Stack slams DeGise: ‘This is no longer the 1950’s when one political boss is served’

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State Senator (D-33)/Union City Mayor Brian Stack slammed Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise in a lengthy Facebook post, exclaiming “this is no longer the 1950’s when one political boss is served.”

Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise (left) receiving the endorsement of state Senator (D-33)/Union City Mayor Brian Stack in May 2014. Screenshot via YouTube.
Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise (left) receiving the endorsement of state Senator (D-33)/Union City Mayor Brian Stack in May 2014. Screenshot via YouTube.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“How dare the current county administration believe they have an inherit [sic] right to do nothing in office and remain there. What has happened in this county administration for a long time is simple, they have forgotten the RESIDENTS they serve! While all too focused on the political machine,” Stack wrote yesterday.

“They claim to be about the people, but the make up of the administration does not represent our residents. More than that, they have failed to include our minorities in key positions in our county. This is no longer the 1950’s when one political boss is served.”

Stack continued that he’s heard from 100s of residents who have been ignored by the current county administration, claiming “they have lost the fire in the belly years ago” and shouldn’t be trying to make this personal.

During his appearance on Hudson County Review Live, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said a nearly identical line when addressing the falling out with DeGise: “When you no longer have that fire in the belly it’s time for a change.”

After a meeting at the Coach House diner on Wednesday, Fulop and Stack announced they would not be supporting DeGise’s re-election, with many other politicos following suit.

However, DeGise still has the backing of U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-8), state Senator (D-32)/North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco, Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis and many others.

While Stack and Fulop may not see the situation as personal, DeGise certainly does based on his remarks to The Jersey Journal on Friday: I’d rather be the guy that’s getting f***ed than the guy that f***s somebody,” making it quite clear he felt like he’d been stabbed in the back.

Also in his Facebook post, Stack doubled down on the fact that DeGise hasn’t given minorities a voice in his administration.

“I take pride in representing our minorities that include African- Americans, Hispanics , Arab-Americans, South Asians, and many other minorities who go forgotten too often. All residents, regardless of ethnicity, should have a voice in our community,” adding that he “WILL NEVER BACK DOWN” in the event DeGise does not drop out.

Directly responding to Stack’s social media post, DeGise said in a statement that he had never heard any of these concerns before and the talk about a lack of diversity in county government is a way to mask Fulop and Stack’s true intentions.

“Senator Stack never voiced any of these concerns privately or publicly before he and Mayor Fulop launched their campaign to take over county government, and that fact speaks volumes,” DeGise said.

“Anyone who knows me knows how seriously I’ve been committed to diversity, especially at the highest levels of my administration where our County Administrator, Finance Director and several other department directors and deputy directors are African American or Hispanic, and many are women.”

“It’s disappointing to see Senator Stack trying to make this about race instead of what it really is, which is an attempt by two mayors to grab more power for themselves.”


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3 COMMENTS

  1. Diversity doesn’t mean reverse discrimination is ok either. Stack keeps picking minorities as his Assembly persons and none of them have been balls of fire. Balance is the key, Senator.

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