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| Uh-oh. Poor Ruben! |
GA's seen a recent uptick in traffic from areas outside of Hoboken, from Bergen and Essex County to Trenton.
One reason may be the fate of HUD's Vision 20/20 Plan to redevelop the HHA. Millions of dollars in contracts are at stake. The Executive Director's shepherding of the project to fruition now seems uncertain. Years-old practices of the HHA administration are under new scrutiny by a Reform-majority HHA Board, Reform bloggers and a Reform administration. Of course, the real 'action' is happening beyond the reach of bloggers and at the DCA and HUD. You and I will be the last to know.
The other: November 5, 2013.
Yesterday, GA pondered what was behind Councilwoman Beth Mason's citywide phone poll. I wrote it signaled: (1) Mason was running Timmy for Mayor and (2) "Mason wants to drag national party affiliation and party loyalties into our local non-partisan mayoral race.... If the Councilwoman gets her way, you'll think that Christie is running for mayor of Hoboken, not Zimmer. Expect a TV ad campaign, and don't be surprised if she buys network airtime with the usual cable. This is all about brushing up her Democratic Party bonafides as she continues to seek a path to Washington D.C.. "
Well, GA's post caught the attention of a political insider who I'll call 'Insider'. Insider contacted me and laid out the Dark Side's November strategy:
Your close on the Mason Tim angle.Hysterical!
Mason wants Tim to run for Mayor so she can pick his ticket. They know he can't win but would put all their effort into winning at least one at large seat so they could take back control and she could get the council Pres.back.
She is polling Dem/Rep because they figure Zimmer will endorse Christie and they can make the whole ballot a Dem/Rep fight. State wide Dems can use her money in a proxy fight in Hoboken. Zimmer goes Christie. Mason Walks with Buouno down Washington street.
They have blown so much smoke up Tims ass that he is actively bad mouthing Reuben which is the second part of her plan.
If she can't have it,nobody can.
Reuben announced now so that he would not look like he got bounced off Stacks ticket. He has no where else to go.
Look for Pupie to run on Tims ticket for at large. Mason/ Raia figure if enough independents are running at large Frank will not need that many to squeak in. Up the ante on the VBM sale price and Pupie winds up the swing vote on the council.
Tim savages Zimmer and is so damaged he gets replaced in the 4th by someone else next time out.He has served his purpose. Make sense?
According to Insider:
Step 1: Dark Siders inflate Tim's ego like a Macy's Parade float!
Step 2: When the Gas Bag is full, the Dark Siders launch his candidacy for Mayor. Puffed up with pride, self-confidence, believing he's David to Zimmer's Goliath, Tim leads the mud-fest against the popular Mayor (Sullivan's "lamb to the slaughter"). And fights so dirty (Mason's people run his campaign and lay on the WORKS) that he get's irreparably damaged. POP goes the Gas Bag! Zimmer wins, Tim's political career: game over.
Wow, et tu Beth Mason! What a back-stabbing move. Mason sacrifices her Idiot to take back the City Council and be President.
I asked Insider about the Assembly seat: "I think Stack dumped her. Am I wrong?"
Yes.So that's it, according to my insider, Insider. Let's recap.
Stack and Mason could not come to terms over Gov race. Mason has invested so much money looking for a state wide DEM.office that she refused to endorse so Stack bailed.
Its a Mason/ Raia alliance now.
They will tank Ramos and hope Zimmer wears out her welcome in four years. Ramos will take revenge on Tim next election. This is all about the Gov. Race and using Hoboken like a Chess board because NYC media is so close.
Zimmer better be careful to not get sucked in. They add someone from Applied and maybe one of them slips into an at large seat.
So three tickets again. If Mason/Raia money gets a seat bought, great if not everyone gets muddy and she calls in her chips to state Dems.
- Mason and Raia tag-team to "tank" Ruben Ramos.
- Raia get's one At Large Seat, flips the Council and Mason becomes President. If they keep Doyle off the Council until then, they get Zoning Board appointments.
- GA's told you about the heaps of cash Mason's given to state and Congressional candidates. My estimate is in the neighborhood of $250K. Insider calls these her 'chips.'
- And she will use the NYC media to up her state/national profile as a Democratic Party warrior, making Zimmer a proxy for Christie and unleashing hell on her- cable tv ad buys, radio, print ads campaigns- with Timmy fronting it all, spalttered in mud. Mason? She floats above it all... and her operatives cash in.
- Timmy's collateral damage. He gets used and tossed like a Dixie cup.
But why should she?
And who cares if she does?
