Grafix Avenger

Tapping the Hornet's Nest

2012-02-17T07:27:00.007-05:00

After GA posted yesterday's Hoboken FBI Probe Growing, the Hoboken Reporter came out with speculation that the seizure of computers at the Hudson County Improvement Authority (HCIA) was a corruption probe into County Executive Tom DeGise's pet project- a golf course.

Questions regarding overtime on construction of the new county golf course and possible part-time employees who were paid but did not show up may have been what led the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to seize computers at the office of the Hudson County Improvement Authority Wednesday, said officials connected with the situation.

The county is currently constructing a golf course at Lincoln Park in Jersey City adjacent to Route 440. The work, which has been underway for more than a year, has included the demolition of buildings that formerly housed the Sheriff’s Department and other operations off Duncan Avenue.

Hmmmm... a golf course. Does Hudson County need one of those?

In fairness, the answer is purely subjective. The last time GA tried to golf, I (nearly) hacked off 3 toes. So, no I don't need one. But maybe DeGise does. And maybe you do, too.

I'll take a swimming pool, like the one in Secaucus.

My friend knew about the golf course- called it a DeGise boondoggle. (You know 'boondoggle' refers to a scheme that wastes time and money.)

Here's what we know: the Feds showed up at the HCIA on Wednesday, 'not for nothing'. They seized computers. And not just the Feds, but "other law enforcement agencies".

So if the Feds got leads on golf course corruption, where did they come from? Who or what may have led them there?

And that's the possible tie-in to Hoboken.

The Feds have custody of our entire City's data banks, but moreso, many individuals with incentive to trade what they know.

For feedback on GA's speculation, I contacted a source so plugged in to Hudson County affairs. I'll call him The Plug. And all I'll tell you about The Plug is, he's one of them.

So I told The Plug I thought that the HCIA computer seizure could be a tentacle of the FBI Hoboken investigation. His response:

The HCIA is the most crooked place in Hudson County. Some former (redacted) people still reside there, and have been handing out cash to their friends to balance municipal budgets. If somebody was going to investigate corruption in Hudson County, that's where they would have gone. Most likely it's something left over from the Dwek busts.

People say there might be an issue with the bonding, too. If there is, then the FBI will be opening up a hornet's nest. The HCIA's bonding is the source of a lot of questionable money.

You might not be wrong. Everyone's connected.

There you go.

So if the HCIA is a 'hornet's nest' of corruption, Hoboken's data banks are a 'Pandora's box".

Pandora, meet the Hornet's nest.

Boom Boom POW.

Hoboken FBI Probe Growing

2012-02-16T16:02:00.005-05:00

With all eyes on Tuesday night's hijinks at the Hoboken BoE a stunning development in our ongoing F.B.I. corruption probe went unnoticed.

GA's super-sleuth One-Eye, just directed me to this article in yesterday's Jersey Journal:

Law enforcement officials paid a visit to the Hudson County Improvement Authority in Jersey City yesterday and seized computers, but officials had little information on what the probe is about.

"We are aware they were at the office (yesterday) and we are fully cooperating," said Christina Filip, a spokeswoman for the HCIA.

Yesterday afternoon, several white vans were seen at the HCIA office, located on Summit Avenue near Five Corners. But at 5 p.m., Filip said she did know what level of law enforcement they were connected to or why they were there.

But Hudson County Executive Thomas A. DeGise and a source in Hudson County law enforcement said the FBI was involved.

That nearly caused One-Eye's one eye to pop from it's socket.

Because the HCIA, an autonomous public agency with broad responsibilities in solid waste management, recycling, recycling education also funds projects all over Hudson County.

And as such, the HCIA is a hotbed for potential corruption for their ability to bond.

Example: Hoboken developer Joe Barry went to jail in 2004 for bribing HCIA officials to issue bonds for improvements to the waterfront. Remember those improvements were Barry's personal obligation, but he got the HCIA to fund them with taxpayer money.

Via bribery.

From Al Sullivan in 2001:

Federal law enforcement officers have subpoenaed documents from the Hudson County Improvement Authority, a county agency that funds projects in various towns, concerning the funding for a section of Hudson River walkway in Hoboken.

Sources said that federal authorities are looking into a $1 million federal grant that was issued to Shipyard Associates in 2000 to help fund the construction of the public riverfront walkway along a boundary of their luxury housing development on Hoboken's northern waterfront.

Federal officials have requested documents from the Hudson County Improvement Authority, headquartered in Jersey City, dating back to 1998.

Some believe this is related to an August FBI raid of the Hoboken-based offices of Applied Housing in Hoboken, the parent company of Shipyard Associates. That raid, in turn, is believed to be connected to a larger federal investigation of prominent figures in Hudson County.

Yes, the HCIA has played a prominent role in Hoboken corruption.

And yesterday the F.B.I. swept in and seized the HCIA's computers. Nine months after they swept in and seized Hoboken's.

Which begs the question, did any 'crumbs' found on Hoboken City servers lead a trail to the HCIA?

Or has someone squeezed in the Hoboken investigation 'talked'- traded someone or something to help himself, leading the Feds to the HCIA?

Think of all the Hudson County- issued bonds for public construction. And the possibilities...

One-Eye seems to think the HCIA computer seizure has everything to do with the long tentacles of the Hoboken investigation, preceded by the surrender of our city's data banks. Yes, the Feds have many trails to follow.

It looks like one may have led to the Jersey City office of the HCIA.

Pass the Mutz, Keep the Yutz

2012-02-16T12:02:00.014-05:00

Read about making (DELICIOUS) mutz at M & P Biancamano Deli in Hoboken

My goodness, Tuesday night's BoE meeting is the gift that keeps on giving!

Giving to this blog, I mean.

GA just got two more eyewitness testimonials that are so compelling, I've decided to make them their own post.

Here's the first, from someone who sat through the entire raucus BoE meeting and lived to tell.

Peter Biancamano sat at the dais Tuesday making a complete ass of himself (which is the norm).

It started with him pointedly accusing the seasoned, renowned BA Davis of presenting a budget without publicly noticing it in the newspapers. Only to be told that this was NOT the Budget Presentation but was simply an explanation of the anticipated projections for the Budget and that only the board can present the budget on the agenda. DUH!

You are a sitting board member and don't know this????? There's more.

One of the funniest and most embarrassing points of the meeting for Deli Boy was when he tried to pull a "gotcha" regarding the public petition the Raia clan was trying to use and was told to "cut" by one of his handlers.

Deli Boy had slyly commented some thing along the lines of "WELL, it is my understanding that the BA received a petition this afternoon at 2:30, BEFORE this meeting, containing 2600 signatures"- with a shit eating grin and a twinkle in his eye...

Only to be told by the attorney that said petition was irrelevant.

Aghast, Deli Boy began stuttering and belched out- "Buuu, buuu, buuutt there were 2 petitions! You got 2 petitions! The public has already decided in those 2 petitions!"

He sounded like a fool- it was SO bad, that Nick Callichio, from the rear of the room, was wildly gesturing "CUT" to Deli Boy. Unfortunately Deli Boy was so stunned he didn't pick up on the "cut" sign himself so Theresa Minutillo, politely informed him, "Nick, in the back of the room, is telling you to be quiet."

Deli Boy got silent and sat in pure dazed confusion- which, again, is the norm for all meetings.

You think Tim is dim? You should go to a few BoE meetings, they must have been twins separated at birth- Deli Boy obviously got the short end of the oxygen stick.

Yes, reader I DO think Tim is dim. Don't you?

So dim in fact, I'm dedicating this original knock-knock joke to him:

Tim: Knock, knock.

Hoboken Mayor, City Council and all her Directors: Who's there?

Tim: It's me, Councilman Occhipinti. There is graffiti on the 4th Ward overpass into the country of Hoboken. I’d like to think that this is one of the “gateways” into our country and this is unacceptable. Graffiti not only lowers property values in our nation but this is what visitors and residents see first upon entering our land. I am not entirely certain whose jurisdiction this falls under so I included Freeholder Romano and the entire team investigating me at the Newark F.B.I. office. Perhaps I should send this to Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno in Trenton? Please work on a corrective action plan to address the graffiti on multiple walls and let me know your course of action to resolve this. I would like you to provide the plan to address this at next week’s council meeting. Pop-up book format preferred, but a coloring book is acceptable.

Hoboken Mayor, City Council and all her Directors: The overpass is in Jersey City, and belongs to NJ Transit. And Hoboken is not a country, you frigging idiot.

Tim: Thanks for clearing that up! Which reminds me, there are big piles of doggie doo under that overpass which lowers property values and is the first thing that visitors and residents see when entering the country of Hoboken...

Once an idiot, always an idiot.

Now, for our next eyewitness testimonial to Hoboken's own Jerry Springer Show.

Toward the beginning of the meeting, the guy who assaulted a Kids First supporter in a polling place last year and grabbed her camera, Michael Holmes, was walking around the back of the room slamming his fist into his palm yelling "Why can't we just take care of this like old times? The old-fashioned way?" He did not look like he was kidding. He is notorious for a long history of assaults and altercations over politics, but it's pretty surprising that these people still pull this stuff out in the open nowadays. It just doesn't play well at all, what used to be their own private turf is now public domain, and all they do is show their true colors.

Oh boy.

Exclusive: No Mo' Mo

2012-02-16T07:44:00.010-05:00

Here's a GA exclusive from a source on the 'inside'. Are you ready?

Maureen Sullivan is probably not going to run for reelection.

GA heard there may be an announcement "soon."

If this is in fact true and Sullivan makes her retirement 'official' she will certainly provide reasons for her decision.

What she won't tell you is the back story. That's what you come to GA for!

Here it is.

Frank Raia doesn't want to run with Maureen Sullivan. He doesn't want her on his ticket. And that's the Kiss of Death.

Why doesn't Raia want her?

More from GA's source:

She's not liked by anyone anymore. No one trusts her to be a loyal soldier. She switched sides once and she could do it again.

And they think she's emotionally unstable.

Wow. The Old Guard nailed it. Emotionally unstable.

As in blogging like the Energizer bunny under a several screen names (franksinatra, gettheledout44, parsleysage...), publishing closed session discussion on blogs and letters to the editor, throwing fits when her will is thwarted (like the recent barrage of phone calls to the NJDOE)...

And her close kinship with the RAT who leaked Perry Belefiore's private email to Al Sullivan. Yes, they are friends and both are loose internet cannons, stalkers who victimize others with arbitrary malevolence. Even their 'own'- like Perry Belefiore.

Untrustworthy is right. Feel that pain in your back?

That's the shiv Maureen or her friends put there. remember what she did to Kids First.

Moreover, and this is sheer speculation... why didn't Sullivan fingerprinted at Morpho Trak like everyone else?

Nailed by Oprah-request

Sullivan claimed it was done on January 5th, but the manager of the NJDOE's Criminal History Review Unit was told on January 6th that Sullivan was NOT in their database. Nor had she made an appointment with them.

And then a nun named Maureen Sullivan turns up with respect to Hoboken's Maureen Sullivan in the NJDOE's internal communications? You know the nun got fingerprinted in 2008. But what does that have to do with 'our' Maureen?

Now, GA doesn't know if that bit of bizarre-ness has ANYTHING to do with Sullivan's possible retirement from the School Board, but it DOES illustrate WHY the Old Guard don't want her.

She's a circus. Like Beth Mason, but without the MONEY. So who needs her?

Now, this 'rumor' may not come to pass, but it more likely will than not. So I'm told.

Sullivan doesn't have the following she did in 2009 before she turned traitor. She brings nothing to the table except for serious headaches.

The Old Guard has it right this time.

Emotionally unstable- publishing closed session discussions

Trash at the BoE- UPDATED

2012-02-15T14:31:00.030-05:00

GA's head is about to explode...

Anecdotes from last night are pouring in; jaw-droppingly moronic antics and thuggish stunts that turned last night's BoE meeting into an embarrassment for the City of Hoboken.

The scene in the room was unruly and threatening. Police were stationed in the room at the start then left, only to be called back later after an ally of BoE member Carmelo Garcia tried to fight with a woman seated in the room.

The thugs and their patrons in attendance were: Matt 'Gumby' Calicchio and his brother Nick (Thugly and Mugly), Mike Holmes, some heckling blond battle-axe GA was told is a Belfiore-relation, Michelle Russo, Terry Castellano and Mike Russo.

Beth Mason, wearing a form-fitting red suit, stood alone in a far corner of the room- as far from her bodyguard, Gumby, and Old Guard allies as she could possibly be, with Tim the videographer in tow.

Tim was there to tape Mason when she stood up to speak up for 'letting the People decide' petition. You know, that Mike Russo production containing 2600 signatures which by the way...

...aren't ENOUGH.

From a reliable source:

Aside from the fact that no number of signatures can deprive the school board of its right to move the elections, and the law makes a referendum appropriate only if both the School Board and City Council fail to act themselves to move the election, Mikey Russo our former finance chair apparently is unable to count. 24,007 people voted in the 2008 presidential meaning that 3601 valid signatures would be necessary to put a referendum moving the election onto the ballot- not the 2200 or so Mikey seems to think.

So much for Mikey's 2,600 signatures... short by 1,000. Well, I guess arithmetic isn't his strong suit.

Also there: 'political consultant' Perry Belefiore, who I hear made quite a scene. GA understands why Perry's in a foul mood; it's not every day a so-called ally gives your private email to a newspaper to publish.

Dare I say the RAT'S name? (How about sending this RAT an email?)

Well, it was quite a night. Would you like to hear about it from those who were in the room?

Here they are, some eye-witnesses to what went down at the BoE last night:

Carmelo and gang brought out their skanks and thugs. They were there to harass and intimidate as many people as possible- teachers, parents, board members anyone was up for grabs! After the police left, intimidation, harassment and chaos broke out.

A parent who wanted to to hear the board business, as her child attends the public schools, asked the audience to "shush"- one of their thugs then began cursing at her and threatening her, when asked by another parent to please leave her alone and let us hear the meeting she jumped up and said "ill fuck you up". The police were called (back) in.

Order was restored and the meeting continued with a barrage of bullying of the board members.

Any normal observer and many commenters comments on the total abuse of the public by these people toward those on the board and those in attendance. It was an embarrassment to all of Hoboken. The out of town attorneys, other business professionals and even the city council gadflys were shocked at the low class behavior and lack of a coherent thought or sentence. Those thugs acted in pure rage and hysteria. I feel bad for the students, teachers, staff, parents and administrators in Hoboken Public Schools- Having these ignorant bullies being filmed on TV at a board of ed meeting has degraded the very hard work of all in the public schools.

___________________________________

Most explosive moment was when a Hispanic woman (Carmelo's friend) started to speak aggressively to Theresa Howard. Liz Mulholland stepped up to help saying “will you just leave her alone.” The woman went nuts got directly in Liz’s face and started screaming threats and obscenities. I think she may have actually said “I’m going to fuck you up” and did this thing where she kissed her fingers. Liz didn’t respond in kind but didn’t back off. It went on for several minutes until someone walked the loony away and the meeting went on.

Belfiore refused to leave the mike until two police officers spoke to him. I heard one officer say “how do you want to do this?” Then Nick C came forward to walk Perry off in what seemed to be a spontaneous piece of theater.

At one point Mike Russo started to scream at Roman “are you threatening me?” while making the “bring it on” hand gesture. Roman said something back, everybody looked and they both backed off.

Some woman in the back was interrupting every speaker on both sides by yelling out. When Mike Russo was speaking, she kept screaming things like “that’s right” and “you tell them.” Russo pretended that it was one of our people screaming and demanded decorum – an obvious attempt to turn the world on its head and make it seem like the circus was caused by us rather than them. This seemed like a coordinated message as it dovetailed with Theresa Castellano’s statement blaming the circus on the Board rather than the audience.

All in all a complete embarrassment to the City of Hoboken and a throwback to the “bad old days” with one critically important exception – none of it mattered because we had the votes so it was all a stupid self defeating childish game.

They seemed to be also trying to plant the idea in the press’s head that this would “wind up in court.” I suspect that they will succeed in getting the story written that way since Ray and Claire appear to have not figured out that Nick C is not a particularly qualified or credible source on legal issues.

___________________________________

Nick Calicchio's behavior was disgusting, is that the way the State correction officers should behave? Really? Telling the board prez he's not going to listen to her? I can only imagine how he acts with the tenants he is supposed to protect in the housing. You do know he has an apartment there under the Police Next door program.

I think the best was when Peter (Biancamano) said that there were TWO petitions, saying this adamantly and Nick Calicchio is in the back of the room giving him the cut off sign. They never handed in the second petition... LOL Of course Theresa (Minutillo) had to tell Peter that Nicky was telling him to cut it out... ROFL!

___________________________________

The heavy set guy (Mike Holmes) near me said something interesting. Said things like this are going to turn into law suits.

Claimed the Old Guard has retained a top lawyer- the lawyer that represented Bush for the Florida voting case.

He also bragged how he beat up former Jersey City Mayor Jerry McCann in the 80's and that someone sitting a few rows in front of him (Gary Enrico)is lucky it is not the 80's.

___________________________________

At one point at the end of the meeting... Biancomano was asking the BoE attorney- Vito something- about the petitions that were handed in yesterday.. Something about do they trump this vote (I think ??) Vito read the 1st paragraph of the petition aloud... and Peter said no not that one the other petition that was handed in...

At that point Nick Calicchio, sitting in the back of the room, starts making hand gestures to Peter, cutting him off... Theresa (Minutillo) said aloud for everyone to hear.. look Peter, Nicky's giving you a signal to be quiet.... LMAO!!!

___________________________________

Jeez, what an embarrassment.

These morons belong on a Jerry Springer episode, not at a School Board meeting.

Speaking of morons, interesting to note that Timmy wasn't there. Perhaps his handlers wanted to keep their golden boy untainted by the trashy spectacle planned by his Old Guard friends?

On a positive note, GA wishes to thank Kids First for comporting themselves like the professionals they are in spite of this miscreant-spectacle; this effort to intimidate them with disorderly, thuggish conduct.

You ladies (and Leon) rock.

(Updated: 3:45 pm)
Here's another eye-witness account:

It's not easy to summarize a 5 hour meeting, but I will try. This doesn't address budget issues, Maureen issues, etc. feel free to cut down and edit as you see fit.

First, there was a great turnout from the public from people who supported the moving of the boe election from April to November. Not only did they come out at 7, but they stayed late in the evening, reflecting a real commitment to being seen and heard. The Boe majority was well supported by members of the general public.

What was striking about the general tenor of the speakers opposed to moving the elections to November. Nick Calicchio spoke first. He treated Rose Markle with utter contempt. She announced that speakers would have 2 minutes to speak instead of 5, which created an uproar in the room. He stated that he would give 5 minutes no matter what she said. Eventually, a 3 minute compromise was reached, but he essentially insisted that he's speak as long as he like. He ended asking for a legal opinion from Board counsel, asking what effect a previously filed petition would have on the pending resolution. The answer was "none" because the State law allows for 3 ways to move the boe election to November, by legislative body, by the boe, or by referendum. Since the submitted referendum seeks to ask whether to move the election to November, but doesn't move the election to November, the petition has no impact on the pending resolution.

Perry Belfiore was the 2nd speaker. He said that it would be necessary for police to remove him, and that he was going to say what he wanted to say. In the end, a police officer came over to remove him, but he agreed to go voluntarily after his time expired.

At one point, the meeting was disrupted when a parent repeatedly threatened to assault a Kids First supporter in the audience. Police were called to the meeting by a security guard who was working the meeting at that time.

France's Rhodes-Kearns is Michael Russo in a dress. She spent at least 15 minutes berating Leon Gold for the way he handled negotiating union contracts. Everyone listened to her respectfully, and Leon Gold pointed out how at least some of her complaints (that Gold had shared confidential negotiations with a member of the public) was done by mistake (an email sent to a former boe trustee by accident) which was quickly deleted by the recipient and never read by the unintended addressee). However, when trustees from the majority spoke, she would "accidentally" shuffle her papers against her microphone, making crackling noises that interfere with the other trustees' speeches. NOTE: if someone wanted to put together a video of Frances Rhodes-Kearns greatest hits on her microphone, that could be set to some very entertaining music for a nice piece. She repeatedly mocked one boe official who acted as clerk when he mispronounced her last name saying several times that he "need to spend more time in Hoboken".

LIVE from the BoE

2012-02-14T21:58:00.041-05:00

click to enlarge

It sounds like the Old Guard is going down ugly.

Nick Calicchio started screaming at the podium when he was cut off from speaking at 2 minutes... a friend of Carmelo Garcia started a fight with a woman in attendance... Mason videographer, Tim, filming away... an eyewitness told GA that he was blocking Roman Brice from taking photos ... Mason and Castellano are there.. so are Paetzhold, Raia, Inez Keim, Nick Calicchio, Mama Russo... was just told that Mason is up at the podium speaking now... GA wonders if her pet RAT wrote her speech, with her videographer filming away for her mayoral- Hindenberg The Sequel. More: both Calicchio goons are "jeering and booing people".. there are 2 cops there, thank goodness... Castellano is speaking and Mike Russo just arrived. Heard that Phil Cohen spoke after Mike Russo's grandstanding and was "very eloquent and rational arguing in support of a November election."

