Timmy vs. Ruben: ELEC Wars

GA took a looksy at mayoral candidate Ruben Ramos' ELECs...

Ramos opened up his Vision for Hoboken Committee on February 27, 2013. Vision for Hoboken is Ramos, and at-Large City Council Candidates Joe Mindak, Laura Miani and Eduardo Gonzales.

The election is on November 5, 2013, about 8 months away.

As of the April 12 filing, Ramos raised a modest amount; $9,166.99. Only $350 came from 'small' contributions ($300 or less)- that's 4%.  The rest of Ruben's money came from large contributions; Edmond Drishti, President of the Hoboken Police Superior Officer’s Association gave $1,000 and Former Mayor Dave Roberts gave the odd amount of $1,316.99.  (GA wonders why he didn't throw in another penny for an uneven $1,317.  How come, Dave?)

Dave Roberts loves GA, and the feeling is mutual.

Out of that $9,166.99,  the Ramos campaign spent $1,052.75 or 11% of it's contributions.

The trend for Ramos appears to be  few 'small' contributors, tapping political friends for bigger bucks. 

But it's still early, and that can change.

On the other hand, Councilman Tim Occhipinti who has stated  he'd "love" to run for mayor, seems to have no trouble with small donor- nor with large ones. 

Timmy opened up his Occhipinti for Council  Committee on April 20, 2012 for an election that's 43 months away, on November 12, 2015 and raised a total of $13,673.03!  How much of that came from 'small' donors?  $8098.03 or 60% of his contribution came from 'small' donors.

What's even MORE amazing than that? According to Timmy's ELEC, he has received $13,673.03 and spent $13,399.56- that's 98% of contributions received.  Wow.

Timmy has spent 98% of his contributions for a municipal election 43 months away!

WOW.  So, as Ruben may struggle to raise money, Tim is a veritable money-making machine, and is spending it as fast as it's coming in. 

What's Timmy got that Assemblyman Ramos doesn't?

Beth Mason.  That's the difference.

But now that she's adrift politically- all bets are off since her $46K losing gamble in Jersey City, where Mason double-crossed longtime ally Steve Fulop for incumbent HCDO-candidate Healy. 

So what's the point of pouring cash into the Occhipinti money-hole?  Now that Fulop's got the HCDO, Mason is in Siberia and buying Timmy an election does nothing for her.  So, will Timmy continue to float on Mason-moola River?

Timmy's bad bet

Ramos Tried to Sink Hospital Sale

Ruben MIA:  no "Hospital Saver" Ruben Ramos at the HUMC ribbon cutting on December 1, 2011

"Saving St. Mary's Hospital is something I'm really proud of."

-Ruben Ramos, Vision For Hoboken Campaign Video- May 19, 2013

And that, folks, is the kind of revisionist history that tells you Ruben Ramos has chosen to run a fundamentally dishonest campaign.

Ramos' message that he "saved St. Mary's Hospital" is aimed at voters who either slept through the hospital sale process or believe the Hoboken University Medical Center still goes by the name "St. Mary's".

If you slept through the hospital sale, here's some background.

It began in in the summer of 2010 when the Hoboken Municipal Hospital Authority (HMHA) sent out nearly 200 Requests for Proposals to sell the public hospital to a private entity.  Some may recall how our hospital was bleeding cash on the order of millions of dollars annually and that the $52 million dollar bond used to purchase the hospital was near due:  tick tock, tick tock.  Without a buyer to retire out $52 million debt, Hoboken taxpayers would have been forced to pony up $52,000,000 in a SINGLE TAX YEAR. 

So... when the HMHA sent out 200 RFPs to purchase the hospital (and Hoboken's debt) what do you think happened?   Did bidders line up to buy our bleeding asset? 

NO.

Out of 200 RFPs, the HMHA got 8 bids (4%).  Only ONE of the 8 was viable; the bidder had financing to buy the hospital outright.  That was HoldCo.   

Enter the politicians: Beth Mason, Mike Russo, Tim Occhipinti, Terry Castellano and Ruben Ramos.  

These politicians swung brick bats at the volunteer, unpaid members of the HUMC, at the Buyer, HoldCo and at Mayor Zimmer in an effort to STOP the sale of the hospital.  The HMHA's Toni Tomarrazo, a lawyer who donated 35 hours a week to the hospital sale on top of her full-time job was brutalized on Mason's Hoboken411.  Mason actively rooted for the demise of the HoldCo sale on Hoboken411, declaring the HUMC "DOA" and paid for a cable tv media campaign trashing the sale.

