all troops are brought home NOW!

On Wednesday of Memorial Week, hundreds of activists will join
together to display a 4,000-foot-long banner with the names of all the
US troops, interspersed with the names of many Iraqi victims of this dreadful
calamity. More than 350 volunteers are needed to hold the 200 segments
of the banner, each 20 feet long. We anticipate the banner will
surround the armory's square block when all portions are in position.
It's a dramatic display of northern New Jersey's commitment to end the

occupation and bring the troops home.

Read more

Meet Our Candidates!

Written by: Paul Eisenman on May 6, 2008 7:02 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Bergen Grassroots

MeetOurCandidates!.doc 30K   View as HTML   Open as a Google document   Download

Prominent NJ Planner Links Profession With Protecting the Public Interest

Written by: Paul Eisenman on Jan 27, 2008 6:01 PM EST

Linked to groups: Bergen Grassroots

Joseph H. Burgis, a community planner whose Westwood, NJ firm is a major factor in professional planning, urban design and landscape architecture in northern New Jersey, will speak and answer questions about his field of expertise at the meeting of Bergen Grassroots on Wednesday, Feb. 6 starting at 7:15pm. His topic is "Planning In Your Community: Protecting the Public Interest."

Joe Burgis brings a wealth of experience to his talk at Bergen Grassroots, where he will describe how residents can work to protect the public interest when their community is in the midst of a planning cycle. Don't miss this opportunity to find out everything you want to know about the relationship among residents, Planning Boards, Zoning Boards and professional planners.

At the regular monthly meetings, there is always fresh news about international, national, state, county and local events and happenings that command the interest of progressives. The group has a number of ongoing activities and projects.

Bergen Grassroots (bergengrassroots.org) meets regularly—and publicly—on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:15pm in the auditorium of the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County, 687 Larch Avenue, Teaneck. Refreshments are served.

We anticipate a high level of public interest in Mr. Burgis's talk and Q&A session. The representative list of his company's clients includes Allendale, Alpine, Elmwood Park, Emerson, Franklin Lakes, Garfield, Hasbrouck Heights, Hawthorne, Ho-Ho-Kus, Midland Park, Mahwah, Oakland, Old Tappan, Oradell, Paramus, Park Ridge, and Rochelle Park. Therefore, we encourage Grassrooters to use our Website, bergengrassroots.org, to sign up to attend.

About Joe Burgis

Mr. Burgis earned a Masters of City and Regional Planning degree from Rutgers 33 years ago and has been actively engaged in the field since. Mr. Bergis has represented more than 40 municipalities in his career, including communities in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Mercer, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic and Sussex counties in the Garden State and Nassau, Rockland and Putnam counties in New York State. Burgis Associates was founded in 1996, succeeding Stewart/Burgis, Inc., which had been formed in 1988.

His and his firm's responsibilities have included preparation of master plan elements, central-business-district analyses, and redevelopment plans. Other skills include the preparation of land-use regulations, in particular performance-based zoning mechanisms, planned development regulations and site-design criteria. Mr. Burgis also has been active in the preparation of housing plans and the COAH certification process.

Since 1986, he has lectured on "Site Plan Review and Approval" at Rutgers. Beginning in 1993 to date, he has lectured on "Land Use Planning" for Land Use Seminars sponsored by the Bergen County Bar Association.

Bergen Grassroots Election, Poll Results

Written by: Paul Eisenman on Jan 3, 2008 5:24 PM EST

Bergen Grassroots elected the members of its 2008 Steering Committee at our meeting yesterday evening (Weds, Jan. 2) in the Ethical Culture Society auditorium.

With six candidates filing for six vacancies, there was no need for formal balloting. The 2008 team will comprise four members of the ’07 committee: Joey Dobbs, who volunteered to become the alternate member; Paul Eisenman, Bob Gulack and Beatrice Robbio, who switched places with Joey Dobbs to become the full member. The newcomers are David Dubin of Haworth and Allen Sklar of Paramus, both relative newcomers to Bergen Grassroots as well. Allen Sklar has an impressive record of public service in his resume: three terms as a member of the Paramus Council and one term as a Bergen County Freeholder.

* * * * * *

At the meeting, the results of the Bergen Grassroots 2008 Presidential Endorsement Poll were announced. Former Senator and 2004 vice-presidential candidate John Edwards was the clear winner, leading throughout the five elimination rounds.

