Brian P. Stack

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This article is about the politician from New Jersey. For the comedian on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, see Brian Stack.
Brian P. Stack

Stack at the dedication ceremony for Union City's
9/11 memorial, September 11, 2007.
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 33rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office 
2008
Preceded by Bernard Kenny
Born May 16, 1966
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Residence Union City
Alma mater Emerson High School
Occupation Politician
Website Legislative web page

Brian P. Stack (born May 16, 1966) is an American Democratic Party politician who serves in the New Jersey Senate, where he represents the 33rd legislative district and also serves as the mayor of Union City, New Jersey. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served in the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature, the General Assembly from 2004 to 2008. He is considered by some to be one of the most powerful elected officials in Hudson County, New Jersey.[1]

Contents

[edit] Early life

Brian P. Stack was born May 16, 1966 in Jersey City, New Jersey. By his teens he moved to adjacent Union City, where he graduated from Emerson High School. He attended Jersey City State College,[2] graduating with an M.A. in criminal justice.[3]

[edit] Career

He served as an aide in the 33rd Legislative District office from 1983 to 1984 and from 1986 to 1988. He also became a tenant advocate in 1985. In Union City, he served as an administrative assistant to the Commissioner of Parks and Public Property from 1986 to 1990, and as Deputy Director of Public Affairs from 1995 to 1996.[2]

Stack later rose to prominence as the leader of a civic organization called Union City First,[3] and for his public criticism of the administration of Mayor Rudy Garcia, whom Stack replaced as mayor in a 2000 recall election. He attained the position after the Union City Board of Commissioners appointed him commissioner following Garcia’s resignation. He served as a Commissioner from 1997-1998, was elected to the Board of Commissioners in a special election in November 2001 and in May 2002 he ran unopposed. Stack simultaneously won the Union City seat on the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders, where from 2000 until his election to the Assembly in 2004. Stack relinquished his Freeholder position when he was elected to the New Jersey State Assembly on January 13, 2004.Since 2004, he has also served in the General Assembly, and was reelected in 2005.[2][4]

Stack won the Democratic nomination for the State Senate seat of the 33rd legislative district on the June 5, 2007, Primary for the Senate seat currently held by retiring State Senator Bernard Kenny. He ran against West New York mayor and fellow Assemblyman Silverio Vega for the Democratic nomination. He has served in the Senate since January 8, 2008.

[edit] As mayor and Assemblyman

Stack simultaneously holds a seat in the New Jersey Senate and as Mayor. This dual position is allowed under a grandfather clause in the state law enacted by the New Jersey Legislature and signed into law by Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine in September 2007 that prevents dual-office-holding but allows those who had held both positions as of February 1, 2008, to retain both posts.[5]

Juan Pablo Duarte Park, one of the Union City parks refurbished during Stack's tenure as mayor.

During his first years as mayor, one of the areas Stack's focused on was quality of life issues in Union City, in particular that which was affected by local bars violating liquor licenses for noise and selling alcohol to minors. His initiative to change the mandatory closing time for bars from 3 am to 2 am gained support from local police and city residents, though opposition from local tavern owners.[6]

In the Assembly, Stack served on the Regulated Professions and Independent Authorities Committee (as Vice Chair), the Transportation and Public Works Committee and the Joint Legislative Committee on Public School Funding Reform.[7][dead link] Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. Stack represented the 33rd Legislative District together with Senator Bernard Kenny. The district's other Assembly seat was at that time held by Silverio Vega.

[edit] State senate

In 2007, Stack ran for the New Jersey Senate with a team of eight other 33rd District Assembly candidates vying for nine legislative seats, under the banner Democrats for Hudson County. Their main opposition was the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO), which was headed by West New York Mayor and then-33rd Legislative District Assemblymember Silverio Vega. On June 5, 2007, Stack won the primary, beating his opponents by a wide margin of 18,213 votes to Vega's 5,582, though only three of the candidates in Stack's column, including himself, were victorious.[8][9] Stack and the HCDO subsequently swept the state Senate and state Assembly in the November 6, 2007 general election.[10]

[edit] On same-sex civil unions

Stack was an advocate of New Jersey's same-sex civil union law. The law, which was signed by governor Jon Corzine on December 21, 2006, and went into effect February 19, 2007, grants same-sex couples the same legal protections and benefits of marriage. Said Stack,

“ I'm 100 percent behind this. I perform around 200 to 300 marriages a year, and I'll be more than happy to perform civil unions. Whatever change are made, everything else will be exactly the same. We're just waiting to see what the wording will be. ”

Commenting on opposition to the bill, Stack explained,

“ The law is a result of the atmosphere in Trenton. Once the legislators saw the polling that people were generally supportive of civil unions statewide, Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts really wanted to move the agenda forward quickly while the public support was there. I think over time, people will become even more accepting regarding the idea of marriage. I don't have children at this point in my life, but if I did have a child that was homosexual, I'd want them to have the same rights that everyone else has.[11] ”

