Gandhi-gate brush-fire: will Prieto take action?


"No stamps for you!" are harsh words from NJ Assembly Speaker, north Jersey Democrat Vincent Prieto.

Now will life imitate art?

News of Assemblymen Garcia-Fiocchi's  mail-mishap has spread across our state like a brush-fire. In the past week, the story was reported in Politico, PolitickerNJ, Augie Torres' Political Insider and today, Politifax


Politifax acknowledges Assemblyman Garcia's Gandhi-quoting letter to "constituents" went to Hoboken and NOT to Garcia's 33rd District constituents in Union City and Jersey City.

Moreover, it appears that Assemblyman Garcia's Gandhi-gram (tucked in Republican Fiocchi's envelope) only went to the 6th Ward of Hoboken where he is running for City Council, and possibly targeted registered Republicans.

 Here is what Carmelo Garcia told Matt Friedman of Politico:
“There was nothing in there on electioneering or anything relative to my council candidate seat. It was just an update that we normally do,” he said. Garcia’s letter — which was written on his office's stationery — highlighted his record on animal rights legislation and featured a quote by Mahatma Gandhi... “
"Nothing on electioneering?"  Really?

Then why did Garcia send this Assembly-"update" only to one  ward in Hoboken where he's on the ballot for City Council? Why didn't my 33rd District friends in Jersey City or Union City get one of these letters- or any Hoboken residents outside of the 6th Ward ?

Oh yeah, GA called the Assembly's printer, NJ Treasury Print shop in Trenton, who quickly shot down Garcia's excuse: printer must have "mixed in" Fiocchi envelopes in Garcia's order.   The printer explained how one order was  completed in its entirety before starting another.  "It's virtually impossible," he said, "I don't see how that could have happened under any circumstance."

According to a source close to Trenton:
Each member of General Assembly received  12,500 postage stamps for a two year term! These stamps were used for this purpose.Garcia & Fiocchi serve on Human Services Committee together (6 members) ...... So from 80 members , we are now down to 6 members who meet regularly and , though from opposite parties , apparently share stationery. Fiocchi and Garcia got caught blatantly violating the mail ethics of the legislature. These boys ain't two ships passing in the hallways.  
GA URGES Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto to STOP this abuse of New Jersey Taxpayer  resources  by members of the Assembly. NOW.   

Call Speaker Prieto: (201) 770-1303 and DEMAND he suspend  franking / postal privileges until a full investigation is completed.  

New Jersey taxpayers are sick and tired of being abused by STEWARDS of our tax money.

The taxpayers would like the Speaker to say "NO STAMPS FOR YOU" until these abusive practices STOP.  

Just like the cartoon. 

Comments

  1. The Hoboken Reporter is stonewalling the story, huh? Even though it's gotten press statewide. Big favor to Carmelo.

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    1. how long do you think it would take for the hoboken reporter to write this story if it was a reform candidate? um, like, an hour, tops?

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    2. Not even an hour. They'd have it up on Breaking News. They might as well be Carmelo Garcia's press agent.

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  2. Speaker Pietro will do nothing as it is in his own self interest not to call attention to any unethical dealing within his Democratic Assembly.

    The Hoboken Reporter has a long history on not wanting to upset people who pay for the ads that keep the doors open.

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    1. I beg to differ. The unethical dealing is between a widely discredited (the Wire) lame duck Democrat and a Republican up for re-election in a highly contested race. It certainly cuts both ways. It is good politics to take a stand against taxpayer abuse.

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    2. I hope I am proven wrong.

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    3. I hope you are right.

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  3. Carmelo has friends at the paper.

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    1. You must remember that the Hoboken reporter was started by Hoboken big developers for Hoboken developers and remains today a biased tool to be used by the developers.

      Millions more could be made by Hoboken developers if they can find another Russo or Cammarano who is will to play. An honest reform administration stands in the way.

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    2. the funny part is the administration is in favor of smart development that fits the character of the town. it's not that they don't want any new development, they just don't want to ruin the city. but some (most?) developers are just too greedy to accept that.

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  4. Ladies discuss:
    Garcia vs. Grossbard: Emails Point to Hoboken Housing Authority Involvement
    http://politickernj.com/2015/10/garcia-vs-grossbard-emails-point-to-hoboken-housing-authority-involvement/

    According to those emails—which PolitickerNJ obtained from an anonymous source—Grossbard consulted members of the Hoboken Housing Authority (mainly former Chairman Jake Stuiver) on how to proceed with pursuing Garcia’s termination. The resignation was later called “ethnic cleansing” by Garcia but emails point to a connection between disagreements over HHA plans like Vision 20/20 as the main reason for his dismissal from the board.

