Debate SHOCK: Parents United thugs harass 1-2-4

Parents United supporters Mike Holmes (left) and Eduardo Gonzales (right) watch Parents United operative Matt Calicchio aim flashlight in the eyes of Forward Together candidate Jennifer Evans.  Evans complained that she was "blinded."

Parents United Treasurer Peter Biancamano and Joe Branco with Parents United's Matt Calicchio.  Calicchio aims his 'flashlight' in the eyes of Forward Together candidates to distract during their answers to questions asked by moderator Bob Bowden. 


Holmes and Gonzales walk off as GA turns to photograph the harassment. Parents United operative  Matt Calicchio turns his camera toward me before he ducks behind the curtain.


Evans and Sobolov soldier on after harassment by Parents United's Matt Calicchio.
Applause after debate.  Parents United  Matt Calicchio with his crew:  Parents United Treasurer Peter Biancamano,  John Madigan, Mike Holmes.  


Last night, a new generation of activist Hoboken district moms got a taste of the  thuggery that dogged School board meetings in the aftermath of 2009's Reform takeover.  The intimidation campaign tapered off once Reform gained a super-majority on the BoE.

GA remembers those days.

Meetings were a shitshow.

Thuggish, ape-like goons would line up against the back wall. Sometimes they arrived late with former BoE Trustee Frank Raia.  The bloated galoomphs would call out during meetings, gesture, harass  audience members, and otherwise do anything to disrupt the proceedings.

Sometimes the harassment would continue after the meeting as happened once to GA.   BoE members were even assaulted. 

And who could forget 2012's  The State of NJ v Matt Calicchio?   

The complaint was filed by  BoE Trustee Theresa Minutillo  after Calicchio  harassed her in front of her 6 year-old daughter at Wallace School.   The court believed Minutillo.  However, Judge Sixto Macias ruled that the remarks did not constitute a criminal charge of harassment because Minutillo is a public figure.

From the transcript: 


THE COURT: I -- I also believe that the whole testimony of Ms. -- Ms. Garcia and Mr. Calicchio -- Calicchio were fabricated...  How many 23-year-old individuals go to monthly board of education meetings? That is your job to go to the board of education meeting. 

click image to enlarge or read article HERE
And so.... last night.

It was interesting to hear the reaction of some 'new generation' district parents to the Parents United thugs' behavior.

They were horrified.

One told  GA that the thugs came early and stood up in the rear for the whole 90 minutes, though plenty of seats were available. Instead, they stood to be seen from the dais where they could distract Forward Together (1-2-4) to maximum effect.

One mom angrily complained she heard the goons making noise every time Evans, Dallara and Sobolov spoke.

One noted how Parents United candidates sat unfazed by the goon shining a flashlight into the eyes of their opponents, 1-2-4.  Of course, the Parents United candidates were on board with the Dirty Tricks by their ape with the flashlight.

The nastiness was not limited to 'Thug Row' as one of the Parents United team attacked the 14 year-old son of Irene Sobolov.

GA will address the stunning ignorance of Parents United candidates Jessica Nelson, 'Chipper' Benway and Jennifer Rossini at the debate later.

In short, these three candidates have no idea WHAT is going on inside of the schools. Zip.  None have ever gone to a BoE meeting.  Virtually every comment or criticism was met by Forward Together responding with "Oh, we already have that program" or "we've have that program for years."

These three Parents United candidates are CLUELESS about the variety and multitude of programs instituted in the Hoboken district since Reform took the majority in 2009.  They are clueless that Reform put a stop to the stealing from the classrooms and redirected the money into programs, materials and training.  Clearly, Parents United's thug row at the back of the room are dying to 'wet their beaks' in our education funds- AGAIN.

Indeed, Parents United talking points were straight outta Austin, and a certain $144K hack fired by the Reform majority in 2009.  Like Parents United, the Austin hack has no idea of what is really going on in the schools, doesn't have a clue about all of the new programs and challenges for kids. (GA's daughter worked on the JSHS aquaponics garden, was on the Harvard Model Congress debate club, and in Johns Hopkins Advanced Math- all wonderful after-school activities of the many JSHS offers.)

Parents United knew nothing about any of this.  They trashed and insulted the schools, ans spouted cherry-picked data to force wrong, misguided and UNFAIR conclusions.  They have no idea how far the district has come and where we are going.  More than a few parents in the audience that have kids in the High School were disturbed at Parents United broad brush ignorance and arrogance, particularly from candidates Jessica Nelson and Jennifer Rossini.