No one tried HARDER to kill the hospital sale than Beth Mason.

And WHO stood by Nurse Kevorkian's side?
Ruben Ramos.

• Ramos OPPOSED  the $5 Million cash infusion to creditors needed to settle a mountain of debt with the hospital. 
• Ramos SUPPORTED the Mason Council minority's 'NO' vote which killed the $5M bond resolution, with it the ability to sell the hospital. 
• Ramos ISSUED this statement on September 22, 2011, the day after the $5 Million bond was voted down (he called Mason & Co. "courageous"):

“I particularly commend Councilpersons Mason, Russo, Castellano, and Occhipinti for their courageous vote last night. By voting against the Administration’s efforts to extort more money from the Hoboken taxpayers to further fund the Mayor’s incompetent and flawed attempt sell HUMC, the Council minority made clear that it is unwilling to be a party to backroom dealings conducted without the benefit of meaningful public input.

Let’s not forget that Mayor Zimmer is a member of the Municipal Hospital Authority Board. She also appoints all the members to the board, as well as the Chief Operating Officer. Zimmer has also repeatedly stated that the Council has no role in the sale of hospital – that was until she needed $5 million of taxpayer money to bail her out of a deal that she and the buyers were completely inept at completing.

So, Ruben stood tall with those who voted down every City Council resolution to keep the hospital operations afloat.

Ruben stood tall with Beth Mason as she and the Council minority tried at every turn to KILL the sale of the hospital and bankrupt Hoboken.

Ruben politicized the sale of the hospital; opposing it when it was politically expedient and  now running on it's successful sale.

Now Ramos is trying to steal credit from the true heroes of the hospital sale:   Mayor Zimmer, Toni Tomarazzo,  and the HMHA.



GA Note: Ray Smith wrote an excellent recap of the HUMC sale called  "How the Deal Went Down". 

DOJ Two-Fer

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Morning Cinema

  
"You cannot legislate character... it's not going to stop me from accepting an illegal bribe from someone"

-Ruben Ramos, June 5, 2007

Oklahoma Monster

 Child pulled from school rubble--credit: Associated Press

Terrible!

An F4 mile-wide monster, on the ground in Oklahoma City for 40 minutes yesterday, killed 51 (20 of them children) but that number is expected to rise sharply. 

The tornado struck just before recess at 3 PM; two elementary schools were destroyed, Briarwood and Plaza Towers, and parents still are looking for their missing children. 

Prayers for survivors and the dead.

Castellano Rides Again

GA hadn't planned to dignify the hairball spit up by Terry Castellano in The Hoboken Reporter this week, so I have a reader to thank for this:

GA,

I read Castellano's vile letter in the reporter.

I remember what a useless polyp she was loitering in the Marine View Towers lobby while a small army of young adults were assigned to help out distressed residents immediately after Hurricane Sandy. As the group was planning a course of action, in running up the stairs to deliver water and supplies, she stood idly by.  Watching us, doing nothing.  Later on when an ambulance squad came to help some specific residents, but were found to have left the building, Terry said, "Well, that's just poor communication from City Hall."  Standing in the same spot, not lifting a finger to help, just flapping her jawbone.  

She had nothing nice to say about all the effort that was around her, but was quite comfortable to stay in place and complain.

I was disgusted by her uselessness, then dragging down people who were there to help. She's lost power, relevance, and respect. 

Thanks, reader.  I heard that same story from someone else who spent days running around Hoboken helping seniors and witnessed Castellano whining and bitching about the mayor in Marineview while she did nothing.  Dawn, Dawn, Dawn...  was all that came from her useless mouth.  

This letter is an insult to the thousands of residents who have yet to recover from Sandy, and Castellano should ask some of the children of this city about that.

