Bayonne Mayoral debate recap: Whether its Zanowic or Davis, Bayonne will have a new mayor in 3 weeks. Last nights debate felt like a slam dunk contest filled with ally-oops from Davis to Zanowic and vice versa. The mayor could not escape his record and the facts. While Mayor Smith used the failure excuse of I inherited a mess, Zanowic and Davis reminded the mayor that he wasnt forced to run and upon being elected he had promises to keep. Mayor Smith tried to make the case that he and his council are moving the city forward. The mayor talked about reducing the debt by 43% but never finished the sentence of how. Zanowic and Davis reminded the audience the debt reduction was due in part to the Port Authority land sale and the United water deal and nothing more. In rebuttal, The mayor referenced the United Water deal as the city holding a gun to his head which astounded the audience. When pressed on the $295 million the city received while he raised taxes by 26%, he back pedaled and outright denied the facts saying he only raised taxes by 4%. In rebuttal, Zanowic read off the totals year by year, to a beet red face of the mayor. Zanowic questioned unreported crime in the city and recent gang activity. The mayor praised his police department while denying any gang activity exists in the city. Then Davis, a captain in the BPD, confirmed the police have a gang unit and actively are identifying them. The mayor boasted about redevelopment of the back highway and new construction ideas in the works. However, the audience seemed to draw their own battle line in the inner city, specifically on Broadway. The mayor talked about creating 111 new businesses in the past 6 years, while Davis and Zanowic reminded the audience what they already know, more than 75 empty businesses on Broadway alone. The mayor touted a block by block approach to revitalize Broadway, while Davis quoted a famous Yankee, its déjà vu all over again. Zanowic stressed that the mayors plans to bring in more than 11,000 occupancies would burden our infrastructure and city services. More people means more schools, more cops, more educators, more firemen which will only result in more taxes. Davis referenced the Gold Coast as the Sold Coast. While Zanowic piggy-backed that by saying equal money and attention needs to be allocated to attract new business to Broadway. Both Zanowic and Davis stressed that we have to come together as a community again. Jimmy Davis and Anthony Zanowic were both highly critical of the energy aggregation opt out program. Davis suggested the program should have been an opt-in rather than an opt out. Zanowic went as far as to say he never received an initial notice a story echoed by many residents. He also said I think the city should not enter you into a contract that you are unaware of. He said the people are intelligent enough to make their own choices when it comes to their utilities. Zanowic was the first to mention the teachers not being contracted. He discussed his plan that would give the teachers a better contract than the state or the mayor offered without raising taxes. The mayor attacked the teachers union president and accused him of not bringing the offer to his union members. Davis and Zanowic both fired back with its not a fair contract. While the mayor praised the Board of Ed administrators for the rise in test scores the audience, compiled of 1/4 of teachers, felt their work went unnoticed and under appreciated by the mayor. Both Zanowic and Davis had some odd points in the debate. Recalling his fondest experience in Bayonne, Jimmy Davis talked about incredible popcorn and trips to Uncle Milties as a child. In a response to the mayors green fencing covering up vacant lots, Davis resurrected a Sarah Palin comparison of lipstick on a potbellied pig which most of the audience seemed disgusted by. Zanowic had ideas of converting some of those city owned vacant properties into temporary parks which by not elaborating left the audience confused. Daviss strongest moment came when he talked about the mayors administration denying reasonable local redevelopment on Broadway. The mayor cited codes and restrictions that werent met within those specific proposals and thus why they were denied. Accusing the mayor of bullying the pulpit and political cronyism and nepotism. Davis also accused the mayor of pay-to-play with the energy aggregation program claiming the mayors campaign coffers received $25,000 from a beneficiary of trieagle energy. What wasnt addressed and important to note was that this mayor was implicated in the Birdsall Engineering pay-to-play scandal. Zanowic had a few fine moments in rebuttal. He questioned the mayors claim to shrinking of govt and duplicate jobs while salaries and wages for these departments increased by 1.6 million dollars. Zanowics biggest applause seemed to be the most genuine answer of the evening when recalling his most fondest moment of life in Bayonne. Referencing the Bayonne PAL boxing program, he talked about his brothers at the gym. How the program kept him off the streets but it was what he had to say about his mentor that really stood out. We were taught to be men, gentlemen, above all he taught us that no matter what, always do the right thing. Zanowic and Davis both talked about their work ethic. Davis referencing his work with the FBI and gathering intel while Zanowic simply said I work 6 days, 60-70 hours a week I know what its like to get up everyday and put in an honest days work and thats what Ill do if elected. In the closing statement, Zanowic took the time to address an issue that was not covered earlier in the debate. He urged residents to not take the Port Authority hush money. He promised under his leadership the residents around the bridge will have a fighter on their side and city hall support against the Port Authority.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Apr 2014 15:11:06 +0000
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