Phil also spoke about the bullying, thug tactics of the Old Guard- on full display this evening.... Thank you, Phil.

Was told "the Old Guard is putting on a big show but at the end of the day we're in charge." Yup.

(10:52 pm) New text: "the opposition is pulling almost everything on agenda. Markle said to vote on what is left now, which is the November election. Then, going into closed session on union and other agreements"... GA hears there's "dueling bullshit" between Carmelo Garcia and Maureen Sullivan...

(11:19 pm) New text: "Russo just yelled at Roman (Brice)... Roman yelled back." Hey Mike, don't mess with Da Horsey.

(11:30 pm) New text: "Roman is taking photos and aggravating the Old Guard." (GA Note: Bwaaa- HAW HAW!!!)

(11:45 pm) New text: "Big one now!!! It's coming!!!... Maureen is now blathering with a written speech."

(12:08 am) They're voting... the Old Guard is grumbling... Leon- YES, Ruthy- YES, Theresa- YES, Irene-YES, Rose- YES...

We WIN.

BoE elections will move to November.

So what happened next... to the Old Guard and the Mason film production crew who'd waited all night in the room?

(12:15 am): They slinked out with Roman taking pictures of them. He's probably bothering them in the street. Mike Russo was dressed like crap. (redacted) is here in sweatpants and a cropped top exposing her stomach.

And with that, I bid you-all good night.

left panel photo credit: Claire Moses

GA Catches the RAT!

2012-02-14T15:00:00.013-05:00

click HERE to enlarge RAT

Well folks, it's been CONFIRMED. GA was right.

About the RAT.

If you don't know what I'm talking about start here.

In a nutshell, the 'inner circle' on the opposition side has been meeting on Saturdays for political strategy sessions. Somehow, one of their discussions turned up in Al Sullivan's column one week, which upset one of the meeting attendees very much- Perry Belefiore. So Perry sent an email to all the regulars to stop leaking to Sullivan. Further, the email threatened if it didn't stop he would no longer attend meetings with that person. So what do you think happened next?

The Belefiore email was leaked to Sullivan, and appeared in last week's column! Verbatim. Click the graphic below to read it.

Are you wondering why GA put a rat on that graphic?

Because the person who gave-up their associate- someone on their OWN team, and who revealed their private communications is a RAT.

Because not only did that RAT betray Belefiore, but handed Reform some tasty goodies.

For example, now we know the Old Guard hates the term 'Old Guard'. And we know there's dissension in their ranks. And we know they're after a slice of the 'newcomer' demographic. All because the RAT betrayed the privacy of internal political strategy sessions.

But GA is grateful for the RAT. Because the RAT gave me lots to write about! Thanks, RAT.

Okay, so before I reveal IDENTITY of the RAT (don't peek at the top graphic- it's a spoiler) let me tell you who it ISN'T.

This is WHO the RAT isn't:

It isn't Michelle Russo

It isn't Ruben J. Ramos, Jr.

It isn't James Cryan

It isn't Terry Castellano

It isn't Timothy Occhipinti

It isn't Mike Russo

It isn't Frank Raia

Nope, not a single RAT amongst them. (Although I did depict one today as a ground hog, which is a kind of rodent. Does that count?)

No, the TRAITOR is not on that list- that person who had the balls to send a comrade's personal email communication (with the names of others at the meeting) to a reporter! Imagine that.

What a RAT.

Anyway, perhaps I needn't mention him by name. Perhaps we just call him "RAT" from now on?

But if you'd like to ask the rat WHY he gave up a member of his team and humiliated him publicly, and gave up inside strategy to the Reform side, please click here to contact The RAT.

Yep, Beth Mason's right-hand (RAT) man. Is she really worth the trouble?

Perhaps GA can recommend a logo for you Old Guard folks?

Like it?

Special Valentine- UPDATED

2012-02-14T13:05:00.004-05:00

BEFORE

This valentine goes out to all my friends. Happy Valentine's Day.

XO,

AFTER

Punxsutawney Tim

2012-02-14T07:04:00.002-05:00

Oh no! Punxsutawney Tim saw his shadow!

It looks like 6 more weeks of Kool Aid and Rice Krispy Treats for the Boys & Girls Club children.

Because since the truth of the 'Two Cities' conditions at the B&G- new management squeezing the B&G kids, taking away their hot meals, renting out their activity space so there no where for these kids to go- Timmy O's stayed way underground. As silent as a ground hog.

Want to know why?

Kool Aid from a slop sink and Rice Krispy Treat dinners for hungry kids don't make a great photo-op.

B&G Occhipinti photo-ops. Actual photos.

Not like planting flowers and pool openings.

Fighting graffiti wars in Jersey City makes a terrific press release. Tim's NJ Transit friends couldn't paint it over fast enough. The B&G needs more than a coat of paint. It needs immediate attention.

How about taking a little of that political capital to make some noise for the B&G kids in your ward?

Forget you're a politician for 5 minutes. How about doing what's right?

Director Greenberg's dinner menu. Serving actual food is "inefficient".

And that goes for EVERY elected official in Hoboken.

Timmy, this is on YOUR doorstep. Don't burrow back in your hole for another 6 weeks.

Rat on the Loose

2012-02-13T12:49:00.004-05:00

click HERE to read

column excerpt by Al Sullivan, The Hoboken Reporter

SCANDAL: Fire Greenberg NOW

2012-02-13T10:46:00.012-05:00

Hey Greenberg, you SCHMUCK. Is this what you serve your kids for dinner?

Under new Boys and Girl's Club Director, Gary Greenberg, dinner went from hot, nutritious meals to THIS. And the Kool Aid is prepared in a SLOP SINK. Greenberg says it's not because of "funding" but "efficiency."

Yep, that's dinner at Gary's house.

A plate brimming with Rice Krispy Treats served with a cup of artificially-flavored, eerily phosphorescent Kool Aid. Only he doesn't have a slop sink so his tasty, glowing beverage is prepared in the next best thing- his toilet bowl.

Yum! Even better than a janitor's slop sink.

Do you think that's what's on the menu at Gary Greenberg's house? Is that what he feeds his kids (if he's got them)?

Of course, not.

But it's good enough for the mainly black and Hispanic kids at the Boys and Girls Club.

Right, Gary?

GA's been hearing about the horrors over there for a while. I've written about it.

Thank G-d, Amanda Staub of Patch is bringing even more sunlight to this injustice in Hoboken.

It was a wonderful place for a kid," said one parent who wished not to be named. She said that after spending thousands of dollars on an afterschool program for her child, she was surprised to find a quality program for just $12 a year at the Boys and Girls Club. But now, she said, the club has reduced its services, most notably the hot meals program, which was replaced by a snack program about a year ago.

"Every child got a warm meal," she said. "It was chicken, baked chicken, with rice and beans. They’d have chili. I saw they had a little shredded beef. They had a good meal with protein every night." And the kids need it, she said, since many of them live in the Hoboken Housing Authority and have parents who are "low-functioning," meaning alcoholics or addicts.

Without the meal at the Boys and Girls Club, the parent said, some kids would go hungry.

Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hudson County Gary Greenberg said the decision to end the hot meals program had to do with efficiency, not with funding.

"It took up a tremendous amount of time with prepping it, serving it, cleaning up after it," Greenberg said. "It cut down so much on activity time." Now the kids are offered a Rice Krispies Treat and Kool-Aid.

Folks, GA believes what's happening at the Boys & Girl's Club- the diminution of services and betrayal of it's mission- is exactly what landlords do to get rid of tenants illegally.

It's called constructive eviction:

The disturbance, by a landlord, of a tenant's possession of premises that the landlord makes uninhabitable and unsuitable for the purposes for which they were leased, causing the tenant to surrender possession.

Constructive eviction arises when a landlord does not actually evict but does something that renders the premises untenantable. This might occur, for example, where a tenant vacates an apartment because a landlord turns off the heat or water.

The term is also used to mean the breach of a Covenant of Warranty and Quiet Enjoyment of real property, which prevents a purchaser from obtaining possession of property due to the existence of a paramount claim of title.

GA believes that Greenberg is carrying out a 'constructive eviction' of the Boys & Girls Club- the systematic reduction of services and deteriorating quality; the dismantling of it's mission, and he's doing it on behalf of OTHERS.

Hmmm... WHO could that possibly be?

Any DIRECTOR who withholds meals from hungry kids with the excuse of missing 'activities' AT THE SAME TIME he leases out their activity space during Club hours is full of shit.

What a disgrace.

Why the silence from 4th Ward Councilman Timmy Occhipinti who planted a lovely, photo-op garden at the B&G then left it to die?

And B&G Vice President Scott Delea? He's pretty.

Who is going to speak up for these children?

A Rat in the House

2012-02-12T08:38:00.027-05:00

Oh my, have you folks read Al Sullivan's column yet?

Wow.

It's a window into the opposition's factional infighting; their behind-the-scenes power struggle to fill the vacuum left by the death of the great Maurice Fitzgibbons. It's wild.

GA will break it down for you.

Our story starts with last week's (Feb 6, 2012) Between The Lines column. This excerpt:

The litmus test for the 2013 Hoboken mayoral election will likely be the upcoming school board elections.

Some are pushing Maria McGovern Hernandez, daughter of former Hoboken cop Patty McGovern, to run.

While some are backing the reelection of Maureen Sullivan in opposition to the Zimmer supported Kids First slate, not everybody in the opposition is comfortable with Sullivan.

Some want Frank Raia to run for the school board and not for mayor as he apparently is planning to do.

Well, that leak to Sullivan got someone on the opposition side very angry. Very. Because the dish published in Al's column was apparently discussed at their prior weekly (Saturday) strategy session so one of the attendees had to be the source.

WHO got mad?

This guy.

Hoboken operative surrenders his follicles to GA.

Perry Belfiore (who shampoos daily with Fructis by Garnier)

Yes, he was not happy that Sullivan was tipped off to opposition strategy and that private discussions were in print, being read throughout Hudson County.

So what did Belfiore do?

Perry sent an email to political operatives in Hoboken warning them to SHUT UP. No more talking to Sullivan.

Here's where it gets interesting...

One of them didn't like being bossed around by Belfiore, one of them didn't like being told not to 'talk', one of them wanted to send a message to Belfiore (a bitch slap) AND a message to Al (I'm your guy and I'm gonna work with you and you'll work with me)...

And this person sent his message loud and clear.

He leaked the Belfiore email to Sullivan! Look out!

“Someone is talking to Al Sullivan and it has to stop,” Belfiore’s email said. “Few people know the candidates’ names spoken about at last Saturday’s meeting, what Frank said, and the encounter I had with Stack. This is no coincidence. The person who thinks ingratiating themselves with Sullivan accrues a political benefit is wrong. Stop it or I will refuse to be in the same meeting with you.”

Last week, this column printed the name of a possible candidate for the Board of Education who might be backed by Assemblyman Ramos and others from what we called “the Old Guard.”

Belfiore said in his email that he didn’t want anyone leaking information to this column about what went on in brainstorming sessions. He also apparently took exception to the term “Old Guard,” claiming it played into Zimmer supporters’ hands, since the battle for control of city government is really all about a portion of the newcomer vote.

Oh, my.

You have two members on the same team, with (allegedly) the same political objective, attending the same strategy meetings.

One member (Belfiore) steps forward to assert his authority privately by issuing a directive to the others privately.

Another member responds publicly by 'outing' Belfiore, a humiliating slap, sending him a message while cozying up to Sullivan.

WHO is it? WHO leaked the email to Al? WHO kneecapped Belfiore so publicly, embarrassing him, and undermining his leadership effort?

GA's got a good idea. And I'm going to tell you. Nah, you can guess.

It's someone with a long established relationship of talking to Al. Feeding him. An operative whose currency is internet communication (Hoboken411, message boards) and talking to the print media- people like Al. And who fancies himself a 'player' in Hudson County politics, a self- professed 'spin-master'. Someone who would NOT take kindly to being told WHO he can and can't talk to by someone he considers an equal- or less.

And GA's suspect has shown a marked online resurgence recently. Prolific, in fact.

And he's weirdly obsessed with Mike Lenz. I believe he's behind the bashing of Lenz that took place yesterday on Hoboken411. I know of an incident- can't share. But that bashing was retaliatory. Which is exactly how this political operative works: punishment through print and online exposure.

Exactly what was done to Perry B.

(The suspect did the same thing to me on his shark-blog, long ago.)

Now, does the suspect attend these strategy sessions? Maybe not. Doesn't matter. Because Lane Bajardi would have told him anyway.

Folks, I could be wrong. But I don't think so.

And even if I am, the leak of the Perry letter shows the chaos behind-the-scenes... lots of Indians, no Chief. A power struggle. Backstabbing.

Personally, GA's much fonder of the Perry B. faction than the Mason faction.

In short, the 'Old Guard' folks are civil and follow rules, the Mason people are angry nutcases.

Yes, GA does like Perry even though the feeling's not mutual. Yeah, he practically runs away every time he sees me. Justice for Perry!

Let's find out WHO that RAT is.

GA Exclusive: The Petition (Leaked)

2012-02-11T08:55:00.012-05:00

Did you read yesterday's post? A source named Ear Wax told GA about that petition circulating to have the School Board election schedule decided by ballot referendum:

They had to go retreat and not screw up again the way they blew the last grass roots campaign by hiring young kids to walk around an lie about the purpose of the petition. No young kids this time. No walking around the streets.

No general public.

They're going to the HHA, Church Towers, Marineview, the senior buildings, Applied. That's all they need. They don't want people like you.

Well, guess what?

GA's been given an actual copy of the petition that's being circulated in the above-mentioned buildings. And here it is, an exclusive you won't see anywhere else:

click HERE to read

"They Got the Mayor on The Ropes"

2012-02-10T11:29:00.018-05:00

Ready for a scoop?

Well, you know GA names sources after body parts, such as Deep Uvula, The Nose, E. Sophie Gus, One-Eye.

I just spoke with a source who gave me an earful, so I'm calling him Ear Wax.

WHO is Ear Wax?

I can't tell you. But just like that sticky, yellow substance you can't reach with a Q-tip, he's deep on the inside. And wouldn't you know Ear Wax likes GA!

He's not supposed to. That's according to the narrative that Farmer Frank and his farm hands tote around in their bag of fertilizer- with their petitions. Yup, his narrative stinks more than their bag of shit: "those yuppies hate us."

But Ear Wax was paying attention to the sale of the HUMC, saw his people fighting it, saw them vote down repairs to the HPD headquarters, saw them vote down money for HFD salaries... well, now GA's got his ear. Wax and all.

So I asked him what he knew about this petition drive, the so-called 'grass roots' effort to 'let the people decide' whether to move the School Board election to November on a ballot referendum.

Well, he did know about it.

How? I can't tell you.

But Ear Wax was eager to fill my ear, and I wrote it down:

They had to go retreat and not screw up again the way they blew the last grass roots campaign by hiring young kids to walk around an lie about the purpose of the petition. No young kids this time. No walking around the streets.

No general public.

They're going to the HHA, Church Towers, Marineview, the senior buildings, Applied. That's all they need. They don't want people like you.

They think they got it this time. They think they have all the votes they need from their own. It's numbers.

They think they got the mayor on the ropes and can force the school board to honor the people.

Really, Ear Wax?

So, let me get this straight.

The petition is NOT being shared with the PUBLIC, but only members of the elite subsidized housing community... the ones that the Farming Community harvests EVERY April election?

So in fact, it the petition should not be called 'Let the People Decide'.

This petition should be called "Let OUR People Decide." Hoo-boy.

Is anyone else enjoying the delicious irony of a petition purporting to support Democracy when the only persons allowed to sign it live in a handful of buildings in Hoboken?

A Patch Snap Poll is showing that 85% of respondents support moving School Board elections to November.

As of today, 268 Districts in NJ have moved to November elections.

And so with the $59 million budget (and $1 million surplus) at stake, the Farming Community is pushing back against the tidal wave sweeping the state, pushing back against popular sentiment, with a rigged petition signed by select residents from the subsidized housing community,

Those farmers need to HEAR all the people, not just theirs... their 'Let OUR People Decide' petition is comically DEAF to the people's will.

Too much ear wax?

Russo Gives Away Coming BoE Stunt

2012-02-09T15:00:00.006-05:00

Ha! GA alluded to this in my previous post; that Mike Russo blurted something out at last night's City Council meeting which revealed something's coming...

This reader noticed it, too:

GA, was watching the cc meeting....Scott Siegel got up and spoke in favor of moving the elections to November..went into the arduous task of explain who and how it could be done.

He couldn't positively remember the exact amount of votes need for a public referendum and Russo suddenly, exclaimed with a shit eating grin--"2186, to be exact". Shortly thereafter, Jimmy, reached over and had a side conversation with Castellano- both were smiling....

Remind me, who has to certify those signatures? LOL!

So my guess is: they are going to show up at the Tuesday BoE meeting with 2190 certified signatures and claim that you needn't vote as the public has spoken and they want a referendum....

Ah, too bad sooooo sad....that must have cost Mason a few pennies :)

Exactly what I was thinking, reader!

Firstly, Mr. and Mrs. Melanoma (prosbus-Bajardi and Curious Kim Cardinal) have been verrrry quiet... after blurting out there's a "grass roots" effort underway... you know what that means. They are "grass roots".

I call them stinkweed.

You see how prosbus-Bajardi gave the heads-up about the "signature campaign"? I think that's Secret Agent code for 'petition'.

How nice to have Mike Russo confirm that last night.

Which means you can expect the following.

Expect to be accosted at your bus stop, PATH station or Ferry by a young person who has no idea what the petition he/she is asking you to sign says.

Expect the slogan on their t-shirt: "Let the People Decide" or some-such other jingoistic, feel-good phrase to make you feel like a Commie if you don't sign it. So you will. Unless you live in the HHA and get cash, not guilt- that's Capitalism working for you.

Then, on Tuesday... SHOWTIME!

Expect Mason's videographer and a crowd in attendance (Stevens students she's paid for) maybe some picketers (more Stevens students, maybe the ones she attempted to buy for her OLG debate)...

Expect assorted riff-raff to make a scene for the first anti-Kids First campaign video- like how the Caliccios and Russo performed on this Zimmer-stalking video posted on MSV.

Mason pays videographer to stalk the mayor

Expect the video to be watermarked Hoboken411 and dumped on that cyber-sewer. Expect the entire Mason production team and cast aligned for the making of that phony anti-Kids first video.

Unlike her allies, Mason could care less about the $59 million kitty. This is the same old proxy war on Zimmer.

Because if she can't be mayor, then nobody can.

What did you expect?

GA's Truthteller Award Winner

2012-02-09T12:08:00.024-05:00

...David Dening!

Were you one of 2 dozen politi-geeks streaming the City Council meeting last night?

Then you saw what I saw- an uneventful City Council meeting punctuated by hilarious 'gotcha!'s from Mason and Occhipinti- yup, those two served hearty helpings of mindless indignation- AND Mike Russo served a major 'tell'.

Now, we expect stupidity in a self-congratulatory frame from Bimmy (Beth + Timmy), but Russo is the much smarter and savvier politician, so... GA was really surprised that he let loose with a big... oh, I'll keep you in suspense.

As for my favorite 'gotcha!'s... let's see, there was Mason's declaration of being the "watchdog of the people's money" (this from the wannabe hospital sale-killer, leaving taxpayers on the hook for a $52 million bond, destroying Hoboken's credit rating...).

And that was the lead-in to a scolding that "$5,000" of our $100,000,000 budget was spent on a "glossy" mailer.

Well, guess what?

I saved my mailer- rare for GA the Merciless because I loathe junk mail. No, the mailer wasn't junk- it actually had useful information in it- which is why Beth Mason didn't want you to see it.

No, her "news source" is Hoboken411- filled with a news-like substance created by the unfair and unbalanced Perry Klaussen.

Here's some of what Beth "the watchdog of the people's money" Mason didn't want you to know- some of the stuff in your big-ticket mailer:

Snow emergency numbers, instructions, information for property owners
Registration information for kids (ages 6-8) baseball and softball leagues
Single Stream Recycling instructions and free recycling bin pick-up details
Parks and Open Space news and updates
Notice of 2011 police promotions- officers named
Bike repair station news and location
Status of parking upgrades and options to go car-free
HUMC news
Zimmer's Open Office hours
Sign-up for Free City alerts by email or text
Conceptual design plan for 1600 Park

Wow, Mason was right- what a load of useless crap!

We need to read Hoboken411 to learn how trees cause cancer, the HUMC kills patients and how we need an asshat from Texas to run our schools.

Now, I will say IF Mason was correct about any of the email addresses being invalid then that's a careless mistake, and shouldn't have happened. But does that invalidate the substantial amount of information on the mailer? NO.

So, how much exactly did this cost the taxpayer? We have 50,000 residents, oh... 10 cents per person.

Yup, ignorance is cheaper, but not much.

Let's move on to Timmy... who believes that engineering a structural design for a waterfront pier with no existing conditions documentation or As-Built structural engineering plans, plus the rigorous scientific testing and analysis of waterfront conditions, plus DEP drawing approvals should take as long as answering a phone call at his Help Desk.

