From now until next January, auditions are open for candidates to be Trenton’s next mayor. January 2014 is, of course, the earliest that candidates can actually start to circulate nominating petitions and collect enough signatures for the May 6 election.
We already have a number of announced candidates for mayor, however. So far, four individuals – James Golden, Patrick Hall, Eric Jackson, and Walker Worthy – have all made formal announcements of their candidacy, and have formalized their intentions by filing at least some of the required forms and reports with the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). A fifth, Paul Perez-Barroso, has announced his candidacy, but has neglected to file any ELEC paperwork. There are others who are rumored to be considering their candidacies, but no others have announced and/or filed. The Current Occupant of Trenton’s Mayor’s Office continues to be coy about his intentions to stand for re-election. But I for one consider him to be irrelevant as a serious candidate for 2014.
These five people have all announced in typical fashion – the usual press conference attended by family and supporters, featuring the routine prepared statement featuring personal biography and professional career details, and the required vague recitation of promises and goals for their candidacies and future terms of office. Afterwards, they may have set up web pages and/or Facebook pages, Twitter feeds; and begun to write Op-ed pieces or Letters to the Editors of the local papers.
As of May 10, 2013, that is as far as these candidates have gone. After their initial announcements, we’ve heard almost nothing of substance about any municipal issue of importance from any of the formal announced candidates. It’s not as if there’s nothing going on in Trenton.
Even though the election is a year away and formal campaigns not yet swinging into gear, I wonder why I am not hearing more, and in more detail, from the five announced candidates. It’s easier than ever to get one’s thoughts and opinions out into the ether: Facebook; blogs (ahem!); Twitter; even Comments to the online publication of newspaper stories; all are almost instantaneous, and possibly even better for candidates, free, vehicles for moving one’s opinions and positions into the public conversation. What I have noticed up until now is that none of the candidates are using any of these or similar to participate much in discussions of the issues they will face should they be elected.
Let’s start with Patrick Hall. He was the first person to enter the race. He announced his candidacy about 10 months ago, and set up a website at the same time. But since then, he’s been invisible. His website has seemingly been untouched since last July. He’s issued no press releases, his Facebook page features his campaign logo and lots of pictures, but no position statements. A Google search of “Patrick Hall Trenton” brings up references to his original announcement, his website, and an occasional note of a public appearance. But I can find nothing where he comments on news items or makes statements on policies he would support or oppose as mayor. Nearly a year into his candidacy, he is still a cipher, and has squandered the time he enjoyed as the only formal candidate by doing nothing with it.
Walker Worthy, the Deputy Mercer County Clerk announced his candidacy last month, and held a press conference/supporters’ rally at the Trenton Marriott. So far, his candidacy seems to be focusing on rallying supporters within the county’s and city’s politically active Democrats. He as of yet has no website, and his Facebook page features his picture and campaign slogan: “Worthy to Serve, Prepared to Lead.”
What he is apparently not yet prepared to do is tell voters what he thinks about the issues.
Former Trenton Police Director James Golden also announced his campaign last month at the Marriott, with prepared remarks that are posted on his Facebook page. In part it states, “[M]my campaign is going to be all about direction. It’s going to be: Trenton Forward! Trenton Forward! is not a sound bite – it’s a mindset, a way of doing things, and our anthem to move this city in a grossly different direction…I’m running for mayor of Trenton because I care too much about this city to see it go backwards…I’m running for mayor because it’s time we’ve tackled crime with a real plan and not pixie dust…I’m running for mayor because it’s time we start creating jobs, and not case files for the US Attorney’s Office..And I’m running for mayor because it’s time we restore integrity, public trust and ethics to city government.“
Occasionally we have heard Mr. Golden at City Council sessions making statements on specific issues, and he has also on occasion contributed some thoughts in Facebook discussions. He has started to circulate some position papers on some issues, however those are not yet widely or openly discussed or expanded upon. So far we have not publicly heard any sustained or comprehensive ideas or proposals that he believes will take “Trenton Forward.”
Paul Perez-Barroso made a big splash last month with his campaign promise, “Make me the mayor today, and tomorrow you will have 105 police officers back on duty.” He took some grief for that promise among one group of Facebookers, attempted to engage his critics and respond, also on Facebook. When faced with more questions and comments, he retreated and cut off further comment. Since early April, he has had no presence online or in the news. His campaign kick-off event was first announced to be held at City Hall, but was moved to a private Mill Hill residence at the last moment.
Alone among the other declared candidates, Mr. Perez-Barroso has so far failed to file the required documents with ELEC. For someone whose primary self-presented credentials are those of a savvy businessman and executive, this is a telling omission. It’s a mixed message to the public when a candidate plays up his work with the US Export-Import Bank and the National Science Foundation, then neglects the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.
Former Trenton Director of Public Works Eric Jackson only formally announced his candidacy this week, although he has been frequently mentioned in the press for months as a likely candidate. He filed his candidacy with ELEC last month, but as of today has filed none of the required quarterly financial reports for his campaign that has been informally running since last fall at least.
