It’s been a full week since the election and we allowed the dust to settle so folks can better appreciate the glory and the splendor of our final mayoral race for the year. (Yes that’s a joke.)   Let’s take a look at our handicap and see how Da Horsey performed.  Astute readers saw our odds sheet and could determine it was also a list of the finishers in reverse order.  As we called it: Everton Wilson, Patricia Waiters, Nathan Brinkman, Kim Glatt, Beth Mason, Frank Raia and Dawn Zimmer.  We had it almost dead perfect if you inverse Raia and Mason who were within a clear length of each other.  Da Horsey will confess to making one mistake.  Privately, we told someone we didn’t expect Mason would get over 20% of the vote.  She managed to exceed it by a length.  
Okay on to the next personal political issue: who will replace Dawn Zimmer on the City Council in the 4th Ward?  As we understand it, the City Council will vote on a candidate in the next 30 days to determine who holds the appointment for the next year followed with an election in November 2010.  Should no appointment occur a special election would be scheduled some time in February.  In a 4-4 deadlock on the council, a deciding vote is made by the Mayor.  If that’s the case, Mayor Dawn Zimmer will be even more influential in the final choice.


Here are the names in alphabetical order of the five candidates whispered in our ear:
Frances Jennings – contributor to the successful Kids First coalition, Moms for Change
Michael Lenz – former Hoboken Chief Financial Officer, election advisor
Rami Pinchevsky – open space advocate – Save Park 11
Tony Soares – former Hoboken City Councilman
Jake Stuiver – 4th Ward/Hoboken community activist, Hoboken Housing Authority Representative
Other than the criteria we set below, we have no endorsement. Our barn is not located in the 4th Ward anyway. We leave it to the readers and residents of the 4th Ward to consider who would be best.  After all, the Mayor did ask for you to stay involved.  You don’t need a horse to do that on your behalf do you?  Nevertheless, here’s our criteria, cognizant of the internal workings we are not privy to but we have a singular one, as always:
All Hoboken, by Hoboken, for Hoboken – no external powers/bosses shall reign over our land.  Call us naive, we don’t care.  Da Horsey also believes in love and organic carrots.  The rest in no specific order:

• Service to the Hoboken community – demonstrated and verifiable giving back to Hoboken without seeking personal gain. 
• 4th Ward Contribution – same as above but specific to the ward the councilperson will represent.
• Team Zimmer – support leading to Dawn’s becoming Mayor
• Team Player – plays fair with the team.  Puts their ego and personal desires in check for both the good of Mayor Zimmer’s agenda/coalition and the 4th ward.
• A Woman – not really our criteria as we have listed above, but some have suggested Dawn’s replacement should be a woman too.  To be honest, this did not occur to us.  We do have a penchant for dark chestnut fillies.  (Mayor Zimmer on learning she was the first elected woman Hudson County mayor stated it would be good for more women to get involved in political office.)

If we missed anyone, we certainly apologize.  Just let us know and we’ll toss you on the barbie too.  (We have reason to believe we nailed it.)  This is one important appointment and will be critical to advancing the agenda of Mayor Zimmer as a fifth vote on the City Council.  Horses, please take your starting gates. We hope the winner is a pleasant surprise.


The next City Council meeting this may come up is Monday.  There also is a possibility a special meeting will be called to address the appointment.  We’ll let folks know and keep a lookout at the City Hall City Council website for agenda details.


Got a juicy carrot for Da Horsey.  Let us know: smartyjones@me.com. And btw, if everyone is good, we won’t have to lock this thread.  Should you post, please include a verifiable email address, one name per user and remember, we don’t have a vote on this, the City Council does.


Related: The Hudson Reporter has more background on most of the potential 4th ward candidate appointments.


UPDATED:  This post has been moved up to spare Hoboken citizens and the cast of characters the rigors of having to scroll down to post on this story.  Thank you and have a nice weekend.  The Editor