Yes, Timmy answers a Help Desk phone for a living, so he thinks that the science of designing a new structural system for our waterfront should be as simple. Not to mention finding the MONEY to proceed with any work, then rigorous testing needed PRIOR to engineering, then the actual engineering, then the DEP APPROVAL for the engineering plans...

Yeah, Timmy that's JUST LIKE answering the phone at your Help Desk.

Even Russo got it. But not YOU.

You know GA volunteered to do drawings for a proposal to get state FUNDING for the work- here's one of them:

And I can tell you the original structural drawings I used to generate the above for the collapsed pier were IMO, absolute shit. (Read about it here.)

So the fact that the re-design is being done properly, and all measures to engineer it properly are being done is the due diligence exercised by a Reform administration vs. what happens when the City is run by grifters.

You know, grifters are the kind who allow extremely ambiguous design drawings to be built. Drawings which neither identify nor quantify the new structure being added to existing wood timber piles, nor define the structural system, and the extents of the added structure...and so on... I still don't know how the hell they built from what I saw. Nor how the job was PRICED.

ka-ching ka-ching.

A grifter's paradise. Until your pier falls into the river.

So the due diligence of the Zimmer administration makes GA extremely grateful.

Yes, Timmy. Due diligence takes time.

More time than answering a Help Desk phone.

Got that, Timmy?

Now... for the Winner of GA's Truth-teller Award.... David Dening!

credit: MSV

First off, THANK YOU for sacrificing your personal time to confront a lying public official on he lies she printed in our local paper- a smear on 2 administration officials and a false claim the City paid for an "all-inclusive trip to the Superbowl".

David, you forced the LIAR to mumble something about the officials getting "free" tickets, but were unfortunately cut off before you could pursue that line of questioning.

Here's what GA wanted for a follow-up:

"Councilwoman, you just alleged that "free" tickets were being comped to our officials. HOW do you know that? (pause) WHO gave you that information? (pause) WHY would you publish that without confirming whether it was accurate? (pause) Do you feel you owe these 2 officials and the Mayor an apology?"

Well, thank you, David Dening.

GA wishes you were allowed to continue challenging the dishonesty of a public official in a public forum.

Indeed, GA is grateful for people like you who aren't afraid to speak Truth to Powerful Liars.

Fun Fact

2012-02-08T15:59:00.006-05:00

Thanks to reader Joe Branco for this Fun Fact. Joe and I will give you 60 seconds to figure out the answer... the photo above is your clue. Ready?

Q: Guess what the NFL player decapitated in Beth Mason's lying Superbowl ad has in common with the plaintiff that sued Mason's advertising firm, Friedman Benjamin for a lying ad, winning a $1 million award in Federal Court?

A: The player decapitated by Mason is Aaron Hernandez, No. 81 with the New England Patriots. The Patriots play in Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. AND... the firm that won a $1 million judgement against Mason's firm for lying about their product was... Gillette!

Wasn't that fun? Thanks, Joe.

Stay Off the Roof (until Wednesday)

2012-02-08T14:06:00.030-05:00

I'm talking to you, School Board members.

Which ones?

The ones that 4th Ward City Councilman Timmy Occhipinti targeted on his Facebook page:

"The Kids First school board majority want to take the right to vote on a school board budget away from you!"

Now, we all know that Timmy's the wind-up toy for the Dark Side.

And their new front man. Because just like you fill your car's empty tank at a gas station, Timmy's hollow cranium gets filled with the strategy o' the day by his handlers. Then he's sent off to bark, nip and yelp as he's told. And for a guy who had 575 'paid workers' in an election where he got barely 1,200 votes this one is near and dear to his heart- protecting Farmer Frank's April harvest.

While the pyrotechnics around the 'Let the People Decide' referendum have been entertaining to watch: a sneaky resolution triggering a City council walk-out, then a play at getting on the Mayor's Special meeting agenda (tonight), that's all they are.

Boom. Bang. Pow.

Then nothing.

Because the School Board meets on Tuesday and will likely put moving our School board elections to November on their agenda. And the way the law was written, if the School Board passes it, it cannot be undone by referendum.

Which has the entire farming community, their City Council friends (Mason, Timmy, Russo, Castellano) and their fertilizing squad (thugs, bloggers and a Texan) in a tizzy.

What's really on the line?

MILLIONS of dollars. Because they aim to 'harvest' their way back to into the majority, then with their paws on the $59 million dollar budget (and nearly $1 surplus) go back to the good old days when the schools were a giant patronage mill... don't you miss the guy who was paid to call for AC repairs? Or those 'extra' janitors? That extra principal?

Here's what the Kids First-initiated audit found in 2009:

Auditors released a scathing audit of the Hoboken Board of Education Tuesday that cited more than two dozen irregularities, including the misuse of candy-sale funds, incorrect approval of overtime and the payment of administrators out of funds meant for instructors.

“It was just shocking,” said Board of Education trustee Maureen Sullivan. (GA Note: What the hell happened to her? She's joined the farming team)

In a random sampling, auditors found two cases in which funds raised by students through candy sales and other activities were used to reimburse tachers for stolen iPods – to the tune of $400 each.

In addition, overtime was being improperly approved by consultants, instead of employees, auditor Dieter Lerch said at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting.

Auditors also found that stipends to several employees were either not approved by the board or did not have other necessary documentation. Sullivan said in most of those cases the work was likely being done, despite the lack of documentation, but that interim Superintendent Peter E. Carter said he would conduct a thorough investigation to make sure.

In other findings, several administrators were being paid out of funds designated for instructors, the purchases for janitorial and that office and other supplies were not put out for public bid when they should have been.

Wow.

See what a bunch of crooks they were before Kids First took over and cleaned house?

That's WHY the Farmers of the Dark Side need elections to stay in April, when turnout is lower and a good harvest in the HHA can be decisive.

So, to my original point.

With MILLIONS at stake and a Board member or two perhaps making the difference... can you see WHY GA wants the BoE members TARGETED by TIM OCCHIPINTI to stay safe?

That's right. Timmy put the cross hairs on 5 elected officials as impediments to an April harvest. The 5 unpaid, hard-working officials of...

KIDS FIRST.

So Rose, Ruthy, Theresa, Irene and Leon please:

Stay off your roof
Don't eat/drink anything prepared by Tim Occhipinti, Beth Mason, or any other member of the Dark Side
Do not answer the door for the 1-800-Anthrax delivery man
Do not accept any package deliveries, especially if the box is moving or ticking
Watch out for exploding valentine chocolates
Stay away from thugs (you know, last name begins with either 'C' or 'H')
Stay off the blogs

...until Wednesday, February 15th.

Mason Announces 2014 Superbowl Business Plan

2012-02-07T16:29:00.003-05:00

click HERE to read

Once a False Advertiser...

2012-02-07T11:31:00.016-05:00

Mason theft of NFL Superbowl trademark, decapitation of NFL player Aaron Hernandez (No 81) and lies- officials came back BEFORE the game, were there for business development for Superbowl 2014 at Giants Stadium

A GA reader sent me this:

It's not the first time Beth Mason's gotten in trouble for lying in an ad. Back in the 90's she was president of an ad agency, Friedman Benjamin, that got sued in federal court for false claims that Wilkensen Sword provided a shave six times closer than Gillette's. Gillette won and got a huge award for damages- from Beth's agency. Mason had to pay almost $1 million for her agency's lying ad. That ruling bankrupted her ad agency and they went out of business.

So you think stealing the NFL trademark was an accident? No one reaches that level in advertising without knowing Lanham like the back of their hand.

Wow. My reader claims that Mason tanked her ad agency for lying in a campaign? Is that true?

GA had heard an old story floating around...

Let's see, it looks like the Mason case was cited in Major Principles of Media Law on page 596:

OK, but...

Was the Beth Mason who pilfered the NFL trademark and performed a head transplant on Patriot No. 81, Aaron Hernandez, without permission from the Patriots organization, their owner Kraft, Inc., or the NFL for a political attack on Superbowl weekend, really at the helm of this ad agency when it was forced to pay $1 million dollars in punitive damages for lying in an ad in 1992?

NY Times, August 26, 1992

Wow. I guess my reader was right!

You know, this case set a precedent because for the first time, an ad agency was held liable for the false claims made in its advertising. And it was headed by our Beth Mason! See Judge Kimba Wood's reasoning for holding Mason's agency liable; this from her ruling in Gillette Co., vs. Wilkenson Sword, Inc., Benjamin Friedman, Inc.:

This Court's Amended Opinion and Order of January 31, 1992, found that Wilkinson was liable to Gillette under the Lanham Act for an award of damages of $953,000 plus prejudgment interest. Hence, applying the reasoning above, we find that if Friedman Benjamin knowingly participated in the creation, development and propagation of the Ultra Glide false advertising campaign, then Friedman Benjamin and Gillette are jointly and severally liable for an award of damages of $953,000 plus prejudgment interest and costs. On the basis of the proceedings before this Court and the submissions made to this Court, the court found that Friedman Benjamin did participate in the creation, development and propagation of the Ultra Glide false advertising campaign with knowledge of its falsity, and we therefore hold that Friedman Benjamin is liable to Gillette for $953,000 plus prejudgment interest and costs, the liability being joint and several with Wilkinson.

My goodness.

One would expect a little humility, and far more care in the content of one's advertising going forward, after receiving this kind of public repudiation by a Federal court.

Well, Judge GA has reviewed the evidence, and here is MY ruling:

Judge GA's' Amended Opinion and Order of February 7, 2012, found that Mason was liable to the NFL, the New England Patriots, and Kraft, Inc. under the Lanham Act for an award of damages to be determined by an actual court judge, not a snickering blogosphere.

Hence, applying the reasoning above, we find that Beth Mason knowingly participated in the creation, development and propagation of the "15 Yards for Roughing the Taxpayer" false advertising campaign, in which false claims were made about taxpayers footing the bill for 'political supporters' to attend the Superbowl game. In fact, the officials returned from Indianapolis prior to the game. They had gone for meetings with NFL officials regarding business development for Hoboken for the 2014 Superbowl at Giants Stadium.

Further the fraudulent ad hijacked the NFL Superbowl trademark with neither license, permission nor fees paid and it performed an illegal head transplant on NFL player, Aaron Hernandez, for a childish political attack. Further, head transplantation being experimental in nature, may adversely affect the endorsement opportunities for the headless, in this case Mr. Hernandez, whose head was replaced with that of a woman, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

This Court determined that Beth Mason and her unibrowed minion are jointly and severally liable for an award of damages to be determined in a real court- Ricky bring your wallet. Minion, what size orange jump suit should we order? In the boy's department?

On the basis of the proceedings before GA's Court and the submissions made to this Court, the Court found that Beth Mason did participate in the creation, development and propagation of the "15 Yards for Roughing the Taxpayer" false advertising campaign with knowledge of its falsity, and we therefore hold that Mason is liable to the NFL, the new England Patriots and Kraft, Inc., for the entire contents of Ricky's wallet plus a handful of baubles from their safe deposit box. And NOT the ones from QVC.

Wow. Imagine that. Three plaintiffs. I wonder how they'll divvy up the award? Let's hope it's divisible by 3.

Judge GA

Beth Mason Announcement

2012-02-06T18:26:00.002-05:00

click HERE to read

Nurse Mason Botches Head Transplant!

2012-02-06T13:01:00.013-05:00

NFL-safe 'Go Giants' graphic. Note giant-potato farmer is NOT wearing a football helmet with NFL insignia.

After reading through a fraction of the voluminous NFL trademark licensing rules and restrictions, GA is terrified of posting any S-word (Superbowl) or NFL-related images, so the companion graphic to this post will be something that doesn't get me in any trouble.

Do you get it?

GO + GIANT (potato).

You see, without the NFL's permission, even using the 'Go Giants" slogan in their trademarked Giants-font and colors, like Beth Mason did in her lying-ad is PROHIBITED.

See where she did it? Uh-oh!

But the greater problem may come from decapitating Patriot Aaron Hernandez (no. 81), and transplanting the female mayor's head on his neck-stump.

I am guessing the Patriots organization is in a foul mood today, and this kind of surgical feat performed without permission on their 'property' would not be appreciated.

These are some of the people in the Patriots management least likely to enjoy Nurse Mason's botched head transplant (the first ever NFL head-transplant with a Hoboken Mayor).

Yes, indeed. But I am guessing the corporate owner of the Patriots, Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO of Kraft would be none-too-thrilled to see the exploitation of his players for a cheap, political attack. I suppose his Chief Information Officer, Pat Curley, could pass it on: PatC@TheKraftGroup.com

Now, yesterday's post Fumble! got some interesting reader feedback.

Only mason would think it acceptable to hijack the Superbowl for a political attack.... it actually says "Let's Go Giants!" at the end !?
__________________________________

You might find this interesting. I worked for a firm several year's back that used the term Superbowl for one of their conference series' - (redacted) (and a couple of others.) The brochure design included two football helmets. Anyway, they were contacted by the NFL for copyright infringement. I don't think they had to pay any fine (I was in another department, so I can't be 100% sure of this.) They were, however, required to not use the term Superbowl, but were allowed to use Super Bowl going forward. (see event listing attachment.) They also had to remove the helmets from their designs going forward.

__________________________________

There are going to be 150k people wandering through the area with open wallets. Fat wallets. I do not think I understand the objection to seeing if we might somehow benefit from that blessed event. It's on a Sunday after all.

$3.5million for 30 seconds of air time this year.

Hotels are already being booked. It may never happen again. The NFL has steadfastly avoided playing the game in places where weather could be a factor since it would tend to give an advantage to cold weather teams who play in the elements all the time.

Rather than penny-pinching a brief junket, I would like to see that the city is spending enough time and effort on this. How to make Hoboken a "destination." Merchandizing opportunities. Media events. Charitable events. How to market having the night life of Manhattan with the crime rate of Manasquan.

Instead of asking what was spent in Indy, find out what the ongoing plan is, if a committee is being set up, business/government partnerships, etc.

Oh, if only we had one of those chamber of commerce thingys like they have in some towns...

__________________________________

So true! Where's OUR Chamber of Commerce? And it's president, Mike Novak?

Oops! He's in the bath.

Well, the Superbowl's coming in 2014... did Novak meet with the NFL like 2 Zimmer officials did to develop business partnerships and prepare Hoboken for this historic commercial opportunity?

Why is Beth Mason ATTACKING the Zimmer administration for a nominal investment in tapping this historic opportunity for Hoboken's business community?

Meanwhile, a friend just forwarded this- the NFL just busted Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold for using their footage without a license:

Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold is out with a new TV ad that includes footage from NFL games to help make the case that his political opponents should be penalized for "dancing in the end zone" -- celebrating his defeat prematurely.

But according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the league has asked the Feingold campaign to take down the ad:

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the Journal Sentinel that the league did not license the footage used in the ad. He said the league had contacted the Feingold campaign about removing it.

Shame on you, Russ!

You must not have a single advertising executive on your campaign staff.

Fumble!

2012-02-05T15:30:00.031-05:00

click HERE to read

Trouble ahead for former advertising executive Beth Mason, who tried to score a touchdown with this Super Bowl-themed political ad but instead... fumbled big time!

Shall we address the NFL trademark theft first? Or the LIES the ad is packed with?

OK...

Mason's LIES: Zimmer sent 2 political supporters to the Super Bowl Game.

FACT: The administration sent 2 officials to meet with NFL Executives to develop business contacts for Hoboken business, hotels and entertainment for the 2014 Super Bowl (to be hosted at Giants Stadium). Other agenda items were crowd control and maintaining a safe and secure environment in Hoboken during the 2014 Superbowl weekend.

CITY OFFICIALS ARE NOT ATTENDING THE SUPERBOWL GAME.

I believe they're already back.

Further, City Council members were invited to join this effort AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE, to meet with NFL officials and strengthen ties with our City, encourage a business partnership for the upcoming Super Bowl event. Only Jen Giattino went AT HER OWN EXPENSE, and she is NOT attending the game. And Jen has 3 young children at home. By the way... how come the uber-monied Mason didn't contribute to this effort to help Hoboken's business community? Too busy cranking out dopey ads and stalker videos then farming them to Hoboken411?

The amount of money spent was nominal- the figure GA heard was in the hundreds not thousands.

LESS than cost of a half-page lie-packed ad in the Hoboken Reporter.

Now... the real trouble for Mason. (How could a former advertising executive not know this?)

The NFL protection of it's trademark, it's players, their images, it's photography, it's logo, even use of the words 'Super Bowl' is legendary.

Yes, they've even trademarked the words "Super Bowl":

The term "Super Bowl" is a trademark owned by the National Football League, and it is protected very aggressively. What does that mean? The biggest no-no of all is to use the term "Super Bowl" in any advertising or promotional announcements that are not sanctioned by the NFL. Advertisers pay high licensing fees to the NFL for the right to use the term "Super Bowl" in their advertising. You will almost certainly hear from the NFL's attorneys if you use the term in advertising without explicit authorization from the NFL. So no "Super Bowl sales" in your ads - and don't refer to your station as the "Super Bowl Authority" in your promotional statements. These restrictions explain why you often hear it referred to as "The Big Game." But this restriction does not mean you cannot utter the words on air under any circumstances.

GA was contacted by an advertising executive who has worked extensively with NFL licensing and called the Mason ad "intellectual property theft".

The exec noted that explicit permission is required from the NFL (via licensing division NFL Players, Inc.) to use the image of ANY player in or out of a team jersey, and the image of no less than 6 players. The NFL owns and controls the rights to “League Marks” which includes the names, words, symbols, emblems, logos, slogans, designs, program titles or depictions, trade dress, colors and helmet and uniform designs of the National Football League and its member clubs. And just about every photo of every NFL player/ event ever that can be licensed for use in ads, on products, etc. ANY use of any photo must be obtained with permission and payment of licensing fees to the NFL.

Further, the doctoring of photos is prohibited. (Like replacing a player's head with Dawn Zimmer's)

And the use of NFL players, logo, trademark etc. for political advertising is prohibited.

Not-Stempler just phoned me- he's at the Superbowl! When I told him about the Mason Super Bowl ad, he said that he'd done licensing agreements with the NFL, and that the penalties for what Mason's intellectual property theft are steep. That she'd hijacked the SuperBowl trademark- their protected intellectual property- for use in a local political hatchet job containing lies that are easily disproven.

Not-Stempler asked me who the NFL player was who had lost his head to Zimmer- No. 81. I looked it up: Aaron Hernandez. Not-Stempler asked me if Mason had Hernandez's permission to use his photo (minus head), if she had gotten his Agent's permission, and the NFL's permission.

If he has time (doubt it) we may hear from Not-Stempler on the ad.

My legal eagle had me look up the Lanham (Trademark) Act- something every competent advertising executive knows. A lot of mumbo-jumbo if you ask me.

So... what happens next? Giants or Patriots?

The Hoboken Reporter, Volume 29, Number 24, February 5, 2012- page 3

Earwitness News Report

2012-02-05T08:42:00.021-05:00

Oh no, The Dumb-inatrix strikes again! (Folks, this is getting embarrassing...)

Sources have told GA that 4th Ward Councilman Timmy Occhipinti was livid at being outsmarted by Carol Marsh and Peter Cuningham at the City Council last Wednesday night.

Timmy and his co-sponsor, Terry Castellano, were seen grinning like Cheshire cats minutes before the meeting, knowing they were about to spring their 'emergency resolution' to 'let the people decide' (on School Board elections) on the unsuspecting Council majority members in attendance.

(By the way, this School Board 'emergency' is regarding an election that's 4 months away!)

So like an awkward teenage boy on his first date, Timmy couldn't wait until the moment was right to whip out his package; he did it before the meeting. That's right: premature distribution. Tim shot his load too soon and scared off his date... uh, I mean City Council members. Which in turn denied the quorum for his 'surprise'.

Now, had Tim just held onto his package a little longer, it would have been voted on and passed.

Onto GA's Earwitness News Report.

Sources have told GA that late Friday afternoon, Timmy resubmitted his 'emergency resolution' to be placed on the Mayor's Special Meeting agenda. So, what's the problem?

He submitted it to the City Council President and not the Mayor.

That's like a member of the U.S. House of Representatives telling the Speaker of the House to put a Bill on the President's agenda!

Makes no frigging sense.

Wow.

Timmy doesn't understand the difference between the powers of the City Council, our Legislative body, and those of mayor, our Executive. Doesn't know the limitations to his own office. Doesn't understand protocol and worse- doesn't consult with the City's experts for advisement. (He bitches about paying them, but doesn't use their expertise)

So... GA imagines that the City Council President can't mess with the Mayor's Special Meeting agenda.

Much like John Boehner can't put items on President Obama's. It's called separation of powers, you DUNCE.

Moreover, once the meeting has been noticed and advertised by the City Clerk, it is a VIOLATION of The Open Public Meetings Act to change the agenda.

Doesn't Timmy know that? YIKES.

Our City Council Dumb-inatrix Strikes again.

Dangerous Dumb-inatrix

2012-02-04T09:17:00.006-05:00

I'm writing this because a friend of mine thinks making fun of Timmy Occhipinti's intellectual prowess is a mistake (did I mention he's dumber than a bag of rocks?)

