Despite national momentum to oust incumbent Democrats, there was no victory tea party in the Borough of Merchantville for the Republicans. Mayor Frank North won re-election as did Council President Anthony Perno. Steve Volkert also won the seat being vacated by Councilman Brunton.
68 comments:
LANDSLIDE FOR DEMS!
North - 830
Rogers - 471
Perno - 772
Volkert - 834
Moore - 505
Matukonis - 467
Andrews - 750
Gladding - 460
Egan-Jones - 682
Leone-Zwil - 494
McDonnell - 653
Rodriguez - 663
Zallie - 477
DeCristofaro - 471
HURRAY!
All I know and can say is the best men won. They have and will continue to work hard for our town to build it better a place for everyone. They are the type of men we should all be proud of. They fight for what's right and they don't mud sling.
Numbers speek for themselves..
This just shows how out of touch Merchantville is with the rest of the country when you look at the nat'l numbers!
So the Three Stooges win.
Congrats to them.
Condolences to the minority of Mervillians who have normal or better intelligence.
Get out while you can!
I thought there were seven-hundred-some petitioners who were so dis-enamored with our local governors that they went around them NGO-style to ask the State for a consolidation study. Who did they vote for if they did vote?
Gail, tell us if Mayor North's 830 votes last night surpass his prior election and reelection results. My memory says it comes close or does. And several months ago he thought he would be a lame duck hopping around town this morning like Afleck.
Did the petitioners vote for the incumbents they trashed all summer? Talk to us, lavardera. Tell us what you really think.
Great photo of scrufty-faced North with Observer headline at dumpster, Mville Citizen!
Where'd you get it? I want a copy.
Consolidation is dead.
North played lavadera's like a cheap violin. At one budget session in March he said "never while I'm in this seat," and at a Council meeting in late summer he said (while a bunch of the merger folks were in the crowd) he said that they (the merger proponents) should have bought in Merchantville with their heads, not their hearts. He insults them, and they reward him with a second term.
How was that election about consolidation? The candidates were both opposed to it. If Rogers hadn't gone on a rant at the presentation, He would have gotten more votes.
I don't think consolidation had much, if anything, to do with the election results. That vote will come on another day - the proponents and the opponents of consolidation know that. There was not much point in bringing that issue into this election no matter where you stand on that issue.
The election seems to be about citizen evaluation of past performance of the Dems and an evaluation of which slate of candidates are more likely to bring about a better future for Merchantville. Judging from the 2 to 1 plurality, the Dems are highly regarded for both their past and their future by most of Merchantville.
While I favor the golden opportunity of consolidation, I still consider it a long shot. Good management of a continuing borough has to go on in a "business as usual" basis. The experience of the Dems in this regard made voters feel more confident in them.
I think people want good development at TCE and they want a forced redevelopment of Wellwood Manor.
I think the tone of the Repub literature may have hurt them among possible swing voters. Merchantville is not used to that and doesn't like it. But had the Repubs gotten all who may have been swing voters, it would not have been enough.
One thing I have never understood about the build up to election day is all the stones that get thrown because we all have glass houses and once the windows are broke you don't forget but the glass can be replaced. Maybe if people focus on the here and now we could all work together like adults. Not like kids in a rock fight. Its time we stop the kid games and get back to the basics of building a strong safe town for our seniors, children, grand chirldren and our future grenerations to come.
I can only hope for the best pos
sible outcome for Merchantville.
I too have grown up here and plan to stay for years to come and I want to be proud of my town and my neighbors. Lets put our best foot forward for the path of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
I guess we can all say hello to the bike path extension...a direct line to the worst city in the country!!!!! Not real sure how anyone can say "HURRAY" to this. And don't be surprised when our beloved Dems vote yes to a merger. While North is against it, his buddies have been known to be FOR!!!!
right now that train bridge is a direct line. There is a gaping hole in the fence and no lights any where near. So that direct line is there, now. Guess that is where all the trick or treaters came from. And as far as consolidation, anon, it is the people who get to choose. That includes you, unfortunately.
Consolidation is dead. The people have spoken. Great win!
Funny - I did not see that on the ballot.
I'm looking forward to Frankie's explanation for the big cuts that are coming to close that $300k hole he and his minions have put into the budget.
Steve Rogers was much more vocal in his opposition to consolidation and North smartly kept his language neutral. If Rogers were a real politician he could have said the right things, but at least he was honest and straightforward.
So, if there is widespread opposition to consolidation the GOP would have gotten more votes based on Mr. Rogers' being outspoken against it. But that did not happen, so the case can be made that there is not widespread opposition to consolidation.
