Mindak, Councilman Tim & NJ Transit (Oh, Boy)

Uh-oh.  Didn't I warn you about me yesterday, Joe?

This is exactly what GA tried to tell you.  Yesterday's innocent event to beautify the gateway to our city is today's suck-up to an Occhipinti campaign donor who needs City Council buy-in to develop a parcel of land.   

Joe honey, do you really think anyone at NJ Transit gives a hoot about your magazine?    

This is what it's about:

NJ Transit presented their proposal to the City Council on September 5, 2012-  credit: The Jersey Journal

And this, too:

NJ Transit Guy gives $2,000 to 2010 Occhipinti campaign

And (have you gotten one of these yet?)...

NJ Transit Guy gives $1,000 to 2011 Occhipinti campaign

As you can see from the above rendering, NJ Transit's vision for this development (higher) is at odds with the City's (lower).

And if you win in November, you will be the City, you will be the redevelopment agency for this land.

Do you think it's a good idea for Mindak the Political Candidate to have mixers with NJ Transit reps and a City Council member who takes large contributions from them? 
 
Now, GA's heard you're a good guy, so I'll trust some of this is the learning curve of a private citizen transitioning to a public, political candidate.   But as I wrote yesterday, you will be judged by those whose company you keep. So you need t get up to speed on who your new pals are and the lens through which you will be perceived.

All I can say is, this doesn't smell good. P-U.

Which, by the way, never stopped the shameless Tim Occhipinti, whose 2010 campaign is still under investigation at the NJ Attorney General's office for voter fraud. (Did you know that Tim had 575 paid campaign workers in an election where only 2076 ballots were cast, with a 79/80 ration of $40 paid workers submitting VBMs?)

So, let's imagine a voter fraud indictment comes down from the NJ AG's Office in a month, and there you are, a City Council candidate, holding an event with Tim Occhipinti and NJ Transit- an Occhipinti campaign donor... that's the kind of thing you need to think about.

Personally, I suspect you're being used by some very scummy people, who are trying to market themselves to a shiny, new audience;  you're their Trojan horse.  And once they breech the fortresses of Maxwell Place, the Shipyard and so on, let the looting and pillaging begin!  Trust me, these people will own you.  So please do your homework about your new friends.

GA and MSV are not The Devil.  The devils are The Devil.  We just keep it real.

Do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into? 

Representatives from NJ Transit and Wallace Roberts & Todd, the architectural firm hired by the city to plan the development, presented their separate visions for the 52-acre parcel of land owned by NJ Transit to the City Council last night.

The city, which is the redevelopment agency for the land, has been pushing for a plan to help keep the character of Hoboken intact. A year after the city deemed the land an area in need of redevelopment in 2007, NJ Transit released a plan for 9.2 million square feet of development, including 50-story and 70-story buildings along Observer Highway.

Last night, both parties presented their plans, which after “a lot of collaboration,” have become more similar.

“New Jersey Transit’s plan is now more reflective about what the citizens of Hoboken have demanded,” said Hoboken Councilman David Mello.

While both sides have made strides in coming closer to a mutual agreement, there is still a long way to go before an agreement is reached.

In the NJ Transit plan presented last night, there would be 3 million square feet of development, 800,000 square feet more than the city’s plan.

The largest discrepancy between the two plans is the height of residential buildings that would be placed on the west end of Observer Highway.

NJ Transit hopes to build a 27-story complex there, 15 stories higher than the city has proposed.

There is also a large disagreement over how tall a commercial building located on the eastern portion of Observer Highway closest to the terminal should be.

In its plan, NJ Transit proposed a 27-story building, while the city countered with a 19-story building.

By the way, GA may submit a mural entry in your NJ Transit joint venture.  For the record, I've never taken a penny from NJ Transit.

Has NJ Transit given your ticket a contribution?