8/25/2008:

It’s rare that I find a letter to the editor in the weekly paper that says so many things that need to be said that I take the time to bring it to the much larger Hoboken411 audience.

Jake Stuiver has written such a letter.

In it, he takes on one of Hoboken’s best-known political opportunists, Michael Lenz. The kind of guy who thrives on the saying “you can fool some of the people some of the time” in the way he sucks in new residents looking to do good, only to fool them into thinking he has Hoboken’s best interests at heart. More on that later, but first a few words from Jake:

Dear Editor:

The real reason Lenz is against Mason

After reading last week’s article on prospective mayoral candidates, I felt compelled to respond to county employee and Hudson County Democratic Organization ally Michael Lenz’s regrettably sexist and derisive remarks about Councilwoman Mason’s bona fides as a reformer.

Having been heavily involved in Carol Marsh’s mayoral campaign four years ago, I proudly worked alongside Lenz and a united Hoboken reform movement toward attaining change in Hoboken. By the time the movement splintered, I had enrolled in an intensive grad-school program, which I saw as an ideal opportunity to stay out of politics and above the fray for the time being. I valued the chance to maintain good relations with a wide range of people who were no longer on good terms with one another, and perhaps even help to eventually get people back on the same page.

Watching and listening to events over the past year, however, I have felt myself coming down off that fence and no longer able to give Mr. Lenz the benefit of the doubt. I truly am sad to say this because Michael is someone whose company I once sincerely enjoyed. Unfortunately, he is also someone who has repeatedly proven that any grandiose talk of a “greater good” he stands for appears to be mere cover for what he’s really out for - himself.

Lenz, who four years ago created a textbook example of how to lose a perfectly winnable election, did one thing extremely well during the Marsh campaign - he chased out the door numerous people with strong talent and desire to help us. I am not referring exclusively to one incident in particular, but rather a steady string of volunteers who came into the campaign office eager and able to help and left jaded and turned off. I would even count myself among people who came off that debacle feeling used, abused, under-appreciated and in no hurry to get back into politics anytime soon. Observing Lenz’s behavior in many of these instances, I came to suspect that he would rather lose an election than win without getting full credit for it.

Now, Councilwoman Mason is making waves in Hoboken, making a difference and making a name for herself, quite deservedly. She is bringing a level of commitment to public service I have not seen in this city in the seven years I’ve lived in the area. She is not aware that I am writing this letter. Because she’s gotten to where she is without Michael Lenz running the show, he appears to be resorting to spewing envious bile when he should be lauding her for accomplishing things he once claimed to stand for.

Instead, all he seems to stand for these days is old-boys-network jobs, sexist “Roberts in a dress” jabs and hypocritical accusations of machine alliances. I find it curious that Lenz would invoke Mayor Roberts as a negative point of reference being that he managed his first campaign, inadvertently (if not intentionally) helped re-elect him in 2005 and now works for the organization that backs him.

Jake Stuiver

Burn!

Hoboken411 and many readers have had our own run-ins with Mr. Lenz over the past few years. At first he ignored the site. Then when he saw how many people were reading, he and a few minions attempted to take control of all political discourse. When told to lay off, they just kicked it into a higher gear. When told they were breaking the site rules, they persisted until they were no longer welcome.

Since then, Lenz and his small crew have tried in vain to damage Hoboken411 through a smear campaign on other boards, trying (and failing) to “out” those who post here and generally disrupt the course of business of the site. They have failed on all counts, as Hoboken411 continues to grow at a blistering pace.

Who is Michael Lenz?

Watching Lenz speak during a typical city council you may be fooled into thinking he is a typical Hoboken resident who is sick and tired of the status quo. Hardly. He is actually a big part of the problem. Following a brief but disastrous run on the Board of Education which set back the cause of “reform” politics for a decade, Lenz returned to the scene shortly before the 2001 Mayoral Campaign claiming he was going to run for Mayor under a “reform” banner against incumbent Anthony Russo. At first Lenz told people he didn’t think the likely challenger at the time – Sixth Ward Councilman David Roberts – would do enough to reform if elected. At the time Russo dismissed Lenz as a challenger, and said his race would be against Roberts. He was right.

