Folks, as a witness to the systematic harassment of HHA Tenant-activist Jessica Coco, I still cannot wrap my head around the Jersey Journal piece calling the year long terrorizing of a disabled woman a "squabble."
"Squabble?" Do most "squabbles" result in home invasions, broken windshields and attempted illegal evictions?
Garcia disputes her claims, but one thing that Coco and Garcia seem to agree on is that the conflict largely springs from Vision 20/20. Garcia, who is also a Democratic assemblyman, said that he believes Coco’s allegations amount to an "outright smear campaign" against the housing authority. He said that he believes that she is being egged on by others “who are aligned to discredit the agency, himself and the merits of Vision 20/20.”Smear campaign? Somebody better ask our man-to-the-rescue, Union City Mayor Brian Stack about that.
Okay, well I wasn't there.... but that is how I imagine him coming to the aide of Jessica Coco. Yep, he did. And he gets props for it from me. So if anyone- including the media- has questions about whether or not Ms. Coco's allegations that she's being harassed and her property vandalized are simply a "squabble" or a "smear campaign", well you can ask my favorite mayor, aside from Zimmer, Fulop, and a whole bunch of others (maybe 5 or 6 dozen)... oh yeah, and Mayor Stack.
Oh, I kid! GA likes Brian Stack. I do. Next year can I swap my birthday card for a Butterball?
Here's why Brian Stack knows Ms. Coco's allegations are not a "smear campaign" and she is not "being egged on by others to discredit the agency, himself or the merits of Vision 20/20." Because his office generously paid to fix her vandalized car!
Yep, its true and 100% verifiable.
In brief, here's what happened. Starting in September or October, Ms. Coco had contacts with State Senator Stack about being harassed because of her opposition to Vision 20/20, and had even written to his office. On January 20, 2014, Stack called her and offered to pay to repair the vandalism to her car but asked her to put in writing what had been damaged. On January 23 she wrote back:
Here is a list of damage that needs to be repaired as you requested: Passenger side mirror, Passenger side door lock, Side door lock, oil pan, a/c not working due to electrical shorts caused by wires in harness being pulled. Heat also doesn’t work. I’m not sure if its coincidental or just a byproduct of the car’s age as both the a/c and heat stopped working at same time & clearly the a/c doesn’t run due to the electrical shorts.After some back and forth (finding parts, trips to mechanic) Jessica called Mark Albiez, Stack's aide, on Saturday, February 1, 2014 to give him the cost of the parts. Albiez agreed but, according to Coco, said that he was going to tell Carmelo he needed to reimburse them for the bill. Coco wished him good luck.
Later that same evening, Coco was approached outside her building by an HHA worker who said, "Congratulations for Brian Stack fixing your car."
Coco had told no one about her conversation with Stack or Stack's office.
How did HHA worker know?
The next morning, Sunday February 2, at around 11:30 AM a neighbor telephoned Coco to tell her that her windshield was smashed (pic below).
Curious coincidence, no?
An HHA resident who was angry about the incident told Ms. Coco:
(redacted) had gotten one of (redacted's)rugrats to do it and then blame it on the Bloods.Well, there's more to the story, but my point is that this "squabble" caused real and verifiable damage to Ms. Coco's car, the timing of her windshield being smashed is interesting, to say the least, and Brian Stack knows Ms Coco's allegations are not a "smear" because he graciously redressed the damages done by.... SOMEONE.
I had heard part of this but your in-depth story added some important illumination.
ReplyDeleteHave to extend props to Senator Stack. That was very kind of you sir.
De facto thanks to Senator Stack's staff for their assistance to Jessica Coco with the shameless victimization of crimes against her for nothing more than her political speech.
Beyond shameful!
The worker knew that Stack fixed Coco's car because Mark Albeiz told Carmelo. Low-lifes of a feather, stick together.
ReplyDeleteStacks office says they're giving the bill to Carmelo and within 24 hrs Jessicas windshield is busted. Its not exactly rocket science.