I disagree, but in deference to her feelings wish to make a point.

First, the problem she has with GA's unrelenting observations (did I tell you he couldn't out-think a lettuce?) is that she feels it makes us complacent.

And that in thinking he's a dumbo (he is) we just kick back and wait for Timmy to self-destruct, assuming he will (because he's the mental equivalent of a garden salad). And that kind of complacency is dangerous.

Agreed, my wise and humorless friend.

So, if GA has encouraged complacency, that was NOT my intent. The opposite.

Because where POWER is involved, the words DUMB and DANGEROUS go together.

Think George W. Bush. The most dangerous idiot of the 20th century.

Now, Repubs, calm down. I know the guy wasn't completely stupid. But presidential material? Hell, no. Let's not even go there.

Let's just say the Fortunate Son didn't know what a Sunni and a Shi'ite were 3 months prior to cracking open the Middle East's 1,200 year old simmering tribal cauldron with a pre-emptive shocking and awe-ful attack on Iraq based on a ginned-up WMD threat, diverting our military from the REAL terrorist threat, Bin Laden (captured and killed under Obama)... because the nitwit bought Cheney's neo-conservative think tank LOONS' wack-a-doodle Project for a New American Century (PNAC) theory of exporting Democracy to the Middle east by American gunpoint.

Of course, some will disagree. To them I say: get your own blog.

This is mine, and I'm making a point: an idiot with power is a dangerous thing.

Thank goodness, Timmy is not the Commander in Chief of America's armed forces. By now, he'd have unleashed a pre-emptive strike on that graffiti-ed 4th Ward of Jersey City gateway to the country of Hoboken. After posting his plan for the sneak attack on Facebook.

See what I mean?

If you think you can sit back and laugh at Timmy's expense, then you are underestimating the Power of Stupid.

Timmy was the creation of the late, talented Maurice Fitzgibbons. There is no one like Maurice to guide him now. Without his mentor, Timmy is rudderless; fighting graffiti wars in Jersey City and giving reform Council members a heads-up on 'surprise resolutions'... which makes Timmy less predictable, more easily controlled by the thugs trying to fill Fitzgibbons' shoes, and a danger.

So, until Reform's got a comfortable majority, which we DON'T... remember NOT to be complacent.

GA's performing a public service by relentless reminders of his limitations (did I tell you a squash beat him at Scrabble?) because those are the scariest politicians of all.

The Legend of Stupid

Exclusive: What Really Went Down Wednesday Night

2012-02-03T14:26:00.007-05:00

GA has confirmed in conversations with City Council members that Carol Marsh and Peter Cunningham were tipped off only minutes before the meeting by 4th Ward Councilman Timmy Occhipinti.

Yep, instead of waiting until after the meeting started to hand out copies of the 'emergency resolution' to have a ballot referendum for moving school Board elections to November, Timmy was just so pleased with himself, he had to distribute it before the meeting- giving Marsh and Cunningham the opportunity to leave before a quorum could be declared.

If only Tim had waited until the meeting was called, the departure of Marsh and Cunningham would NOT have broken the quorum and the 'emergency resolution' would have passed.

But here's what happened: Timmy passed out his little bomb- he and Theresa Castellano were its sponsors- and according to the two reform members, it was time to go.

Here's what Cunningham told GA,"The School Board elections are not a city council matter, they are a School Board matter. And if the Council minority members wish to meddle in school board business, then then don't sit on the City Council. They should run for the School Board."

Amen, Peter.

And THAT'S how it went down.

So we should all thank Timmy for being the colossal dimwit he is. because WHO KNOWS what other damage Russo, Mason, Castellano and Occhipinti would have wreaked last Wednesday night.

But because of Timmy's 'early warning system', we'll never know.

Report From the Room

2012-02-03T10:10:00.015-05:00

GA heard from a couple of people who were at last night's Southwest Redevelopment Meeting.

One of them sent me this:

So went to the SW Redevelopment hearing. Room was PACKED to the gills. Overflow into the hallway. A little speech about the process and then the announcement that the meeting could not proceed because the crowded exceeded the number of people per the fire code.

Next hearing on the 23rd at a bigger venue.

Lots of lawyers in the room. Also, plenty of land sharks searching for a tasty morsel of unprotected real estate.

The Putz (Franz Paetzhold)showed up, working the BNR crowd in all his regal smarminess. Gheesh, he is like something out of a bad casting call for a stereotypical greasy politician. He seems to actually think that he has some kind of charm and charisma, but he doesn't notice that he leaves a sea of shrugged shoulders, blank stares and rolled eyes as he walks away from people. Actually is pretty amusing to watch his complete lack of self awareness. Major tool.

Speaking of dorks, up rolled the proud representative of the 4th Ward (Tim Occhipinti) about 7:45, after the meeting was over and most of the crowd had gone. He really is dumber and more of a doofus in person than he appears on camera.

Not much else, nice turn out of reform and new residents of the 4th. The kind that don't sell their votes. Should be interesting to see what evolves.

Thank you, friend.

I guess I'm going to hear from Franz later.

The last time I posted something about him, he gave me a call. I'll respect his privacy and won't discuss our conversation. The only thing I will say to Franz is that he needs to develop a thicker skin if he wants to be in politics- especially here in Hudson County where it gets hideously personal and nasty.

And Franz, your 'side' are in fact the cruelest and nastiest.

GA just became aware of Mason operatives planting horrible things about Business Administrator Arch Liston on the Galloway, NJ Patch (Liston's next stop).

Now think about THAT, Franz.

That is taking the 'game' to the next level, the politics of personal destruction.

Once Arch leaves Hoboken, what he does shouldn't really matter to those who opposed him on the political playing field, right? I mean, the guy's moving on.

So what Hoboken political objective does the smearing of Liston satisfy?

None, Franz. It's darkly malicious, nasty and PERSONAL. Antithetical to how 'old time' establishment Hoboken politicos like the Russos do business. To them, it's not personal, it's business. That's the 'code' such folks understand and why they will never mesh with their dysfunctional ally Mason and her unhinged cohorts.

The Russos (for example) have their own ethics- Mike Russo called politics "a contact sport". And in contact sports- take football for example, does Eli Manning care what Tom Brady does after the game? Does he try to wreck his livelihood?

(GA had to call my Sports Metaphor Department for help with that one. I don't know a Patriot from a Cub)

No, this assault on Arch's livelihood comes right out of the bat shit-crazy, mean-spirited, sociopathic Beth Mason wing of Hoboken politics.

So, Franz. These are the fish you're swimming with. And yes, people will say things about you that you don't like.

Timmy Attacks Kids First

2012-02-02T13:54:00.022-05:00

click to enlarge

Last night an elected official on the City Council singled out 5 members of our non-partisan School Board, attacking them.. on Facebook.

Do we call this breech of protocol the echo of an empty vessel? Or the cynical calculus of a money-gobbling politi-ho?

Let's ask the character-assassin himself. Timmy Occhipinti.

Here's what he Facebooked:

“Councilwoman Marsh and Councilman Cunningham just ran out of city council chambers to avoid quorum for tonight’s meeting. We added a resolution to Let the People Decide when to hold school board elections. We are calling for a November referendum so the voters in the city of Hoboken can decide for themselves! The Kids First school board majority want to take the right to vote on a school board budget away from you!"

Wow. Who knew Timmy ever THOUGHT about the Hoboken Board of Education or the public schools?

I mean, has he ever shown up at a School Board meeting? Does he even know where the School Board meets?

No, Tim, not under a 4th Ward of Jersey City N.J. Transit overpass in the country of Hoboken.

Timmy is dumber than a head of cabbage. I guaranty he hasn't read the NJDOE memo on School Board elections and doesn't know that he's spouted gibberish.

A couple of things, Timmy.

Did you know, even if you had passed your resolution, the School Board could still have moved the election to November- see Da Horsey!

Did you know as of today, 144 NJ School Boards have voted to move their elections to November, and the list grows daily.

Did you know that the Board of Education has kept the budget FLAT through 3 cycles (coincides with the Kids First 'takeover' of the majority).

Did you know that if the proposed budget exceeds the law's 2% cap even by 1 penny- that triggers a ballot referendum so YES, the voters will speak. Otherwise, it passes without referendum. (Hey Tim, you suppose the voters are going to reject a FLAT budget? Do you think we should spend a dime of taxpayer money on holding elections for budgets that keep our tax levy flat?)

Did you know that (per a source) that Hoboken voters have never rejected a school budget?

Did you know you're dumber than bag of alfalfa sprouts?

Jeez, Timmy.

Attacking sitting School Board members based on your presumption of a political alliance which exists within your sparsely seeded dome? That is bush-league.

And you collect a salary. They DON'T.

All of the members, all NINE of them should be commended for their volunteer service and enormous amounts of time and stepping UP to take responsibility for such a vital role- the education of our children.

You should THANK them. ALL NINE.

As a City Councilman, it's DISGRACEFUL to ATTACK School Board members.

Even Beth Mason has the sense to farm out her dirt work to 'the help'. You have lowered your office. That was not only undignified, it was offensive to those who give of themselves for our kids.

You should apologize. To those individuals working hard, sacrificing family time to attend committee meetings and board meetings. You should thank the entire board for their work.

And remember the BoE is non-partisan. Keep your politics to yourself.

Marsh and Cunningham Foil Farmer Frank on BoE Elections!

2012-02-02T06:27:00.013-05:00

Yep, Farmer Frank must be hopping mad!

See those VBMs he's got on his pitchfork?

Them's 4th Ward VBMs- yeee HAW! And he's delivered another batch higher than a hay stack to the Hudson County Clerk!

Yep, 'cause last night Farmer Franks City Council farm hands tried a coup d'etat of the BoE in a SURPRISE (sneak) emergency resolution to take the School Board election decision AWAY from the School Board...

But, but... GA (you ask)... what was the EMERGENCY when the BoE election is 4 months away (or 10 months away if it moves to November)? What KIND of an 'emergency' is that?

It's a farming emergency.

The BoE is going to vote on whether to move their elections to November at their next meeting. Which is February 14th. And once they do, it's irreversible by the City Council AND referendum for a period of 4 years. Hence... the good Farmer Frank sent his City Council buddies to 'fix' what Governor Christie 'broke'- the CHOICE by elected officials in either the City Council or the School Board to hold November elections.

And the next, a presidential election, will make it nearly impossible for Farmer Frank to do what he did to the School Board election in 2010.

Take a look at those election results by ward, and by all means click on the images so you can read the absentee ballot (VBM) totals per ward:

3-year Term

1-year Term

Farmer Frank's been harvesting School Board votes in the 4th ward for years; in a low turn-out election, those votes are decisive.

But has Farmer Frank got $40/each for the thousands more voters that will flood the polls next November? Does he have enough farm hands? Further, how many outside of the 4th Ward would SELL their vote to the Farmer? (And GA hears the asking price is much higher in the 2nd and 3rd wards- $75 and up)

So... enter our HEROES, Carol Marsh and Peter Cunningham.

They arrived last night to discover Farmer Frank's 'emergency' resolution was put on the agenda by the Farmer's farm hands... and what did our HEROES do?

They LEFT. No meeting.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Next time GA sees those two, I will slobber them with kisses because as a public school MOM, giving our schools over to Farmer Frank and the Russos is my nightmare. These people don't give a rat's ass about our schools... its that juicy $59 million budget and the power to grant favors, because what did Mike Russo say to Solomon Dwek on that F.B.I. surveillance tape?

"You do for me, I'll do for you"

Exactly.

Kids First has taken a machete to the plethora of redundant jobs and diverted money BACK to the kids, where it belongs. THAT'S why we have a million-dollar surplus, folks. It didn't happen by accident.

Mason, Occhipinti, Russo and Castellano could care less about my kid or yours. To them this was a political power-play; the 'ownership' of the $59 million BoE budget.

Thank goodness our City Council majority members left the building.

Readers on The 2 Maureens

2012-02-01T14:32:00.005-05:00

GA's post Two Maureen Sullivans? generated a lot of reader interest. Maybe because the whole thing is so strange.

In the 19-pages of OPRAed emails returned from the NJDOE with respect to BoE member Maureen Sullivan, it was unclear who fingerprinted Sullivan, when she was fingerprinted or even whose fingerprints were filed for her because... there was another (Sister) Maureen Sullivan that the Criminal History Review Unit manager Carl Carabelli had referred to as though she were our Maureen Sullivan...

I kid you not. A nun named Maureen Sullivan. Read it yourself.

But like anything else, the truth is out there just waiting to be found.

In the meantime, it's a curiosity, a mystery shall we say? Here are the questions I had:

What does the NJDOE actually have on record for Sullivan?

A nun's fingerprints from 2008? Sullivan's from January 5, 2012? If so, and it wasn't done by MorphoTrak- WHO took them? The only source GA can glean from these emails for her Jan 5 fingerprinting is Sullivan herself- she said so.

And then, how did this nun, Sister Maureen Sullivan, get into the mix? And does she fly like Sister Bertrille?

Well, here are 2 reader responses... questions and speculation:

really, wtf was the sr sullivan about?

and how could morpho track not have her in the data base? is she in there yet? wtf?

obviously, there was no info provided by the njdoe that her fingerprints were cleared by morpho track directly- so how do they know that she was finger printed? where is that document of proof?

if you ask me that is the golden egg- if documentation from morpho track shows that she wasn't fingerprinted/had results back from fingerprinting before the 10th- there's some serious hot water for someone to dive into.

sullivan is a (redacted) and i think the aforementioned is probably the smoking gun that would put the nail in that (reacted)'s coffin.

why didn't the njdoe send in that communication? cause they didnt have it

Wow. True.

If the NJDOE claims to have records for the Jan 5 fingerprinting but... MorphoTrak told the CHRU on Jan 6 that Sullivan was not in their database. And Carabelli mentioned Mauren Sullivan the Nun had been fingerprinted in 2008...

Here's another reader email:

Maureen Sullivan's prints. AKA- she is impersonating a nun.

Man the cover up is definitely worse than the crime

Can you file an OPRA to get the fingerprint data and does Carabelli that Sister Sullivan is not Ms. Sullivan?

Yes reader, I can. And... about Carabelli, I don't know.

To be continued...

The FREE ELMO Liberation Front

2012-02-01T11:57:00.019-05:00

On behalf of it's founders (and only members) Curious Gal (does not deny she is Kim Cardinal) and OutofControl, GA is thrilled to introduce Hoboken's very own new revolutionary movement called the FREE ELMO Liberation Front.

Yes, anti-Zimmer forces have taken up arms to FIGHT THE (wo)MAN who would dare STOP Snooki and her pal Elmo from coming to Hoboken! Who is Elmo, you ask?

"I call my vibrator The Elmo like, tickle me Elmo."

-Snooki

The FREE ELMO Liberation Front demands that Snooki and Elmo take their rightful place in our city, where they will single-handedly save our local economy from the thousands of tourists lined up daily outside of Carlos' Bakery.

The FREE ELMO Liberation Front says Hoboken NEEDS an invasion of 20-something MTV-lovin' suburbanites to fill our bars, punch our cops and projectile vomit on our clean streets. And if we're very, very lucky, the FELF hopes they'll urinate there, too.

Revolutionary leaders Curious Gal and OutofControl want you to take to the streets, with YOUR um... special appliance that you have a loving and caring relationship with and MARCH for FREEDOM... for Snooki and ELMO's freedom: to live, work and um.... do what they do here in Hoboken.

Because Freedom fighters Curious Kim and OutofControl live by Snooki's own words:

"Why did I wake up in a garbage can?"

...or was it:

"I thought I broke my vagina bone."

Whatever it is, these 2 ELMO Freedom Fighters ladies have summoned their outrage in verse:

When the Regime commanded that Snooki with harmful knowledge

Should be publicly banned and on all sides

The HOP forced to drag Snooki and ELMO

To the bonfires, a banished

Reality TV star, one of the best, scanning the list of the Banned, was shocked to find that her

Appliance had been passed over. She rushed to her drawer

On wings of wrath, and wrote a letter to those in power,

Ban me! she wrote with flying pen, Ban me! Haven’t Snooki and Elmo

Always reported the truth ? And here you are

Treating them like liars! I command you!

Ban me! And spare Snooki and Elmo!

¡Viva la Revolución!

Hooray! No Snookvasion!

2012-02-01T08:33:00.015-05:00

THANK YOU Mayor Zimmer! And the Hoboken film Commission! GA could kiss you! (on the cheek)

Friends, I dare you to keep a straight face when you listen to the Snooki Quotes song. You'll understand why the mayor said 'NO' to this loud, vapid, trashy pop culture icon, her circus of cameras and 20-something fans that would turn Hoboken into another St. Paddy's Parade DAY 365 days a year.

Don't buy the economic argument.

Do you think the 20-something partying consumers of that brainless fluff are coming here to shop and eat in our fine restaurants? I'm guessing the bars would see an uptick in business, while the city would see an INCREASE in drunken bad behavior. In the end the TAXPAYER would get stuck picking up the bill for the police overtime, street cleaning, etc. Like the invasion of 20-somethings on parade day hasn't caused residents enough grief?

After all, what is The Jersey Shore TV show really about?

It is the elevation of bad taste, the culture-of-dumb AND Hollywood marketing New Jersey to a national audience as the petri dish which produces this culture. You get it?

Unlike The Cake Boss, a show about a gifted Italian-American baker and his family- which could really be filmed anywhere, Snooki's show can not go anywhere else. Because Snooki & friends ARE the New Jersey culture that Hollywood MTV executives are mass-marketing.

Get it, people? Those high-brow TV execs and producers are making fun of us.

Why Hoboken? Say what you will, but Hoboken is home to an urbane demographic. We host a reputable engineering college. Why do we want to be branded as 'Snooki's Petri Dish'?

Have a listen.

And here are some quotes from Snooki herself:

"I got a boner"

"I call my vibrator The Elmo like, tickle me Elmo."

"Why did I wake up in a garbage can? My face is fucked-up again."

"Oh my God! Someone needs to kiss my ass, ASAP!"

"I haven't had sex in like 4 months now, I need to be smushing."

"But really I had my friggin period story of my life."

"Fuck my fuckin' asshole, right now"

"I think my crotch is sticking out."

"I thought I broke my vagina bone."

"Stop caring and fuck me!"

"This is the things I'm addicted to: bronzer, boys and alcohol."

It's hilarious to see the self-righteous indignation the usual gang of political operatives are stirring over at Patch, trying to turn Zimmer's wisdom; saving our city from becoming a New Trash Babylon- into something BAD.

To those operatives, I'll let Snooki do the talking:

"I call my vibrator The Elmo like, tickle me Elmo."

-Snooki

'Nuff said?

Timmy's Got The Power

2012-01-31T16:12:00.005-05:00

From the desk of Timmy Occhipinti:

"I would like to thank the Dept of Environmental services for hearing my call to remove the graffiti at Hoboken's Southern Gateway. The property is owned by NJ Transit and the City worked with them to have the area painted! Great to see our local governmental agencies working together to solve our quality of life issues. Thanks to NJ Transit for acting quickly to address this issue. I have also inquired into the possibility of creating a mural on these walls and am waiting to hear back. Have a great day!"

GA has his exclusive inquiry, sent early this morning:

click to read

And by 3 pm today...

Wow... when it comes to NJ Transit, Tim's got The Power.

Two Maureen Sullivans?

2012-01-31T13:03:00.011-05:00

As GA noted yesterday, questions were raised by the OPRAed email from the NJ Department of Education's Criminal History Review Unit (CHRU) regarding Maureen Sullivan's last minute rush for clearance- so she could be seated for the January 10th BoE meeting.

Here's what I mean.

The 19-page flurry of emails made it clear that several departments within the DoE- including the Commissioner's office- were telephoned by a frantic Sullivan on January 5th and 6th.

Here is a CHRU Investigator John DiLorenzo telling his Manager, Carl Carabelli that Sullivan called 'Guy Madison' and told him she was fingerprinted on Thursday, January 5.

Note that School Board members were required to use a company called MorphoTrak for the fingerprinting. The fees are paid up front by the Board member to be reimbursed later. From the NJ School Board e-newsletter:

After completing the online form and submitting the $10.00 registration fee (plus $1.00 convenience fee to Official Payments Corp.), the board member can schedule an appointment by accessing the link to MorphoTrak for digital fingerprint scanning. The fee for MorphoTrak is $70.25 and must be paid by credit card at the time an appointment is scheduled. The scans are sent to the New Jersey State Police and to the federal government. If no criminal history record of a disqualifying nature is reported, an approval letter will be issued.NJSBA successfully advocated for an amendment to the legislation that allows school boards to reimburse members for the cost of the criminal history checks.

Got that? So Sullivan told the DoE investigator DiLorenzo she was fingerprinted on January 5th. Then why is she telling someone else, Dee Migliaccio, that MorphoTrak could not "fill demand implemented by the state"...

Then Carl Carabelli calls MorhphoTrak and THEY have no record of Sullivan having made an appointment...

So if the NJDOE had Sullivan's fingerprints, but they weren't done by MorphoTrak... were they another Maureen Sullivan's? Take a look...