Read the rest of this story after the jump…

(Michael Lenz, continued…)

Lenz sells out to Roberts

Around the time that Lenz “decided” not to run for Mayor and instead support Roberts, a deal was brokered to bring Lenz on as a paid employee of the Roberts campaign. It then became Lenz’s job (literally) to convince reform-minded Hobokenites that Dave Roberts was a great man that was going to do big things to reform Hoboken’s government. Many got on board, later saying it was against their better judgment but better than the alternative at the time. Unlike those volunteers, Lenz was paid.

Roberts elected, but no job for Lenz

Once the campaign was over Lenz needed a job. It became clear he wanted to run the Hoboken Parking Authority. This was not a job that Roberts and State Senator Bernie Kenny wanted to put in Lenz’s hands. When Lenz didn’t get what he wanted he tried to “get even” by running against newly appointed Fourth Ward Councilman Chris Campos in the November 2001 special election. The then little-known Campos pummeled Lenz by a 4-to-1 margin.

Lenz kisses and makes up with Roberts

Almost immediately, Lenz (with his tail between his legs) resumed kissing up to Roberts and Kenny, such as writing letters to the editor supporting their candidates for Board of Education, and – still in need of a job – trying to get on the city payroll.

His opportunity came when despite his lack of state certification as a Chief Financial Officer, Lenz was hired by Roberts to be the acting CFO of the city.

Lenz was later fired and sued the city for damages. Roberts settled the case for $183,000. People still wonder why Roberts settled out of court rather than go to trial with a non-tenured employee he could fire at will.

At odds again with Roberts and Kenny, or not?

By now Carol Marsh was also on the outs with Roberts (she was the very last to jump off the Roberts ship) and with the 2005 election fast approaching, Lenz ran the Marsh for Mayor campaign (see Jake Stuiver’s letter above for more on that debacle.) The joke afterward was that Lenz helped get Roberts elected in 2001, and helped get him reelected in 2005. That’s when he went back into “kiss and make up with the machine” mode again.

Lenz has dinners with Kenny, makes deals

Lenz and Kenny share a love of the history of the Civil War, and would have dinners on a near monthly basis to discuss it. They were also believed to be talking politics, and of the time they would once again work together in an election. Kenny knew that when his back was against the wall and his political machine was divided that he could get a lifeline from Lenz, who fancied himself “Leader of the Reformers.” That time came in 2007 when Lenz and Marsh joined with Kenny and his HCDO against Union City Mayor Brian Stack and his upstart Democrats For Hudson County. Just like in 2001, Lenz’s job was once again to corral up Hoboken’s “reform” vote for HCDO candidates like Roberts.

Lenz loses again, but wins a job

Endorsed by Dave Roberts (like in 2001), Marsh was trounced in Hoboken and throughout the district which also included West New York and Union City. Still, the HCDO as a group in control of the county, survived the challenge and Lenz was given a $65,000 a year job (plus juicy county employee benefits) at a Hudson County facility in Secaucus. Marsh’s running mate Nicole Garcia was also given a $65,000 a year county job after the election. Both Marsh and Garcia were made ceremonial (and powerless) co-vice chairs of the HCDO.

Now he needs to move up the HCDO ladder

$65k is a decent starting salary, but to move up the county payroll ladder Lenz needs to show his new benefactors that he can do their bidding. One way to do that is use what little “reform” credibility he has left to take down someone like Beth Mason who is a threat to the county machine’s control of Hoboken.

Most people who have seen Lenz in action over the last 8 years or more know what he is about, but he has an ability to fool many newcomers who want to believe him. Many reject him soon after meeting the guy, but others get pulled into his thrall and don’t do their due diligence.

Take it from me. Avoid Michael Lenz.

Tags: David Roberts, HCDO, Hoboken, Hoboken Reporter, Hoboken411, Michael Lenz