Yeah, and turkeys cause winter, cruiser.
after being mobbed by every candidate in the parking lot and asking everyone where they were on consolidation, the general consensus was all of the candidates were in favor of a study. So exactly how does this election have anything to do with consolidation one way or another if everyone is in favor of at the least, the next step.
Lee Atwater realized that it’s the message, not the actions, that Americans vote for — and so finding the winning message is all that matters…
Democrats turned a true ad about conflict of interest into a "personal attack" ad. This framing was repeated by the campaign and adopted by "dupes".
It won the day.
As I said, the best story wins.
Junkie - give it up - there was no conflict of interest - the GOP ad was a disgrace - people know it when they see it.
Point proven.
That's funny Junkie quotes Lee Atwater. The Repubs had Willie Horton on the Bike Path but it backfired.
Beings as the message was that "the GOP ad was a disgrace," I agree.
The GOP ad was the truth.
Merchantville's electorate, in finest New Jersey style, simply didn't care.
Funny, the DemocRATS were all in a dither about thew factually accurate Perno ad, but never said a word about "Mayor Moneybags"
Shall we take silence as agreement?
The Reps flyers said exactly what I always thought of both North and Perno.
Anon 11/5 1:25 PM - Well go on... tell us the exact improper things which were done to merit the Mayor Moneybags moniker.
Are there any improper things?
None heard, the reality is the Democrats distinguished between the mere name calling in the Mayor Moneybags phrase but properly rebutted the much more serious, but false, allegation of impropriety in the conflict of interest matter.
Gotta agree I thought the Mayor Money bags was in poor taste, however also gotta agree that the flyer about the bike path was done in poor taste, even though the basis for it is true. Personal attacks in our small community are just not well received, I think the point could have been made with much more class, althoughrumor has it that some of the D's didn't act with much class after the election was over...
Maybe the gop's should just grow up and stop all the name calling. Now take your ball and go home because the street lights are on and its almost bed time. leave running the town to the big boys.
Why is it that everything is so negative from the gop. What is the real problem with the bike path,there are people that live in town and work in camden and philly. So instead of driving and having to pay to park they will be able to ride there bike to where they work or to the trasnportation center lock there bikes and go to work. I feel its a win win all the way around. They save on gas,parking,tolls and some people would look at is going green..
Hey if u are so cocerned about innocent children trick or treatin in our town why don't u tell us how u really feel.and if you are so concerned about the bike path why don't u n mayor wanna be build homes next to the railroad bridge and protect us from those people.and as far as consolidation goes it already has happened with u n your smallminded friends who are above us. N those people. U r the people bringing this town down.not the three good hard working men who are looking to make this town abetter place were everyone can enjoy it.
WTF?
These "good hard working men" are the same ones who put a $300k hole in the budgets of the past three years, and burned through the surplus to hide it.
No hiding it in the future - it's gone.
Watch for the fireworks!!!
"Are there any improper things?"
I am sure cruiser will find excuses, but buying JemJoe LLC's bullding at 9 East Park for a price well in excess of market value at a closed meeting not on the council agenda is pretty odd. Then add that the purchase of 9 East Park was not required by the Fieldstone Contract for TCE. Add to that the quick following purchase of Brennan's building (for sale for over a year with no takers) by JemJoe and you have reasonable cause for an investigation into misuse of public funds.
The main questions being: were boro funds used to buy a building for the purpose of getting money to the owner so that the former mayor could get money for his own building? Did we taxpayer's effectively pay for Brennan's building and ourselves get stuck with a building we can neither use nor sell quickly?
Here are some Cruiser excuses:
Your insinuation implies that the purchase price of the Jemjoe Building was "well in excess of market value" when you have no idea what the true market value of the property was. You may have an appraisal dated well before the transaction date. You have no idea of the value of the improvements JemJoe made to the place between the apparaisal and the Borough purchase. You have no idea if Jemjoe's acquisiation of the place from for the prior owner was a bargain price. In short, you have no basis for your insinuation. It is just a fantasy in your mind.
I can not speak to the last version of the Fieldstone deal as I don't know the details of it but it is obvious from looking at the site that the JemJoe property is necessary to redevelop the site. Deals like Fieldstone evolve. It may very well be that the Bororugh can get a better deal from Fireldstone now trhat it owns Jemjoe.
So, what was the excessive price the Brennan proerty sold for which needed all the scandal money from Jemjoe? Beyond your wild and crazy insinuation, what are the facts which back it up?