ReplyDeleteIt's particularly disappointing that a woman wrote the ridiculous article in the JJ. That's all we need, another brain-dead thug groupie a la Claire Moses.
ReplyDeleteAccording to her website, Ms. Brenzel is completing her M.A. in journalism at Columbia. Let's hope she didn't submit this POS story as an assignment.
DeleteLOL! Yeah, if she did she'd never get her degree! I mean "he said, she said". I didn't get the whole point of the story. She cites that management says they are not harassing her and then states they say she is overhoused and has a boyfriend illegally living there. It's irrelevant whether this is true or not. The issue is was she or was she not being harassed? This is not he said, she said stuff. What kind of journalism is that? These accusations are not verbal disagreements. They have proofs to back them up. Did Ms. Brenzel request any of the camera footage? Why didn't she? Wouldn't that have been just common sense? And if she did, but was denied access, wouldn't that clue her in that is has to be because Camera footage would show who the perpetrators that damaged her car were & that they must be associated with Carmelo for him to defend them? In fact, even thinking about the so-called irrelevant alleged charges why didn't Ms. Brenzel ask for a copy of Ms. Coco's Cease & Desist violation notice? Again common sense. If Ms. Coco's denies receiving such letter, maybe it's because she was never legally served with one, because management knows no so-called boyfriend is living with her; and this is just being used as additional means to slur and slander her?
DeleteShouldn't there be cameras stationed in and around the HHA? Not that one would expect that they would work or the material to be recovered and shared.
ReplyDeleteThis is Ms. Coco. First and foremost thank you GA and all those who have been supportive of me. Second, yes there are cameras. This is why it is obvious to any thinking person, how it is that there are cameras throughout the HHA, but no one is ever charged with any vandalism or better said vandalism against my property? In fact, where is the film?
DeleteIn the HHA transcript Carmelo Garcia made and appt with a Dir at City Hall and was asked to sign a form stating whether he was or was not recording the meeting.
ReplyDeleteInstead of proceeding with this all "important" meeting he walked out because he felt "his" rights were violated. This chump is going to walk away with a million dollar lawsuit paid by the taxpayers if City Hall doesn't wise up! They better be asking this of all that are requesting meetings.
If Albiez didnt tell Carmelo directly, he told somebody who told Finn boy who told Carmelo. Then Jessicas windshield had an accident.
ReplyDeleteCarmelo thinks he's slick. He breaks Ms. Coco's car window and publicizes Mr. Stack's involvement, so they will fight and blame each other. Just like he tried to have the Bloods blamed for the damage done to Ms. Coco's car, so that Ms. Coco and the Bloods will fight with each other, when neither group is fighting each other, but both are fighting to keep public housing-something Mr. Garcia wants to get rid of along with Public Housing jobs, because with no HHA there will also be no HHA employees or tenants. Vision $/$ is not about luxury housing for the poor. First of all, the poor don't live in luxury housing, only rich people live in luxury housing-that's why it's called luxury housing; Otherwise it's called Projects, This is why Mr. Garcia doesn't have a tenant bill of rights. Second of all, where is the master plan, which developer is involved? Is it the Rockefeller's? What's his interest in really turning over the Projects to Private developers? Don't tell me it's not about stuffing his pockets with GRAFT $?
ReplyDeletePosted today on Hangin' on the Vine blog: "IS MENENDEZ PROTECTING GARCIA TOO?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Menendez, is he also protecting Assemblyman and Hoboken Housing Authority Executive Director Carmelo Garcia by not allowing HUD to move on Garcia? It is incomprehensible to think that HUD would continue to allow Garcia – who is completely out-of-control – to keep running roughshod over HHA matters.
Hoboken’s leading ego maniac has ignored court orders, taken over the Housing Authority as if he were a Commissioner, not an employee, and orchestrated demonstrations and retribution against tenants and opponents of his home grown, land grabbing, money making 20-20 Vision plan.
It’s time for an investigation of the area HUD which oversees the Hoboken Housing Authority. There’s a rotten smell there."