Interesting, but dont agree with some of he details. The Stack/Mason thing had as much to do with his putting a muzzle on her as it did with the Luv Gov. What is interesting is that the whole execution and success of the plan depends upon Zimmer actually endorsing Christie, which I dint think is a given. If she doesn't, then the whole thing blows up in Mason's face. Another classic Roadrunner episode in the making.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Why should Zimmer endorse Christie? She's shown she can work with him in a bipartisan fashion for the benefit of Hoboken. That doesn't make her a Republican. That makes her a wise Democrat.
DeleteI think Christie gets the politics here and doesn't expect an endorsement from her.
This plan ties in with the Doyle lawsuit. Which is designed to hold up board appointments until they get an at-large seat. No wonder they were so quick to throw Phil Cohen under the bus.
Zimmer doesn't need to endorse Christie for that plan to work. Zimmer still wins in a three way race, regardless of whether she endorses Big Boy or not.
ReplyDeleteThe real game changer lies in whether or not Mason is successful in wrestling control of your City council.
I took issue with your "Stack is Brilliant" post because as we in Union City know: nothing can be further from the truth. He's just not that clever.
Its already been confirmed: UC Commissioner Chris Irizarry is stepping down at the next meeting. Rumor has been circulating that Stack plans to replace him with Fernando Uribe (R). There are already whispers that Commissioner Tilo Rivas is next in line to call it quits.
UC Police Chief Barrett retires last month after less than 1 year on the job. Commissioner Irizarry voices his intention to step down within the next few weeks, not even waiting until his term expires. And this week we find out the Mason-Stack honeymoon is over.
The only question i have is: Why is Stack such an ardent Krispy Kris supporter?
Could it be that the two had a sit down, years ago, after it was publically disclosed that Solomon Dwek donated to the Union City Strangler's warchest?
Does Bhalla have enough to pay off the $200,000 in debts that Stack has incurred?
Very interesting, Anon. Thanks for your perspective.
DeleteYou're killing me w/these: "the Union City Strangler", "Krispy Kris"...
UC Anon - If you're implying Mason walked away from Stack because she thinks Stack might be dirty and at risk of being taken down, then you don't know Mason. She has not walked away and gets her kicks hanging out with dirty people - the dirtier the better. Mason is back to claiming the Assembly seat is hers and the endorsement issue has been resolved probably by Krispy Kris saying he'd be embarrassed to be endorsed by Mason and doesn't want any part of an endorsement from her.
ReplyDelete"Mason is back to claiming the Assembly seat is hers and the endorsement issue has been resolved..."
DeleteReally?
Your confidante knows his x's and o's. These strategies will change as the variables change. I see it as a snapshot of what is on the drawing board at a point in time. Questions though.
ReplyDeleteWhy destroy Occhipinti? He's been a good soldier for them, no? The strategy works whether he is harmed in the process or not. So ruining him has to be an objective in itself rather than collateral damage? Why?
Second, the notion that Mason has any appreciation that one can become an irredeemable public pariah by running a truly offensive political campaign is laughable on its face.
But Insider reminds of us Mason's most important characteristic: Mason only cares about Mason. It's never been about ideas. Not ours, not theirs. It's about Beth being in control.
She dropped reform because she couldn't control it. She hates the internet because she can't control it. She likes the Reporter because she can control it. She'd rather have employees than friends because employees can be controlled. That she has no friends is not a tragedy, it's a choice. A preference.
After reducing her public life to relationships she can control financially, she sure as hell isn't going to tolerate an old guard that doesn't do likewise.
The refusal to announce let alone promote the Ramos campaign on 411 says it all. He is not her candidate. That may change later, but right now he's little more than this year's Kim Glatt.
Insider couldn't be more off base.
ReplyDeleteWish you would call me before you post this stuff GA
Oops! I just posted a new one without consulting you!
DeleteThis is what Insider has to say, all attribution here is his, take it or leave it.
Please, by all means feel free to post what you think is the on-base scenario in further detail.
XO,
GA
Raia doesn't need anyone. He Has Money and he has his base.
DeleteMoney can't buy her a loyal base this late in her career
Raia will never run below someone that much younger and less seasoned than him.
Raia subordinate to Tim? The Sewer Plant will freeze over first
Raia, like him or not is a smart guy with huge Pride/Ego.
Tony, what do you make of the Ramos candidacy not being on 411 at all and not making the cover of the HR? Clearly he does not have the blessings of 921 Hudson.
DeleteNow, Al Sullivan, who always must be taken with a few bong-hits of salt, is suggesting "a possible coalition ticket between Mayor Dawn Zimmer and factions once considered her staunchest opponents, including Councilwoman Beth Mason."
Slapp-suiting, hospital-sale killing, Doyle gridlock bank-rolling Beth Mason in a coalition with reform?
What next?
GA's seen a recent uptick in traffic from areas outside of Hoboken, from Bergen and Essex County to Trenton.
ReplyDeleteMedia Monitoring