Based on GA's brief exchange with Mason's personal videographer, 'Tim' the other night, combined with his odd behavior, I strongly urge those assigned with the Mayor's security to get his ID, then run a full criminal background check.
Why?
After being dispatched to lurk outside the mayor's home (she's got 2 young sons) this pursuit of a 'money shot' has not only crossed a line, but my contact with him on Tuesday night impressed upon me that something is seriously off.
Perhaps his employer, Beth Mason would be willing to provide his identification, if asked. Our Public Safety Director can obtain this from her.
If Mason is not cooperative, I would hold her responsible for anything that her employee does to the 'subjects' of his lens.
GA suspects Mason dispatched her employee on Tuesday night to provoke an incident. After civil, benign words to the Mason videographer, he threatened he would "get the police" because I was "looking at him".
GA smelled a set-up, a stunt.
An orchestrated distraction... a familiar tactic used by the gang of THUGS that Beth Mason is known to employ.
Does anybody remember this?
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| One of the STALKER pics taken by then 18-year old Matt Calicchio in 2007 |
On Friday, Zimmer was walking her dog when she got into an argument with an 18-year-old wanna-be paparazzi. Campos initially said he didn't know who the amateur photographer was; now it turns out it's Matthew Calicchio, the little brother of one of his supporters. The Campos campaign says they no longer want to talk about the incident. It's obvious that the confrontation between Zimmer and an 18-year-old wanna-be paparazzi on Friday was a political stunt - but it's hard to say which candidate it was intended to help.
In an exclusive interview with Calicchio, the 18-year-old tells The Jersey Journal that he saw Zimmer walking her dog on Friday around 5:15 p.m. near First and Madison streets, and he took her picture because the dog did its business on the sidewalk but she didn't pick it up. However, Zimmer denies that she didn't pick up after her dog, and Calicchio couldn't provide the newspaper with a picture of the act in question nor its aftermath.
Calicchio then filed a simple assault complaint against Zimmer, saying she cursed at him, grabbed his wrist and tried to snatch away his camera. Zimmer denies that also, saying at first she smiled and bantered with Calicchio as he snapped away, but became frustrated because he kept moving in front of her to block her path.
She says she asked him where he lives, and he said the Fifth Ward - though he's apparently registered to vote in the Fourth Ward. (His older brother told the newspaper they are moving to an apartment on Marshall Drive that is currently being renovated.) She also asked his name, but Calicchio told her he didn't have one.
In the police report, which you can view on Hoboken411 along with Zimmer's handwritten account of what she said happened, Calicchio doesn't say anything to police about a dog. He says he wanted to take Zimmer's picture because he is interested in politics.
Calicchio told our own Carly no one told him to take pictures of Zimmer; he also said that Campos is "a great guy" but he doesn't work for the campaign. However, his older brother Nick Calicchio - a city employee (actually, we're now told he is NOT a city employee) - does work for Campos.
Guess who Matt Calicchio works for now?
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| Photo credit: MSV |
BETH MASON.
Folks, that's how these people roll. They create incidents to slime opponents. They bully, intimidate. Because they're THUGS. With cameras.
The Mason videographer's threat to call the police was so over-the-top, disproportionate and strange that GA could smell something bad.
After hearing that Mason dispatched this very strange person to the HOME of Mayor Zimmer, and that he lurks in the City Council Chambers, I URGE those responsible for the security of our elected officials to VET this oddball.
Find out WHO he is.
Certainly, anyone is allowed to film public meetings. If that is really what they are doing.
But the stalking behavior outside the Mayor's house and threats to call police for being 'looked at' aren't 'normal' so those responsible for protecting our elected officials must vet this character or be responsible for what he may do.
Find out who this guy is.
Start with Beth Mason.
Tim ____?, as a hired videographer is not a member of the public. Training his lens on one member of a board is distracting and therefore disrupting. The ZBA chairman and the ZBA attorney must ask him to leave and never return with a camera.
ReplyDeleteUnlike the Grand Guignol theatre that is city council with paid, (some might say "bought") elected officials, the Hoboken Zoning Board of Adjustment is quasi-judicial. Expert witnesses give sworn testimony. Applicants wait a very long time to get on this agenda, some pay dearly for special meetings. The ZBA is made up of volunteer board members, who, having been appointed, not elected, are not public figures and they must be able to carry out their duties without paid stalkers lurking in the room to threaten and intimidate them in this venue, at their own homes or anywhere else.
Beth Mason may have gobs of her husband's money to waste in this way, but she and they are morally and ethically bankrupt. No amount of dough fixes that problem. The Mason's can daven until they need a Dramamine, it ain't gonna help.
No Beth, your husband's cash may buy votes, some elections, sycophants and friends in low places, but it can't buy status, class, a clean track-record, a clear conscience, a sense of ethics and morals - and, in your case, certainly not good taste.
What it can buy, however, is the best psychiatric care in the world.
I think the next city council meeting must include direct questioning of Beth Mason to ascertain whether or not this is her employee. We at least deserve the satisfaction of knowing that the buck stops someplace.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, having someone hanging outside people's homes and staring a hole in a single board member under the ruse of "filming a ZBA meeting" takes on a far more sinister aspect.
Put up or shut up, Beth Mason.
Does he work for you or do we have a complete stranger in our midst who does not appear to live here and behaves in an extremely disturbing manner?
Would you be comfortable, Ms Mason, if a stranger who does not appear to live here stood outside your home filming the comings and goings, including those of your daughters?
You can see then why we need to know and are entitled to know whether you are the one who has paid for and dispatched this stranger -who does not appear to live here nor too have a genuine personal interest in the proceedings where he appears- to private homes and public meetings where his presence has been anything but comforting to his would-be targets.
Once again, you are an elected representative,
not simply a private citizen. As the latter, you may say, too bad, I haven't broken the law and I don't feel like answering the question. As the former, an elected representative, the bar is quite a bit higher as to accountability to the public, especially in matters of public safety. The public -which you serve- is entitled to know whether to regard this individual as a potential threat to public safety or whether we may rest assured that he is merely yet another of your paid operatives and has been vetted by you as to the public's safety.
I sense any such questioning of Queen Mason will result in many loud "EXCUUUUUUUSE ME?"s and her muttering "release the emails" over and over again.
DeleteBeth Mason really is a waste of carbon matter. And you're right Redrider, the endless loop of tiresome statements will be great fodder for her opponent when she runs for councilman, mayor, assemblyman, senator, queen of the universe, or whatever. Starting with the two you named, here are some of those insane refrains:
Delete"Excuuuse meee?"
"Release the emails!"
"With all do respect!"
"I need more information!"
and my favorite: "Unless there's proof otherwise, I'm going to say...."
Some excellent points made by Oracle & HL.
DeleteJust how long must the insanity be tolerated before some appropriate action is taken?
Indeed, someone does well to question Mason, on the record, in her own "language," as in:
"Excuse me, with all due respect, I need more information. Because unless there's proof otherwise, I'm going to say 'Tim the videographer' is actually in your employ. Please answer the following questions."
And that "employ" includes her various "derivatives," as in "Tim" possibly "sub-contracted" to any of the detritus (t/a human beings) she has engaged for her twisted bidding.
MBB suggests folks coordinate to carefully formulate the list of necessary questions, to best stave off subterfuge. (Though her usual histrionics are probably unavoidable & might at least provide some black comedy.) And be prepared to query as a sort of "tag team," in case the public portion time-limit/person is insufficient for one person to gather all the needed information.
And how's the recall effort going?