Carabelli says Sullivan "spoke with the investigator" and that Sullivan "was printed in 2008 as an administrator for Christ the King Prep School in Newark"... HUH? GA did the 2009 Kids First campaign graphics, and I'll tell you right now that was not in her bio.

But.. but... here she IS... Sister Maureen Sullivan, in the Christ the King newsletter from Spring 2009:

So.... WHAT does this all mean?

What does the NJDOE actually have on record for Sullivan?

A nun's fingerprints from 2008? Sullivan's from January 5, 2012? If so, and it wasn't done by MorphoTrak- WHO took them? The only source GA can glean from these emails for her Jan 5 fingerprinting is Sullivan herself- she said so.

And then, how did this nun, Sister Maureen Sullivan, get into the mix? And does she fly like Sister Bertrille? I just loved Sister Bertrille.

Who did you like better: Gidget or Sister Bertrille?

I pick the nun, though Sally Field made a cute Gidget.

Anyway, it's strange. I welcome anyone else out there to dive in, go for a swim or take flight, and solve the puzzle.

Email Trail

2012-01-30T17:51:00.013-05:00

Remember the whole BoE criminal background check kerfuffle from a month ago?

According to a NJ state law passed last May, all School Board members had to have completed criminal background checks and been fingerprinted by Dec 31. And 8 out of Hoboken's 9 BoE members did.

The exception: Maureen Sullivan.

And as of the evening of the Tuesday, Jan 10th Board meeting, Sullivan had NOT been approved- until this message was emailed to Superintendent Toback at 5:08pm at on Tuesday evening:

Well, that was a surprise!

Because Toback had received a fax on January 8th saying Sullivan was "non-compliant" with state law and would have to "cease serving immediately" as a Board member.

So HOW did she do it? How did she manage to swing this 11th hour miracle from a state bureaucracy? Did she have help?

GA OPRAed one month of email communications from Carl Carabelli, the Manager of the DoE's Criminal History Review Unit (CHRU), regarding the Sullivan matter. Last month.

I just received it back- 19 pages. That's right. A mad flurry of communications from Sullivan and parties at the DoE, a desperate effort to spare her the embarrassment of being unseated at January 10th BoE meeting.

I'll share some.

Start with the one on Friday morning from Helene Leona at the Education Commissioner's Office.

Check out what Sullivan told her: "the Board is trying to get rid of me to pass things through". Huh? Um, didn't the BoE Agenda pass 9-0 at the next meeting? So, she relayed this paranoid excuse to the Commissioner's Office. I guess she didn't want to say she was too lazy to get off her caboose and take care of it like everyone else did on the Board. Except her.

Then look at Pam Castellanos' reply.

Here's one from Carl Carabelli later on Friday, Jan 6.

This is confusing. I thought Sullivan got her fingerprints done on Jan 5? But MorphoTrak told Carabelli on Jan 6 that Sullivan "has not scheduled an appointment". GA was told that Board members were not allowed to use another company. So what does that mean???

Well, Carbelli sounds none too sympathetic: "Further she had 6 months to apply!!!!" (4 exclamation points)

Well, here's one from Sullivan herself, Tuesday afternoon, less than 4 hours before the meeting; she implored the State to send something to override their Jan 6 directive, the one for her to step down.

What does this tell you?

Sullivan made a huge ruckus- with threats (to take her grievances to the Commissioner) to pull strings denied to those less... hysterical.

And in the whole episode, did anyone catch a moment of contrition or remorse for her failure to follow the rules others did?

I didn't.

Code Problem?

2012-01-30T13:23:00.005-05:00

This came from a reader:

hey GA,
this smokestack on L*** Baj*rdi's penthouse apartment is a recent addition, maybe a couple of years old. it was built below the height of the adjacent building and next to a window. it looks like it's blowing carbon monoxide into that apartment. i think those vents are supposed to go beyond the adjacent roof line and not under a window. here's a photo. is this legal?

Gee reader, this kind of thing is not my expertise. That would be the purview of the Construction Office.

And if this is several years old, GA believes the person who would have been inspected and approved the smokestack is the Construction Code Official. That would be... Al Arezzo.

Curious Gal, anti-Zimmer operative, is a big Al Arezzo fan.

I bring that up because she is believed to be Kim Cardinal (has never denied it) the wife of 'prosbus'- believed to be Lane Bajardi (has never denied it). Take a look, in this Patch comment; she calls Arezzo a "knight" and "shamefully treated" and a victim of "bully tactics".

And hubby 'prosbus' is a big Arezzo fan, too; calls Arezzo's termination "unlawful".

My goodness, WHAT could inspire SUCH loyalty to the former Construction Code official? Hmm...

I have no idea.

As for that smokestack, reader I think you need to contact the Construction Office: Hours: M – F, 9 am – 4 pm, tel: (201) 420-2066

The Acting Construction official is Thomas Shannon. He's got to know this like the back of his hand.

Not me. But here's what I found from the NJ State Mechanical Code, Chapter 8- Chimneys and Vents:

If I am reading this correctly, section 804.3.5.4 indicates the vent should terminate 4 feet below the adjacent window. Is that how you read it?

Does that smokestack look like it's 4 feet below the window?

Really, one can't tell from a photograph. Maybe prosbus or Curious Gal can measure it for us?

Keep Him in Sewage

2012-01-30T11:41:00.003-05:00

Though not on Wednesday night's City Council agenda it will be coming up... and there's no one else GA would rather see neck-deep in sewage than my dear friend, Tony Soares.

Please reappoint him to the North Hudson Sewage Authority to continue his great work there.

Got a Gerbil?

2012-01-29T11:07:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine calls The Hoboken Reporter a "gerbil cage liner"

(I've never owned a gerbil but one assumes that's not a compliment. GA would have said "litter box walk-off mat" instead).

Not a gerbil. GA's kitty. She's got one orange spot on her ear and a fluffy orange tail.

Now, GA likes Ray Smith, and yes, Al Sullivan. (Sorry, bludiamonds)

But their Editor-in-Chief Caren Matzner- not so much.

Why?

Because I just know Ray didn't put in the dopey descriptive "juicy" to describe the Beth Mason leaked-video of the Beth Mason-taped mayor's Jan 3rd court testimony.

Because Ray didn't decide to put the "juicy" Mason leak on PAGE ONE- said "juice" are the Mason attacks on Zimmer's communications office from the mouth of plaintiff's Attorney, Catherine Elston... and the coverage of the State of the City speech on PAGE THREE. (Now, GA saw Ray at Wednesday's event. If lil Timmy O. farted on Wednesday night, the HR would have it online by midnight: "Occhipinti Stops Gas Leak, Saves 4th Ward")

Because Ray doesn't put leaks from Zimmer's political adversaries on PAGE ONE, and the litany of Zimmer's accomplishments and goals for 2012 on PAGE THREE.

Who's responsible for this? These are editorial decisions. What's her beef with Reform?

Something tells me a Mayor Mason or Mayor Russo or Mayor Ramos SOTC speech would rate a cover story.

As for Ray, he does his job and does it well. I don't doubt his 'fair and balanced' work gets butchered by Sweeney Matzner- if she deems it worthy of publication.

Advice to Ray: get out of there.

Next Move, HoldCo

2012-01-28T09:02:00.010-05:00

According to reliable sources, anger about the Hoboken411 piece, Is HUMC Primed to Kill More Patients?, has percolated up to the top levels of HoldCo management.

The top.

As you know, HoldCo is the owner of Bayonne Medical Center(BMC) and Hoboken University Medical Center (HUMC). Recall the opposition to HoldCO's purchase of the HUMC, orchestrated by Beth Mason. Remember how she took her attacks to the airwaves in a massive ad buy attacking Zimmer AND HoldCo after the hospital sale. Watch this:

What does that tell you?

The narcissist can not move on. With hubby Richard Mason's wealth, Mason bought some revisionist history; this ad was a declaration of war on HoldCo, attacking it as a "Christie donor' while undermining the hospital operations by announcing fictitious free medical care 'giveaways' that she claims were negotiated by the Council minority.

Of course, this all followed the stunning "City Council Minority Reaches Agreement with Buyer to Save Hospital" document, analyzed by GA's legal department, Not-Stempler:

It is horn book law that a municipality can only act in accordance with the powers conferred upon it by statute. As a Faulkner Act municipality, the enabling statute does not create within Hoboken a separately recognized “Council minority” and there is no precedent that would confer upon the council minority (emphasis on minority) to bind the City in any event; especially in light of the fact that the functions related to the sale of the hospital have been properly delegated to the municipal hospital authority created for that purpose. It also does not appear that the Council minority had municipal legal representation during the course of its “negotiations”. Only duly retained council, paid for by the City, can assist and advise government officials in the discharge or exercise of their duties. Perhaps if the Council minority had the assistance of effective counsel, then the letter may have contained different terms.

What's the reason for all this background, you ask?

Context.

Hoboken411 published an absolutely stunning accusation: that HoldCo hospitals "kill" patients and kill "more" of them.

That 'article' is in a different league than ones making fun of political opponents, fabricating stories about them- which is the usual Hoboken411 fare.

HoldCo is a business owner; the BMC and HUMC are their business. Hoboken411 has accused their business of murder.

GA's talked to a lawyer friend who dissected the piece for me and WHY Klaussen has opened himself up to serious litigation- in the manner in which it was written and the unsourced data posted. GA does not wish to interfere with any possible complaint so will refrain from discussing the legal analysis.

Needless to say, the next move is HoldCo's.

Firt, GA believes they HAVE to respond, now that this accusation has been put in the public realm.

Depending on how they choose to respond, this could get very interesting.

Because if HoldCo does file a complaint against Perry Klaussen, not only will he be deposed but so will Beth Mason.

And finally, the details about the financial and political web between those two will become public.

Mason may be asked about specific incidents- such as the leak of confidential city negotiations in the SWAT team settlement which appeared as an H411 "exclusive". And maybe the F.B.I. will tune in to see if that conflicts with what she told them when she was interviewed. Imagine that.

Or maybe HoldCo's attorney will ask Klaussen how he coordinated his famous "HUMC DOA" graphic with the Mason political operation, to establish motive for the libel.

Whatever HobldCo wants to or needs to know with regard to the attempted undermining of the hospital sale followed by the LIBELOUS accusations of murder will be exposed during the discovery phase.

And guess what?

Klaussen, who can't afford a legal battle, will throw Mason under the bus in a nanosecond. Plus the person who gave him the libelous screed and data to publish- GA doubts it was Klaussen, who actually writes very little of his own material.

This could be very, very interesting.

It's not everyday a corporation is accused of murder in the 'press' And Klaussen DOES have press credentials- G-d knows how he got them. But that is something that HoldCo should know.

So, what will they do?

At a minimum Mason may get tossed off her HoldCo 'board' seat. But GA suspects such a response cannot be' justified' without formalizing a complaint against Hoboken411 and establishing her ties to the libelous web site.

I really think Klaussen stepped in it this time. Next move, HoldCo.

Eenie Meenie Miney Moe...

2012-01-27T17:49:00.003-05:00

Now the parade is NOT moving... the Hudson Reporter says:

Despite a newspaper article that says the Hoboken St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee will look for a new location for their annual celebration this year, Parade Committee Spokesperson Bill Coughlin maintained Friday afternoon that the parade for 2012 is cancelled and won't be held anywhere.

Okie doke. I think Wednesday's still open here....

Happytalk

2012-01-27T13:23:00.004-05:00

The Jersey Journal has announced that the Hoboken St. Patrick's Parade Committee has decided to "old the parade somewhere else."

The announcement comes a day after the Irish Anti-Defamation Federation issued a statement agreeing with the Mayor and calling the festivities around the parade "distasteful" and "crime-ridden".

Here is a comment from the blogger happytalk, which sums it all up for me:

Irish Anti-Defamation Federation Supports Hoboken Parade Decision

2012-01-27T07:09:00.004-05:00

Irish Central is reporting that the the Irish Ant-Defamation Federation has backed the mayor calling the activities that accompany the annual parade “distasteful and “crime ridden.”

The statement, sent out by recording officer Mary Beth Phillips states:

“The Officers and Members of the Irish Anti-Defamation Federation, based in Philadelphia, would like to support Hoboken's Mayor Dawn Zimmer, in her decision to cancel the St. Patrick's Day Parade in her town.

Although we are saddened by the loss of this tradition (what should be an all-generations, family-friendly celebration of Ireland's patron saint, and display of our Irish heritage and culture for those claiming Irish roots), we think Mayor Zimmer was wise to put a stop to the distasteful, dangerous, and crime-ridden activities that have accompanied the parade, especially since last year's parade-associated crimes included three reports of rape.

Mayor Zimmer is sending a strong signal to all, whether Irish-American supporters of the Hoboken parade, revelers in the bars, and even spectators, that things are out of control. Her necessary cancellation of the parade is just one step towards fixing a dreadful batch of problems.

We applaud her decision to try to make St. Patrick's Day the pride-filled celebration and holiday it should be. Mayor Zimmer does not want, and cannot afford, for Hoboken to be New Orleans at Mardi Gras, even if it means drastic changes are needed this particular year.

For all those who disagree with her, we at the IADF recommend ways to create a family-friendly celebration once more, one that will not tax the police and other services required of the citizens of Hoboken."

The group got one thing wrong: Zimmer didn't end the parade, Hoboken's St. Patrick's Parade Committee did.

The committee used their own parade for a political statement against the mayor, siding against the safety and security of our residents. They had a YEAR to figure out how to make it work on Wednesday. Each one of them ought to be replaced.

Meanwhile, if you take a look at the IADF web site, something tells me that 'Leper-Con', the fake Irish heritage celebration excuse for a bar crawl, will NOT be appreciated.

Libel411's 'Trick' Graph

2012-01-26T20:09:00.012-05:00

I confess, GA didn't pay much attention to Grim Reaper Klaussen's Graphs-o-Death- his predictors that HoldCo-owned hospitals would more likely kill than heal you.

But... the (2) graphs were 'tricks' designed to confuse if glanced at and compared side-by-side; the bars drawn to different scales. See?

A reader email pointed this out by actually READING the numbers on his graphs:

it says that ACTUAL deaths for 2010 in:
bmc=278
jcmc=375
doesnt that suggest that there are more deaths at JCMC the BMC?

Of course, reader. Here's what Klaussen's graph should ACTUALLY read if both are combined at the same scale.

Notice... Klaussen's data shows ACTUAL deaths LESS at the HoldCO hospital, BMC, than at the JCMC. His 'projections'? Libelous sludge.

Well, this is all just 'stuff and nonsense'.

I know that, you know that.

But... GA directed a lawyer friend to the article, to see if it was the grenade at the hospital's corporate owner that I thought it was. In short: Yep.

My lawyer friend was positively incredulous that Hoboken411 published that. In his view, "the hospital's owner has to respond" with some kind of legal action.

Further, the way piece was written, and the unsourced material presented as fact... well, unless the hospital chooses to ignore this, he's in BIG trouble.

Is it mean to hope he is?

Stay tuned.

Libel411 Accuses HUMC-HoldCo of MURDER

2012-01-26T15:43:00.011-05:00

Wow! Folks, GA rarely ventures over to that cauldron of stupidity, Hoboken411, but I did check today for a rebuttal to last night's SOTC. No rebuttal but instead a shocking accusation lobbed at our hospital's new owner. Even for that festering sore on the rump of Hoboken's blogosphere, this one teetered over the edge.

Into libelous waters.

Perry Klaussen of Hoboken411 asks readers if the Hoboken University Medical Center(HUMC) is "primed" to "kill more patients". Get it? He's inferring the HUMC killing spree is well underway, the question is will they kill MORE now under HoldCo?

Wow, again.

Then Grim Reaper Klaussen presents 2 unsourced bar charts illustrating projected deaths, presumably at the hands of the HUMC and BMC killers...

Paging Dr. Bundy. Dr. Gacy, you're wanted in O.R. Dr. Dahmer, patient is code blue....

Here's what Klaussen-stein wrote:

Is HUMC primed to kill more patients?

A Hoboken411 source wanted to share some information that may concern you all. It’s regarding the owners of the Bayonne Medical Center (who now own HUMC), and the apparent tendency for more patients to die in their care.

WOW.

Paging Philip Schaengold... paging Philip Schaengold, HoldCO CEO... contact your legal department...

He said that, based on raw statistical data, once the new owners took over in Bayonne – the death rate at the hospital skyrocketed nearly doubling that of Jersey City Medical Center (JCMC) despite the two hospitals serving essentially the same demographics.

Not sure I’d be too comfortable with what happens when a hospital is put into the wrong group of hands – sounds like it could be disastrous.

Oye vey. If Klaussen-vorkian isn't served with a libel suit by 5 pm tomorrow, I'll be shocked. Take a look.

The Vanquished

2012-01-26T12:58:00.022-05:00

Last night's event at DeBaun Hall tells you everything you need to know about how Hoboken's political landscape has shifted in one year.

One year ago...

The November 2, 2010 purchase of Timmy O. in the 4th Ward special election (570 'workers' and 1200 votes) took the Council majority from Zimmer. Within 24 hours 'someone' leaked the plan to replace Carol Marsh with Beth Mason to the Hoboken Reporter. And on January 5, Mason and Russo were sworn in as City Council President and Vice President.

Those were heady times for the new City Council majority. They were ready to flex their muscle on a number of crises: a crumbling waterfront, a cash surplus battle, the taxpayers on a $52 million dollar hook and facing the loss of our hospital...

That was the backdrop for the mayor's SOTC last February 22nd.

GA was there, one row back from Mason and Timmy; they sat 3rd row center with an entourage, nearly filling the whole row like a human wall opposing the skinny woman on stage. Here's what I wrote:

Curiously, Mason and Timmy sat side-by-side in the 3rd row, center (Giacchi sat apart)... and as I watched their interaction from one row back I couldn't help but think how the graphic I was much pilloried for had indeed come true. Because Timmy looked all the wardrobe-accessory to Mason; getting his cues on when to clap, when not to, from her. He actually started to clap when the Mayor addressed 'wheeling'- then stopped abruptly perhaps noticing how stonily Mason sat beside him. Ah, well. Should I stop picking on him?

Nah.

Neither Mike Russo nor Terry Castellano showed up. But wouldn't you know, Russo had a rebuttal on Hoboken411 the next morning; it was published later in the Jersey Journal.

Those were the days.

Fast forward to last night's SOTC.

The mayor's City Council opponents- now a minority, had a busy year.

They tried to wreck our City's finances with a $52 million dollar hospital bond default and for spite blew a $4.5 million hole in our budget by rejecting a simple garage bond refinance, gave away our budget surplus , stopped our BA from moving budget line items around triggering a DCA warning they were violating NJ state LAW, and this scolding from NJ Governor Christie:

“It is completely unacceptable that the city council placed local politics ahead of the 1300 employees at the Hoboken University Medical Center and the people in the community who rely on the critical services provided by this hospital..."

He was referring to Beth Mason, Mike Russo, Terry Castellano and Tim Occhipinti. (They'd rejected $5 million in emergency funding to keep the hospital open forcing the State's assistance.)

And, then something which no one could have imagined: last May, Mayor Zimmer turned over the City's entire data banks (39 hard drives) to the F.B.I. after discovering her email account was hacked.

This unprecedented access to the City's communications has sprung open a Pandora's box of Hoboken political corruption; EVERYONE is waiting for more shoes to drop. And shock waves have reverberated through all levels of city government straight up to the City Council.

From the Jersey Journal, November 10, 2011:

All four of the Hoboken City Council's minority members say they were not involved in a suspended IT officer's alleged hacking of city officials' emails.

Yesterday, suspended IT officer to the mayor's office Patrick Ricciardi was charged with intercepting emails intended for Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer and others and forwarding them to at least three unintended recipients, officials said.

While some believed that council members Beth Mason, Tim Occhipinti, Michael Russo and Theresa Castellano - all Zimmer opponents - were involved in the incident, they have all denied wrongdoing.

Castellano, Russo and Occhipinti each said they did not receive any emails from Ricciardi.

Castellano and Occhipinti said they knew nothing about the incident. Occhipinti added that he hopes the details come into light.

Where there's smoke, there's... email. Notice whose names are missing from the last paragraph above.

An intense campaign led by Mason and Russo to obtain the mayors' staff's emails to prove claims of politicizing the communications office preceded by the Bill Campbell suit alleging the same preceded by by actual email theft 'ordered' by someone... has cast these Council members under a cloud of suspicion. (see the timeline)

And all that was the backdrop for the Mayor's SOTC, where she spoke of an incredibly successful year for Hoboken:

The hospital was saved along with our city's financial health
Municipal taxes declined 10%- the 6th largest decline of any city in NJ
Flooding reduced through new pump station
A number of park projects were completed or are in progress: Pier C park was fully opened in 2011, and the City will soon begin construction on Sinatra Park and Castle Point Park, followed by 1600 Park and Hoboken Cove. With a $3 million County grant and a portion of the $20 million bond passed in 2011, the City will be purchasing property for a park in Southwest Hoboken.
Recycling increased more than 50% since the City switched to a single stream recycling system in April, 2011.
Total crime dropped by 16% since 2009, the lowest level in a generation.
Pedestrian-car collisions are down nearly 30% since 2009.
Bicycle-car collisions are down more than 60 percent since 2009.
The corner cars program ha 2,000 members and 99 residents gave up their parking permits

Now, what elected official charged with governing Hoboken wouldn't want to hear this litany of success for our City? Can you think of any?