    Grossbard was not in any way tied to the HHA or the Hoboken City Council. Even so, he was advising HHA members on how to proceed with Garcia.

    In a February 26, 2013 correspondence, Grossbard emailed Stuiver, HHA vice chairman Dave Mello and HHA member Greg Lincoln stating that an option for dealing with a disagreements to the procurement process was to “vote to terminate the [Garcia’s] contract and give the 120 day notice…”

    “In my option the only way the procurement process can be realistically reformed is by immediately exercising the 120 day termination provision,” Grossbard wrote. “Unless and until you move to terminate, Carmelo has all the leverage, and he will never believe you are actually willing to terminate unless and until you actually do it.”

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    1. Oh man, this stunt is gonna backfire big on ole Carmelo.

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  5. Whoop-di-doo. As October surprises go, this one's a limp dick.

    Grossbard said what EVERYBODY already knew, Carmelo was a disaster, like HUD audit proved. Grossbard is allowed to have an opinion and share it. Carmelo wasn't canned because of ethnic cleansing, he awarded $2.1 in NO BID CONTRACTS to 3 vendors who contributed to his campaign.

    So glad this story broke!!!! Now we can repeat the audit findings ad nauseum and educate the public about WHY Carmelo Garcia should NEVER AGAIN have his hands on the levers of power.

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    1. Lol. The dark siders must be creaming in their pants.

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    2. Well known Political blowhard Belfiore was just removed from the council meeting for his over-excitement on the issue

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    3. Bwaaa haw haw!!! Did Peter b. have time to complain that Carmelo is the only candidate who didn't file his financials to ELEC? Lemme guess... Belfiore says its Grossbard 's fault!!!!

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    4. I can't imagine any 6th ward voter would care about this story, total inside baseball. Why would this prompt anyone to vote for Mr. Carmelo? No one can be bothered to follow along, believe me.

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  6. Carmelo LEAKED discovery to the PRESS 2 weeks ahead of an election. Wow.... So THAT'S what this ethnic cleansing lawsuit was about from Day One. Garcia filed the latest one in April 2015. Hoboken taxpayer's paid $150,000 for Carmelo Garcias political operation timed for the 2015 election.

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  7. Unfortunate situation, given the gadfly mindset.

    But the email relates to professional conduct, ie, the disastrously managed procurement process, rather than anything personal. Net/net, they actually weaken Carmelo's case for some sort of vendetta.

    Leaking discovery to the media? That's about Carmelo's speed.

    Completely misreading the possibility that it will make him a sympathetic figure rather than show him to be a boil on the ass of progress that everyone had to huddle to try to figure out how to remove? That's about Carmelo's speed.

    Being political and being politically astute are not the same thing. But he wasn't at Harvard the day they went over the difference.

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  8. Wonder how quickly the Hoboken Reporter will cover THIS story?

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  9. Perry Belfiore and liebler dragged out of the meeting! Disorderly conduct! Whattta shitshow!!! Nobody watching, 25 streaming!

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    1. Liebler has a child now. But he's still doing the 40 year-old fratboy act and getting his dumb ass thrown out of a public meeting. Something about Hoboken and joining the old guard in particular keeps people from ever growing up.

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    2. Funny how the old guard candidates say the want to end the divisiveness yet the orchestrate these stunts.have their stooges foaming at the mouth their insane hatred at public meeting until the police have to drag these nuts out kicking and screaming

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  10. It is not a stunt and there truth will come out on how for the last two plus years Carmelo has been targeted!! Stan gave more than his opinion,,,you can't deny Stans arrogance and elitist manner,,,flip the story the way you reformers want everyone is used to that on this sorry old blog, Tisk Tisk I wonder if Dawn wrote that in her diary,,,,well I mean if Stan allowed her too anyway we all know he thinks he's the mayor....say what want...the emails don't lie....you should know that by now frizzy avenger ....You Love using emails to expose people like the Barjadis you and the donkey I mean horsey.......reformers=hyprocrites

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    1. I want to thank you. I was not going to vote for Carmelo but based on your post I plan on voting for Garcia and dragging my other 6th ward neighbors out to do the same. He truly is a victim here. I mean did he run the HHA into the ground and have about 50 different issues over the years, of course! Did he secretly record meetings with people in order to try and entrap them only to alienate powerful people like Berny Kenny? Of course he did. But your post made me realize how wrong I was

      I plan on running out the door on election day to vote for Carmelo.

      Just kidding, he's still a train wreck and Giattino is still 900 times the better choice

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    2. Assuming Garcia's HHA contract was a public document why can't anyone, Mayor or private citizen, comment on it?

      If the contract says the Garcia was an at will employee and could be let go with X number of days notice then telling someone they can let Garcia go is nothing private or privileged.