So instead of mocking the mayor's efforts, "Theresa" should get her ass over to D.C. and try to get the insurance industry's attention like Zimmer did on  December 13, 2012 when she spoke to the U.S. Senate Committee for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

A recap of Zimmer's appearance before the Senate Committee"

She said that insurance does not address Hoboken's urban-garden style businesses and asked the Committee to "take action" and have Congress change the definition of "basement" and '"address the unfair basement issue".   When questioned by Chairwoman Landrieu about how the federal government can assist Hoboken's recovery, Zimmer asked for lower interest rates and more federal grants, stressing the need for grants.   Zimmer was asked how low the interest-rates for small business (current 4-6%) should go- the mayor answered the rates should be comparable to those available for individuals (1.3%),  more data-sharing with FEMA and the SBA.  Zimmer was questioned about the basement coverage issue, Zimmer stated she was told by FEMA that it would be required by Congress to change the basement issue.  Zimmer  spoke about how FEMA only covers water tank boiler cover electrical panels, no stored inventory covered.  Zimmer was told by Senator Riche he was going to examine the basement issue.  Chairman Landrieu told Zimmer that her statement was "excellent."

 Here's what do-nothing Theresa wrote about the mayor's Congressional appearance:

Her trip to Washington D.C., was another grab at a headline and what did that accomplish?

Enough said from the embittered do- nothing Theresa Castellano? 

Thank goodness for the generosity of Councilman Tim Occhipinti, who donated $362.25 for supplies to Sandy victims, then repaid himself with contributors' dollars from his 2015 Municipal campaign funds. 

Russo Fashions

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Admit it, no one works a pillow case like Mike Russo! 

Why They're Playing the Race Card

Every now and then something flies right over GA's head- whoosh! like a rocket.

This time it was the developer's fee for the Vision 20/20 redevelopment of the HHA.  Somehow, I missed the fact that the $1,000,000 fee was for just one building- until someone brought it to my attention yesterday.

A $1,000,000 fee for ONE BUILDING!

And there are 19 more according to the Vision 20/20 Concept Plan.

At that rate, that's a projected $20,000,000 developer's fee.

You may think of this $20,000,000 as public money- it is.  Or as $20,000,000  squeezed from the project itself- money that could be used for the buildings or landscaping or playground equipment. It is.

GA thinks of the $20,000,00 as a big, roast turkey to be carved up among many.  The ones screaming the loudest- like we heard on Wednesday night- are worried their plates will stay empty.

But that's just for starters.  Because every building involves the awarding of multiple contracts: plumbing, electrical, mechanical, steel, windows, doors, drywall, mill work, painting, flooring elevators, and on and on. 

And a private developer is not required to reveal who gets contracts and their amounts.  So the public will never know. 

You get it?  This Vision 20/20 is a cash cow in the magnitude of perhaps a 100 million dollars for the players.

Executive Director Carmelo Garcia is pulling out all stops to 'deliver' the project (GA wonders what, if any, his direction of Vision 20/20 played into his selection for the HCDO Assembly ticket), the urgency to throw Stuiver off and replace him with a friend (she works with Garcia's wife at HOPES), the inflammatory race-baiting rhetoric (Garcia called Forde P. a "racist" on Wednesday night- off camera)...

And Mike Russo and Tim Occhipinti are flailing like drowning men.  Calling a colleague a "Klu Klux Klan" member,  a "joke", flinging insults at Reform colleagues like monkeys chucking turds at the zoo.  Why do you think they're so desperate?

In the closing minutes of Wednesday's meeting, Timmy says:

 "the developer must think we're a laughingstock."

That's all you need to know about where Timmy's concern lies. 

Not with the people of the HHA who are about to get fleeced by piggies lined up for substantial public monies squeezed from their buildings.

And Russo, Timmy call the people- reformers-  who want to protect them and the integrity of the project "racists".

No Class, No Manners

GA hadn't planned to post again, but...  I can hardly believe my ears.  From last night's City Council meeting:  http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/32891279 ,cue to 14:00.

Timmy: (to Ravi Bhalla) How did you think you could be an assemblyman.   Honestly.  I don't really see it.

Bhalla: I won't answer that.

Timmy: I'd love to know your record.  Maybe a list of your accomplishments that qualify you to run for the 33rd District.

Bhalla: Would you like to run for mayor?

Timmy: I'd love to.

Bhalla: I think you should.

(City Clerk Jimmy Farina begins call for next vote)

Timmy: Wake up.

And, cue to 45:09:

Timmy: (to Leo Pellegrini) Complaining?  Watch your language with  me, Director.

WHO does that twit think he is?

Pillow Cases! KKK! Snake Oil! Bloggers!

Wow!

That'll teach GA for going to bed before the 1AM showing of "City Council Drama Queen Theater" STARRING:

• Mike  'Lives in all-white publicly subsidized housing'  Russo 
  
• Tim  'I Bark for Dollars'  Occhipinti
• Terry  'I'm not sucking lemons, it's my face'  Castellano 
• Beth  'I dropped $46K in Jersey City and all I got is this lousy-shirt'  Mason

GA woke up to 192 emails about the meeting (yes!), then read MSV's re-cap. 

