All Eyes on Flipper

On Monday night's City Council Agenda:

6 VOTES NEEDED (for both)

 SECOND READING/PUBLIC HEARING AND FINAL VOTE

1. REFUNDING BOND ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE REFINANCING OF ALL OR A PORTION OF THE CITY'S OUTSTANDING PARKING UTILITY GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, SERIES 2002A, DATED DECEMBER 15, 2002; AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF UP TO $19,100,000 OF GENERAL OBLIGATION REFUNDING BONDS (PARKING UTILITY) OF THE CITY OF HOBOKEN, COUNTY OF HUDSON, NEW JERSEY, TO FINANCE THE COSTS THEREOF; MAKING CERTAIN DETERMINATIONS AND COVENANTS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH; AND AUTHORIZING CERTAIN RELATED ACTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE FOREGOING
(sponsored by Councilman Cunningham and Councilman Mello) (Z-145)

CONSENT AGENDA

2.* Resolution authorizes the Transfer of Funds within accounts in the CY 2011 Fund Appropriations and a letter from the Director of Local Government Services (submitted by Finance Department)

Let's see... the above (bond refinance) ordinance and (budget line item transfer) resolution need ONE member of the 'Council Minority' to FLIP on the others to pass. Just ONE.  

Who will it be?

I think I know.

Only ONE of the above has shown INDEPENDENCE from the rest by taking a principled stand at the Oct 30th Special Meeting and LEADING his peers to do the RIGHT THING, leading his peers to vote FOR the midtown garage parking agreement to take effect pronto so the HUMC sale could proceed.  WHO was it?

Timmy Occhipinti.

To put it simply, Tim flipped.

And that's why I call him FLIPPER, King of the 'C' (Council).

Everyone loves the king of the C,
Ever so kind and gentle is he,
Tricks he will do when children appear,
And how they laugh when he's near!

Now, whether or not Timmy did it on porpoise has been a matter of some controversy.   GA's even been called "childish" for not giving Tim the "credit he deserves".  

GA childish?  Like that's news to me?

But we all can agree, we are GLAD he did.   Flip, that is.

So looking ahead to the 2 critical agenda items Monday night, the passage of both DEPENDS on another FLIIP.

FLIPPER to the rescue?

Now, you do understand we are not dealing with 4 mature adults  here. More shocking, they are elected officials.

So naughty are they in fact,  they just got a SPANKING from The State of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.   Did you read it?

The letter was written after our Business Administrator, Arch Liston had to tell the State that Hoboken has  4 Councilpersons-in-Diapers that wouldn't let him move money around to FUND operations.

Why not?

These 4 Thumb-suckers needed "more information".

Well, they got it.  Straight from the top:  

"I urge you to fulfill your fiduciary responsibilities..."

Folks, you can't make this shit up.

GA is hoping that the arrest of Patrick Ricciardi knocked a little sense into at least ONE of these infants,  a reminder that there are consequences for them outside the bubble. And that their antics can get them in real trouble.

Yet these 4 keep toddling up to the line.

Speaking of lines, read between them.

The DCA is telling Hoboken, if you can't be entrusted to follow the law and fund your own operations, we will have to send a Mommy...um, 'Monitor' to do it for you.  True, children need a Mommy.  And these 4 act like children.

Unless... Flipper does the right thing again.  On porpoise.

And don't forget the garage bond refinance.  If Flipper doesn't do the right thing, expect big problems for Hoboken.  Starting with LAYOFFS.

I'm pretty sure that the fate of MANY FAMILIES and the appointment of a Fiscal Mommy all hang on a single fish: Flipper, King of the C.

Now, if Timmy does the right thing on Monday night, I'll stop calling him Flipper.  And that'll hurt.

Bad.