South Orange BOT election

Rreality kind of spells out why I support Sheena, she doesn’t go along to get along. Sheena is the misshapen cog that threatens the entire Essex county machine. She represents the ground swell of people who say WTF, pension and salary for the same job. (Pedro and Joe) Great deals for developers, terrible repercussions for residents. 

Hopefully other towns in Essex county will awaken from the business as usual nightmare. 

I saw the best endorsement for Sheena in my FB feed today from someone, which seems to summarize what many here have said:

" I urge you to vote for Sheena Collum for VP. Here's why: I have had the opportunity to work with Sheena and Deborah side-by-side on the same project. I saw them facing the same challenges under the same circumstances, working with the same people. Sheena brought original creative ideas based on extensive knowledge, plans for implementing those ideas, follow through to get others on board, and a ridiculous ability to get other residents involved. Deborah simply agreed with Sheena."

I know the state of local media is in the pits and NJ, being between the NY and Philly markets, gets the shaft, but I'm somewhat surprised this local election hasn't registered far beyond our borders. Millennial mayor faces old-school political machine and Trumpian tactics, all while powerful firefighters union swarms into town to undo a consolidation. Very questionable media tactics here as well, with TapInto business model looking shadier by the day and gamed by professionals. All unfolding in a liberal enclave where new residents is unsettling longtime residents. Seems like it checks off a lot of boxes for someone like the NY Times to swoop in for their typical thinkpiece where they try to make it a microcosm of issues in the rest of the country. Even the Star-Ledger has been curiously absent. 

Thank god for the Village Green.

MasterP said:
I know the state of local media is in the pits and NJ, being between the NY and Philly markets, gets the shaft, but I'm somewhat surprised this local election hasn't registered far beyond our borders. Millennial mayor faces old-school political machine and Trumpian tactics, all while powerful firefighters union swarms into town to undo a consolidation. Very questionable media tactics here as well, with TapInto business model looking shadier by the day and gamed by professionals. All unfolding in a liberal enclave where new residents is unsettling longtime residents. Seems like it checks off a lot of boxes for someone like the NY Times to swoop in for their typical thinkpiece where they try to make it a microcosm of issues in the rest of the country. Even the Star-Ledger has been curiously absent. 
Thank god for the Village Green.

Good point.  SOMA usually ends up in the NY Times at the drop of a hat.  Now here is something which has some depth to it and no coverage in sight.  I'm not complaining, just surprised.

I am disappointed in the Star Ledger on this one.  I’ve long said I’d keep subscribing as long as they do the investigative stories about messy NJ politics,m.  I’d hoped for at least one decent article on this election.

MasterP said:
I know the state of local media is in the pits and NJ, being between the NY and Philly markets, gets the shaft, but I'm somewhat surprised this local election hasn't registered far beyond our borders. Millennial mayor faces old-school political machine and Trumpian tactics, all while powerful firefighters union swarms into town to undo a consolidation. Very questionable media tactics here as well, with TapInto business model looking shadier by the day and gamed by professionals. All unfolding in a liberal enclave where new residents is unsettling longtime residents. Seems like it checks off a lot of boxes for someone like the NY Times to swoop in for their typical thinkpiece where they try to make it a microcosm of issues in the rest of the country. Even the Star-Ledger has been curiously absent. 
Thank god for the Village Green.

Has all the makings of a classic campaign documentary.

I have to say I'm very concerned about the outcome of this election.

I see lots of Sheena signs around town.  I take that as a good sign.  But there's been a lot of money poured into this campaign and who knows which way it will go?

mrincredible said:
I have to say I'm very concerned about the outcome of this election.
I see lots of Sheena signs around town.  I take that as a good sign.  But there's been a lot of money poured into this campaign and who knows which way it will go?

I'm very concerned. The Essex Co. Democratic machine is going to have a tremendous get out the vote effort. 

The county controls the voting machines.  

DDF's team is now making robocalls and saying they're going to reduce taxes and save South Orange $11 million in school taxes!  This is the dirtiest campaign ever in South Orange.

mikescott said:
The county controls the voting machines.  

 I'm not worried about that.  I wonder if this weather will slow the machine and help Sheena, or the opposite.  I really don't know.  

Regarding media coverage, I don't recall NY Times covering recent SOMa political campaigns, there have just been a few real estate "if you're thinking of moving to ..." kinds of pieces.

I think if DDF wins, it might be a story for fifteen minutes in some NJ media, otherwise I'm not sure other towns care much about campaigns in other towns.

NYT covered local elections when they had their local version to compete with Patch, but of course that wasn't 'recent.'

FilmCarp said:

mikescott said:
The county controls the voting machines.  

 I'm not worried about that.  I wonder if this weather will slow the machine and help Sheena, or the opposite.  I really don't know.  

 The machine will have a lot of people making calls and driving people to the polls. Many will not be from South Orange, and will be getting paid. 

While the politics were awful, more upsetting than the campaign mailing was the nasty back and forth  among some of the supporters. I can handle shady politicians and dishonest campaigns but the spread of hostility among some residents was alarming. It made me want to move away. I've been on Zillow almost everyday. I love social media, it does so much good but it offers a certain freedom that allows people to be very unkind.

