As the Ramos campaign scrambles to dig up dirt on the mayor- several sources have them rooting around in rural New Hampshire! (The mayor hails from a speck on the map called Laconia, NH... perhaps the Ramos people will find out about an overdue library book).
Folks, it is true.
The Ramos people appear to be desperate- from ginning up a fake recall to scare Beth Mason into the fold (GA fell for it, too) to co-opting the local media to slandering her supporters as 'racist' for wanting an open, public process for the Vision 20/20 development. The Vision 20/20 concept plan that Executive Director Carmelo Garcia is trying to push through appears to violate federal mandates for inner city housing development- the current plan has housing blocks surrounded by asphalt parking lots. (Ironic, that those who believe HHA residents deserve better are being called 'racists' by those who want to surround HHA buildings with asphalt). A reader noted:
...the federal government's mandates for inner city housing was to reduce density and height and to get away from life on concrete and asphalt that many project-dwellers endured from traditional design. By creating play areas and open space that are parking lots, they are basically going against the planning design federal officials wanted, and giving urban kids the same unappealing play areas that existed under the original model
 |
| Garcia's Vision 20/20: Asphalt 'playgrounds' for HHA residents (red) |
While the drumbeat of the mayor's 'failure' plays on from the Ramos camp, she quietly racked up yet another huge accomplishment for Hoboken. From yesterday's Patch:
Hoboken will retain control over the destiny of its piers even if a bill that would override federal regulations and permit residential and commercial development on piers in high-risk flood zones passes the legislature.Great, right?
Assemblyman Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus), one of A-3933's primary sponsors, proposed an amendment to the bill Thursday that makes it applicable only to municipalities that first pass an ordinance permitting development on a pier in a coastal high hazard area. As a result, Hoboken can choose not to opt in to the changes proposed in the bill, which has already passed the Senate and appears likely to pass the Assembly in short order.
Mayor Dawn Zimmer, a staunch opponent of the bill, who had written both Prieto and his Assembly colleague Ruben Ramos (D-Hoboken) asking them to amend the legislation to exempt Hoboken, said she was pleased that her voice had been heard.
"A huge thank you to Senator Sacco and Assemblyman Prieto for listening to my concerns and working with me to craft an amendment that will help protect Hoboken's waterfront," Zimmer said Friday.
Note that in spite of being asked by the Mayor, Assemblyman Ruben Ramos did not offer an amendment to exempt Hoboken from pier development. GA thanks Senator Sacco and Assemblyman Prieto for respecting our Mayor's request.
Let GA break it down further.
Speculation about where Hudson County political bosses would fall in Hoboken's mayoral race has been answered. North Bergen's State Senator Nick Sacco is an F. O. Z. (Friend Of Zimmer) and so is HCDO Chairman Vinnie Prieto.
How does this help the Mayor?
Lots of ways.
Sacco (and Fulop) are the powers in Hudson County. If Sacco supports Zimmer, then other Hudson County leaders will likely fall like dominoes. And this kneecaps Sacco-loyalist Paul Swibinski, who was approached by the Ruben camp. Tsk tsk. This isolates Brian Stack among Hudson County 'bosses' supporting Ramos. While Stack is enormously powerful in Union City, he's cash-poor. Ramos needs Sacco's cash, but it's clear he's not getting it. Sacco will stay out of our election, but will help the Mayor legislatively to help Hoboken.
Now that, is competent, effective leadership.
Cash flowing into Hoboken means street money, street money and more street money.
With Sacco out, Ramos has fewer options and needs Mason more than ever. Will Mason believe that she got played by Ruben & friends (one seated next to her on the City Council dais)? Probably not. But she did get played, scared into the Camp Ramos.
Trust me, if Reformers in the 2nd Ward had the muscle and the time, Mason would have been recalled 2 years ago. They don't. The bait that "papers were taken out" and Old Guard boots on the ground (GA heard "20 people") did not come from Reform. GA heard Zimmer wanted nothing to do with a recall. Nothing.
Anyway, having F.O.Z. sure beats F.O.R., who seem to be shrinking in number while they blow more smoke than ever.
GA heard from witnesses at a fundraiser this past week, that the Mayor once dissed by The Boys was treated with respect by other Hudson County powers- including Sacco. Was it this?
 |
| Zimmer testifies for the U.S. Senate Committee for Small Business and Entrpeneurship |
Whatever it was, Zimmer's (finally) made the HC Boys Club, and it's all good for Hoboken.
(So what about Jersey City's political star Mayor-elect Steve Fulop? GA gets good traffic from our neighbor and would like an update. *wink*)
So if Ramos is cash poor...who paid for the P.O.S. (Public Opinion Survey, since we are all acronymy today) call I got yesterday?
ReplyDeletePoll contained a series of "Match-up" questions with Zimmer vs. Candidate X.
When asked about Mason and Russo I joked with the polling caller "Is there an option below extremely unfavorable, like 'immensely unfavorable'?"
I've heard the poll came from neither camp but "outside of Hoboken". It sounds like someone wants to know how strong Zimmer is and if she is beatable.
DeleteAs we know from previous elections, reform candidates cannot be beat unless the Old Guard buys votes or uses other illegal vote harvesting techniques.
DeleteReuben may charm some people with his oleaginous style, but this is not high school and this is not a popularity contest. The Mayor and Council oversee a 100 million dollar operating budget. What in Ramos's mediocre career as a rubber-stamp councilman, absentee teacher and weak assemblyman makes him qualified for the job?
It is impossible to forgive and forget that the Old Guard almost bankrupted Hoboken if the hospital sale had not gone through and out of spite, cost us 4 million on the garage re-financing. They continue to thwart any attempt at parks improvements, road repairs, safer crosswalks and upgrades of any sort which would make our city more safe and livable.
Now with 20/20 making them salivate at the thought of continued cash, paid-for votes and patronage jobs, they continue to exploit African Americans in the HHA for their own gain and call everyone asking questions racist.
They have no shame, no ethics and no qualifications to run our city.
I hope Ruben Ramos has a back up patronage job set up for after the election as it will be hard to make ends meet on a high school teacher's salary in Hoboken.
ReplyDeleteGA,
ReplyDeleteThe way it works in Trenton is ONLY the prime sponsor can amend the bill which is why Vinny Prieto had to do it.
Thank you, Anon.
DeleteThree cheers for Prieto!