The Strawman Cometh

 by InfotainMe

It's hot off the twitter presses.

 Looks like the new council majority and their fully synchronized chorus are going to milk the new gas pipeline for all it's worth so to speak.  It’s the subject of Terry Castellano's first tweet ever below.  Soon after that special moment, Jamie Cryan re-tweeted the Castellano inaugural.  (A tad coincidental, that; has she named a campaign manager yet..?)  Tim Occhipinti tweeted about it twice.  Even David Liebler, fresh from explaining to everyone on Patch that a bond is a debt (who knew?) added his unfailingly vapid gusto to the refrain.

This magic all starts with a carefully choreographed city council meeting.  Think “Busby Berkeley meets Franz Kafka.”  This time out, the recently purchased council majority set out to show to a little more professionalism than it had previously displayed, disappointing those us who tuned in to see a final descent into pure mayhem and possibly even a lynching or two.  Alas for our perverse hopes.  Instead large chunks of the agenda were tabled or deferred to committee to create the illusion of momentum.  The meeting that remained was somewhat conciliatory in tone, especially compared with recent editions which felt more like a small delegation of villagers attempting to negotiate with a victory-drunk Viking army.  More than anything this week’s meeting was a very subdued affair, right down to the hand-picked colors of the performers’ costumes.

Mike Russo was simply instructed to take the night off and did so for the most part.  He even refrained, just this once, from demanding that Ian Sacs “quit dicking around and go outside and settle this like men.”  Reaching for the same leitmotif Lane Bajardi spoke in hushed terms about the biblical dangers of the pipeline and managed to mention the mayor without saying "that conniving bitch" for the first time that anyone can recall.

Of course Mr. Bajardi has a devastating ‘tell’.  Whenever he makes an accusation, bet the ranch that’s what his team is doing.  Accuses council majority of secret meetings to pick ZBA members...hmm.  Accuses blogs of carrying out highly scripted messaging on behalf of a paying client...hmmer.  While working for Occhipinti, accuses Lenz of being in bed with developers and running a dirty campaign...hmmest.  Anyone noticing a pattern?  If he ever tells you he figures you only have a pair of threes, push everything you own into the middle of the table if you can beat a pair of threes.

Clearly the strategy now is to play the pipeline as 9/11 Part 2. Those not taking the ‘threat’ seriously will soon find themselves cast as “the enemies of the children".   Indeed, “doing it for the children” has all but replaced religion as the last refuge of scoundrels.  A glossy appeal to younger parents is inevitable, especially by candidates who otherwise have nothing tangible to offer that demographic.  Oh, you’ll be getting it from every angle.  It will help you keep your mind off the fiscal lunacy that is the true first order of business of the majority.

You’ll notice that the tweets below are not about keeping a watchful, even critical eye on the pipeline development; they're about forcefully opposing it.  You didn’t really think this was just about ensuring public safety, did you?  You did?  Wanna play cards?


Tim Occhipinti
#hoboken speaks with one voice! A unanimous city council. No Gas Pipeline!
http://patch.com/A-dyY1


1stWardCouncil Theresa Castellano
#hoboken We will be an Intervenor against the gas pipeline project!



1stWardCouncil Theresa Castellano
by JamieCryan
#hoboken We will be an Intervenor against the gas pipeline project!

Comments

  1. When Mayor Zimmer gives me my marching orders, I will be able to respond.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very astute as usual, Info.

    I suppose Timmy and The Tweeters will come up with a color-coded system of terror alerts next. But can colors be tweeted? You know I'm not a Twitter-head.

    In fact, I think this twitter-brigade is idiotic... nothing but a circle jerk.

    So someone's getting paid for dispensing this 'strategy' to Timmy and the Tweeters... what a gig that is.

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  3. They are desperate to come up with ways to make Tim Occhipinti look good for May with all the obvious truths making themselves present. The problem is unless he sits quietly, he doesn't.

    So a non-binding resolution on Jersey City must be trumpeted to the heavens.

    I am thoroughly both informed and infotained! 4 stars!

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  4. I was told to tell you that you are very insightful. The mayor and her minions of course salute and will bow before you as instructed.

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  5. OMG, does someone have gas? This whole thing smells gross. Mr Occhipinti and Ms Castellano, I know you think you're cookin' with gas on this one, having us believe you're the real keepers of the flame, but please pipe down with your explosive NIMBY rhetoric about "the new conduit". Well, yes we can. The way I see it, you are in the trenches working against the layman, who only wants a pipe fitting the region's needs. Remember, this is not a pilot program, we NEED the natural gas for our furnaces, you can't be the only source of local hot air. Moreover, front-burnering this non-issue leaves us cold. Please channel your own energy elsewhere.

    On another note, we can't wait for the swan song of your Chicken Little tweets, please not another peep out of you. A final note: the tweets are a text-book example of crowing on a lark, while committing a cardinal sin: not offering any harmonious answer.

    ReplyDelete

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