What Hoboken elected official wouldn't celebrate the drop in taxes, drop in crime, drop in bike accidents, new parks, the rescue of our city's only hospital and the discharge of a $52 million albatross on the taxpayers' necks? Can you think of any?

What Hoboken elected official would hold politics over the welfare of his/her constituents- the beneficiaries of these numerous quality-oft-life achievements? Can you think of any?

I can.

Folks, one member of the City Council minority attended last night.

Beth Mason. No entourage. Only Gumby, sans green vinyl sack. No front row, center. She sat alone, near the rear. GA was told she took notes.

And today, no Russo rebuttal on Hoboken411. (Yet)

See what I mean about changed political landscape? This wasn't simply a diss.

In their absence and the lone Mason's retreat to the back of the auditorium, the vanquished spoke volumes.

The Mayor, her administration and the City Council majority have had an extremely productive year. And because the Council minority translate this GOOD for Hoboken to their own political failure tells you all you need to know about their character and motivations.

To them it's about POWER, to 'our guys' it's about PARKS.

And that's why Reform will STAY popular.

Something Mason money can't buy.

On a personal front, the evening was a big disappoint for me. My plan to pounce on Dave Roberts for a pic was ruined when the elusive former mayor slipped out the door right after the speech. No schmoozing for Dave, no future family heirloom for me.

The State of the City

2012-01-25T16:33:00.001-05:00

Are you going to hear the Mayor tonight?

Here's the info:

The event will take place on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 7:00 pm at the DeBaun Auditorium in Edwin A. Stevens Hall on the campus of Stevens Institute of Technology.

The main entrance is on 5th Street directly across from the Stevens Park. The wheelchair entrance is located in the rear entrance of the building on River Street with handicapped parking located behind the two buildings (McLean & Babbio) located directly across the street from the ramp. For additional information, visit: http://www.debaun.org/Directions.html.

GA went last year, and I recommend it to those who'd like hear the summation of where we've been and the vision for the year ahead. And boy, it's been some year. Horsey's got a good write-up over at the barn.

It's also a way for those who like he job she's done (lowering our taxes by 10%, saving the Hospital along with the HMHA, hands-on managing Hoboken's Hurricane Irene preparations, with Ian Sacs improving parking and transportation in Hoboken with initiatives like Corner Cars...) then show your appreciation and support.

And you might even get your picture taken by Perry Klaussen of Hoboken411, who'll be lurking out-of-sight aiming his camera at bald spots and nose-pickers to post on his nearly-dead cyber-rag:

Thank goodness he snapped that right after I picked my nose, and completely missed my bald spot!

Anyway... just ignore the creature lurking in the mezzanine. And try to make it.

Who Luvs Ya, Al?

2012-01-25T14:57:00.011-05:00

No, not Sullivan.

Arezzo. This one:

Former Construction Code Officer Al Arezzo is suing the city, the mayor and other city officials, claiming he was unlawfully terminated after a 39-year-career in City Hall.

The suit was filed in Superior Court on Dec. 22, 2011, according to the complaint, which also alleges that Arezzo was "harassed." The complaint specifically mentions Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Business Administrator Arch Liston and Assistant Corporation Counsel Melissa Longo.

Now GA's never met Mr. Arezzo, but have heard 2nd and 3rd-hand anecdotes which are chilling in their depravity.

But it's the first-hand stories of people I know well about Arezzo's conduct as Hoboken's Construction Code Officer which make his accusation as a victim of "harassment' absolutely stunning; the notion he's suing the City for his job BACK, well the guy's got balls the size of coconuts.

It's not my story to tell.

In brief, Arezzo put a 'Stop Work Order' on Person A's business; a minor bit of renovation was in progress at the time. He/she was later 'invited' to fill an envelope. This person declined. The 'Stop Work Order' was not lifted and this person had to close down the business. It was devastating financially.

Another story.

Person B did a gut-renovation on his/her home. For reasons he/she can explain, Arezzo denied her a C of O for ONE YEAR. The harassment was passive- inspectors giving endless punch list repairs and changes with no documentation, asking him/her to change specifications on approved construction, then after it was done as the inspector had asked, it would be rejected for another reason. Again, no documentation. Just never-ending requests. And then the no-show inspections. This person, unable to move back into their home and at the brink of financial ruin, nearly had a breakdown. Mayor Dave Roberts had to intervene on his/her behalf to get the C of O.

And of course, this these are only 2 stories of who-knows how many.

So, when GA read that Arezzo was claiming to be the victim of harassment, well. After playing a mournful tune on the world's smallest violin, I had to laugh at the mournful post of Curious Gal, who does not deny being Kim Cardinal, the political operative wife of political operative Lane Bajardi (who has not denied posting as prosbus.

And then hubby attacking the City's termination of Arezzo as "unlawful":

Who luvs ya, Al?

Mr. and Mrs. Melanoma, defenders of corruption, haters of the clean, progressive Kids First majority School Board.

And that's about it.

Offended?

2012-01-25T10:46:00.012-05:00

A reader sent me this screenshot of Monday night's Daily Show with John Stewart. Read the caption.

What if the color is removed?

And the image rendered in graphic pen?

With Gothic font?

Ooops... forgot this.

Huffington Post has the hilarious bit- click here.

Timmy's Thank You Card

2012-01-24T16:08:00.002-05:00

click to read

FBI: Start with the Campbell Suit

2012-01-24T13:46:00.006-05:00

Dear F.B.I. Friends,

Did you read GA yesterday? We know you've been monitoring Hoboken blogs for some time now. Well just in case, here's a recap.

GA took 3 events: the Bill Campbell lawsuit, the Patrick Ricciardi affair, and the Mason/Russo Email Jihad, and placed them on a timeline. The chronology is telling.

The narrative begins with Patrick Ricciardi.

In early January 2010 (after getting a bargain basement price on a luxury condo via a City-sponsored Workforce housing program) Ricciardi set up his private Archive and began stealing the mayor's email.

Eight months later, Hoboken's PIO, Bill Campbell, was laid off. The date was August 6, 2010.

On October 12, 2010 Campbell filed a lawsuit against the City of Hoboken. The complaint lays out his claim that his replacement, Melli, is a political hire, thus he was ousted due because the Mayor politicized the City's communications office.

Six months AFTER Campbell filed his suit, on April 1 2011, Mason and Russo sponsor a City Council resolution to obtain ALL of the mayors staff's emails: those of Melli and Bryan. The basis of the Mason/Russo demand: the "politicizing of the City's communications" mirrors the Campbell complaint with one extra target: Zimmer's Chief of Staff, Bryan.

Six weeks later, on May 18, 2011. Patrick Ricciardi, also the City Council Meeting videographer, is absent from that night's meeting; his IT office is reported padlocked.

I will stop there, my F.B.I. friends, because YOU know the rest. (Notice how GA still calls you 'friends' though you've NEVER invited me for falafel at Mamoun's).

C'mon FBI... I know you want it and want it BAD...

Okay, so that's the timeline recap.

The reason I call your attention to this is because GA thinks the emails of Zimmer's aides were in fact 'ordered' for the Campbell lawsuit, Phase 1 of the larger political strategy to attack the Mayor for 'politicizing' her staff. ( GA imagines Ricciardi ran his data theft like a 'Sears and Roebuck' catalog, filling requests for particular individuals' emails by copying them from the City servers into folders in his private 'Archive'.)

GA believes Phase 2 was to attack Zimmer at the City Council on the SAME charges, the fledgling law suit would be unfolding with the backdrop of the email battle with City Hall, buttressing its otherwise dubious claims. GA theorizes that those leading the charge at for the staffers' emails, Mason and Russo, were in on Phase 1 and knew about their acquisition from Ricciardi and had seen them. Remember what Mason said at the CIty Council on November 14, 2011:

"That there are significant issues here and unless there's proof I'm going to say I've NOT seen those emails..."

Now, where does the Mason videotape of Zimmer's testimony in the Campbell case come in?

The grueling cross examination by the plaintiff's attorney, Catherine Elston, hit precisely on the Mason-Russo 'politicization of City Hall' charges, including events which happened AFTER Campbell's August 6, 2010 firing (like the City posting the Russo-Dwek transcript).

F.B.I., was any 'help 'provided by elected officials to Elston in her case against the City? Do you know?

Not that Ms. Elston herself would have known the shady provenance of anything that may have been provided for her use, if anything was.

But the presence of the Mason videographer, Mason's leak of the video to the Hoboken Reporter AND the posting of the watermarked video on the virulently anti-administration Hoboken411 seem to validate GA's suspicion the Campbell suit was a political operation from the get-go. And it not only suggests elected officials may be cooperating with the plaintiff suing the City, but may have orchestrated the law suit to damage the mayor and her staff.

This is GA's THEORY.

So F.B.I., if you buy this theory, does it jive with what you've heard from these officials in your interviews with them?

Is the theory supported by any of the electronic data you have in your custody?

Do you know if any emails were procured by Ricciardi for the Campbell case? At whose request?

Gee, F.B.I. This opens up another can of worms, doesn't it.

Blech.

Maybe this is why all of GA's links on this subject keep getting deleted on the nj.com message board keep getting deleted.

Did you know they've blocked my IP, too? What does THAT tell you, F.B.I. Do you smell fear?

Breaking: Timmy's Jersey City 4h Ward Overpass Gets Painted!

2012-01-24T09:56:00.002-05:00

Here's a GA photo exclusive submitted by a reader:

Wow, that looks better than this:

Isn't that AMAZING what NJ Transit will DO for Timmy Occhipinti? They just GIVE, and GIVE, and GIVE.... that's what you call 'unconditional' love.

So romantic. *sigh*

Hey Timmy, why don't you ask them to paint your apartment?

GA doesn't have friends like that.

Do you think Timmy will send a 'Thank-you' note? Stay tuned.

The Timeline: Campbell vs. Hoboken, Mason, Russo & Ricciardi

2012-01-23T17:30:00.020-05:00

Da Horsey's got a pretty smokin' piece up today about Beth Mason's videographer, Tim, at the January 3rd court appearance of Mayor Dawn Zimmer. Tim taped her testimony which Mason then leaked to the Hoboken Reporter and posted, watermarked, on Hoboken411.

That's all become public. GA broke it last Tuesday.

What's been the response from Camp Mason?

GA's been banned from posting on the nj.com Hoboken message board, and ALL my postswere deleted. Anyone who linked to GA was banned. Including Da Horsey. (Technically GA is still banned, but I have 'unbanned myself'- so screw, you censors)

Folks, this kind of pushback is very unusual. So what does this tell you?

They're afraid of any more sunlight and are trying to shut it down. Because there is SOMETHING they are trying to hide.

And since my F.B.I. friends read the blogs, pay attention.

GA reads the effort to shut down this discussion as consciousness-of-guilt and it's up to YOU, my dapper Newark. friends, to find what they're guilty of.

But Da Horsey was on to something when he wrote this today:

This charge of politicizing the city website actually began in April 2011, oddly right around the time of the FBI surveillance tape's release showing Michael Russo with Solomon Dwek and other Jersey City crooks who took the Dwek loot. As he would co-sponsor with the then brief Council Presidency of Beth Mason the same charge. Their resolution requested all the emails of the mayor's aides going back to January 2010:

No evidence was presented by Beth Mason or Mike Russo showing even a modicum of evidence to their charge. But oddly, this resolution pointed to the EXACT SAME TIME as the FBI noted City IT manager Patrick Ricciardi began intercepting emails of the mayor and the mayor's staff!

Right-o Horsey.

So, what exactly does the theft of the mayor's email, the Mason-Russo effort to use a City Council resolution as 'cover' to legally obtain emails (it's believed) they've already seen, and the Billy Campbell case have to do with each other?

It comes into focuswhen you look at the timeline.

TIMELINE- Campbell vs. Hoboken, Mason & Ricciardi

December 22, 2009- Patrick Ricciardi closes on a luxury workforce housing unit at less than 1/2 market price.

Ricciardi buys unit at the luxury MetroStop through Hoboken's Workforce Housing program (affordable housing for middle income City workers). That year he was paid over 190K. The 2-bedroom, 2-bath 1268 sf luxury unit-with a terrace, was sold to him for the bargain-price of 260K on 12/22/09- the program is administrated by the City. GA asks, "How did Patrick Ricciardi Qualify for Workforce Housing?"

January 2010- Patrick Ricciardi creates 'Archive File' and begins stealing the mayor's emails and 2 unnamed staffers' emails.

From The United States of America vs. Patrick Ricciardi, page 7

b.In early 2010, defendant RICCIARDI created the Archive File without the knowledge or consent of the Mayor or the Mayor's Office Employees. c. Defendant RICCIARDI set up the Archive File so that it would automatically forward all e-mails sent to the Mayor and two high-ranking Mayor's Office Employees to the Archive File.

August 6, 2010- Billy Campbell, Hoboken Public Information Officer, is laid off.

October 12, 2010- Billy Campbell files lawsuit against the City of Hoboken.

The complaint claims Melli, his replacement, is a political hire, and "ulterior political motives pressured Campbell's layoff".

From William D. Campbell vs. City of Hoboken, page 14

March 28, 2011- Russo meeting w/Dwek becomes public in "The Jersey Sting"

Russo countered that there was no talk of a bribe. "Anyone who portrays that," Russo said, "is lying."

April 1st, 2011 - Mason/Russo sponsor City Council Resolution for ALL Melli and Bryan emails

Council President Beth Mason and Vice President Michael Russo want to see all of the e-mail sent and received by Mayor Dawn Zimmer's chief of staff and communications director, accusing them of politicizing public communications on behalf of the city.

Mason and Russo want to see all e-mails since Jan. 1, 2010, from the city-issued e-mail addresses of both Melli and Bryan. The resolution directs the city to produce “communication related to the expenditure of tax payer funds for Hoboken’s public relations and communications initiative.”

April 4th, 2011- Jersey Sting authors release Russo F.B.I. surveillance video on The Star Ledger

Russo charged that the authors of the book "The Jersey Sting", incorrectly describes the meeting he had with Dwek. Russo insists that "No bribe was discussed." Today authors Ted Sherman and Josh Margolin released a copy of the recording showing the full meeting between Dwek and Russo at the Light Horse Tavern in Jersey City that indicates otherwise.

April 6, 2011-City of Hoboken web site posts transcripts of F.B.I. surveillance video of Michael Russo meeting with Solomon Dwek.

May 16, 2011- Mason/Russo re-introduce (amended) resolution for Melli/Bryan emails

Council President Beth Mason has re-introduced legislation requesting copies of emails from City Communications Director Juan Melli and Mayor Dawn Zimmer's Confidential Aide Dan Bryan sent to and from the local media and bloggers. Her intent is to see if the mayor's communications staffers have been sending out political information on taxpayer time.

May 26, 2011- Mayor Announces F.B.I. at City Hall and the removal of computer equipment.

In fact, the FBI was at Hoboken City Hall today and "removed equipment," Mark Tabakin, the city's corporation counsel said this afternoon. Tabakin would not say what equipment was taken.

November 9, 2011- Patrick Ricciardi arrested AND Mayor Zimmer deposed in Campbell case (see transcript)

Ricciardi had been arrested earlier that day for allegedly slipping confidential City Hall communications to unauthorized parties, including allegedly at least one present city official who has not been named. In court, Ricciardi, a Hoboken resident, had his hands and feet shackled. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison if convicted on three charges for which he was arrested.

November 14, 2011- Beth Mason implicates herself in the Ricciardi email conspiracy to Roman Brice at the Hoboken City Council.

"Council President, first of all I'm raising concerns because these are issues of libel. And I'm gonna make it very clear. That there are significant issues here and unless there's proof I'm going to say I've NOT seen those emails and maybe Mr. Brice should release the emails between YOU and the mayor's political aides that I asked so we can REALLY see what has been a coordinated effort as a smear campaign between THOSE of us who don't agree with this administration and continue to speak out and you're not gonna shut me UP! I'm tired of this constant (?), false accusations between members of this council.

If you have proof come with it, stop talking, show your effort."

January 3, 2012- Mason sends videographer to tape Mayor Zimmer's 4 hour deposition in the Campbell suit. Plaintiff's layer, Catherine Elston does not object to Mason's videographer; the City attorney does. Elston, hits every Mason political talking point in her examination. She questions the mayor extensively about the publication of the Russo transcript- which was NOT included in the complaint and happened AFTER Campbell's firing.

January 15, 2012- Mason leaks video to Hoboken Reporter, they publish "juicy" details.

January 17, 2012- Mason gives video to Hoboken411. He posts entire 4-hour video with a vicious, partisan hit piece called "Hoboken411 Exclusive: Did Zimmer commit perjury". Same day, GA breaks that the HR leak and videotape were provided by Beth Mason.

Did you get all that?

You can draw your own conclusions, but here's GA's theory.

The Ricciardi email 'heist' was well under way by the time Campbell got fired on August 6, 2010. By then, Ricciardi was an established 'Sears & Roebuck catalog' type operation; if one wanted the emails of any individual in particular they knew who to go to. The idea for the Campbell suit may have been a collaborative effort. In pursuit of 'proof' that Campbell was ousted for political reasons, the conspirators went to 'Sears and Roebuck' Ricciardi and ordered the emails of Melli and Bryan for anything they could 'use' in the lawsuit. These emails were illegally obtained and shared.

WHAT was shared and with WHOM?

Based on the timeline, GA believes that the Mason- Russo email jihad stemmed from the email 'hunt' for the Campbell suit. The Campbell suit was a 'project' to embarrass and weaken the mayor and 'destroy' her 2 top staffers. The Campbell suit was conjured as a pure political operation; Mr. Campbell, angry about being fired, was willing.

Remember, no explanation was ever given by Mason and Russo why they targeted these 2 staffers as 'politicizing' City Hall- why not any other Director or staffer?

It was because of the Billy Campbell law suit. GA believes Mason and Russo were part of the conspiracy to dig up dirt for the plaintiff's use and to provide Campbell's attorney, Catherine Elston, with the 'backup needed. What they had done for the Campbell case became the email jihad 'case' against Melli and Bryan.

What was Elston given? What was she told? By whom?

Was Elston given or told anything that was not properly procured?

If so, GA is not implying she KNEW of the material's shady provenance: I couldn't say that. But the persons providing it knew. Everything. Further...

GA is sure there was no smoking gun in the emails, never was. Melli and Bryan did NOTHING wrong.

But that doesn't mean their emails weren't shared,. GA believes they were. And just ASKING the question suggests wrongdoing.

There is a LOT more to this case than a City worker seeking compensation for his firing.

And it begins with Patrick Ricciardi. And GA believes it ties the Sears and Roebuck operation to the larger conspiracy to damage the mayor and her staffers through a dupe, Billy Campbell.

Mason could give a rat's ass about Campbell. She got her email jihad, threw lots of mud. She got her videotape and put it on Hoboken411.

And that's why they DON'T want to talk about it.

That's my theory, anyway.

The Snookvasion

2012-01-23T10:15:00.007-05:00

This came from a GA reader today:

I am surprised i did not see a story from you about the snooki and jwoww crew to hoboken?

My response: Who's Snooki?

Okay, that's not quite true. Here's what I know about her: she's a reality TV star, petite, voluptuous, has a very cute face and a retro beehive do. But oce she opens her mouth, the romance is over. GA has no idea who 'jwow' is.

Please let's keep it that way.

Sorry if you think I'm a snob, but I don't watch TV that lowers my IQ.

LA (Little Avenger) and I enjoy the National Geographic channel, Animal Planet, Discovery, Science and History channels, that's basically it. So I've never seen a "Jersey Shore" episode- caught a snippet on YouTube, and that was enough. You can have Snooki, I'll take Planet Earth.

All I can say is, Hoboken already has one cable tv superstar, Buddy Valastro. That's enough.

So if I haven't yet made myself clear, my response to the reader is, GA thinks that Hoboken needs 'Snooki and Jwoww' like it needs an anthrax shower. Case closed.

Here's what the Snookvasion means to residents: when your favorite restaurant is occupied by a TV media circus, you're behind the velvet rope. If you go to Starbucks and Snooki's there, you might as well fly to Brazil and pick your own coffee beans,'cause that's how fast you'll get served.

Like if you try to buy your kid a cookie at Carlo's. Bring an ID and birth certificate.

Sorry to say, but the tizzy surrounding this Snookvasion says something about us, and it's not good.

It shows how little Hoboken culture has in common with our Manhattan neighbor's. Now THAT place is teeming with famous people and superstars- and it's no big deal. NYC is not impressed with celebrities. They walk the streets, sit next to you in restaurants, ride the subway (Richard Dreyfuss once asked me for direction on the R train) and it's no big deal. As it should be.

Even Hoboken has it's celebrities who live here quietly amongst us without fanfare. Those are the kind GA likes.

Guess who I used to see frequently shopping in A&P?

