Richard Dressel

HACKENSACK -- Union Leader Richard ‘Buzzy’ Dressel says that Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Englewood) has his support to succeed state  Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) in the state Senate if Weinberg becomes lieutenant governor.

“[Because of] her loyalty, and I think she’s paid her dues.  She’s been in line. She’s been a very effective legislator. I think it’s only right,” said Dressel, the business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 164 and past supporter of Weinberg in her intra-party battles with former Chairman Joe Ferriero, who is awaiting a verdict in his corruption trial.  

Dressel is not a District 37 Democratic committee member, so he will not have a vote on Weinberg's replacement. 

HACKENSACK - Although the Englewood Democratic Municipal Committee last night passed a resolution opposing the candidacy of Paramus-based developer Michael Kasparian for chairman of the Bergen County Democratic Organization (BCDO), it remains unlikely Kasparian’s opponents will be able to unseat him at a special party convention at 4:30 p.m.

Indeed, it’s a question mark at this point whether they’ll even try.

“I’m not going to put my name in, I’m not running,” said local labor leader Richard “Buzzy” Dressel, who had originally hoped to be the anti-Kasparian candidate in the name of striking a blow against  Kasparian ally and outgoing BCDO Chairman Joe Ferriero.

Ferriero’s leaving to fight federal corruption charges, and Dressel’s convinced he’s rigged the game at this afternoon’s convention, so why participate.

Richard "Buzzy" Dressel

HACKENSACK - Local labor leader Richard "Buzzy" Dressel threw himself back into the bullring today for the chairmanship of the Bergen County Democratic Organization (BCDO).

"In light of the fact that Ferriero cancelled tonight’s long awaited Executive Committee meeting, I cannot in good faith walk away," said Dressel. "This is just another example of how the 'process' is so screwed up.  You have a chairman that spoke of his resignation last week, then called for a meeting this evening, fired the legal counsel that the party put in when Oury and Ferrireo were indicted, and then cancelled tonight’s meeting. 

"As I understand the 'rules,' the meeting tonight was to vote on having the county convention next week," Dressel added. "Now, the committee does not vote, and an indicted, resigning chairman merely puts a convention in place to vote in his puppet.  He is starting to make Saddam Hussein look like a benevolent dictator."

He'll face party fundraiser Michael Kasparian, the choice of former Chairman Joe Ferriero, who has substantial party support in the executive committee from the likes of County Executive Dennis McNerney and Sheriff Leo McGuire.

News tonight from Bergen County that labor leader Richard "Buzzy" Dressel has retreated from his bid to succeed indicted Bergen County Democratic Organization (BCDO) Chairman Joe Ferriero came as no surprise to leaders on both sides of a fight who know Dressel can't win.

Dressel's intentions followed reports that members of a county committee built by Ferriero favor his hand-picked successor, Democratic Party fundraiser Michael Kasparian, in the lead-up to a Jan. 22 convention.

When party leaders tried to offer state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen) as a compromise to the Kasparian forces on the one side and Dressel and key ally state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) on the other, Dressel backed down.

But Ferriero's people dug in with Kasparian, whose candidacy galled Weinberg's forces as the outgoing party boss personally called supporters seeking Kasparian support using the latter's office telephone.

Michael Kasparian, a Democratic fundraiser and ally of outgoing Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero, formally entered the race to succeed Ferriero this weekend, saying that he demonstrated his independence from party leaders by becoming an early support of Barack Obama's presidential campaign. 

The Ho-Ho-Kus real estate developer and former Assembly candidate says he will unveil his platform for reform over the next two weeks.  Kasparian is expected to face labor leader Buzz Dressel in a January 22 special election.  Ferriero announced on Friday that he was stepping down after ten years at the helm of the Bergen County Democratic Organization.

The complete text of Kaspaian's announcement follows:

Union leader Buzz Dressel is expected to run for Bergen County Democratic Chairman if Joe Ferriero is ousted.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 164 endorsed Republican Henry McNamara for Bergen County Executive in 2002 at the request of Democratic powerhouse John Lynch, according to Richard "Buzz" Dressel, the business manager for the local.  Lynch, a former Senate President, is now serving a 39 month sentence after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges.

If there is contest to replace indicted Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero, Dressel is expected to face off against Michael Kasparian, a real estate developer and Democratic fundraiser with ties to Ferriero.  Dressel says the IBEW's endorsements of McNamara and GOP County Clerk Kathleen Donovan won't hamper his ability to replace Ferriero.  He says the union was backing McNamara because he was stronger in his opposition to the Xanadu project than the eventual winner, Democrat Dennis McNerney.  And he says even Ferriero tried to get Donovan to seek re-election last year as a Democrat.

State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge), who met with Kasparian today, says Dressel shouldn't be penalized for a couple of union endorsements.

"That was his union, it wasn't specifically Buzzy," said Sarlo.   "Look, if the county committee picks him he would have to guarantee that all endorsements out of that union hall are Democratic."

At 3,500 members, Dressel's local is the largest electrical construction workers union in the state.

"That's the largest union in Bergen County, and the fact that he's the president could turn into a big positive for him," said Sarlo.

Dressel's union, whose campaign contributions included one to GOP gubernatorial candidate Bret Schundler in 2001, will endorse only Democrats from now on.  "Without a doubt," he told PolitickerNJ.com.

"We need to bring credibility back to the Bergen County Democratic Party," added Dressel, a Commissioner of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. "This is not the Democratic Party my grandfather was a part of. We're supposed to be connecting people to the process, and that's what I want to do. I want to bring the party back together. I'd actually be calling for meetings and a transparent process. Meanwhile, there's somebody running against me who is unequivocally Joe Ferriero's clone."

On his way in to meet with Paramus developer and Democratic Party fundraiser Kasparian today, State Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen) dismissed the rumor of a conflict and said Dressell shouldn't be penalized for backing a Republican or two.