Maybe Beth Mason is right.
Maybe GA is a "news outlet".
Because unlike that 'spinning-for-dollars' fact-laundering operation over at Hoboken411, GA aims for truth and accuracy.
So in response to 411's smear-'o-the-day: the mayor is accused of berating a priest(!) -- GA brings you an actual earwitness to the incident! Yes, an earwitness to the alleged harangue upon the ears of Father Vinny Fortunato (the haranguee) by Mayor Dawn Zimmer (the haranguer) following yesterday's annual Blue Mass for Police and Firefighters at the Church of St. Ann.
Our earwitness has come forward to tell GA that only 5 or 6 folks were in earshot of the quiet and emotional talk, and NOT ONE OF THEM spoke to H411, not ONE. Which means this: the proprietor of that sleaze-pit is getting (or manufacturing) his 'news' from malevolent sources willing to foment hate and division in order to inflict a body blow on the Zimmer administration.
For shame.
And now, our earwitness testimony:
I haven’t read the H411 piece and hope not to so I don’t know what their version of events was. What actually happened was that Mayor Zimmer spoke with Father Vinnie briefly in a quiet but emotional manner after the service. About 5-6 people, including me, were within earshot – I was about two or three feet away and could barely hear, so there were very few people who could possibly have actually heard the conversation. She said nothing inappropriate, but was clearly moved by the sermon. After I left, it is my understanding from someone there that the Russo’s attempted unsuccessfully to get Father Vinnie to say he was offended. To his credit he said instead that he was glad that she had attended the service. While the story they’re spreading has elements of truth, specifically that the mayor was emotional after the service, this is a molehill not a mountain, and the Russos are trying to use it (big surprise) to foment hate. The mayor and Father Vinnie, on the other hand, will both use it to try to promote understanding.
Thank you, earwitness. Nosy, aren't you?
Well, there you have it folks. A sermon so thoughtful and moving as to stir emotions of all there, and including those of our Mayor.
That's news?
I will never cease to be amazed at the level of hatefulness that permeates political discourse in Hoboken. Things get so blown out of proportion and personal that it is painful to listen to the fomenters of hatred.
ReplyDeleteYou, on the other hand, GA, try to keep it light. That's why I love your blog...it's funny and informative and opinionated, but not in a mean spirited way. I guess I haven't been around long enough to understand why the atmosphere has gotten so poisonous, but it surely has.
Your Admirer, Rudydawg
GA
ReplyDeleteI posted yesterday on HJ when this "story" first broke that, in all likelihood, "something" happened, but that, given the cast of characters, people were likely imposing their own "wishes" or spin on the situation without knowing the facts and that I would wait to see what really happened. I also posted that I would not consider asking the mayor to dignify such trash with a comment. So my instincts were right. Something happened, but nothing like the "spin" that is being played. Really is a new low. Almost as low as PK's odious bile about Dawn's conversion to Judaism. If you have not read it, you should, just to see how low of a skunk that cretin really is.
Rudydawg, this comes as no surprise to me that the federal pen loving Russo Cabal is trying to use a Sunday Mass as cannon fodder in their political war. Very evil people.
Desperate people will do desperate things; you can add this absurd tabloid tall tale to the other acts of desperation this week: Castellano's pathetic accusations at the last council meeting that the Mayor, the administration and council majority essentially hate Hoboken and its residents ignoring the fact that they are residents too; is this the best argument Castellano can muster? Desperate indeed. Note too the resurfacing of the surreal and insidious rumor that reformers plan to convert the 4th ward housing projects into condos; this rumor pops up every election cycle (City and Board of Education). The bizarre rumor appeared two days ago in the comments section of a July 1st Patch article about Councilman Lenz's (Lenz in Perspective: http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/lenz-in-perspective). Expect more desperate acts between now and the 4th ward election in November.
ReplyDeleteI think we're about to see another Russo & Hysteria411 co-production crash and burn. I guess they didn't learn anything from the failure of their false reports about the Pino site as the new municipal garage location. The combined lack of credibility between Russo and Hysteria411 just continues to grow with each new collaboration.
ReplyDeletehttp://hoboken.patch.com/articles/mayor-responds-to-reported-quarrel-with-priest
Thanks Deb, you're sweet. Ya'll come back now, heah? (I got that from Hee Haw)
ReplyDeleteYeah, this one's really a stinker. But you know which crowd is going to be tapping it like drunks at a keg party.
It's only September, I fear the bottom's a long, long way down.
411 is a parody site. Perry has sank to all time lows since he began. When you're siding with Russo, ya gotta wonder?
ReplyDelete