Mello Gets the Hatchet


To prove GA's point that The Hoboken Reporter is in the tank for Beth Mason and the anti-Zimmer political machine, that it's new reporter takes dictation from Mason operative James Barracato, one only has to look BACK to their 2007 coverage of Councilman Michael Russo's appointment to the HHA.

And compare it to how they treated Councilman Dave Mello this week.

I don't blame the writer, Stephen LaMarca. This was an Editorial decision.  

GA (and Horsey) had a good relationship with Ray Smith.

This new guy, Editor Gene Richings, doesn't like the Reform blogs- clear from the questions Horsey and I received last week-  and now he takes a hatchet to a Zimmer-ally on the City Council, Dave Mello, on the cover this week.

If you don't believe GA, see for yourself.

Here's how the HR covered Councilman Russo's appointment to the HHA back in 2007.  The headline:


Here's how  the HR covered Councilman Mello's in 2012- with this headline:


Here are the captions about the respective HHA appointment interspersed throughout the articles:

2007-
His goals 
One-strike eviction policy 
Housing in three wards 
Another mayoral candidate 
Lenz vs. Russo

2012-
‘You’re very far from the transparent government you profess to be.’ – Councilwoman Theresa Castellano (actual large font)
Best man for the job?

Are you starting to catch on?
 
This is how the 2007 piece covered the  process by which Councilman Russo was chosen.
There was a disagreement by some during the course of Monday's meeting over who should receive the appointment.
Certain members of the public called for Zimmer to be appointed, since that seat often (but not always) goes to the 4th Ward councilperson.
Mind you, the City Council has appointed one of their own to represent the city on the HHA for at least the last 20 years. The process this week was no different than it was 5 years ago.  

EXCEPT for the Hoboken Reporter's coverage.

This is how the 2012 piece covered it- the article focused entirely on the process- casting it in a sinister light, and on the hurt feelings of a candidate who was not chosen:
The City Council majority, plus Councilwoman Beth Mason, voted to appoint Councilman David Mello to the Hoboken Housing Authority during its meeting Wednesday, following a debate over the validity of the appointment process. Mello will serve until May 2017. 
 HHA candidate Joseph Branco, a member of the Hoboken Rotary Club and owner of the nightclub Room 84, said during the public portion that he felt “slighted” that Mello’s name was put on the appointment resolution before his.

“I feel that as a homeowner, business owner, and reformer, [that] I’ve been slighted,” said Branco. “The [four] people that applied for this position should be considered. That’s not what happened. Are we deliberately misleading the public? Was my application ever actually reviewed?”

Resident Patricia Waiters and the minority members of the council, Occhipinti and Castellano echoed Branco’s sentiments.
There you go. Try to find where (2012) The Hoboken Reporter gave ANY context for the tradition of a City Council member having a seat on the HHA.

You won't.

ALL the ink in this piece goes to making the appointment of Mello look like City Council majority cronyism, like a "backroom deal".

Instead of noting that THIS HHA seat, a 5-year appointment, last went to:

City Councilwoman Nellie Moyeno
City Councilman Ruben Ramos
City Councilman Chris Campos
City Councilman Michael Russo

 And now it's going to Councilman Dave Mello.

Why didn't the Hoboken reporter provide ANY historical context for the selection of a City Council member, but instead chose to highlight the CC selection as a "backroom deal"? 

GA has the answer.

Because the HR has allowed itself to replace Hoboken411 as Mason political media machine, taking dictation from Mason operative James Barracato and not speaking to sources on the OTHER side.

Like Ray Smith used to do.

Hoboken Reporter's source for political coverage: Mason operative,James Barracato

And the Hoboken Reporter has the NERVE to  challenge the blogs as "divisive" or inflaming the political divide?

You've taken a SIDE on that political divide.  You've BECOME THE STORY.

If you want credibility then go back to reporting not taking dictation from political operatives.

Barracato attacks bloggers on nj.com under numerous screen names INCLUDING smartnup and horsesbehind- and here, under his own name. He used to run HudsonShark.com- a Hudson County political attack blog.  Hudson Reporter- ask GA about that.  I've got screenshots galore.

Comments

  1. I don't even know where to start...there is so much in GA's excellent piece to be outraged about. For the moment, I will say that Hoboken has the worse, nihilistic hypocrites I've ever witnessed in my 50 + years lifetime. I will also say that I am most disappointed and disturbed with the ever-increasingly outlandish and unacceptable behavior of that great pillar of Reform, Joe Branco. Another big phoney who hung with Reform when it suited his purposes...now, that he wants a seat on the HHA which has historically been held by a Council member residing in the 4th Ward, he's turned on Mayor Zimmer, the head of Reform, and her appointees and supporters. What you did at the last Council meeting really stinks, Joe. Frankly, I thought you were a lot smarter than you appear to be...you've been played like a Stradivarius by Castellano, Russo, Occhipinti, Mason and the rest of their tawdry crowd, Joe. They used your "best friend", Carmello, to pump you up about getting on board at the HHA and "taking down" Kids First. First the Old Guard flipped the dim-witted Occhipinti, the original "Back Room Deal" member of Council, then it flipped Franz Paetzhold who may be really smart but has the judgment of a slug... now the Old Guard has flipped you, Joe and you don't even know it yet. I've got to go and take some aspirin now...these creeps have given me a major headache.

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  2. Ga,

    One of the worst examples of editorializing in an alleged "news" article I have seen. If the Disreporter's bias was nto clear from the planned hit job that you exposed, it certainly is now. I guess that this is what we have to look forward to - Fin Boy and his mistress making up stories and inventing "scandals" that dont exist in order to deflect attention away from their atrociously abysmal attempts to financially ruin Hoboken. You know Sullivabitch, GA, so ask him why every article he wriotes abotu the Myro has to have a dig about her eventual "failure"? Who says that she is going, or is destined, to "fail"?

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  3. It's laughable that the Old Guard would think there's even an iota of a qualification comparison between Mello and Branco.

    Mello is an attorney who chooses to teach in an inner-city public school, with a proven track record of serving Hoboken impeccably.

    Branco is a bar owner and political opportunist with low friends in high places.

    No contest.

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  4. Also worth mentioning - Moyeno, Ramos, and Campos all three served as City Council president during their terms on HHA. But now somehow it is just a bridge too far.

    What's changed? 2 things.

    1) It's Mello instead of Russo, Campos, or Ramos.

    2) Hoboken411 is basically washed up as a force in Hoboken. So Mason is moving in on the Hoboken Reporter. And the two stooges - Editor Richings and Reporter LaMarca are fine with that.

    Can't wait to see how they cover the indictments. "Is the FBI really qualified to investigate crime?" Should be inadvertently hilarious once again.

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  5. Michael Russo didn't even attend the meeting and yet he's quoted by the Hudson Reporter. Worse, the Hudson Reporter never made mention of why Russo was being replaced or the fact of his corrupt comments on the HHA in the FBI surveillance video.

    They made sure to avoid any mention of Russo's comments about getting Hector Claveria on to the HHA board.

    They didn't even mention Mello was voted in 6-2.

    How convenient.

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