Eli Manning. I didn't know who he was, just a tall, young guy with a baby face. Then, I saw him on a TV commercial and said "I know that guy!" Anyway, he'd shop during off-hours when the store wasn't busy, and acted like an ordinary chap. No entourage. I recall he was behind me at the cashier once and waited in line like everyone else.

Now that's the kind of celebrity GA likes.

Eli, good luck in the Superbowl! And if you're in townm avocados are on sale this week, 3 for $5

click HERE for this week's circular

Dr. Shrill, Psycho-Therapist: Shark on the Couch

2012-01-22T18:44:00.009-05:00

It's been awhile since we've heard from Dr. Shrill, Psycho-therapist. the creator & syndicator of the soon-to-be smash hit series, “Denial Is Not a River in Egypt." In her own words:

This exciting new reality concept looks for the best examples of disturbed people who seem particularly clueless about their disorders. We are especially looking for individuals who display their pathology very publicly. Use of social media, blogs, local access TV, etc. to further splay the sickness gets extra points for our consideration. (It makes our job easier!)

So imagine my excitement when my “Psycho-Scouts” (what a great job title, if I say so, myself), pointed me to Hoboken, via Grafix Avenger, that brilliant satirist of Hoboken’s nuttiness! As you know, NJ has its “Housewives” and “Shore” characters. Even that Buddy Valastro (BORING, except for the OCD displayed in the icing).

Dr. Shrill has provided us in the past with some fascinating analyses of our local characters: Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mason, for example.

In fact, Mr. & Mrs. Mason seem a fascinating dyad of mutually enabling pathology in many regards. Both can be seen as poster children for narcissistic personality disorder, co-morbid with anti-social and histrionic features.

They have the added factor of wealth, which affords them much more elaborate opportunities for acting out behaviors. Their blatantly ego-gratifying behaviors (which they seem to rationalize as some form of altruism & somehow believe others share their view---indicative also of impaired reality testing skills), now seem to occur more frequently & floridly, as they perceive their imagined reality to be crumbling around them.

And because of that wealth, they have amassed an entourage of enablers/sycophants, who participate in their elaborate dance of denial and serve to reinforce their distorted sense of reality, self-importance and systematic disregard for the rights of others.

Then there was her stunning portrait of that raging borderline bundle of pathologies we call Lane Bajardi, Mason operative.

Mr. Bajardi appears to present a history of paranoically-rooted, symbolic annihilation fantasies---often of a rather ritualistic nature, via media-focused schemes & vendettas. There appears to be a nearly constant desire to be “on camera,” via a myriad of sometimes novel approaches to attention-seeking. This is evidenced by his ritualistic behaviors with certain “props.” The attachment to certain objects---in particular, an easel. One might postulate this is a symbolic “stand-in” of sorts. A “security blanket,” if you will, e.g., a “transitional object” that offers some sort of self-soothing. This may in fact offer some “solace” for Mr. Bajardi, not unlike thumb-sucking & hair-twirling behaviors, so common during the Oedipal Phase.

Co-related, are his increasingly transparent, failed attempts to apparently mimic Multiple Personality Disorder on your local blogs. For Mr. Bajardi, these strivings only seem to have resulted in further public humiliation, which could in turn be speculated only serve to further fuel his narcissistic injuries and rage.

Bravo, Dr. Shrill!

Well, the dear doctor has been so busy with her many projects, aren't we lucky she dropped in to see us? And look what caught her eye: these twisted fantasties from the mind of Mason operative and webmaster, James Barracato.

Ray (Smith) can tell you how Barracato claimed I left a vacuum cleaner with a note that said 'Happy anniversary" on it, at his Weehawken home. Al (Sullivan) can tell you he claimed I was caught on a videotape at Bed, Bath and Beyond setting up a mock wedding-registry for him.

Weird huh? Dr. Shrill thought so, too. Here is what the good doctor had to say.

__________________________________________________________

G.A. reports such fascinating persecutory fantasies on the part of Mr. B.! Ideas of reference in delusional systems are particular favorites, here at "Denial Is Not a River in Egypt"!

(We're especially grateful for this up-tick in the psycho-drama, especially since Meta-Psycho-Scout has reported an unfortunate development: that vicarious primitive need-gratify object, Snooki, is apparently attempting to invade "Denial's" coveted territory! We do NOT appreciate the competition in our voyeur-enabling niche-market, thank you very much!)

Bed, Bath & Beyond videography of a faux bridal registry! Was it allegedly filmed by the in-store camera or perhaps instead by that Mr. Ricciardi, prior to his reported indictment? (Psycho-Scouts have been following him in his other desultory dimensions.) Is a copy available for "Denial's" review? How about the registry itself, so we might assess what Mr. B. fantasizes as Ms. G.A.'s design-vision for his Weehawken home decor?

Even more piquant is the vacuum cleaner, delivered to Mr. B.'s door with an anniversary greeting---as if G.A. is cast as his personal Fuller Brush Woman! What a novel twist on that old chestnut of a sexual fantasy! We also assume, given his "profession," Mr. B. does not work outside the home & is perhaps "symbiotically-attached" to his laptop---akin to the paradigmatic "traditional homemaker" with her vacuum cleaner.

Was it a higher-end tool, such as an Electro-Lux or a Dyson? Or perhaps the more pedestrian Hoover? Was it cord-less or hand-held, such as a Dust-Buster?

(All these details DO matter, in teasing out the symbolic meaning! Suction-power, the array of hoses & attachments, etc. And also the cognitive-dissonance factor: if expensive, then it represents--to Mr. B.--his symbolic value to Ms. G.A.!)

Indeed, a "mock wedding registry" & an "anniversary gift," courtesy of Ms. G.A.! One might postulate Mr. B. may in fact hold some deep, convoluted libidinal attachment to Ms. G.A., for which his elaborate web-based attacks reflect his fierce struggle to deny! In the murky depths of his unconscious, is he perhaps somehow symbolically "married" to Ms. Pincus? He surely seems obsessionally "wedded" to her blog!

Given the increasingly positive public response to G.A., Mr. B. must surely be grappling with that most soiling (there's that vacuum cleaner again!) of emotions: ENVY!!

(Meanwhile, envy's ugly green head appears to be rearing itself in the local press, hence the concerted efforts to apparently "scrub" G.A.'s presence elsewhere---a sort of symbolic "vacuuming"!)

All evidence of a deeply troubled soul, not unlike that other Mr. B.: Mr. Bajardi!

To hold such conflicted strivings would indeed pose serious extra- & intra-psychic threats to "survival," & deep betrayals of the idealized "primary caretaker," Ms. Mason---& in turn, her own primary caretaker/enabler---Mr. Ricky!

Oh, the inner turmoil! How we wish we could get a camera inside these disturbed psyches!

But unlike so many in the panoply of Hoboken psychopaths, we at "Denial" are not steeped in that narcissistic, grandiose cognitive distortion: mind-reading!

We are just a psycho-babbling brook, feeding into the stream of consciousness. All for your entertainment!

Timmy Promotes New Initiative on H411

2012-01-22T11:53:00.005-05:00

There he is, 4th Ward Coucnilman Timmy Occhipinti, promoting his latest 'clean up' the Mile Square initiative on Hoboken411, just like he did last time (he asked the City to clean graffiti off a NJ Transit overpass in Jersey City).

That how it works, folks. The Dark Side uses that cyber-rag to float strategy, smear jobs, propaganda and promotions.

Here it is, published today.

click HERE to read

Exclusive: Timmy's Next Crusade

2012-01-21T14:32:00.002-05:00

Timmy wants action on another eyesore at our gateway

GA's got the exclusive on City Councilman Tim Occhipinti's next effort to clean up the Mile Square.

The last one didn't work out so well. Timmy was told by the City his request for a "corrective action plan" to remove grafitti on an overpass in the "4th Ward" could not be accomplished. Why? Because it was in Jersey City. Ironically, the overpass is the property of NJ Transit, an Occhipinti campaign donor. Occhipinti later apologized to his donor.

Here is a copy of the letter Occhipinti has sent to the Mayor, her Directors, the City Council, and Freeholder Romano- a GA exclusive.

Note to Augie: Censorship

2012-01-21T09:36:00.006-05:00

Contact Augie Torres at atorres@jjournal.com

Dear Mr. Torres,

Censorship is taking place over at the NJ.com Hoboken Forum.  My IP address has been blocked since yesterday; I am unable to post, and ALL of my posts were deleted, on ALL subjects.

Last time this happened was during the Hoboken CIty Council election season.

I am advising you of this in hopes you can help before it becomes public and advertisers are notified .I understand that comment moderation is outsourced but the targeting of specific posts and posters, and the blocking of IPs is not an outsourcing issue.

I do appreciate your attention to this matter.

Best,

Nancy Pincus

http://grafixavenger.blogspot.com/

GA sent this note to Augie Torres last night.

As you know, Augie rules the (political) roost over at NJ.com. And somehow the animals have gotten out of the cage on the Hoboken forum. By 'animals' I mean political operatives who have enough access to be able to turn IP access to the forum on and off like a light switch.

We're into Day 3 of banning and censoring political speech. Along with myself, I know of at least 2 others whose IP addresses have been blocked. They are both supporters of Reform in Hoboken.

And we all vocalize our opposition to the politics of Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason.

Clearly, Beth's 'people' are behind the selective suppression of political speech at nj.com.

So, I've asked Augie to intercede, because he knows the cast of characters responsible. Start with James Barracato. Beth Mason's webmaster.

James lords over the nj.com forum, posting under varus screen names and sometimes his own.

Now James is a consummate liar- ask Al Sullivan. James has spun some incredible tales to him about me. Crazy ones. Since Al and I are friends, I can say he's a witness to Barracto's psychopathy. So is Ray Smith, in fact. Ray can tell you how Barracato claimed I left a vacuum cleaner with a note that said 'Happy anniversary" on it, at his Weehawken home. Al can tell you he claimed I was caught on a videotape at Bed, Bath and Beyond setting up a mock wedding-registry for him.

Bizarro.

In a way I envy James; where else could someone turn a personality disorder into a living? Only in Hudson County.

James, you are invited to come and respond here on GA where I'm able to reply.

Anyway, someone at that joint will be held accountable for the censorship, and advertisers will be notified.

Here is a list of all of NJ.com's affiliated newspapers:

Check out the last one: Horse News! That one goes out to one of my favorite people, Da Horsey.

In the meantime, I invite friends to post links over there... the more Reformers that get picked off, the more obvious the censorship policy becomes. Go to it!

Timmy's Apology Letter

2012-01-20T14:03:00.001-05:00

Put Her on The Stand

2012-01-20T12:20:00.016-05:00

Let's revisit the events of this week in 'Tape-gate.'

On Tuesday, GA disclosed that Beth Mason had videotaped Mayor Zimmer's court testimony, leaked it to the Hoboken Reporter, then posted it watermarked on Hoboken411. (Read it here)

On Wednesday, GA disclosed that Mason had sent a film crew- a videographer with an assistant- neither of whom identified themselves, to tape Mayor Zimmer in the court room. And that the City's attorney attempted to have them removed in a sidebar discussion with the judge, because they were not credentialed press. GA noted the plaintiff's attorney, Catherine Elston, did not object to the presence of the film crew. The judge ruled in favor of the (unidentified) film crew; court room witnesses recognized the videographer as Beth Mason's. GA raised a number of questions about the relationship of Mason to the case. (Read it here) Following that, links to this post were deleted on the nj.com forum and Mason operatives (the ubiquitous Bajardi twins a.k.a. 'Mr. and Mrs. Melanoma' escalated vicious online attacks on yours truly)

On Thursday, ALL of GA's nj.com links disappeared on nj.com and my IP was blocked; I was banned from posting. (Read it here)

Now, why would 'they'- an anonymous army of operatives- have been trying so hard to keep this story under wraps?

Perhaps they are afraid.

Because GA believes not only is there merit to the suspicion that Beth Mason has been 'involved' either directly or indirectly (through intermediaries) in the Campbell vs. Hoboken case, but perhaps there's MORE to learn about the nature of her involvement.

So what do we know so far?

That the plaintiff's legal argument is pitch-perfectly identical to the one behind the Mason email jihad's argument: that the City used their Communications staff and City Hall web site for partisan political gain. That the grueling 4-hour questioning of the mayor hit every note in the Mason symphony of accusations against the Mayor and 2 members of her staff regarding politicization of the communications office. That Mason's effort to pursue this vendetta on the Mayor was stopped by the new City Council majority via resolution.

So... if the governing body of Hoboken has de-legitimized this line of attack on the Zimmer administration, what would be another avenue to legitimize it?

Through the courts.

If the court determines that Billy Campbell was fired for the politicization of he communications office, then the court has also validated Mason's claim. And perhaps to her, that 'explains' her email pursuit to the satisfaction of a jury some day.

And of course, it makes the Mayor look bad.

GA believes at a minimum, the City should call Mason to the stand.

Because by sending a film crew to tape the mayor, then disseminating it to a virulently anti-Zimmer web site watermarked with its logo, the question of whether the suit is coordinated political payback with known Zimmer adversaries is a reasonable line of questioning.

Something really smells in this videotaping scenario.

GA wonders WHY the plaintiff's attorney didn't question the precense of the film crew. Did she know their sponsor was 'friendly' to her client?

Now, if I were the City's attorney, I'd put Mason on the stand and here are some of the questions I would ask her:

Have you underwritten any of the plaintiff's costs for this lawsuit, either directly or through another person or entity?

Have you provided the plaintiff with any kind of remuneration- financial or otherwise- either directly or through another person or entity for filing this lawsuit?

Have you ever communicated with the plaintiff's attorney, Catherine Elston, on this case?

Have you ever offered her any information- even emails- for use in her case AGAINST THE CITY?

Have you coordinated with Ms. Elston, either directly or through intermediaries before and during this case, up to and including the presence of a video crew on January 3rd?

Would Not-Stempler agree with GA's cross-examination?

Who knows. He calls me his "little layperson" in an affectionately mocking way, which means I should leave the lawyering to him.

My pleasure!

But I do hope the City takes a serious look at what's happened in plain sight.

Mason and her bottom feeders' problem has always been they are so over-the-top. Had she not gone that extra length to skewer the Mayor on Hoboken411 this whole matter would have flown under the radar.

She's done it to herself- again.

Banned, Censored by nj.com

2012-01-19T18:25:00.013-05:00

Damn straight, Al Sullivan!

ALL of GA's links posted on nj.com were just deleted and my posting privileges rescinded.

Ah, so what. But here's what it tells you.

This happens when the 'opposition' doesn't want others reading particular posts over here. GA went back to October 23, 2010- another time I got banned. Here's what happened back then:

Last night I tried to post a link to GA's 'Timmy Sings' post after I went there and saw it had been deleted. That's when I noticed ALL links to GA previously posted were gone. Scrubbed clean.

Hmmm... and today I posted Strike Two! about Timmy's crusade to get City Hall to clean grafitti on an NJ Transit structure in Jersey City....

Do you think somebody's a little thin-skinned? Or...

I suspect Timmy's numerous handlers who wish his political star to rise do NOT want the word that he's a dunce getting around. shhhhhh... don't tell anyone. I know that the late Maurice Fitzgibbons (may he Rest in Peace) was a mentor, I wonder who's got that gig now? Whomever it is, a lot of effort goes into the packaging, that's for sure. Certainly one wouldn't want the product to soil himself and dirty his fine wrappings- G-d forbid he does, DO NOT let the word get out!

Pssssst... I've got news for you handlers. He's a dunce. I'm thinking you bet on the wrong horse. Time to cut your losses? We all make mistakes.

Anyway, I'm guessing Timmy's people behind the message board ousting and deleting. Or...

The links to this post were deleted numerous times yesterday- Connect the Dots.

That was the one about Beth Mason's camera crew attending Mayor Zimmer's Jan 3rd court testimony in the Campbell vs. City of Hoboken lawsuit.

Now THAT one raises a lot of questions, and is sure to be discussed here in the coming days.

Based on the nature of the questioning, and the presence of Mason's film crew, GA wonders if Beth Mason may have actually been coordinating with the plaintiff's attorney AGAINST THE INTERESTS OF THE CITY.

Which raises these questions.
Has Mason ever communicated with the plaintiff's attorney, Catherine Elston, on this case?

Has Mason ever offered her any information- even emails- for use in her case AGAINST THE CITY?

Has there been ANY coordination of ANY kind between Mason and Elston, either directly or through intermediaries?

And if the City's Attorney objected to the presence of cameras, why didn't he plaintiff's attorney? Was it because she already knew who had sent them? That they were 'friendly' to her client?

And of course, will sMason be called to testify?

Well, the entire discussion seems to be one SOME don't want to have.

So keep talking, people.

Helping 4th Ward Voters

2012-01-19T15:53:00.016-05:00

It may surprise some folks to know that there is no constitutionally-protected right to vote.

True.

Sure, we have Amendments to the U.S. Constitution that prohibit discrimination based on race (15th), sex (19th) and age (26th), but no actual right to vote exists.

Because there is no right to vote in the U.S. Constitution, individual states set their own electoral policies and procedures. This leads to confusing and sometimes contradictory policies regarding ballot design, polling hours, voting equipment, voter registration requirements, and ex-felon voting rights. As a result, our electoral system is divided into 50 states, more than 3,000 counties and approximately 13,000 voting districts, all separate and unequal.

Here in Hoboken we are living with separate and unequal.

With 6 different voting wards, each divided into districts, some vote in schools or in their buildings: Church Towers and Marineview, for example. For most the process is reasonable- one doesn't have to stand in prohibitively long lines and enough (working) machines are provided.

Well, guess what?

The 4th Ward has the largest number of registered voters by far- 2,500. And 4-2 has about 3 times the number of voters that state law permits (500-750).

GA has heard that voting in 4-2, is HELLISH. There's no polling place there so voters go to a polling place in 4-3, which is (naturally) badly overcrowded. Long, slow, lines. Up to an hour or MORE wait.

If that's not bad enough, I've heard stories of what I call 'passive voter suppression'; Challengers who excessively nit-pick in order to slow the lines, making them LONGER so voters get disgusted and LEAVE.

This is common tactic used in parts of the 4th Ward that are known Zimmer strongholds to suppress the Reform vote. And I've heard 2 separate eyewitness accounts about one Challenger in particular, who was excessively aggressive and slowed down the lines- Lane Bajardi.

What a surprise.

Well... what to do about this nightmare?

Mayor Zimmer and David Mello to the rescue!

They have filed a LAWSUIT against the County (wooo-hooo!) with hopes that 2 new districts will be added to the 4th Ward before the 2012 presidential election.

FAN-tastic!

From the Mayor's Press Release earlier today and posted on Da Horsey:

In order to ensure that voters in Southwest Hoboken are not again forced to wait in hour long lines at the polls in the upcoming Presidential election, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, City Councilman Dave Mello and two other residents of Hoboken' s 4th Ward,2nd district, filed a lawsuit (docket # C-4-12) seekingto compel Hudson County to comply with State law and to reduce the size of District 4-2.

Mayor Zimmer explained that she felt it was critical that this problem be addressed immediately, given the large turnout that will certainly occur during the upcoming Presidential election. "In 2008 and 2009, 4-2 residents were forced to wait in unacceptably long lines in order to exercise their right to vote," said Mayor Zimmer. "The law is clear, and we must complywith the law and fix the problem now before the Presidential election coming up in November."

You go girl- and boy.

Frankly, I don't see how this could be denied, do you? What could the counter-argument be?

More 4th Ward voter capacity, a streamlined painless process...

GA is waiting to hear 4th ward Councilman Tim Occhipinti's ringing endorsement of this effort to enforce election law in his Ward and encourage more to vote by adding new districts and providing polling places for each.

What do you say, Timmy?

Strike Two!

2012-01-19T12:05:00.006-05:00

Does anyone remember this?

When Timmy Occhipinti told 4th Ward voters he would "stand up for them" in a letter dated Nov 7- he was actually standing in Mike Russo's Ward!

That's right- he thanked the wrong voters! Who voted for another guy. Because he misstated the boundaries of his own ward, thought it was about 6 square blocks bigger. In fact, GA posted this warning to 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo:

It looks like the new 4th Ward City Councilman has declared war on your ward and plans an invasion!

click HERE to read

Well, folks. Lightning has struck twice. Or shall we say, the bell tolls for Tim?

No man is an island,

Entire of itself.

Wanna bet?

Actually, I'm waiting for Timmy to get voted off the island. ding-a-ling....

Don't you DARE say," that's mean, GA! "

I think being a City Council anti-Administration rubber stamp to deny a simple garage refinance to blow a $4.5 million hole (triggering layoffs) in Hoboken's budget is mean, and not bonding a traffic light so our new park/soccer field can open is mean and votes against the hospital sale which left 1,000+ terrified over losing their jobs is mean, and voting down the first resolution to repair faulty wiring and overflowing toilets at the HPD headquarters is mean.

So don't say I'm mean.

People, we get the government we elect, or the one that buys our votes. And if you buy stupid, you get stupid.

And a City Councilman who doesn't know where his own ward is, well... what do you think? Or one that asks our City Directors for a "plan" to clean up graffiti in.... Jersey City. Which Timmy thought was in the 4th Ward ward.

Oye-vey.

