GA's Truthteller Award Winner


...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!



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.

Comments

  1. Welcome back Dave, you were missed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Solution, by Bertolt Brecht

    After the uprising of the 17th June
    The Secretary of the Writers Union
    Had leaflets distributed in the Stalinallee
    Stating that the people
    Had forfeited the confidence of the government
    And could win it back only
    By redoubled efforts. Would it not be easier
    In that case for the government
    To dissolve the people
    And elect another?

    ReplyDelete

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