Apparently, the fireworks started in the final 2 hours. If you missed them, the KKK attack (launched by Russo) is at the END of Part 3 of 4: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/32886193

Here is how a reader described it:

Russo said something like:

why don't you just go home, get a pillow case , cut 2 holes in it and put it over your head so everyone can see who you really are...that's right you are a member of the klu klux klan

Statesman Russo calls CC President a Ku Klux Klan member

Wow!

The exchange resumes at the start of  Part 4 of 4: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/32891279 with Ravi Bhalla angrily challenging Russo that "as the only person of color" on the Council, was he accusing him of being a member of the Klu Klux Klan!  So Russo clarifies that no, he'd fired the Klan-missile at Council President Cunningham!

Well...

Not only is the suggestion that Cunningham ruin a pillowcase conduct unbecoming of a City Council member, but does Mrs. Russo let him cut up their pillowcases?  No?  Then why suggest it to Peter?  Why not suggest Cunningham  throw a bucket of paint over his living room furniture?  Or shrink his wife's wool sweaters?  Or take a piss on their dinner table? (Please let Timmy read that excerpt at your next meeting).

There is really something wrong with a City Council member inviting another to cut up his wife's pillowcases.

And folks, if you think the discourse got all high-brow after that, guess again!

In just the first few minutes of Part 4,  Russo reads 3 comments posted on MSV (one was mine; naturally I'm the only one mentioned by screen name) and calls Council President Peter Cunningham "a joke".   Then, when Mello starts talking about how no one on the Council "gives more time to people who are impoverished..."  (Mello is a public school teacher in the Bronx), Russo lights up like a Roman candle: KABOOM! Prompting this 3-bagger exchange: (3 bags of popcorn)

Russo: Move into a unit (HHA), move into a unit then we'll talk!

Mello: Let somebody move into your unit (Church Towers), let somebody move into your unit!  Desegregate your building!   (addressing HHA Executive Director Carmelo Garcia) You want to talk about the conversations... who do you think burned out people's families?   Director, why don't  you talk about who burned down peoples families 20 years ago? Why don't we have those comments?

Russo: Let's have them, Councilman!

Mello: Be my guest, Director!

 Russo: Where were you when the shootings were going on?  Where were you when the stabbings were going on?

 Mello: Director, why don't you talk about whose funeral you refused to go to because you because you blame him for the burnings?

Russo: You're a joke!

Mello: You're a joke in a segregated complex!

WOW!  And that was just the first 10 minutes!

All the fuss was about 2 resolutions pulled out after midnight: a 'Resolution of need' and one for a  30-year PILOT.

GA will reserve specific comment until after I've heard it all but one thing is clear: the strident desperation displayed with cries of  "Klu Klux Klan!" led by Russo, the urgency to shove an UNEXAMINED massive redevelopment of our City through in the wee hours of the morning-- with a 30-year developer tax break, raises enough red flags for reasonable, responsible people to ask: what's that smell?

Cause it really stinks.

Martha says: "Don't cut my pillowcases, motherf*cker."

Peek-a-boo!

Hiding in the back room: Beth Mason at Healy headquarters last night

So, which Hoboken politicos were at Healy headquarters in Jersey City yesterday?

According to a witness, they were Councilwoman Beth Mason, her Chief of Staff Matt Calicchio, Hudson County Freeholder Anthony Romano, Mason political operative Ryan Yacco, Mason political operative Adam Alonso, and Russo-loyalist Mike Holmes.  

Conspicuously absent: Mason's Weekhawken fish stick.  Doing damage control?

JC Blogger Calls Mason "Biggest Loser"

The Jersey City Desk is Johnny Action Space Punk's blog, started in 2007

Jeez, word's really gotten around.  Hey Johnny, what do you think she'll get from the HCDO for that pile of loot?

Fulop Wins BIG, Mason Loses BIG

GA was at a Zoning Board meeting tonight, so didn't find out about Steve Fulop's incredible victory until later this evening... wow!  I must admit, I figured there'd be a run-off.   

O me of little faith!

Well, this sure is great news for the Fulop folks and his many supporters in Jersey City.

What tells you Fulop was the better choice?

