The Frank Hague Political Machine - Fear as Protective Coloring

 "I am the law," Frank Hague is reported to have said. 

Essentially, as one of those urban political machine bosses before the post-war economic boom kicked in, Hague dominated just about every institution. Likely that could have included how law was dished out. Because machines operate in a stealth mode, we'll never know the full extent of his power and influence. 

The protective coloring we took on was fear. That manifested itself through conformity. And that signaled compliance. The meme really was: You can't fight City Hall. 

"They" would be watching you. I understand totally and have deep empathy for the nine large law firms which entered into dealmaking with the Trump administration. They range from Paul Weiss to Simpson. You bet, the nine are being watched. 

Even as a child I observed what happened to the non-compliant. A closed system, there were no second chances. 

Of course, there were rewards for loyalty. Active party members could go to the parish priest and get a job for their cousin from Poland. Also their street would be the first to be plowed. For the surge in births Hague built the world-class maternity hospital The Margaret Hague. The buses ran on time.

Hague's empire, predicably, was Hudson County, New Jersey. It was a sitting duck for an autocratic regime.

The economy was one of scarcity, therefore, there was a scramble for even the necessities of life such as a roof over your head. I heard it took pull to get into the government-subsidized "projects." My extended family felt smug-superior paying traditional rent in a tenement in downtown Jersey City. 

The region was flooded with newly arrived immigrants. You bet, they were scared. But they also had a peek at a better life. The Path train took them from Jersey City to Manhattan. There they could get jobs cleaning office buildings, sewing in the garment district and clerking in retail. Right in Jersey City were well-paying jobs on the docks and assembly-line ones at Colgate-Palmolive. 

The Roman Catholic Church had control of minds and souls. It was closely aligned with the Irish politicos who were Hague's foot soldiers. 

Social mores, such as love of family and no sex before marriage, were rigid. That reinforced not deviating from the conservative party line. 

If you couldn't bear it you had to leave. Some did, to Greenwich Village in New York or out west. My enterprising aunt made a fortune in real estate in Chula Vista, California. I had my ticket punched through a full-tuition scholarship to an out-of-state college, then a fellowship for an out-of-state doctoral program. There was no need to return to get work. 

Where I bunk right now in southeastern Arizona replicates on the macro level much of the Hague mystique. It's almost as if a spell has been cast. The belief is absolute in what the current administration is trying to achieve. This time around my protective coloring is being low-profile. 

Nothing lasts, though. Eventually those urban machines sputtered out because of affluence, an unpopular war and an unpopular president. A Wall Street guy became mayor in Jersey City and it gentrified. 

What could happen? We don't know. 

I tell my coaching clients this: Don't plan. Live a day at a time, sizing up possible opportunity. Next week I will be hitting the road again, relocating to where my two enterprises could have more runway. If that doesn't pan out? Again, I'll search for where the road isn't running out.

Scared by the uncertainty? Faith-based Career Coaching. Special expertise with transitions, reskilling and aging. Complimentary consultation with Jane Genova (Text 203-468-8579, janegenova374@gmail.com).