GA took copious notes.  I will correct their misinformation- stay tuned.

G-d help the Hoboken District if these the Clueless Three win. From the goon squad turn-out, I would say they are feeling quite confident.

Please people,  GA implores you to vote for these honest, dedicated, committed gals so they may CONTINUE THE PROGRESS:  
1-2-4. 

 

Comments

  1. The true scum of Hoboken.

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  2. In case anyone reading thinks that somehow the actual candidates are somehow separate from anything GA describes above... think again. As someone wrote elsewhere, Frank Raia - listed above - gave $2500 to the "Pee Yew" campaign. And Peter Biancamano is the treasurer of the "Pee Yew" campaign. Mike Holmes used to be the driver for Frank Raia. You are judged by the company you keep, and the Pee Yew team is surrounded by criminals. Tell your friends... they MUST vote for 1-2-4. There is no other choice.

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  3. So the bullies came out last night in full force. Board of Education member, John Madigan jeering from the back of the room. Wasn't Madigan also accused of harassing a former BoE member and a young child? And didn't he also call female Bd members cu*ts at a board meeting several years ago?
    The team behind Parents United also supported John Madigan for BoE... Disgusting!!

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  4. And Eduardo simply looks on while his colleague does the dirty work.

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    Replies
    1. And he's on QLC's board that was hosting the forum. Could have said something to PU's/old guard's resident goon. Yet another profile in courage.

      Can't have been more obvious that the forum was an attack on our schools.

      Not a single question to candidates on commitment to our students. Because PU has none and don't want to expose that.

      What a joke.

      Delete
  5. I wasn't in attendance, how did QLC react? Did they just stand aside and allow the harassment? Look the other way? Or were they actually complicit?

    I think THEY should be held accountable, and until such time reform candidates should boycott all future QLC BS "forums".

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  6. It is hard for corrupt old political dogs to learn new tricks.

    However, when ever you see these same dogs backing anyone, you every reason to view the frontmen as equally as corrupt.

    Hopefully the voters of Hoboken will see past the bull, once again and keep those people out of public office and way from their tax money.

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  7. I came late and was 'greeted' at the door by the gangsters waiting on the stairs. My friend and I asked if we could go in and they said 'Yeah, but you missed the best part", I gave a polite disinterested giggle. Then the short guy laid in with "Parents United is just killing the others with facts numbers." They continued to joke and then followed us in, stood behind us and kept shouting and groaning at everything said. Their behavior was abhorrent.

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  8. I asked 4 questions - none asked:

    "What is your favorite District program or service? why?"

    "Please explain your history of volunteerism in the District schools."

    "Do you attend BOE meetings? Do you think it is important for BOE candidates to attend meetings? Why or why not?"

    "What do you think about Clinton's and Trump's educational policies?"

    Forgot to ask "Please explain the role and responsibilities of a BOE member." But I am sure someone else had to have asked it.

    When I went to the 2012 debate, I submitted 8 or 9 questions, and 5 got asked. I remember being so surprised!

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    Replies
    1. I asked similar questions to you, none of them got asked.

      Delete
  9. Was the question collection for show? Perhaps the questions and answers were already handed out to some? I'd like a more fair debate.

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  10. I submitted 4 questions focused on how candidates were involved in our schools - had they volunteered, how they had prepared to learn about our district, how many board meetings and budget presentations they had attended….. none were asked.

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  11. It's time to stop giving any legitimacy to the Quality of Life Coalition (QLC) they haven't been impartial in many years. Mary Kelly who ran the event disclosed that she is a sitting board member on Hoboken Charter School's board, the time keeper is a Hoboken Charter School parent and the emcee, Bob Bowdon has been anti-public and pro charter school for the past 10 years.

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  12. well, at least there's one good bit of news to report: little joey branco's room84 has tanked down the toilet, a "for sale" sign above the entrance on washington st. good riddance.

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  13. What these bobbleheads don't understand is they have no clue what it takes to be a school school board member. They were also clueless on what is actually going on in the district. They were woefully uninformed about the high school and their ignorance outpaced their knowledge. What the hell is wrong with Jessie Nelson's face? She looked like she had a permanently affixed smirk that needed a dismissive swipe left.

