Da Horsey has dropped another Mile Square political bombshell, again scooping the local media on what will be a big, big story in the coming political season.
And it's a fascinating one. Mixing personal and political drama, 'famous' names- a father, his child, an angry city, a medical crisis, and history recorded on videotape now tapping at the Son like a restless ghost. All the makings of a soap opera. That's Hoboken.
As you may know, the famous name is 'Russo', the medical crisis is cancer, the political drama... how much time have you got? Dad, former mayor, goes to jail for extorting 300K from a vendor... the son a personable, charismatic fellow, takes over the family 'biz'- politics- and takes to the City Council dais like a Broadway stage delivering memorable soliloquies, beating his chest, calling his own encores- and it's all archived on videotape.
One which will bite him in the ass today.
Because Da Horsey told us yesterday what the son had to have known for years- that his Dad's health benefits were being paid for by you and I- Hoboken taxpayers- even though he was not eligible for them.
Now watch this:
Those moved by the human drama will see a son compartmentalizing his own guilt- his role in this 'scam' - presumably his Dad was on the list of City employees receiving health benefits he purported to have cross-checked. He had to have known. But he 'looked the other way' for the sake of his sick Dad, who might be otherwise uninsureable in his critical condition.
GA's mom is a breast-cancer survivor. So I get that part of the story.
Those wired into the politics will see the manipulation of a valid issue for public consumption and the stunning hypocrisy now that we all know what we know.
But I daresay the majority of an already pissed-off public having endured a prolonged national recession, record tax hikes, soaring food and energy costs- now gasoline is creeping toward $4.00 a gallon, high unemployment and the struggle to pay for their own health insurance... those people will not take kindly to this news.
Most people don't give a damn about the politics. Or frankly, the pathos- where their wallets are concerned.
Russo's got a big, big problem. A PR one.
People don't like being lied to. We've been lied to.
People don't like being scammed. We've been scammed.
Is there any other explanation?
And it's a fascinating one. Mixing personal and political drama, 'famous' names- a father, his child, an angry city, a medical crisis, and history recorded on videotape now tapping at the Son like a restless ghost. All the makings of a soap opera. That's Hoboken.
As you may know, the famous name is 'Russo', the medical crisis is cancer, the political drama... how much time have you got? Dad, former mayor, goes to jail for extorting 300K from a vendor... the son a personable, charismatic fellow, takes over the family 'biz'- politics- and takes to the City Council dais like a Broadway stage delivering memorable soliloquies, beating his chest, calling his own encores- and it's all archived on videotape.
One which will bite him in the ass today.
Because Da Horsey told us yesterday what the son had to have known for years- that his Dad's health benefits were being paid for by you and I- Hoboken taxpayers- even though he was not eligible for them.
Now watch this:
Those moved by the human drama will see a son compartmentalizing his own guilt- his role in this 'scam' - presumably his Dad was on the list of City employees receiving health benefits he purported to have cross-checked. He had to have known. But he 'looked the other way' for the sake of his sick Dad, who might be otherwise uninsureable in his critical condition.
GA's mom is a breast-cancer survivor. So I get that part of the story.
Those wired into the politics will see the manipulation of a valid issue for public consumption and the stunning hypocrisy now that we all know what we know.
But I daresay the majority of an already pissed-off public having endured a prolonged national recession, record tax hikes, soaring food and energy costs- now gasoline is creeping toward $4.00 a gallon, high unemployment and the struggle to pay for their own health insurance... those people will not take kindly to this news.
Most people don't give a damn about the politics. Or frankly, the pathos- where their wallets are concerned.
Russo's got a big, big problem. A PR one.
People don't like being lied to. We've been lied to.
People don't like being scammed. We've been scammed.
Is there any other explanation?
So he cross checked and missed his own father's name? Says it all.
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