Go Home


NOW SERVING MONTCLAIR, GLEN RIDGE AND BLOOMFIELD
daily dish

November   1

Holy Cow!

It's early November, when it's always open season on sacred cows. Still, the Barista was shocked and a bit titillated to discover that, during her absence,The Glen Ridge Paper editorialized against the CCC and the Ridge's one-party version of democracy:

... the people of Glen Ridge, since 1913 β€” nearly a century β€” have not, themselves, been able to decide, for the most part, who the best candidate for an election is, because the CCC has arrogantly asserted itself as the body best suited to choose candidates.

In fact, one requirement of being a CCC member is that he or she must be involved in some kind volunteer organization. Does this mean that someone who is not currently involved in a volunteer organization in Glen Ridge is unfit to serve as an elected official? The answer is no. In fact, we whole-heartedly assert that there are countless people in Glen Ridge who may not be involved in volunteerism, but who would be well-suited to be an elected official.

True, as the editorial points out, the town's current mayor, Carl Bergmanson, was that rare public official who ran and won without the CCC pedigree. But next Tuesday the town will elect two new members to the borough council, and both seats are uncontested.

Boring!

Imagine if this were to happen on the state or national level? Do you think for a moment the American people would stand for it? With that said, we wonder why for 92 years, the people of Glen Ridge have tolerated it on the local level? Could it be because the CCC is just too powerful an organization? Could it be because the people of this borough have simply had no other choice? We believe so.

A true democracy is one that invites people to come to the polls with a chance to bring their viewpoints and desires β€” and to choose their elected leadership. It’s about time the people of Glen Ridge get that opportunity.

This editorial got us to pull out our sample ballot, where we discovered that one of those uncontested council seats will go to Art Dawson, who lost control of the Glen Ridge Republican Committee to Brian Fisher in June 2004.

Meanwhile, as far as we can tell, no buildings fell and the intersection of Ridgewood and Bloomfield didn't get sucked down into middle earth as a result of The Glen Ridge Paper tossing this molotov cocktail. Perhaps that's because dead-tree journalism requires those quaint things called letters to the editor, and it's not Thursday yet. Anyone want to jump-start the earthquake here?

November 1, 2005 in Controversy | Permalink

Comments

Civilian Conservation Corps?

Posted by: Confused Citizen | Nov 1, 2005 12:19:07 PM

Crazy Cackling Cynics?

Posted by: Appletony | Nov 2, 2005 9:18:06 AM

Actually the original name of the CCC was "The Glen Ridge Party". The CCC was founded in 1913 when the last of the lawsuits seeking reunification with Bloomfield was dismissed.

This was very much a sectarian dispute as Bloomfield was becoming more and more Catholic (Sacred Heart 1885, St. Val's 1899) while Glen Ridge was more Protestant and centered around the Congregation Church (est. 1888). Catholics sought another vote but needed the approval of the town council. The Glen Ridge Party was formed to keep Catholics off the council by dismissing partisan politics in favor of a system that took represetatives from local social organizations. However, Catholics were not allowed in those organizations and the council stayed Protestant and the town stayed independent.

The name "Civic Conference Committee" was chosen to replace "Glen Ridge Party" to fit the acronym "CCC" which was chosen to show affiliation with the Congregational Church.

To those wondering the setup of the CCC nor anti-Catholocism were unique to Glen Ridge as both were pretty common in New Jersey at the beginning of the 20th century. However, the CCC is thought to be the last surviving "civic" group with most of the rest fading away with the election of John F. Kennedy and the civil rights era.

Posted by: sickandtired | Nov 2, 2005 3:23:02 PM

I am shocked. This sounds like the Polit-Boro? Where is Stalin?

For such a "well-educated" place, that by the way has a lot of Jewish families now living within it's borders, sounds like a change is well over-due.

I am trying to buy a house in Glen Ridge, should I run away? Sounds more like Chatham and Harding Township as opposed to Essex County...

Posted by: ROBERT | Feb 28, 2006 4:50:39 PM

Click & Jump to our INSIDE PAGES:
CLASSIFIEDS
THRILLS
FOOD
AT HOME

» RECENT POSTS
· In Case You Don't Look at Our Announcement Box
· Window Painting
· Flatulent Friar
· Ballyowen -- The Best $140 a NJ Golfer Can Spend
· Corzine Budget Gets MSU Calling For Action
· Open Space Call For Action
· Closed For Renovations?
· Thrill Seekers
· Heroic Dudes
· Making Montclair's History Demo-Proof


» ARCHIVES
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004


» CATEGORIES
A Friend Writes
April Fool's!
Bada Bing
Barista Does the Math
Barista's Sunday Poll
Betty Says
Books
Brand New
Buzz
Cheap
Civic Virtue
Comings and Goings
Controversy
Correction
Culture Club
Current Affairs
Cute as Hell
Don't Ask: Dating in Baristaville
Film
Flu Shot Central
Food and Drink
Footlights
From the Crazy Mixed-Up Files of Raymmmondo
Froth
Funniest Home Videos
Games
Good Reads by Neil Baldwin
Goodbyes
Growing pains
Happenings
Hardball
Help Your Barista!
In Your Dreams
Intersections We Hate
Java
Karma Violation
Lights! Camera! Craft service!
Lights, Camera..... Roll Tape
Major Dudes
Marlboro Inn
Memorials
Mexican
Movie Mojo
Music
Only in Montclair
Our Favorite Diversions
Paranoia Beat
Parties We Crashed
Party With Baristanet
Photo of the Week
Politics
Pop Culture
Postcards from the EB
R.I.P.
Really Freaking Weird
Scandal
Science
Scooped by Phil Read, Again
Scot's Photo Journal
Seasonal Decorating Violation
Seen around town
Seen in Cyberspace
Sheesh!
Shopping With Barista
Sirens
Songs We Can't Get Out of Our Head
Sports
Suburban Archeologist
SUV-bashing
Television
The Daily Chat
The Sunday Barista Poll
The View from Her Pickup
Theater
Those Crazy Kids
Time Capsule
Tweaked
We All Bow to Java
We Ask Random Strangers
Web/Tech
Weblogs
Where For Art Thou?
Wildlife
Win Stuff
Yard Sale Treasure Map
Yogi