What if Hoboken could have this kind of service:
- 1,000 drivers could share cars but only use 42 parking spots!
- residents could save thousands of dollars per year by switching from car ownership
- participants would NEVER have to worry about finding a parking space in town
- low-income residents could have mobility at the rate of $5.00/ hour
- taxpayer benefit: fewer cars would mean reduced wear-and-tear on city infrastructure- roads: pot hole repair and re-paving
- homeowner benefit: convenience to transportation would make your home more marketable
- 90% of Hoboken residents would live within a 5-minute walk of 21 shared-car locations!
We already DO!
It's called the Corner Car program! It was rolled out on June 16, 2010 and has become wildly popular so quickly that 1,000 Hoboken residents have joined (with more applying every day) and... 45 residents have actually given up their automobiles!
WOW... incredible.
In fact, Hoboken is the FIRST American city to implement a true city-wide car sharing program, for which our city has received nationwide acclaim! Yes, folks. This is what we call 'progress' and 'innovation' to better our quality of life in both convenience and savings. This is what we WANT our elected representatives to DO for us.
So what's the problem?
It's about to be KILLED.
Power has shifted from the Innovators to those AGAINST innovation. Specifically, Zimmer-innovation.
That's right.
You see, the Corner Cars program is about to be KILLED because it has ZIMMER's name attached to it. The program , a Zimmer initiative developed by Ian Sacs, Director of Parking and Transportation, is wildly successful and therefore must DIE.
Get it?
This is POLITICS, folks. It's not about YOU, it's about THEM.
Our elected representatives are about to SCREW us because the touchdown was scored by the wrong team.
(Like the football analogy? I thought you might).
Further, KILLING the Corner Car program puts Hoboken in breach-of-contract with Hertz.
So why did, pray tell, did most of those ready to snuff the program VOTE for the 2-year contract with Hertz in the first place? Do they understand WHAT contracts are, and the ramifications of breaking one? They can't blame that on Zimmer- THEY approved the Hertz contract, now they want to breach it.
Now that you know this successful new program is about to be KILLED, let me introduce you to The KILLERS.
Here they are:
Corner Car Killers
Beth Mason- 2nd Ward CouncilwomanVoted against the first reading of the ordinance to permanently establish the Corner Car program, on Nov. 15.
19% of Corner Car participants live in the 2nd Ward.
Mason is up for re-election in May.
GA note: I've got no love lost for Mason. On Nov. 17, her enormous wealth and Washington connections bought her a hit-piece-- ghost-written by Lane Bajardi, and linked to Hoboken411 -- on a Washington PAC's website ( NJDC). Mason is an NJDC donor and her buddy, donor/fundraiser, Larry Stempler, is on the NJDC Board of Directors. Mason could have contacted me up-front and I'd have taken the offending piece down. But why waste an opportunity to defame and destroy a critic? Instead, she chose to damage my ability to earn a living by diseminating a local story nationwide and over the internet. I am not wealthy, and I have a young child to clothe and feed. That is the character and nature of this woman. Horrible. She uses her wealth to hurt people. An evil, heartless woman. I will tell my story again and again, to her constituents, and do everything in my power to educate them about what she's done in time for the next election. And will keep asking whether she's got Bajardi on her payroll, to execute political strategy at CC meetings while pretending to be a 'member of the public'. Follow the money. Mason should be asked in PUBLIC if Bajardi has received money from her and Corporation Counsel should be questioned on the appropriateness of Mason paying for political operatives to speak at City Council meetings.
Michael Russo-3rd Ward CouncilmanVoted against the first reading of the ordinance to permanently establish the Corner Car program, on Nov. 15.
14% of Corner Car participants live in the 3rd Ward.
Russo is up for re-election in May.
GA note: Mike Russo and I have always had a cordial relationship. That's why I'm bewildered by the SLUR Russo aimed at me at the Nov. 15 City Council meeting. We'll see if he does the honorable thing and walks it back on Wednesday.
Theresa Castellano-1st Ward CouncilwomanVoted against the first reading of the ordinance to permanently establish the Corner Car program, on Nov. 15.
15% of Corner Car participants live in the 1st Ward.
Castellano is up for re-election in May.
GA note: Castellano has never supported this program, and was the only 'no' vote on the original 2-year contract with Hertz. Her constituents need to ask her why she's never supported this popular and successful program.
Nino Giacchi-6th Ward Councilman (GA's Ward)Nino was ABSENT on Nov.. 15 and missed the vote on the first reading of the ordinance.
17% of Corner Car participants live in the 6th Ward.
Giacchi is up for re-election in May.
GA note: GA happens to like Nino. He was responsive when Willow Terrace residents requested street signage. Nino's here because of his record of voting with the Mason-Russo bloc. GA hopes Councilman Giacchi recognizes the both merit of the our car-sharing program and its popularity with his constituents . C'mon, Nino!
WILDCARD!Timmy Occhipinti-4th Ward Councilman
Voted against the first reading of the ordinance to permanently establish the Corner Car program, on Nov. 15.
15% of Corner Car participants live in the 4th Ward.
Occhipinti is up for re-election in May.
