2011 Campaign Begins!

Check here regularly for campaign updates and news from the Ward!

Jubilee Center "Visionary Leaders Dinner"

I was honored to be invited to the Jubilee Center's "Visionary Leaders Dinner" on April 4th. We received an update on the Jubilee Center and its activities. We had a chance to hang out with the kids and watch them perform some dance routines. The Jubilee Center is truly making a difference in these kids' lives.

They gave me this beautiful framed picture of the kids holding a "Party With Purpose" sign and a homemade card. Overall it was a fantastic evening and helps to remind me why all the fundraising for them is worth it.

Housing Authority Meeting

I attended the monthly Hoboken Housing Authority Meeting to hear directly from the HHA directors regarding the poor living conditions at the Fox Hill Senior Living facility. I believe they are all working hard and have made some good progress at HHA, but I was not satisfied by their responses regarding Fox Hill. The Community Center has been closed for weeks and will be closed for ANOTHER 6-8 weeks while under repair. Remodeling the Community Room is a good thing, but the HHA has done enough to provide alternative places for the Seniors to socialize, play bingo, or attend church. The seniors are livid and I am told some are "wasting away" by staying in their apartments all day without anywhere to go and interact. I implored the HHA board to make alternative arrangements for the seniors including setting up tables and chairs in another room and making them aware of activities at other HHA buildings. The seniors deserve better representation and I intend to provide it as councilperson.

Hoboken Family Alliance "Spring Fling" 2007

The Scott Delea For Council Team sponsored and participated in the HFA "Spring Fling" for the second time. What a great event. Seeing all of these young Hoboken families further reinforces the urgency to create a better public school system and develop more open space. With an army of baby carriages and some council seats how can anyone stop us?!

If you are interested in another cool event for families you should check out the Party With Purpose Hoboken 5K and Kids Run which takes place on July 17th. HFA organizes the kid's games and race. Don't miss it! Learn more here: http://www.partywithpurpose.org/events.html

I had a photographer take pictures of the Spring Fling. He took some great shots. Check them out here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottdelea/

Future Leaders will emerge

As Mr. Snitch reports, a recent Letter to the Editor printed in last weekend's Hoboken Reporter provided a fair and balance view of the mayoral race while commenting on those of us who represent the future of Hoboken politics. The letter is reprinted on Mr. Snitch's site: http://mistersnitch.blogspot.com/2005/06/letter-of-year.html .

Paying for Support (votes) was rampant

Call me naive, but I was curious why a voter told me they supported me and was voter number "147". The voter number is the number they were in line at the polls. Why would they know their "voter number" and why would they care? It turns out that some campaigns participated in paying about $40 of "street money" to "volunteers" to sit around in campaign t-shirts and vote for a certain candidate. The voter number is one way they verify the voter voted. While they cannot confirm the volunteer voted for that candidate, the campaigns hope the money will persuade volunteers to vote for the candidate and keep the gravy train coming in the future. It is an old and outdated way of doing business and one I feel is missing the real opportunity to obtain real support by speaking to the minds and hearts of voters rather than their wallets. Money is powerful, but it is limited. Someone with more money can come along and steal those "votes". Winning minds and hearts is more powerful, less expensive and can last a lifetime. When I spoke to people receiving street money, they were hungry for a different choice and different way. With the proper leadership and courage I am confident we can reach the minds and bodies of these "volunteers" and put an end to paying for supposed "loyalty". For more on street money and paying for votes, read this article in the Jersey Journal titled Some campaign 'volunteers' go where the green is

Best Places to....

As much as I enjoyed the City Council debate on Thursday, a part of me was attending (in mind and spirit) another very important event. DigitalGrit, the company I help manage, was attending an awards ceremony for the Best Places to Work in New Jersey.

To be selected, DigitalGrit went through a rigorous selection process. Until Thursday night we knew we had been selected as ONE of the twenty five finalists. Well, on Thursday night, we learned DigitalGrit was selected as THE NUMBER ONE Best Mid-sized business to work for in New Jersey!

This is an amazingly gratifying accomplishment for me and the team I work with. DigitalGrit has always stayed true to the "grit" part of its name. We were born in a recession at the depths of a dot-com bust. Through hard work, resilience, carefully managing expenses, hiring great people, expecting the best, and staying passionate about our customers, we have been able to succeed. All this in five short (although sometimes they felt very long...) years. I can't wait for the next five!

City Hall should be run like one of the best companies to work for in New Jersey. When elected, I will work hard to make that a reality.

Help Wanted: Independent Leaders

Independence, according to Webster's Dictionary:
1 : not dependent: as a (1) : not subject to control by others (2) : not affiliated with a larger controlling unit b (1) : not requiring or relying on something else : not contingent (2) : not looking to others for one's opinions or for guidance in conduct (3) : not bound by or committed to a political party c (1) : not requiring or relying on others (as for care or livelihood)

Hoboken needs independent and experienced leaders more than ever if we want to break free of the politics of the past. Our City is being held hostage by the equivalent of the "Hatfields and McCoys".

I hope you will join me as I begin the process of installing more responsible, independent leadership in City Hall.

CASA Fundraiser

One of my favorite fundraisers was for a group called CASA (Court Appointed Surrogate Advocates) of Hudson County, held at Madison's Bar and Grill. We donated $7,000 to help fund the training and support of an additional 20 new volunteers who are now representing abused and neglected foster children in our Hudson County Court system.