Pool-itics- UPDATED

Folks, that's quite a show playing on Cablevision's Channel 77; GA urges you to watch it if you can.

What you will see is a baptism of the uninitiated in the unholy waters of Hoboken politics- which for  this discussion I'll call pool-itics.

What do I mean?

Two prominent, apolitical parent-activists were 'played' by a seasoned politician and an aspiring one.  The dads were unwittingly duped into a performance at the April 17th School Board meeting in which they have embarrassed themselves, the fine organizations they represent, and provided a 'campaign issue' for the political duo.

GA does not blame the parents here. But they are not entirely off the hook, as you will see. 

Now, if anyone is reading GA for the first time, here is what I am: a mom of a Wallace school 4th-grader, die-hard supporter of public education and activist for good government.   All the stuff I blog about.

And I too am on a jihad for a Hoboken community pool- see here and here and here and here and here and here.  In fact, here is one suggestion I made with respect to converting a giant sinkhole on Sinatra Drive into our long-awaited community pool:

What do you think?

The City didn't care for my plan and the hole's been since been filled.

Well, you know what they say: one man's road is another's magnificent swimming hole with a panoramic view of Manhattan plus a   water slide.

So you see that this issue is near and dear to my heart. 

Just like those two dads who came to the BoE on April 17th with that third one and waded unknowingly into the ugly waters of Hoboken pool-itics.

Here's the story.

Part 1- The Duped Dads

Hoboken businessman Joe Branco is currently running for Hoboken Housing Authority (HHA) Commissioner- an appointment to be determined by a vote of the City Council at their next meeting.  As an HHA Commissioner, Branco will essentially be Board Member Carmelo Garcia's 'boss' because, Carmelo is also the Executive Director of the HHA.

And guess what?

Branco and Garcia are best friends. 

Carmelo Garcia and Joe Branco helping HHA residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

Nice, right?

Joe's done good things with his buddy Carmelo for our community- but what occurred on April 17 wasn't one of them.

On April 17, Branco came to the School Board meeting with the aforementioned dads- I'll call them Dad No.1 and Dad No. 2. 

Dad No. 1 runs an online dad's group, which Branco belongs to.   

Dad No. 2 represented himself as the husband of the founder of a new Hoboken mommy-site.

So why did these 2 Dads come to the BoE meeting spittin' mad?

Back in January, Dad No. 1 had contacted Marty Shannon,  HHS Athletic Director  to arrange a date for a group of kids to use the HHS swimming pool.  Here is the online Use-of-Facilities application that Dad No.1 was provided with in January:

See that?  The applicant is required to read and comply with all terms specified by the BoE's Use of Facilities Guidelines.   Which state:

Clear enough?  Insurance is required for "all outside users".  Further, Shannon instructed Dad No.1 that insurance for any outside group was required.

What SHOULD have happened next?

Dad No. 1 obtains his insurance and submits the form to Shannon.  The matter then goes to the BoE Finance Committee because this matter is under the purview of the Business Administrator.  The Finance Committee then puts the request on the School Board agenda.  Lastly, the pool request could have been discussed and voted on at a January or February School Board meeting.

But that didn't happen.

Then what DID?

Dad No. 1 advertised the event on Dad No. 2's mommy-blog- without BoE review or approval.    Dad No.1  never obtained  insurance to use the pool nor was the Use-of-Facilities application returned. Thus, the BoE was never notified about the effort to book the HHS pool.  Consequently, the matter was never introduced in the Finance Committee  to put the Dads' on the Agenda for approval.

NONE of the Board members even knew about the Dads' efforts to swim in the HHS-- except Carmelo Garcia. Apparently through off-line discussions.  One assumes with his friend, Branco.
 Pool-itics.  And so the Dads get duped.  Because either they were given inaccurate information- that their insurance would be covered by the Brandt PTO- or appropriate advice was withheld- that they needed to obtain insurance.

Dad No. 1 claimed that he was 'told' he would be covered under the 'Brandt PTO's insurance'.

WHO the hell told him this?

The Brandt PTO HAS NO INSURANCE.  Carmelo must know that.  Carmelo who has been on the BoE for 12 years and has to know that ANY GROUP that uses the HHS pool requires insurance. And that PTO's don't carry insurance for the HHS pool.

Instead of being helpful, he chose pool-itics. 

GA has no doubt that these Dads were used for a political stunt to make ONE Board member look like a hero, with his "WIN-WIN" proposal to CHANGE THE FACILITIES INSURANCE REQUIREMENT on the fly AT the April 17th meeting.   
   
And it worked. 

Because in the words of Dad No.1:  

"It seems there's just one Board member, Carmelo Garcia that puts Kids First."

Yup, he said that.  Pool-itics, baby.

Yes, Dads 1 and 2 you were DUPED.   

GA is sorry, because I am a parent- like you, would do anything for my child- like you, and want my kid to be able to swim in a nice pool- like you. But here's what you need to own up to:

Dad No. 1: a minimum of due diligence would have cleared up any question about whose responsibility it was to obtain insurance in January.  Superintendent Toback's telephone number is 2 clicks within reach. No excuses.  Repeatedly accusing the Board of mean-spirited behavior and not providing you with answers for "11 weeks"?  C'mon.  GA would have found out the answer in 11 minutes.  Read my blog.

Dad No. 2: you spoke incredibly disrespectfully to the Board.  You threatened to replace a good and decent member of the School Board after introducing yourself as representing your wife's (apolitical) mommy-site.  Bad idea- I hear your wife is  lovely woman who's working hard on what appears to be a terrific resource for Hoboken families.  To say a childless Board member or any other childless person out there can't understand what not having use of a pool means has hurt many people.  That was truly inappropriate.

Part 2- Pool-itics

GA was told by a reliable source:

Joe Branco has said if he is not appointed to the HHA, he's taking Kids First down.

Well, well.   If that's the case, the first salvo has been fired.   Branco brought two prominent Dads to bash the (Kids First) School Board and create a scenario under which his best friend ON the School Board is a HERO with a 'win-win' solution.

Mind you, Carmelo's win-win solution would have resulted in our insurance company dropping us like a rock.

But you know, that doesn't matter.

And that's Hoboken Pool-itics101.

(Updated, 4:30 pm)

Hmmm... more information coming in about whether Dad #1 was in fact duped or is a political partisan who was on board with the STUNT.

Stay tuned.