Mr. Jackson is the sole candidate to have published a public article staking out a specific position on a current issue. In January of this year, he submitted a brief op-ed piece to The Times supporting the Thomas Edison State College proposal to re-develop the Glen Cairn Arms site. I disagreed with his position, but was appreciative that he took the time and made the effort to engage on a specific important public issue of the sort he’d face as Mayor. I hoped to see more of this, not only from him but from all the others.
Which is why his Letter to the Editor in yesterday’s Times was so disappointing. Meant to accompany his formal campaign announcement, it reads as so bland and generic to have been cribbed from a standard manual, like “Campaigning for Dummies.” There is nothing in his letter that could not have been written for any other community in this nation. For example, a slightly edited excerpt:
“It is out of this belief and love for the city of [INSERT NAME HERE] that I announce my candidacy for the office of mayor. This will be a campaign that will invite everyone who is interested in making the city of [INSERT NAME HERE] great once again. Over the course of the campaign, you will hear about my plans for the future for this great city. More important, I want to hear from you, the public, about what you want the future of [INSERT NAME HERE] to be.”
Can the bar possibly be set any lower?
All of these guys have announced their candidacies real early. We have a year before the next regularly-scheduled elections. Part of the reason they’ve announced so soon is to be ready should there be a special election this year occasioned by an involuntary vacancy in the office.
The window for that happening in 2013 is fast closing, and in my opinion is not happening. But if there is a remote possibility of it occurring, I think that would give these candidates more reason, not less, to make their campaigns specific, detailed and comprehensive. So far, to a one, that is not happening.
In open auditions, a candidate doesn’t have much opportunity to make an impression. You have to start strong with your best material and your best presentation from the first second.
If you don’t, before you know it, you hear, “Thank you. Next!”
The clock is ticking, guys. Who’s up for it?
Kevin one thing I like about Eric Jackson is that he ran the largest non-uniformed department in the city, that means he could hit the ground running, we can’t wait for any more learning curves to catch up with elected officials. the city needed strong leadership yesterday. This is not a knock against any of the other people running but is a fact that stands out in my mind.
Harry,as a recent director of the largest non-uniformed department in the city, I think that makes it more important for Mr. Jackson to speak with detail to the many serious issues around that department.
There are questions about the management of his department during his tenure. We’ve seen a lot of corruption in Public Works over the last few years, with some folks such as Dave Tallone and Muscles Davis allegedly pulling their stunts for years before the current Administration. Eric needs to speak to that.
On policy matters, the deterioration of the Trenton Water Works over the last few years has led to a lot of calls around the rest of the County for TWW to be taken away from the City. What does Eric think about that? Does he consider the Water Works an invaluable asset of the City? Is he prepared to defend it? How?
Why does he think the department is so seriously understaffed?
Would he support spinning off a separate Department of Water and Sewer Utility? Why? Why not?
His experience, and that of Jim Golden, make them at this point the strongest candidates. But to me that makes it much more important they use their experience and their knowledge to speak to the issues.
If Eric wants to be Mayor of Trenton, he can’t get away with content-free mush like today’s Letter to the Editor.
Points well taken.
Kevin,
Thank you for the column, Open Auditions. Not sure if this counts, but here is the link to an op-ed on the Trenton Police Department that I wrote for The Times in March.
http://www.nj.com/times-opinion/index.ssf/2013/03/opinion_trenton_needs_partners.html
All the best,
Jim
For me it may come down to the following question, “Do government buildings help our economy”. Jackson clearly thinks they do and apparently so do his supporters. This mindset has given us ballparks, nursing schools, arena and hotels owned by the government and not paying taxes. All are set in great locations.
Citizens will have to believe that that strategy has been working in Trenton to feel comfortable voting for Jackson.
Golden will need to explain a different approach, which he’s not yet done. Saying you’re for better policing and moving Trenton Forward is like saying you like sunshine. Nice, but who cares until you know what forward means and how you plan to put the car into forward.
I already wasn’t holding out hope from the latest crop of mayoral potentials. I like Dan’s question, but in addition I’d like to know exactly what they think the city is supposed to be in the future. In the past, it was a manufacturing center. But what is it supposed to be, going forward? What is the city’s reason to exist as such? In other terms, nobody is articulating a vision.
The city does desperately need good management to take care of the resources it does have. But I think we also have to admit that much of the city needs to be re-thought, re-imagined. It hasn’t worked for a long time, but that isn’t just a question of management, but one also of true leadership. How can it work again? Where are the different ideas?
Without some differing thought (and it really is too bad the citizens probably never elect someone not born and raised in Trenton, who might not have the local political ties and mental baggage), the job is only just trying to dig out from and manage the messes that have been left over from 20+ years of Palmer and Mack. No plans for the future, which the city also desperately needs.