Take a look at who was with Healy tonight in the video of his concession speech: Mason's Chief of Staff Matt Calicchio, Mike Holmes, Stick Romano... but who DON'T you see?

The BIGGEST LOSER of them all- that's Beth Mason!

Not only did she flush an estimated $52,000 down the toilet, she flushed any chance for a place on a future HCDO ticket by making enemies who won't forgive and forget her double-cross. 

And that goes for her slippery Weehawken salamander.

Whoooooooosh!  

If Healy had won, you would see her out in front, making sure snapping cameras caught her at the side of the victorious candidate.  But he lost, so Mason stayed far away from the camera- oh, she was there, but avoided being photographed with the loser. That's the kind of 'friend' Mason is.  At least Mike Holmes was right by Healy's side, looking genuinely sad. 

Like his boss, Masons 'Chief of Staff' Matt Calicchio ran as the cameras started to roll at Healy headquarters- take a look!

Okay folks, there'll be more about this tomorrow.

Congratulations, winners!

Bertoli & Fulop: winning team

The Price Was Right

Good morning, folks.  It's fine weather for an election, isn't it?  I'm talking about the one today in Jersey City, the race between incumbent Mayor Jerry Healy and challenger Steve Fulop.

Now, GA does not believe that a Hoboken blogger should endorse another another city's mayoral candidate. Oh, no.

So when my friends in Jersey City ask me who they should vote for, I tell them: "Don't ask me! It's your choice: either the naked, drunk guy who says three Hispanic girls stole his towel and took $46K from Beth Mason for some future 'favor' from the HCDO or the Iraq war veteran.

Now, Horsey was kind enough to note that it was GA who exposed the $46K donation (probably $52K when all is said and done).  The so-called mainstream local media will never acknowledge the Reform blogs; not when they are getting hefty ad revenues from the politicians these blogs sharply criticize.  

So GA wasn't surprised when my friend Al Sullivan wrote this:

Money had been traveling from bigwigs into both races, including more than $40,000 donated by Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason and her husband to the Healy campaign, according to two Mason political operatives.

Note the "more than $40,000" description is by-design, meant to soften the impact of the actual figure and place no limit on the amount the Masons will ultimately give Healy; the legal maximum is $52,000. Now the next part is interesting, it's spin planted by the "two Mason political operatives":

Rumors suggest that this was $10,000 less than Fulop asked of Mason, although Fulop supposedly offered to back her later for a race to fill the congressional currently occupied by Rep. Albio Sires – which could explain why Sires is supporting Healy.

GA can tell you this is pure BS.  

But it is funny BS, and reveals how dumb Mason's people are; they've turned her into a frigging pimp shopping for the cheapest ho, and tell us she found one "10K" cheaper!

(How does a woman with all that dough employ such nincompoops?  Can't she find a smarter bunch?)

Anyway, that's the spin they've put out. And Sullivan correctly observed that Mason's double-cross "has has resulted in a falling out of friendships."

Though one can argue such persons were never 'friends' just users.

These 'friends' double-crossed Team Fulop--photo: MSV

Well, we'll see what happens today.

In the meantime, Mason's half-wit operatives have framed her contribution as "The Price Was Right"- minus Bob Barker.

Certainly it was a political calculation on how to get 'something' from the HCDO.

And she bet on Healy to do that.

But many, including Al, suggested that Mason is really gunning for Albio Sires' Congressional seat.   He is, in fact, eligible for a full pension after age 62 if he's served at least 5 years, so he does get that if she knocks him off. 

Watch out, Albio.

Because who knows what price will be 'right' for your 'friends' to throw you under the bus.

Nudie-Healy Goes National!

So GA just took a look at the Huffington Post and, holy cow: Nudie-Gate's gone national!

The HuffPo article: "Mayor Jerramiah Healy Blames Nude Photo On Hispanic Girls, Angering Latino Community" features their own webcast about blowback from the Jersey City mayor's remarks to the Star Ledger about "three Hispanic girls" luring him out of the house, naked except for a towel.

Here's a clip of HuffPo's webcast- for the full version click here. 
  


Wow... now that he's gone national, maybe $46K Healy-donor Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason can buy him a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame?

The comments below are a hoot, 277 so far.

Well, who knows what effect- if any, Nudie-gate will have on tomorrow's election results and if it has softened support among Hispanic voters.  We shall see.

Hey, did you know that Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason gave Jersey City Mayor Healy 50% more than FBI informant Solomon Dwek offered him?

Generous pair