Fall 2004 Edition          

Bob Gordon Goes To Trenton   Since January, Fair Lawn's former Mayor Bob Gordon has been representing Fair Lawn as a State Assemblyman. (His district stretches from Elmwood Park to Fort Lee). In the Democratic Assemblyman's own words, he talks about the campaign that never ends, what he thinks of the Governor, where legislators let their hair down, getting along with others, his new commute, and reaching out to residents.     My Job I've been spending a lot of time learning the ropes, the process, and the protocol -- and getting to know people.   The experience has been very satisfying, except when the party leadership gets upset at some of the positions that I take. That's uncomfortable.   It's supposed to be only a part-time job, but I work well over 40 hours a week. I go to one or two events every day for most of the year. I go to senior centers and schools and governmental meetings and I meet with different interest groups and I go to all the DARE graduations in my district. I can get a bit impatient with the ceremonial rituals (like the hour of proclamations and pictures on the floor of the Assembly, before we vote on bills).   I enjoy my 1/4 mile commute to my district office in Radburn's Plaza Building. I used to work in Manhattan and my walk to work is a real pleasure. Not only is the Plaza Building a great location for public access, but I can even go home for lunch.     The Caucuses: Where Legislators Let Their Hair Down Both the Assembly Democrats and Republicans have their own caucuses. That's where we discuss issues, thrash out our concerns and hammer out compromises. It's the place where we can speak frankly.   If I have questions or a problem with a bill, I'll raise my hand and get into an exchange with either another Assembly member or a staff member. If a bill doesn't have enough support in the Democratic caucus, then the Speaker (who is a Democrat) won't bring it up for a vote in the Assembly.   Although the caucuses are not open to the public, since we have about 75 people attending them, it's hard to keep what happens in there a secret.   Reading Bills I read every bill before it comes up for a vote, which is very time consuming. I only received a copy of the budget bill the night before the vote. The summary itself was over 150 pages long.   I've been dismayed that public policy issues don't get as much scrutiny as I think they should. Sometimes the process just moves too fast.   Hearing From Constituents I got more mail and phone calls on the budget than any other issue this year. About 350 letters and faxes and phone calls. Before the legislature voted, the Governor sent out a mailer supporting the millionaire's tax. The next day our telephone was tied up with people calling to support the millionaire's tax and increasing the property tax rebate. We couldn't make an outside phone call the entire day.   Getting Along With Others I genuinely like most of my colleagues. I have tried to get to know all of them, including the Republicans. I am trying to build a network that includes legislators and the Assembly staff. I went to the Democratic Convention this summer to continue networking with the party leadership and my colleagues.   It's productive to have relationships with local and federal officials. We can bring resources together to get the job done. I have a close working relationship with the Fair Lawn Council and the other legislators in our district. It helped Fair Lawn get $490,000 in 'extraordinary aid' and homeland security grants this year. Although, it did take a lot of desk pounding .   Even though we once ran against each other in the Democratic primary for Congress, Congressman Rothman was supportive of me running for Assembly.  We have a productive relationship, now. It helps that my chief of staff, Mauro Ragueso, worked for Rothman for seven years.   The Campaign Never Ends For me, the campaign never ends. I believe it's an important part of my job to be out in the community and visible. I will continue marching in parades, going to events, reading Dr. Suess in classrooms, and speaking at the dedication of memorials.   One reason I hired Mauro Ragueso as chief of staff was his experience running Congressman Rothman's outreach efforts. I just don't want to wait for people to come into my office. I want to make sure that people know about the services we provide. So, I'm going to every senior center and civic organization in the district, in all thirteen towns. I'm talking about how the budget affects taxpayers and asking for input. When I go, I bring most of my office with me including the chief of staff, caseworker/legislative aide, and interns.   When I have a Saturday or Sunday with just one event, it's like a gift from Heaven. But, I'm not complaining. This is what I wanted to do.   What Gordon thinks of Jim McGreevey? (What he said before the Governor announced his resignation) Governmentally, Governor McGreevey's done a lot of good things. For example, auto insurance rates are starting to come down. New insurers are coming into the state. The Governor took initiatives to remove red tape and promote competition his environmental record has been excellent.   But, the Governor is surrounded by fundraisers who are trying to take advantage of him. The circumstances were similar in the administrations of Tom Kean and Jim Florio. Sometimes, people give money and they think they have a direct line to the Governor. They end up driving the Governor's staff crazy. The staff has to insulate the Governor from the fundraisers, because the Governor has more important things to do.   (In the next edition, we'll ask the Assemblyman what the last days of the McGreevey Administration have been like.)     Photo:  Assemblyman Gordon (seated) with his chief of staff, Mauro Ragueso.