Nitpicking Nabobs of Negativism

Ravi Bhalla gets sworn in as City Council President

Sometimes a  simple, barely-noticed gesture captures the essence of a thing.

The 'thing' here is the petty, vindictive nature of the Reform majority opposition and the dysfunction of the City Council as a whole to operate unimpeded for the good of the City.

The 'gesture' was a raised middle finger to a vendor who works for the City-- withholding payment to them for a 3rd consecutive month.

Why?  

Because of the vendor's three monthly line item charges submitted to the City Council for payment approval- identical amounts- only one had a month written down, May 2011.  The months were omitted from other 2 line item charges.

Arch Liston, the Business Administrator, confirmed that the 3 charges, approx $80+K totaling approx $240+K, were legitimate, the vendor had performed the invoiced work and that the charges were fair.  He further noted that withholding payment another month would only increase the amount the City owed.  Logical. 

So which vendor was it?

The one that performs Central parking operations.  Ian Sacs' domain.

Whose objections stopped the overdue payment from being issued?  Beth Mason and Timmy the Peeping Tom of Texting.

Getting the picture?

Mason and Timmy gave Sacs a kick in the nuts by withholding yet another payment to 'his' vendor.   Payback to Liston for not apprising Mason that she neglected to put a meeting date on her budget amendment resolution.  Punishment to Zimmer by making her administration look unreliable.

What does this actually do?

Stiffing people who work hard for you doesn't not incentivize them to keep up the good work.  It also causes friction in the client (City) relationship which perhaps effects negotiations going forward.

GA doesn't see a reason NOT to pay someone for the work they've done.  In fact it's a no-brainer.  Ask Mike Novak, business owner and President of the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce, how it feels when a client stiffs him for 3 months. As a business owner ask Novak how it incentivizes a business owner to cooperate with a non-paying client.

Note the non-payment is due to the client's internal book keeping oversight, having nothing to do with the work they've performed for you.

This really struck me.

Punishing nameless, faceless people- here a business owner-  as symbols of your political opponents in a petty act which can only hurt the City and those who rely on the services of the unpaid vendor.

And this business owner getting stiffed has to meet his own payroll and expenses another month- number FOUR- with empty coffers.

Nice work, Mason and her organ-grinder's monkey.

We WILL pay this vendor.

But not until Mason's nasty, petty itch gets scratched.  Timmy Tool just follows orders- until he veers off-script.  These are Hoboken's nitpicking nabobs of negativism.

Welcome to yesterday.