      If I had known Garcia's contract I would have loudly called for firing him years ago.

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    3. If I remember correctly when accepting campaign contributions from HHA vendors that Carmelo Garcia argued that he was two separate and distinct entities at the same time, HHA Exec, Director Carmelo Garcia and Assembly candidate Carmelo Garcia. The reasoning that if he was one Carmelo Garcia he could be subject Pay to Pay laws.

      I would think that having one side leaking court documents and trying to try a case in the media would lead to having the actual court case demised.

      What I think this is about is just a rather transparent and desperate political ploy. The problem with that is one it was bungled badly by those trying to get the message out and two Carmelo Garcia has so little credibility out side of his core supporters that it has had the opposite effect to the intended .

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  11. The Mets are going to the World Series.

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  12. 11:38, you're probably right, "the truth will come out." But it's quite a leap of faith to think that will be good for Carmelo.

    He was removed for cause. The attorneys will now have to lay out in painstaking detail in full view of the media the gross incompetence with which he ruled the HHA. This includes taking political donations from firms to which he awarded no-bid contracts.

    Carmelo has done this to himself. By the time the details come out, political rivals of the administration that hired him in Newark will be using Carmelo as an example of putting cronyism over the needs of Newark.

    He will be a pariah in not one but two cities, in addition to getting flattened in the 6th Ward.

    But as you say, the truth will come out.

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  13. Hahahaha....yeah yeah....go ahead spinmister spin it.....he was entrapped and was being set up this whole time....unlike you guys that just run your mouth with no proof he has it!! This is great! and please stop it with the HHA comments...and am sure if a"reformer" was being set up, you would do the same whether it's an old drunk retired non involved senator or not..and a controlling ego wish I was the mayor and not my wife kinda guy.so stop it! You guys are so fake! And sure Jen is a great to continue to push the mayors agenda because she doesn't take a personal stand on anything..unless it's whispered in her ear..and yes the truth will come out say what you want it will expose Stan for what he really is!! Good day! Unlike you I won't be commenting back and forth I have a life to get too...and all you guys do is bully commenters you don't agree with anyway!

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    1. Thanks for letting us know about your awesome life as you continue to stop by. Please rush back to whatever amazing activities you have today. Bye, and we'll miss you

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    2. What is Stan? I will tell you my opinion. Stan is a very smart, very savvy, trained lawyer who donates his time and skills to the mayor, the various boards around town and to people -- for nothing other than to make things better. He doesn't do it for monetary compensation, he doesn't do it for recognition, he doesn't do it for glory. Stan is trying to make Hoboken a better place for us all to live. And he does so giving freely of his time and energy that he could otherwise use on his own personal endeavors.

      So, anon at 8:06am, what have YOU done lately to benefit all of the taxpayers of Hoboken that makes you so comfortable sitting in judgment of the mayor's husband?

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    3. HYPOCRITES. Lane Bajardi, 1010WINS news reader, wrote resolutions sponsored by Terry Castellano that PASSED. Did Bajardi go to law school?

      http://grafixavenger.blogspot.com/2015/04/lane-bajardiproposed-resolution-is.html

      Bajardi wrote to Terry Castellano: "...(the) proposed resolution for New Business is attached as a means to aggressively fight the misrepresentation of your record on development and move the First Ward forward."

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    4. Let's not forget that Castellano was also copying Beth Mason's political advisor on confidential city emails

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    5. In all fairness Castellano later admitted she may have been drunk on wine when she did it.

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  14. Lmao @ snoopy.....cute response! Lol I forgot no one passes judgement on this blog ....right?!?! Lol..."donates his times and skills to the mayor" or did you mean "skillz" ...hysterical

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    1. I pass judgment on all the retards (like you) who have terrible grammar and an agenda. I pass judgment on all the terribly incompetent boobs in office or who sue the city. But no, I don't judge someone harshly for giving of his time/energy to try to save me money on my taxes.

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    2. What are you still doing here? I thought you took off to go lead your awesome life that no one here has

      I don't think I can trust you at all if you can't keep your promises. Kind of like Carmelo!

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  15. Step back from all the hubbub for a second and think about it...how does any of this noise help Garcia in his race? How on earth does this leak sway voters away from Jen? Answer: IT DOESN'T.

    All these politicos are so wrapped up in all this inside baseball crap that they can't see the forest through the trees. Why on earth would 6th ward voters care that the mayor's husband sent an email to some HHA board members expressing an opinion? Why on earth would that make them vote for Carmelo? Again, IT DOESN'T...because it's irrelevant to the race at hand.

    I was going to say people should smarten up, but i actually prefer the OG remain as shortsighted and insular as they are. Carry on.

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