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    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    2. Anon 10:07 AM- there are plenty of substantive reasons to criticize Parents United candidates. Let's not go there.

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  14. If they win 3 seats. Get the majority. One at a time the two ladies leave. Replaced by majority choice. Badabinggg

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    Replies
    1. This is a real issue. And a bigger one is if that happened, the Superintendent would leave as well. The ONLY ONLY ONLY ONLY ONLY ONLY ONLY positive would be that next year, we could probably take the majority back. The controversial HoLa litigation issue will be behind us - so they wont have anything to say, we will be in a mayorial election year with a full alignment of good people on one side, and criminals on the other, and Peter Biancamano's seat is up and he will be fully aligned with the criminals. That being said, we still have 16 days to make sure that they DONT take over the majority.

      Delete
  15. It's time for Bob Bowdon to stop moderating. Instead of polling the audience about how to pronounce herb, he could reprimand individuals for shining lights into candidates' faces. This was a hostile environment and he did nothing to stop it.

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    Replies
    1. I thought he did say something. He at least gave one of the Forward Hoboken candidates extra time. The fact that Mary Kelly, Eduardo Gonzalez nor Tom Chartier - all QLC board members - did nothing to stop it is reprehensible. I agree with a prior post - the good guy slate should not participate in this going forward. They should find a different host. Maybe... the Hoboken Public Education Fund, or Hoboken Family Alliance. Either of those are better suited to be hosts anyway. Alternatively, if QLC were to host, they agree to a more honest process that involves direct input and approval from both/all slates...as I write that, I realize that cant be possible with the criminal backed slate...

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    2. Mary Kelly and Her Husband Chris are the Mason's "best and only" friends.
      Seems if you give certain people enough wine Beth win's instant friends

      Delete
    3. Bob Bowden is a former friend of The Bajardi Twins
      He is credited with telling Kimbo and Loon about the 5th floor condo for sale in that 1980's famous displacement tenement building with weed strewn back yard

      Delete
  16. The Masons have let their Monster out again.

    Beth Mason and Richard Mason, Please go away!

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  17. Lets not forget Helen Manogue worked for Joe Barry as a lobbyist to prevent the light rail from going across his Shipyard Project. The same era when Barry was paying bribes to Hudson County crooks to get federal grants to build a walkway that collapsed a few years later. Manogue proves she had a price, now she proves QLC is a Mason/Scum Guard front.

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  18. Anonymous 3:38AM: When someone shines a light in a candidate's face, Bob should have said: "please refrain from harassing the candidates and this will not be tolerated otherwise you will be asked to leave."

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  19. At the start of the debate, we were told to raise our hand if we wanted to ask a question during the debate. About midway through, I raised my hand. I was sitting in the front row, couldn't be missed.

    My hand was up for about one minute, a long time. Nobody came.

    Enough with the QLC. I support Anon 3:38 AM's idea for another party to take over the HBOE debate. The Hoboken Public Education Fund is a great idea, if they would consider it.

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  20. QLC must stand for Quitters, Losers and Criminals b/c they certainly don't do much to improve the quality of life in this town. Time to relegate them to the dungheap.

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  21. Look you fools are going down. Beth and Ricky will be funding lottsa money for our operations and mailers. Our VBM army is mighty and the mailers haven't even hit you yet. When Inez Cashola Kreim gets those signed off into the mail you Zimmerists are through.

    So Matty's phone got a little stuck in the back of the room on flash? What are you going to do about other than whine to each other? Oh gee, we're afraid.

    We're going to sweep this election and then take City Hall next year! We already have our inside connection all set with eight balls for the election night party.

    This is our town. Get the hell out of our town!

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    Replies
    1. The people who complain the loudest about yuppies taking over Hoboken have profited the most from their arrival. We see you.

      Delete
    2. Oh yeah tough guy? Loretta Lynch and the Feds will love that. They can finally bring down your disgusting and predatory VBM harvest operation once and for all.

      Delete
    3. Negative mailers really worked out well for Carmelo versus Jen Giattino for the city council race right? We know who is the leak on that kind of information anyways please be sure of that.

      Delete
  22. VOTE 1 - 2 - 4

    Because Hoboken deserves better.

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  23. Trump likes grabbing pussy. Introduce him to fat boy.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hoboken's kids deserve THE BEST - vote 1 - 2 - 4 !

    ReplyDelete

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