I guess its trending.

Since Davis Ford said, in the candidates' forum, that she is "basically the chief of staff" for the Essex County Freeholders, I'd like to know how she can say she is in favor of SO being a Sanctuary City, while her name appears on this letter. The county is imprisoning immigrants - and treating them extremely poorly - and Joe D has been doing his best to evade accountability for it. Of course, if DDF's role is more of a Clerk, I would not raise this as a concern. 

cramer said:
 The machine will have a lot of people making calls and driving people to the polls. Many will not be from South Orange, and will be getting paid. 

 The machine and the machines are two very different things.  

I haven't gotten any robocall from anyone supporting SOForward. I'm not sure why, but it's fine with me. I also don't answer our house phone if I don't recognize the number anymore!

Today is the big day. Polls are open until 8 pm. If you think there's a chance you'll get stuck on a late train or in bad traffic, let your kids figure out their own breakfast and go vote now. 

I think this is a pretty significant election that will have a lot of significant effect in town going forward. All accounts seem to show we have an active, professional and creative Village President in office. And she's being challenged by a well-financed campaign for a person who hasn't shown nearly the same level of civic engagement. 

If I still lived in SO, Sheena would have my vote (again)...

-s.

Madhu Pai on Facebook:  (Madhu Pai previously served on the BOE)

As a SO resident, I’ve been watching the election for Village President unfold with a sense of incredulity and, now, disgust. This is no longer just about a local election but, rather, this election has become a marker of who we are as a community. What are our beliefs and how do they play out on May 14th, and going forward? As we consider our options and eventually head to the polls, I hope we SO residents will be asking ourselves some critical questions: 

• Are we a community that not only tolerates but endorses division? Will we elect candidates who campaign on the perceived deficiencies of their opponent vs communicating clear and transparent plans/policies for positive change? If the answer is no, then vote for Sheena. 
• Are we a community that is ok with being perceived as lacking the intellectual curiosity to fully understand the issues, allowing mailers with half-truths mis-information to be distributed in hopes that it will drive our decision making? If the answer is no (and you're insulted as I am), then vote for Sheena. 
• Are we a community that just looks past our leaders being indebted to lawyers litigating against us, developers and unions who have vested interests in South Orange (through campaign donations)? If the answer is no, then vote for Sheena.

• Of vital importance, are we a community that wants external influences –the County politicians and the Firefighters union – driving the future of our town because of their own political agendas? We are at risk of this election being hijacked by people who don’t live in South Orange and don’t seem to have our best interests at heart. I don’t want them deciding the future of our village, I will vote for Sheena.

As we cast our votes for our Village President, we will also be showing what we believe, will tolerate and what we stand for as a community. I only hope we show our best self - and vote for Sheena!

I wish Madhu showed that kind of leadership when she was on the BOE.

Why do campaigns think that robo-calls work? It’s so old school and annoying. Also there’s nothing to say in 60 seconds that would sway a voter one way or the other.

annielou said:
Why do campaigns think that robo-calls work? It’s so old school and annoying. Also there’s nothing to say in 60 seconds that would sway a voter one way or the other.

I think that to some extent it operates as a get out the vote operation.  Reminds people of the election.

Steve said:

annielou said:
Why do campaigns think that robo-calls work? It’s so old school and annoying. Also there’s nothing to say in 60 seconds that would sway a voter one way or the other.

I think that to some extent it operates as a get out the vote operation.  Reminds people of the election.

"TODAY IS ELECTION DAY!!! Please note, my opponent's robo call today mistakenly referred to "tomorrow" as Election Day. Make no mistake, TODAY IS ELECTION DAY!! #GOVOTE #VOTESHEENA #MAY14 Polls Close at 8pm TONIGHT (MAY 14). Thank you!"

FWIW, County Freeholder President Brendan Gill comes through with a last minute $2,600 donation to the SO Forward Campaign. There was a last minute ELEC filing, with the donation coming in just last week. 

So are these sorts of contributions from elected officials just a way of hiding where the contributions are coming from? 

A look at Gill's contributors to his 2020 Primary Campaign show a who's who of PAC and unions giving to the Freeholder's committee, including money from the NJ FMBA. How does this align with claims that SO Forward received no PAC money, if the money is just funneled through an individual? 

MasterP said:
FWIW, County Freeholder President Brendan Gill comes through with a last minute $2,600 donation to the SO Forward Campaign. There was a last minute ELEC filing, with the donation coming in just last week. 

 Where did you see that?   

cramer said:
 Where did you see that?   

 https://www.elec.nj.gov/ELECReport/Search48HrNotice.aspx

If you pull up all the 48-hour notices, you'll see one on 5/8/2019 for Brendan Gill. 

Granted, they do work together, as she is the clerk to the board of freeholders, so there is a personal/professional relationship.

Here is file.

ETA: Sorry, don't think I can upload PDF. Easy to find using prior instruction.

Thanks. Got it.