In the raw vote, when only first-place votes are counted, Edwards had 32%, Senator Barack Obama 22% and Congressman Dennis Kucinich had 19%. These candidates, often referred to as the “progressive trio,” gained 76% of the initial vote. Senator Hillary Clinton and Governor Bill Richardson were tied for third with 9% of the vote, Senator Joe Biden got 4% and Senator Chris Dodd received 2%. Former Senator Mike Gravel received no first-place votes and was therefore eliminated in the first round.

As Dodd and Biden were retired in the second and third rounds, their votes were redistributed on the basis of the rankings created by those who voted for them. In the fourth and fifth rounds, as Richardson and Clinton were dropped, the redistribution continued. At the end of the fifth round, Edwards stood at 40%, Obama at 34% and Kucinich at 23%.

That left the contest between Edwards and Obama, each of who could have won when Kucinich’s votes were distributed in the final round. But Edwards picked up about 83% of Kucinich’s total and ended with 59% to Obama’s 38%. This result contrasts with Kucinich’s recent announcement that after himself, he chooses Obama. The balance of 3% represented members who chose to declare themselves as “still undecided” when the voting was taking place.

We discussed the possibility of endorsing Edwards, based on his clear victory, but decided by a virtually unanimous vote to continue our policy of not endorsing Democrats in a contested primary. 

Annual Meeting of Bergen Grassroots

Written by: Paul Eisenman on Dec 27, 2007 2:38 PM EST

Linked to groups: Bergen Grassroots

Apply Now to Run for Bergen Grassroots Steering Committee

Written by: Paul Eisenman on Dec 18, 2007 2:10 PM EST

Linked to groups: Bergen Grassroots

Applications for 2008 Bergen Grassroots Steering Committee

Process: Bergen Grassroots will hold elections for its 2008 Steering Committee (hereinafter "SC") after meeting and hearing the candidates at the regular membership meeting on January 2, 2008. In order to disseminate information about the candidates at this general meeting, we are asking those members interested in being on the SC to submit an application by December 31st, 2007.

Details:The SC will consist of five (5) members plus an alternate member, each serving a one-year term from February 2008 to February 2009. In 2007, the SC added the position of "alternate member" to the Bergen Grassroots bylaws (see below for details).

1. Applications should include:
a) Name
b) Town
c) Up to 200 words on why you'd like to be on the SC. Some possible topics:
- How long have you been associated with our group or Democracy for America?
- What role did you play in the 2007 or previous elections?
- Relevant experience (professional, educational, political background)
- What is your vision for Bergen Grassroots and Democracy for America?

Applications must be received by 11:59pm on December 31, 2007. Please e-mail applications to apply@bergengrassroots.org Or you can mail your application to Bergen Grassroots, PO Box 2070, Teaneck, NJ 07666.

2. Applicants will be given an opportunity to speak at the January 2nd meeting for no longer than two minutes each regarding their candidacy. You need not be present at the meeting in order to run for the SC. Candidate information will be distributed at the January 2nd meeting and via e-mail or postal mail to all eligible voters.

3. The voting process will begin on January 2nd and end at 11:59pm on February 1st, 2008. Voting will be conducted via the Internet and by phone. Eligible voters will be permitted to vote for up to six (6) candidates.

4. Candidates should be willing to make a one-year commitment to serve on the SC. They should expect to attend at least one SC meeting plus the regular membership meeting each month in fulfillment of their duties. Other SC meetings may be called in response to a need for prompt response to an issue.

5. Some responsibilities of the SC are:
a) Set the direction/agenda for the group
b) Plan the regular monthly meetings
c) Liaison with other organizations and with Bergen Grassroots volunteer committees
d) Approve use of the Bergen Grassroots name and/or logo in connection with events and printed materials
e) Approve revisions to the bylaws

6. The elected SC will be announced and take office at the February 2008 general meeting, currently scheduled for February 6th.

7. Eligibility: All members in good standing may serve on the SC and vote on matters of policy. The by-laws define a "member in good standing" as one who has paid dues within the past 12 months, or has had membership dues waived in the past 12 months due to special circumstances. For the purpose of voting, the membership will be evaluated as of the voting deadline.