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Campaign controversy

Stack and the Union City police were the subject of controversy in July 2005 when it was discovered that Stack had received two campaign contributions totalling $3,500 from Luisa Medrano, a tavern owner indicted on 31 counts for running an illegal immigrant smuggling ring out of her two Bergenline Avenue taverns, El Puerto de la Union II in Guttenberg, and El Paisano Bar and Nightclub in Union City. Medrano was accused of smuggling young women from Honduras, forcing them to work in bars for little money to pay off their smuggling debts, often incurring physical, emotional and sexual abuse during the operation.[12][dead link] Stack responded by asserting that he does not accept contributions from bars and establishments, and explained that "[Medrano] used her name and address in Fairview. We make it practice of not accepting donations from bar owners or establishments, and we do not accept cash." Stack pointed out that Medrano's establishments were not mentioned on the form with which she made the donations, and that he decided to donate the money to the Battered Women's Shelter of Hudson County once the donations were revealed, claiming that in addition to not being aware of the source of the money, he was unaware of the illicit activities going on in the bars. Stack also defended the Union City Police, who are assigned to watch the taverns for quality of life reasons, and who incurred criticism for their apparent ignorance of the goings-on in the taverns, on the same basis, arguing that they only patrolled the streets, but did not enter the taverns when they did so, and thus, could not see what occurred in them.

Some critics remained skeptical of Stack's position, such as then-Republican candidate for Assembly Richard Valdes,[13] who said, "I challenge Assemblyman and Mayor Brian Stack to disclose the nature of his relationship and questionable campaign contributions from Medrano." Stack responded that he never met Medrano until a fundraiser held a year earlier, saying that Medrano was stopped at the door and was turned away from contributing to the event. Valdes also questioned the acceptance, by Stack’s campaign committee, of $5,000 from Union City truck driver David Lopez, who had sold a vacant Union City lot to the Jersey City School Construction Corporation for $1.48 million, after Lopez had already gotten zoning approval and began advertisement for condominiums to be built on it. Stack also claimed he was unaware of that donation, stated that that money was donated to the PERC Homeless Shelter, and that Valdes’ comments were merely political-motivated.[14]

[edit] Daycare funds subpoena

On March 26, 2007, Stack was one of three legislators subpoenaed regarding the disbursement of at least two $100,000 grants that went to the Union City Day Care, which is headed by Stack's estranged wife, Katia, and partially government funded.[15][16] The subpoena was based on a complain by Republican activist Steve Lonegan, who filed 36 conflict of interest complaints against state legislators. A state ethics panel cleared Stack in late November 2009, ruling unanimously that Brian Stack did not benefit from the grants, and that there was no conflict of interest.[17]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Max Pizarro. "BRIAN P. STACK: 33RD DISTRICT STATE SENATE CANDIDATE" PolitickerNJ.com; May 23, 2007
  2. ^ a b c Brian P. Stack profile at New Jersey Senate Democrats; Accessed January 16, 2010.
  3. ^ a b Brian P. Stack profile at Project Vote Smart; Accessed January 16, 2010
  4. ^ Assemblyman Stack's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed August 1, 2007.
  5. ^ via Associated Press. "N.J. Lawmakers keep double dipping", WPVI-TV, March 4, 2008. Accessed June 4, 2009.
  6. ^ Dylan M. Archilla. "Former school principal wants to recall Stack Mayor says UC educator's movement is a front for bar owners" Hudson Reporter; 2003
  7. ^ "STACK: PROPERTY TAX REFORM PROPOSALS WILL PROVE BENEFICIAL TO ALL NJ SCHOOLS" PolitickerNJ.com; November 15, 2006
  8. ^ Renshaw, Jarrett; "Stack Romps and Sandy Rolls: Vega ticket crushed in 33rd District"; The Jersey Journal; June 6, 2007; Pages 4 & 5
  9. ^ David W. Chen. "Voters Send Mixed Signals to Democratic Organization in New Jersey Primaries", The New York Times, June 6, 2007. Accessed April 11, 2008. "In the 33rd District, Mr. Stack, who is also the mayor of Union City, defeated Mr. Vega, who is also the mayor of West New York . Mr. Stack’s running mates for the Assembly — Ruben J. Ramos Jr. and Caridad Rodriguez — also won easily."
  10. ^ Kaulessar, Ricardo; and Sullivan, Al. "What a shock - Democrats prevail!"; Union City Reporter, November 11, 2007
  11. ^ Bonamo, Mark J.; The Union City Reporter; January 14, 2007; Pages 1 & 9
  12. ^ http://www.ice.gov/text/news/insideice/articles/insideice_080305_Web2.htm[dead link]
  13. ^ politicalgateway.com
  14. ^ Free Campaign websites, Free Candidate Search engine, 24/7 elections and politics
  15. ^ Jones, Richard G. "In New Jersey, 3 More Subpoenas Tied to Special Grants", The New York Times, March 28, 2007. Accessed July 27, 2007. "The subpoenas, which were issued Monday, were sent to two Democratic senators, Joseph Coniglio and Nicholas P. Scutari, and a Democratic assemblyman Brian P. Stack."
  16. ^ "Stack one of 3 subpoenaed in grants probe", The Jersey Journal, March 27, 2007.
  17. ^ "Stack cleared of wrongdoing" The Union City Reporter November 29, 2009; Page 1

[edit] External links

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