GA note: I admit GA's been rough on Timmy. I know. But here's his chance to prove me wrong and be the 'independent' he promised to be. Something tells me Timmy's conflicted. He owes the people who brung him to the dance, but wants to 'do right' by his constituents. Timmy's young with enough business acumen to know that car-sharing makes sense fiscally and environmentally, at no cost to taxpayers. He understands it's the way of the future. Politically, it would be a very savvy if he shows independence from his team. Will he? Timmy is truly the wildcard. Timmy, prove GA wrong on this one and maybe I'll put myself in the bun!
The next City Council meeting is on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at 7 pm.
That's the 1st night of Hanukkah!
I urge participants in the Corner Cars program to celebrate Hanukkah, then show up and voice your support for the program and your condemnation for those who would KILL it.. And folks who've given their vehicles up entirely-- please let the KILLERS know what you think about their political gamesmanship.
To the 'KILLERS': should you choke at the last minute on your murderous intent, but try to suggest a face-saving 'compromise': HANDS OFF the program.
NO cuts.
If anything, the program needs to get BIGGER so we clear more cars out of Hoboken and save MORE residents thousands of dollars annually on car expenses.
Viva Hertz-Connect Corner Cars!
Bravo, GA! What a great post. I've been out of town without access to a computer and I come home to this work of pure genius.
ReplyDeleteEverybody who loves Corner Cars really needs to show up at the City Council meeting on Wednesday night and demonstrate their support for this program. There is no doubt that Mason's "NO" vote is based solely upon her hatred of all things Zimmer. In her warped and twisted mind, a Zimmer idea is a bad idea. Period. End of Story. I think Russo and Castellano voted "No" just to be obstructionist and contrarian. Timmy's "No" vote is a total mystery. I guess he hasn't talked to the many Corner Cars users that live in the 4th Ward. He better change his vote fast if he wants to be elected in May.
Let's also make the December 1, 2010 City Council meeting the "Official Death of Political Theater at City Hall". If you don't show up for Corner Cars, then please show up to let the Council and residents who are present know that you are sick and tired of Council meetings being hijacked by the likes of Lane Bajardi for purely political purposes. Bajardi's "manufactured outrage" at the last Council meeting was nothing more than a calculated political hit job for the benefit of his benefactress, Beth Mason. We need to let the Council and Bajardi know that we know exactly what he was up to and we're not going to let legitimate and important Council business be interrupted by him in the name of "New Business".
Flatly, it’s tire-ing to see these cars used for a partisan roadblock, and, as any steering committee can see, we don’t needed to change the route of this program or have it hit the skids. For starters, I’ve arrived at the conclusion these 8’ x 20’ spots are our most important “green” spaces, and the program need be in high gear. Hence we need de-fenders of green-lighting this program, who will fight until they are exhausted, but won’t blow a gasket. We can’t yield to these motor-mouth obstructionists, they need a crash course in bipartisanship, so they might tread lightly instead of acting like hoods. The whole effort to put the brakes on this car effort needs to blink, and indicate a turn to ecological sense. Please don’t let these cars be used for the pedestrian purposes of a political race, let’s put the posturing in the backseat. After all, the environment is the “deer in the headlights” of the reckless driving.
ReplyDeleteOver 800 have signed up and the spots have been taken away by turned in permits. I urge everyone who has a Corner Car membership to go to the meeting and voice your support. If you own a car you should voice your support too since this innovative program takes cars off the street giving you more parking availability. It's pure Zimmer and Ian hatred not clear thinking. Mike Russo lives in the 3rd Ward GA.
ReplyDeleteIt's actually closing in on 1,000 members and as of last Wednesday, the count of those who'd surrendered their cars was 45.
ReplyDeleteI know Mike's ward is the 3rd-- that was a copy-paste error, ss1959. Thanks for pointing it out.
I'm banned again on nj.com, can't post links to GA, which means Beth's minions don't like this story. I guess they're afraid of it. They don't want the word to spread about the destructive governing-style of their Boss. How she wants to kill a popular program simply because it's a Zimmer-initiative.
Her constituents, 19% of the Corner Car membership to date, should appreciate that.
But it's too late, the word is out about those who want to kill this progressive and terrific program for Hoboken. And I believe anyone who wants to keep the program going will show up on Weds.
I hope all 1,000 do.
Are their any pictures of Occhipinti where he doesn't look dazed?
ReplyDeleteThe other wild card is Tom Greaney. The clock is ticking. Skip this meeting and you lose much of the the moral authority to challenge Mason on the issue later. You must start showing the voters who you are vs who she is. Now not later.
ReplyDeletePS. I'm trying to sell you to super-mega-campaigner, Info jr. Throw me (and my dog - see avatar) a bone.
$13,400 says Beth's pet Occhipinti isn't such a wild card. Mason expects a return on her investment and Occhipinti has $13,400 worth of thank-yous to deliver in the next 7 months- no time to waste!
ReplyDeleteThe more I think about it, the more I think it will linger if a candidate for the 2nd doesn't show (besides the one with the bottomless war-chest).
ReplyDelete-Corner cars. Pure political posturing. "We need more proof umbrellas work before committing to one." Call it what it is.
-Resolution 2 on supporting the AG. Shows Beth in all her raging hypocrisy since she already did this to Zimmer.
There are a lot worse days ahead than speaking to the cc as a concerned citizen. People need to start believing in a candidate and that he has the fire in his belly to see this through and is worthy of their efforts. If he skips this, it won't sit well. There are few meetings this momentous for a candidate on the way up. Maybe none. Probably none.