The comment about the JemJoe building not being readily saleable has no relevance. The building was not bought to be immediately sold. It appears to me it was bought to assemble the land needed for the proposed development to be built. It is an integral part of the site. Such developments commonly take several years to come to fruition.
" What is the real problem with the bike path,there are people that live in town and work in camden and philly. So instead of driving and having to pay to park they will be able to ride there bike to where they work or to the trasnportation center lock there bikes and go to work. I feel its a win win all the way around. They save on gas,parking,tolls and some people would look at is going green."
I work in Camden. As soon as NJ passes a reasonable shall-issue carry law, I'd be fine with biking to work and my wife and infant daughter can safely walk the bike path. Until then, keep Camden out of Merchantville and I can safely drive my car to work.
I'd be more worried about KWADZ peddling around on his ten speed with a piece in his holster. LOL.
"I'd be more worried about KWADZ peddling around on his ten speed with a piece in his holster. LOL."
Why would you be afraid of a law abiding citizen as opposed to the thug who may be illegally carrying today when you go out for a stroll?
I don't know who the hell you are, but the idea of someone calling themselves KWADZ riding around town on a bicycle with a gun scares me more than a bike path to Pennsauken.
KWADZ sounds like his gang name.
"I don't know who the hell you are, but the idea of someone calling themselves KWADZ riding around town on a bicycle with a gun scares me more than a bike path to Pennsauken."
Kwadz was a high school nickname based on my strong quadriceps from running on the cross-country team - a far cry from any gang-related activity. If I was able to legally carry, I would only do so after going through all of the proper legal channels. Something that a gang member or anyone intent on committing any crime would never do. Keep in mind that criminals are carrying illegally every day right through your town. We're just talking about allowing law-abiding citizens to defend themselves if they so choose, as declared a God-given right in the United States Constitution and declared by the SCOTUS on June 26, 2008 (DC vs. Heller) and June 28, 2010 (McDonald vs. Chicago) to be justified for the purpose of "self-defense".
"...the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
How odd that Anonymous, of all people, would say “I don’t know who the hell you are ...”
I’ll stick close to Kwadz. I’m much more afraid of an Anonymous blogger who wants to connect Merchantville to Camden City, the most violent city in the United States.
So we're not already connected to Camden by way of streets and sidewalks?
I don’t know who the hell you are, Anonymous.
No, we’re not really connected to Camden by streets and sidewalks -- Rt. 130 acts as kind of a dry moat.
Who in their right mind would actually WANT to have a direct bike path connection with the most violent city in the United States?
I'm all for extending the bike path to Cove Rd. with the idea of urging Pennsauken to continue it eastward towards Maple Shade eventually. However, I can't imagine that ANYONE in Merchantville would see any benefit in connecting with Camden. That is, unless someone had some sort of conflict of interest where he/she worked for a company that had financial interests in obtaining grant money for this project.
Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I have been told that there is about a 1/4 mile stretch of Pennsauken that is not being developed as a bike path that would separate the Merchantville bike path from Camden.
It's more like a half mile.
I would love to ride my bike to Fairmount Park! The neighborhoods through which the proposed path traverses are not that dangerous- Pennsauken, Cramer Hill and then the waterfront which is mostly wooded. This is an infrastructure impovement that would make Merchantville a more attractive place to live.
"I would love to ride my bike to Fairmount Park! The neighborhoods through which the proposed path traverses are not that dangerous- Pennsauken, Cramer Hill and then the waterfront which is mostly wooded."
I mean this in the nicest and most sincere way possible, but it is naivety like this that gets people killed, raped, or kidnapped. I hope you take proper precautions like at least carrying pepper spray before venturing out on your own like this. My wife and I can give you some pointers for personal safety if you are interested. Please let me know.
Merchantville MOm with all due respect you could not be more wrong about your statement.
I don't care about a bike path. I don't have a bicycle. My issue is with the dangers of the current situation. The railroad bridge and the area surrounding it are covered with weeds, foliage, and very dark at night. That fence is cut wide open, any one can walk right through whenever they want or hide out from police on either side. Wouldn't it be better to open the area up along with LIGHTS?
Also- The neighborhood on the other side of 130 is Pennsauken not Camden. It's a good family neighborhood. Why are you people so sure that you're better than the people on the other side of 130? I know people in that neighborhood and they are hard working people.
Euclid, no one to my knowledge is claiming they are better than anyone else, people who bike can connect to the rails trails off of the federal Street ramp. We don't need any more foot access into or out of that area of the city, i would be curious to see how the crime stats were on the other side of the rairoad bridge
kwadz, kudos to your comments, i believe people are getting hung up on being too politically correct, this is America we have a right to say how we feel, it is not discrimination of any sort, our little town has become culturally diverse. If people believe that opening up another access into and out of one of the most crime ridden cities in America makes them feel unsafe then so be it.