It's even harder to imagine he screwed up that border after leading the pre-election "No Gas Pipeline" crusade in which Hoboken's south border was clearly delineated and part of the discussion since as the pipeline ran parallel to the rail yards in Jersey City. Hey Timmy, what are you doing about the graffiti on Sears at Newport mall? And I think I saw some in the Ladies room at BJ's.

Remember this?

Well folks, here's how it began, on January 13th with fanfare on Hoboken411 :

click HERE to read

It's too funny, you've got to read this, the letter he sent to the Mayor, her Directors, Freeholder Romano and the entire City Council:

Directors,

This graffiti is all over the walls of the underpass on Newark Street in the 4th Ward as you enter/exit Hoboken.

I’d like to think that this is one of the “gateways” into Hoboken and this is unacceptable. Graffiti not only lowers property values but this is what visitors and residents see first upon entering our city.

I am not entirely certain whose jurisdiction this falls under so I included Freeholder Romano.

Please work on a corrective action plan to address the graffiti on multiple walls and let me know your course of action to resolve this. I would like you to provide the plan to address this at next week’s council meeting.

Best,
Councilman Occhipinti

Bwaa- HAW HAW....

You thought that was funny? It gets better. read Perry Klaussen's note below:

411 Note: No one at City Hall responded to Councilman Occhipinti’s concerns – however, Hudson County Freeholder Anthony Romano did – and said that it is the city’s responsibility (not the County)...

Kurt Gardiner, future Freeholder candidate, did you write that down?

Hey Timmy, do you know why "no one at City Hall responded" to your concerns? I guess they were busy laughing.

Wait folks, we're not done. Not only does the offending graffiti reside in Jersey City, the defaced property belongs to NJ Transit!

So Timmy, if the graffiti is such an eyesore, why didn't you call your friend from NJ Transit... he LOVES you! In fact, he loved you for $3,000 in your 2010 and 2011 campaigns!

2010 Occhipinti campaign donation from NJ Transit employee

2011 Occhipinti campaign donation from NJ Transit employee

How come you didn't you just ask HIM for a "corrective action plan" to clean up his filthy wall? Why didn't you tell him that the sight was "unacceptable" to the retinas traveling in and out of Hoboken?

Were you afraid he'd stop loving you?

Nah, he'll always love you.

But how do you explain to your constituents that you are standing up for them in Jersey City and Mike Russo's ward, and that you are too lazy to do your own due diligence?

You embarrassed yourself, Tim.

And your NJ Transit pals who now know you've suggested they're neglectful of their own property, and that it is an eyesore to Hoboken travelers. And that you find the condition of their property in jerey City "unnacetable".

Timmy, you only have yourself to blame. Not mean bloggers. Your campaign of self-promotion is what delivered the 'recognition' you're received today... without that this would have flown quietly below the radar. But no, you are a blogger's dream-come-true.

Strike Two!

A Tim Fan on Hoboken411

(Thanks to Da Horsey for cutting the City Council record video.)

GA Exclusive: Timmy's Letter

2012-01-18T20:33:00.010-05:00

Exciting news!

4th Ward Councilman Tim Occhipinti wants to have the graffiti cleaned from the Newark Street entrance into Hoboken and wrote a letter asking for a "corrective action plan!"

Well, GA has obtained an exclusive copy of Tim's letter- you won't read it anywhere else.

Don't fret, citizens of the 4th Ward... Timmy promises the graffiti clean-up will be photographed and posted on his Facebook page.

Connecting Dots

2012-01-18T14:39:00.039-05:00

The Mayor's Jan. 3rd 2012 court testimony filmed by Beth Mason videographer and posted 'exclusively' on Hoboken411.com, branded with his logo. The entire 3:58:58 long clip is being hosted there- GA is told that hosting video streams of that length is NOT cheap. (Why streams are often broken into segments) WHO is paying Hoboken411 for the COST of hosting the nearly 4-HOUR video?

GA watched some of Beth Mason's video of Mayor Zimmer's testimony in the Campbell vs. City of Hoboken lawsuit, after a friend texted me that my name came up.

Well, it was very brief.

GA was the only Hoboken blogger plaintiff's attorney Catherine Elston mentioned. The exchange went like this:

(2:46:30)

Elston: Are you aware of people that blog on your behalf, mayor?

Mayor: There's no one that blogs on my behalf. people in Hoboken state their opinions and sometimes they agree with me and sometimes they disagree with me. No one blogs on my behalf.

Elston: Nancy Pincus doesn't blog on our behalf?(GA Note: BWAAA-HAW-HAW!!! Show me the money, honey!)

Mayor: There's no one that blogs on my behalf.

Elston: You're absolutely sure about that?

Mayor: I'm absolutely certain They're a very active engaged community in Hoboken and they're often stating their opinions and they're not doing it for me.

That was it.

And not the point of this post, but a point of interest because it's odd. Like sticking my name in there was somebody else's agenda item. Hmmm...

But it was just one stroke in the larger picture emerging.

Beginning with yesterday's discovery that Beth Mason hired a videographer to film Mayor Zimmer's testimony.

Not altogether surprising on it's face, not after Mason sent her videographer to film my Board meeting, which Hoboken411's Perry Klaussen 'warned' me about in one of a series of threatening posts:

(F.B.I. guys, I have a whole batch of these. I'd be happy to share my story with you over a falafel at Mamoun's!)

Well, guess what?

That videographer showed up! Courtesy of Beth Mason. Just like I'd been warned. The funny thing was, I'd been recused from the hearing that night and left before the camera stared rolling. So Mason's footage from the evening was never used. Ha!

Think about it, F.B.I. The Klaussen post says "WE'LL see you with a video camera... " not I'll see you with a video camera..."

WE.

Evidence of a conspiracy, no?

Of the kind where someone 'obtains' confidential information from the City and abra-ca-dabra it appears on Hoboken411.com. For example, the "HOBOKEN411 EXCLUSIVE" about the terms of the City's $2 million settlement in the SWAT Team case (F.B.I. guys, read GA's post about that)... hmmmm.

Well guys and gals, YOU'VE got our servers so YOU figure out the chain of custody of this sensitive City business, you tell us HOW this confidential information came to be published on the Mason-sponsored web site.

So, where was I... oh, yes!

Beth Mason's videographer that showed up at the Jan 3rd court appearance of Hoboken Mayor Zimmer.

According to a source, Mason's videographer brought an assistant with him, and neither identified who they were. The City's attorney asked to have them removed unless they were credentialed members of the press. After a conference, the judge made the determination to allow them to stay, and without trying to identify them. However, witnesses recognized the videographer.

Now... this is a very strange law suit. Because the legal arguments seemed to be synced perfectly with the 2010-2012 political strategy of Beth Mason, not the 2010 dismissal of plaintiff Billy Campbell. I listened for about 20 minutes past my own name, and kept thinking: what does ANY of THIS have to do with the firing of Campbell?

At best, the legal argument is highly speculative. But the attacks on Melli read like a Bajardi Hoboken411 hit piece. How appropriately-coincidental the video 'exclusive' appeared there just days later.

Based on the nature of the questioning, and the presence of Mason's film crew, GA wonders if Beth Mason may have actually been coordinating with the plaintiff's attorney AGAINST THE INTERESTS OF THE CITY.

Which raises these questions.

Has Mason ever communicated with the plaintiff's attorney, Catherine Elston, on this case?

Has Mason ever offered her any information- even emails- for use in her case AGAINST THE CITY?

Has there been ANY coordination of ANY kind between Mason and Elston, either directly or through intermediaries?

And if the City's Attorney objected to the presence of cameras, why didn't he plaintiff's attorney? Was it because she already knew who had sent them? That they were 'friendly' to her client?

GA hopes that the City's Attorney feels it appropriate to call Beth Mason to testify, to explain under oath why she has used personal funds to videotape the Mayor and disseminate the tape on an 'unfriendly' web site.

And ask Mason if she has participated in the plaintiffs case AGAINST the City she was elected to govern.

Why?

Because if the plaintiff is arguing that the City fired him to politicize their communications staff, the City can counter that the plaintiff's lawsuit is coordinated political payback and has no merit as such.

Getting the Mayor's chief critic to testify to her participation in the action against the City would prove this point.

Well, GA doesn't get paid $850/hour for obvious reasons. I am sure Not-Stempler will laugh at me later.

I can tell you is this: the link to yesterday's announcement that Mason sent the videographer keeps getting deleted from the nj.com message board. Which means 'her people' don't like questions about Mason's relationship to this case or to the plaintiff's attorney. I call that a smoking gun.

One final point for my F.B.I. friends...

Do you see a behavior pattern here? With the same cast of characters.

Not Far Off?

2012-01-17T16:43:00.007-05:00

Sending a videographer to tape the mayor's court testimony... to leak to the media while many believe she's being watched by the F.B.I. for engaging in such conspiratorial operations, same pattern of funneling material to Hoboken 411.. to post on his cyber- ghost town with an angry screed penned by her not-paid-for-friendship friend...

What's next?

Up To Her Old Tricks

2012-01-17T13:33:00.009-05:00

Was anyone wondering how the Hoboken Reporter got Mayor Zimmer's 4-hour videotaped deposition days prior to the release of the transcript? Oh, you don't know what I mean.

See for yourself, as printed in our local paper:

HOBOKEN -- Hoboken police have made an arrest on a warrant issued for Lane Bajardi, a local politically involved Hoboken resident. The arrest came after he was accused of having allegedly assaulted a local blogger at a Board of Education forum a week ago. Bajardi was charged with robbery because the victim allegedly had his camera taken by Bajardi.

Ooops! I posted the wrong Hudson Reporter article! I hate when I do that.

Here's the correct one:

Attorney debates juicy Hoboken topics with Zimmer; video obtained exclusively by Reporter

Zimmer recently testified for more than four hours in one day in the OAL court regarding the appeal of former city Public Information Officer Bill Campbell’s layoff.

Campbell was hired during the previous mayoral administration and was let go by Zimmer’s administration during the fall of 2010. The mayor had already hired a new city spokesman in May 2010.

While transcripts of the testimony are not expected to become public until later this week, video footage of the mayor’s testimony was obtained exclusively by The Reporter from a source not directly involved in the case.

"juicy?"

C'mon, Ray. Was that you or did your Zimmer-hating Editor, Caren something-or-other slip that in?

Well, we certainly know who your 'source' was. At least GA does.

Beth Mason.

That's according to my source, who is not involved directly in the case, either.

Mason sent her videographer to film the deposition, then gave it to the Reporter to view-only FIRST, to get in in the print edition. And after that, the clinically-dead H411 posted the 4-hr video, with the website's logo watermarked, along with the kind of poisonous invective that killed off his readership.

F.B.I., are you paying attention?

F.B.I., this is the mania of the woman who would go to any length to damage the Mayor. One could imagine that might include reading the Mayor's email and cooking up a City Council resolution to provide 'cover' for such illegally obtained documents.... and of course, funneling such documents through Ricciardi's friend at Hoboken411, with a companion smear by the operative Bajardi.

F.B.I., have you ever found him on a Mason ELEC filing?

No offense Mayor, but if I'm going to sit for a 4-hour video, I'll be watching Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh, not you.

I'm guessing Number 41 will find some use for her 4-hour video, which GA will call 'Gone With the Mind'.... because, you know.

An Irishman Speaks

2012-01-17T10:53:00.006-05:00

...my dear friend, borninhobo. A member of the Dream Team. An Irishman.

How to combat the darkness of human nature, bitter words aimed to wound and scar?

With the words of Saint Patrick himself.

GA will give him the last word.

And in those words the faithful may glean the meaning of his life, which wasn't to sell tickets to a Liebler Hoboken pub crawl.

Here are the words of Saint Patrick, who never attended a house party in Hoboken or paid $20 to get into a Washington Street bar- acts which Hoboken's Parade Committee inextricably tie to the Saint's celebration when they refuse to hold it on a week day.

It is in fact, it's these 36 members of the Parade Committee who have lost their way. Puffed with pride and self-importance. They have stolen the celebration from Hoboken. The celebration of the Saint.

In his own words, the beautiful prayer of St. Patrick, composed by him in preparation for victory over Paganism. The following is a literal translation from the old Irish text:

*note, this prayer can be recited on any day of the week, not only on Saturday

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God's Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe

Thank you, Saint Patrick. And you shall have the last word.

Hate on MLK Day

2012-01-16T18:02:00.016-05:00

So GA returned today from a chilly graveside service in Queens for my 96 year-old (Great) Aunt, in the thoughtful mood such passings evoke.

Heading back to Hoboken, the notion we are 48 years past the day MLK spoke of his dream- civil rights through peaceful and dignified means, makes one realize how far we've come. Because in Hoboken 2012 the 'rights' we're debating are those of bar owners and the St. Patrick's Parade Committee to host their event and a beer-soaked bacchanal on Saturday vs. the rights of residents to safety and a parade on Wednesday.

So that's how far we've come as a society. And how far we've fallen.

Locking horns over a day on the calender.

Such is the debate we're having here. A long, long way from MLK beseeching a nation to come to its senses:

In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

That's the only way.

Unfortunately, NOT the way that the St. Patrick's Parade Committee chose.

Nope, they took a big gulp from the "cup of bitterness"...

We chose not to go to court and not to continue to negotiate over the heavy-handedness of one person. The idea of marching in a parade, in the dark, on a week night, is as insulting as it is unreasonable. While we remain devoted to our heritage, we love our city too much to lower ourselves to the level of those who speak from a place of ignorance and ethnic/religious intolerance.

...and pulled the 'bigot' card from the bottom of the deck. Citing (ethnic/ religious)"intolerance" of "one (Jewish) person" with the LIE that this nasty Jew was forcing them to "march in the dark" (the parade committee was free to pick the time).

Not exactly the "high plane of dignity" MLK spoke about.

But if the St. Patrick's Parade Committee fired the opening salvo, it's been taken to the bottom of the swamp in the anti-Semitic rantings of political operative Lane Bajardi.

Bajadi posts as 'prosbus' on Patch; it's one of many screen names he uses. While GA mainly ignores the dreck that pours from him like a broken sewage pipe, his anti-Semitism can't be.

Of course, such filth is evidence of Zimmer's political strength Her handling of Hurricane Irene was top-notch, she (and the Hospital Authority) saved our hospital, she reduced property taxes by 10%- the most in Hudson County, she got the F.B.I into Hoboken and turned over our City's data banks for the first-ever serious attempt to clean up City Hall.. and the list goes on.

That's why Bajardi needs to use the Dirty Jew strategy. He's got nothing else.

So he's peddling hate and prejudice. He and his buddies are saying the (Jewish) mayor and her allies are anti-Christian, anti-Irish, anti-Italian, anti- (name your ethnicity).

Of course, the people to whom this argument appeals to weren't voting for Zimmer anyway. But the tactic needs to be repudiated.

So, see for yourself. The Face of Hate. In his own words.

He Had a Dream

2012-01-16T08:40:00.001-05:00

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only". We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

-Reverend Matrin Luther King, August 28 1963

Innocents and their Detractors

2012-01-15T11:01:00.010-05:00

credit: Alan Skontra

Look at those wonderful signs. Isn't that nice? From Patch:

Students from Hoboken Charter and three other schools walked on Friday morning in the 14th annual March on Washington Street to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

The students, who also came from All Saints, Elysian and Stevens Cooperative School, marched along Washington Street from Hoboken Charter, located near Seventh Street, to the steps of City Hall. The Hoboken Police Department closed the south bound lane of traffic for the march.

The students and their teachers carried signs, sang songs and chanted “freedom” and “MLK”.

We have great kids in this city. Smart, talented, socially conscious. Good students who work hard.

And the adults? Not so much. (Except for you. And me).

Well, actually most of the adults here are just fine. But a handful cause a disproportionate amount of chaos, spraying the air with their poison like feral cats marking turf. Lately they've saved their most toxic treatment for Hoboken's kids. GA can tell you this is true, as my kid is routinely bashed in the trashing of student performance in our public schools and trashing of their administrators.

pencil sketch by LA (Little Avenger), age 9

And such hyper-partisan social misanthropes bash from without and from within.

How does one explain a sitting School Board member who blasts the performance of the schools she was elected to govern, attacks fellow Board members, insults and demeans Hoboken's School Superintendent by calling him "weak" and a "turnip"?

Superintendant Toback, this Board member is really gunning for you.

GA's amazed no disciplinary action has been taken against the repeated misconduct of this one Board member- and under her own name.

But this is Hoboken. Land of no consequences.

Which is why the crowd that follows rules and respects the law waits for the F.B.I. to do something. Again.

And they will.

But unlike some, GA thinks it's going to take time, a lot more time than 'expected'. So much in fact, that those with the most to worry about will be lulled into a false sense of their own omnipotence. Good.

One is already there, posting under a dizzying array of screen names in a manner surely to offend the judge at his federal pre-sentencing hearing. Remorse? No, not that one. He lacks the essential conscientiousness of wrongdoing and shame to warrant special consideration. No that one will do time. Well, I'll wait for Not-Stempler's insight on that subject.

So... what started this riff?

That pic. Of the kids in all their innocence and essential goodness. Knowing how debased their enemies are, and the depths to which they'll go to harm our school district and attack progress.

Waaa! We Want our Crime Wave!

2012-01-14T09:30:00.031-05:00

Said the Hoboken St. Patrick's Parade Committee in a specious announcement yesterday.

"Waaaaaa! No binge drinking, no PARADE!"

Worse, they BLAMED the mayor, as though it were HER decision to cancel the event, called her "intolerant".

Damn straight.

She is INTOLERANT of the CRIME WAVE that the event unleashes on our City every year.

She is INTOLERANT of the tsunami of non-residents responsible for this crime wave done under the pretense of a 'proud tradition' ( 94% of those arrested on parade day 2011 were non-Hoboken residents)

She is INTOLERANT of sexual assaults on Hoboken residents, destruction of our private property and the hostility of the atmosphere for those who simply wish to go about their business unaccosted.

If the Hoboken St. Patrick's Parade Committee were sincere in defense of their "celebration of Irish heritage" then they would understand how greedy bar owners have allowed it to be debased into an annual 'anything goes' drunk-fest and would wish to protect the community from the invasion of out-of-towners, who (literally) piss on Hoboken, then leave.

If the Hoboken St. Patrick's Parade Committee were sincere in defense of their "celebration of Irish heritage" then they wouldn't have LIED to the public: "The idea of marching in a parade, in the dark, on a week night, is as insulting as it is unreasonable."

BALONEY.

GA was informed that the City told the Parade Committee that the parade schedule was "up to them". Which means THEY would choose WHEN to march and not the City. THEY would choose to march in the DARK.

You get it?

They SPECIOUSLY blame the MAYOR for forcing them to march in the dark, weaving this manufactured diss into an act of "intolerance".

Hideous.

My Irish-and-proud red-headed, freckled friend called this antisemitism. I call it the start of the 2013 mayoral campaign.

Has GA made it clear that the Wednesday parade day was a GO until the Waaaaa-Committee cancelled it under the hideous pretext of an assault on their heritage?

Look at the phoniness of that argument.

The NYC St. Patrick's Day parade is held on March 17th of every year at 11am- last year that was THURSDAY.

11 am. On a week day. What's the problem, Hoboken?

Why can't Hoboken's Parade Committee get a divorce from the bar scene?

That's the question that should be asked.

Can the parade committee celebrate their heritage without the attendant non-residents' drinking binge starting at 8:30 am?

For the really thirsty, GA's heard Hoboken bars are open on Wednesday, too.

Doesn't the parade committee care that their "celebration of Irish Heritage" has been beaten and bloodied in the national media, mocked, because of the crime wave that washes in from out-of-town?

From The New York Times:

Last year the police arrested 34 people after the parade, and two women told the authorities that they were sexually assaulted.

Many of the charges involved punching police officers. Some involved vandalism — breaking a screen window with a bat, for example. In another instance, partiers on a balcony threw a flower pot on firefighters answering a call about a backyard blaze.

From the Huffington Post:

Only time will tell if the bridge-and-tunnel crowd will resume their annual public urination festival this year. Never been? We provide some clips below.

I think the rest of the country gets it. And I'll tell you why this is a wet noodle as a political weapon against the mayor in 2013.

GA will let you in on a secret. Come closer.

The constituency least likely to vote for Zimmer: BnRs, older residents LIKE the parade but HATE the attendant parade day chaos. Hate it. Hate the tsunami of inconsiderate 20-somethings who swamp THEIR city and make trouble, litter the streets.

This constituency largely, silently support the decision to move the parade to Wednesday.

Shhhhh... don''t tell anyone.

And for those Hoboken residents who LIKE the parade, the Mayor didn't cancel it. The Hoboken St. Patrick's Waaa-Committee did.

Somebody tell David Liebler.

More: the disappointed masses who come from out of town don't vote here. Let them get sloppy elsewhere.

GA hopes the Waaaa-Committee reverses their decision so they can have a dignified Wednesday celebration of their Irish Heritage.

GA loves my Irish brothers and sisters out there.

A special shout-out to Deirdre Wall, proud Irish-Canadian, freckled red head and Hoboken resident. I hope you get your Wednesday parade.

G-d Bless the Irish.