Mayor: take the lie detector test

Hoboken Mayor Zimmer alleges that Christie tied Hoboken's flood relief dollars to approving a huge development project. 


Well folks, as if we didn't already know that politics is a sleazy business, and that politicians can play hardball to get a deal done.

What we didn't know until yesterday morning, was that we were the pawns of our own governor in an alleged nasty game of hardball with our Mayor.

In a stunning interview on MSNBC, Mayor Dawn Zimmer made international headlines with the disclosure that Christie officials- and the governor himself- had conveyed that amount of help for our flood-devastated city was directly tied to approving the Rockefeller Group to develop a 19-block parcel of land of Hoboken's north end. 

Web of Christie connections to the Rockefeller Group-credit: MSNBC
She said- They said.
___________

"If you tell anyone I'll deny it...If you don't move ahead, we're not going to be able to help you."

 -NJ Lt. Gov.Kim Guadagno   (Zimmer alleges was said to her) 
 ___________

"I have no choice, I have to come forward..  we need some of this funding...  I cannot give a windfall to one private property owner because the governor and other people wants me to do it. I cannot do it"

-Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer
 ____________ 

 “What or who is driving her only now to say such outlandishly false things is anyone’s guess.”

-Christie spokesman, Michael Drewniak
 ____________

Whom do you believe?

Let's take a look.  We know that Hoboken was the worst-hit municipality in Hudson County; 80% of our City was literally, under water.  Thousands of us were displaced; some are still.  Hoboken City Council President Jen Giatino has only just moved back to her renovated home this December- almost 15 months after the Sandy struck. 

As reported on MSNBC yesterday:

 At the same time that the planning board voted against the (Rockefeller Group Development) study, Zimmer was applying for funding from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, a huge vault of money overseen by Christie to help communities hit hard by Sandy prepare themselves for the next storm

Christie’s people came back with less than 1% of what Hoboken had sought. With $250 million to disburse statewide, just $142,000 went to Hoboken – enough to help defray the cost of one backup generator to power a flood pump. Out of another pool of money for recovery grants – $1.8 billion in all – Hoboken received $200,000.  


“Please governor,” Zimmer wrote in a letter following the decisions, “we need your help. I have tried to assure Hoboken residents that we would be treated fairly because you have always treated Hoboken fairly in the past.”

There was no response to that letter, dated May 8 of last year, the same day the Hoboken Planning Board did not adopt the redevelopment recommendation for the Rockefeller property.

Two days later, Zimmer got a call from the Lieutenant Governor, Kim Guadagno, who wanted to come to town to do an event at a ShopRite to spotlight businesses that had recovered from the storm.

On May 13, Guadagno and Zimmer met at the Hoboken ShopRite. That is where, Zimmer said, Guadagno delivered the first message about the relief aide. Zimmer shared this diary entry which she said she wrote later that day. “At the end of a big tour of ShopRite and meeting, she pulls me aside with no one else around and says that I need to move forward with the Rockefeller project. It is very important to the governor. The word is that you are against it and you need to move forward or we are not going to be able to help you. I know it’s not right – these things should not be connected – but they are, she says, and if you tell anyone, I will deny it.”

Well, here goes.   GA  believes that Mayor Zimmer is telling the truth; the Christie folk,s not so much.   

Advice to Mayor Zimmer: Take the lie detector test.


Comments

  1. Why is this Pig still in office? He tried to get rid of the COAH, i.e. affordable housing, allow fracking in the state, and gut the clean air act, although the #1 cause of death in the tri-state area is lung failure. I congratulate Mayor Zimmer on her courage. She could have just gotten paid off like every other mayor has in this town. One look at those disgusting high-rises near the river that are totally out of line just yell, "Pay off", We are so lucky to have such an honest and good mayor. Thank you.

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  2. It will be harder to stiff Hoboken now with the kind of scrutiny on him, but Christie is a vindictive SOB so there' ll be payback one way or another. No doubt he'll do whatever he can to hurt Zimmer.

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  3. I absolutely 100% believe Zimmer. What can we do to support her? A Facebook fan page will get hijacked by haters quickly. Maybe we can just write Z's in sidewalk chalk all over town!

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  4. Zimmer interviewed by Cindy Crowley today, its all over CNN.

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  5. Zimmer has never lied to my face. The others have.

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  6. They not only didnt give a shit about those impcted by Sandy, they clearly didnt give a shit about the 50,000 residents who would be impacted by 40 story towers . traffic schmaffic. Local controls...F that! Public process... LMAO! All about the $$$$. He is worse than Cammranno. That was all for show too!! When was the last time he did anything about coruption in New Jersey?? Besides head it? Disgusting POS.

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  7. The Federal Government needs to do an immediate audit of the money trail.

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  8. Zimmer is very credible - she will take a lie detector test and will testify under oath.
    She has shown strong moral leadership. She is not hiding behind spokespersons.Mayor Dawn has integrity, high principles, honesty, passion, and the desire to do the right thing.
    Can't say that about the bunch that she has exposed for what they are!

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  9. I'm proud of our mayor.

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  10. Is this the straw that 'will "break the camel's back"? My Mother used to say "give them enough rope and they will hang themself".

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  11. Integrity is the top leadership trait according to a survey of CEO's, presidents, chairmen from more than 1000 companies around the world. Mayor Zimmer certainly displays this behavior.Reference: managment-issues.com

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  12. can't decide if it's funny or sad to see cassandra, outofcontrol and curiousmelina on patch trying their best to find some type of fault in what the mayor has done..."why'd she wait so long??" "what evidence does she have??" "she's a master of spin!!" spoken like true political hacks, only concerned with attacking an enemy and never considering what's in the best interest of the people of hoboken.

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  13. Rudydawg

    I also am extremely proud of our Mayor and have no doubt that LG Guadagno did indeed tie the availability of Sandy relief funds to expediting the Rockefeller Group's redevelopment plans. I think the Governor and his flunkies will try to paint Dawn as being naive and as misconstruing the meaning of what was said to her by the LG. Flat-out denials like those we heard today will never withstand further scrutiny.

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    1. I think Kim Guadango has just signed her termination papers with the Christie Administration.

      Somebody has to take a fall and they need to protect Christie.



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  14. Got to give it to them, Two days after the vote against the towers they came up with a credible excuse for a face to face. Hey, call her up and arrange a "photo op" wink wink. In ShopRite! Yeah! That's it! They must have been cracking themselvs up over that one.

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