My sister lives on the other side of that railroad bridge. It's Pennsauken and a good family neighborhood. Why do Merchantville people think that they are so much better? 130 is not a boundary between good and bad. We're all the same. Pennsauken is a really nice town. Why do Merchantville people keep trashing Pennsauken?
Euclid,
To my knowledge no one has trashed Pennsauken, I agree 100% with you that it is a wonderful community, and I am proud that we share a border and many other things with them. With that said I am less than satisfied with their High School, it is habitually underperforming and we as an independent community should be able to improve our education system for our children by sending them to a high School of our choosing. As far as location many of the issues addressed here concerning a link to Camden are the same issues Pennsauken citizens make. This has nothing to do with being above anyone It is about wanting to live in a safe and secure neighborhood.
To Euclid: Yesterday I drove over to the other side of Rt. 130 in Pennsauken to see that area for myself. I also stopped by to look at the RR bridge on this side of Rt. 130.
You are absolutely correct. The area across 130 seems to be a good family neighborhood, with some very nice homes. The Merchantville side of the RR bridge is so overgrown with small trees and foliage that it’s impossible to see the approach to the bridge.
A very good first step would be to cut down all the foliage, clean off the bridge and install safety lighting in that area.
Maybe Merchantville’s Mayor can ask Pennsauken’s Mayor to take that action as soon as possible in the interest of safety.
Well getting back to the thread topic, does anyone have the breakdown of the vote by the four distrcts withing Merchantville and the boundaries of the districts. The information woud be interesting to analyze the results.
Also, not to rub salt in the wounds of the GOP, but when Mark Brunton ran several years ago didn't he have more votes than any of the GOP candidates had in this election?
What are you trying to say, Cruiser -- that the Democrats are alive and well in Merchantville? Tell us something we don’t know.
In answer to your "salt-in-the-wound" question, in the 2007 election Mark Brunton got 433 votes, which was actually LESS than any of the Republican candidates got in the 2010 election. For Council in 2010, Moore for 505 votes and Matukonis got 467 votes. (Note: the 2007 result is an official Camden County number, while the 2010 results are from a Facebook page.)
Interestingly, in the 2010 Mayoral election, North got 830 votes as a Democrat with 1,237 voters. In 2007, North got 773 votes as a Republican with 1,297 voters.
I wasn't trying to say anything. I was just curious about the facts. My vague recollection of Mark Brunton's total vote is that it was higher. I am glad you corrected my weary memory. While no doubt the Democratic Party is alive and well in Merchantville, the extensive efforts of the Republicans this time did get them somwewhere in terms of increased vote count. Frankly, I thought it would get them more.
I am just trying to make observations from the available data. So where then does that lead a political discussion, particularly about the present disposition of the voters on a CH merger which could come some day in the not too distant future? While both mayoral candidates seemed, in their hearts, to be opposed to a merger, Mr. Rogers seemed the most outspoken against it (the general tone of his comments at the Courage to Connect meeting). Next time, if one party or the other took a strong pro-merger stand, would it help them or hurt them? Did the merger issue come along and sweep away all the gains the GOP might otherwise have had in the last election?
I need to make a correction to an election date I gave in my recent comment. The last mayoral election was in 2006, not 2007, because a mayor’s term is 4 years. Mr. Brunton ran for Council in 2007.
As for your remarks concerning a pro-merger stand, I think that issue did hurt the GOP in this election. I believe that all the candidates with the exception of Mr. Perno are, in their hearts, opposed to a municipality merger with Cherry Hill, although they would probably all support a merger of the school systems. The large block of 600+ pro-merger residents, as represented by the Consolidation group, most likely voted for the slate of Democrats because they are expecting Anthony Perno to make it happen. That's my opinion.
I don't think the pro-merger group is 600+ but there are a lot of them (me included).
It will be 600++ after the study is done and its contents understood.
What is the current merger status? As I recall there were to be some early November meetings among key local and Trenton people. Did they happen? Any reporst of what happened?
Cruiser,
You might want to join the "Merchantville Study for Consolidation" facebook group for more info.
Unlike the Merchantville NJ Facebook page, you can't read what anyone is saying on the "Merchantville Study for Consolidation" Facebook page unless you join the group first.
i believe the consolidation group is about 15 citizens strong. move to cherry hill if you want to live in cherry hill.
I only know of 6 or 7 people who are against consolidation. Everybody is for it. We'll all get a vote.
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