The language creating the position of Steering Committee alternate member:
"Beginning in 2008, the alternate shall be elected under the same
system used for the election of Steering Committee members. The
alternate is required to attend each meeting of the Steering Committee
as a non-voting member, unless one or more Steering Committee members
is absent, in which case the alternate may vote on all matters. In the
event of a vacancy, the alternate shall be promoted to full membership
by a vote of two-thirds of the Steering Committee, and an interim
alternate shall be appointed by a two-thirds vote of the Steering Committee.
Both shall serve until the next election cycle."

Vote to Determine Bergen Grassroots' Favorite Candidate

Written by: Paul Eisenman on Dec 6, 2007 8:13 PM EST

Linked to groups: Bergen Grassroots

Our meeting last night (Wednesday, Dec. 5) featured outstanding presentations in behalf of five candidates seeking the presidential nomination representing the Democratic Party next year.

The well-prepared presentations—and the responses to questions from the audience—were intelligent, informed and detailed, and helped those in attendance to conclude that any one of the five candidates would serve well as the next president. We all agreed that our party has an embarrassment of riches in the field of candidates, while the Republicans have a real embarrassment in a field of candidates who range from totally incompetent to seriously dangerous.

The presenters and their candidates were: Joan Mokray for Senator Dodd; Vin Gopal and Frank Bieniek for Congressman Kucinich; Bob Gulack for Senator Obama; John Simpson for Governor Richardson; and Joey Dobbs and Eli Sagan for former Senator Edwards. Unfortunately, the national campaigns for Senator Clinton, Senator Biden and former Senator Gravel did not respond to our invitations to supply a surrogate for our conversation.

The turnout was disappointing. We would have liked to fill the Ethical Culture Society hall. The light snow falling at meeting time, creating slick road surfaces, probably had a lot to do with that.

Now we move into a voting period that will end at 11:59pm on December 18, 2007. Your privilege to vote is automatic as long as your email address is in our master file. If it is, you will receive the ballot form in an email very shortly.

Please take advantage of the privilege to vote; we’d like to tell the world who we choose.

That Was The Week That Was: 11/25/07

Written by: Paul Eisenman on Nov 28, 2007 2:14 PM EST

Linked to groups: Bergen Grassroots

News from Bergen Grassroots
Monday, November 26, 2007

Voter Registration Deadlines

If you plan to help New Jersey pick a presidential candidate, there are some deadlines you need to know. Dec. 17 is the deadline for filing change of political party affiliation for the Feb. 5 presidential primary. That would apply if, for example, you are registered as a Republican and want to vote in the Democratic primary. Or vice versa. TW3 believes that if you are registered as unaffiliated, you may make that decision on primary day, but we’ll do some more checking to make sure that is so. If you are not a registered voter, you have until Jan. 15 to enroll and participate in the Feb. 5 primary.

Any More Fifth CD Candidates?

Speaking of registration deadlines, some Grassrooters seem impatient to proceed with what appears to be an Abbate/Shulman campaign. The deadline for candidates to register is 57 days prior to the primary, which falls on June 3 this year. That looks like April 1, 2008. Campaigns are far too long, TW3 believes, and waiting until April to get involved in one certainly seems to be a sensible plan. Anyone disagree?

Coniglio Probe Continues
Federal investigators are sorting through new boxes of evidence collected Tuesday morning (Nov. 20) from state Sen. Joseph Coniglio's Paramus home and his legislative office. The federal raids are the latest development in an ongoing corruption probe. The focus of probe is the Democratic senator's ties to more than $1 million in state grant money received by Hackensack University Medical Center over a two-year period during which Coniglio also worked for the hospital as a paid consultant.

Christie Rewards His Old Boss

Joe Moran of the Star-Ledger reports: “US Attorney Chris Christie, the state's crusader against corruption, has always been a big fan of former Attorney General John Ashcroft, his old boss. So it came as no surprise when Christie asked Ashcroft to help clean up a sleazy company that had fallen into his net. While prosecutors continue sniffing around for people to send to jail, Ashcroft is supposed to look over the firm's shoulder. So far, so good. But Ashcroft's price tag is one for the record books. His consulting firm, based in Washington, expects to charge between $29 million and $52 million for 18 months of work -- the kind of sum usually reserved for baseball MVPs. And suppose the sleazy firm thinks that Ashcroft is padding his bills with extra hours. The appeal goes straight back to Christie, who makes the call. This one has an odor to it."