Brian P. Stack

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Brian P. Stack (born May 16, 1966) is an American Democratic Party politician who has served in the New Jersey Senate since January 8, 2008 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.

Contents 1 Early life and career 2 As mayor and Assemblyman 2.1 Campaign contribution controversy 2.2 On same-sex civil unions 3 State senate 4 District 33 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Early life and career

A lifelong resident of Union City, Stack attended Emerson High School.^[1]

Stack later rose to prominence as the leader of a civic organization called Union City First, 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 he served until his election to the Assembly. Since 2004, he has also served in the General Assembly, and was reelected in 2005.^[1]

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. On March 26, 2007, Stack was one of three legislators subpoenaed regarding the disbursement of "at least $200,000" which went to the Union City Day Care, which is headed by Stack's estranged wife.^[2]

[edit] As mayor and Assemblyman

Mayor Stack has dedicated much of his time as Mayor to quality of life issues in Union City. His biggest initiative, closing local bars at 2 am instead of 3 am, has gained support from local police and city residents, though understandable opposition from local tavern owners. Most references to Stack in Union City’s local newspaper, The Union City Reporter, tend to be positive.

In the Assembly, Stack serves 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.^[1] 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 represents the 33rd Legislative District together with Senator Bernard Kenny. The district's other Assembly seat is represented by Silverio Vega.

[edit] Campaign contribution 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. ^[3] 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^[4], 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. ^[5]

[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.[6]

”

[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 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.^[7][8] Stack and the HCDO subsequently swept the state Senate and state Assembly in the November 6, 2007 general election.^[9]

[edit] District 33

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. The other representatives from the 33rd District for the 2008-2009 Legislative Session are:

• Assemblyman Ruben J. Ramos, and
• Assemblyman Caridad Rodriguez

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Assemblyman Stack's legislative web page, New Jersey Legislature
• New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms
• 2007 2006 2005 2004
• New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003
• Union City and Brian Stack News and Information Page
• Richard Valdés' Assembly Campaign Website
• USA Today Voter Information Website 2005