Put your trouble down
It's time to celebrate
Let love shine
And we will find
A way to come together
And make things better
We need a Bhalladay!
BHALLA ROLLS OUT SLATE
At 11:04 AM the announcement hit GA's mailbox- BOOM!
So would you like to learn about the new guy and gal on Ravi's ticket?
Me, too!
GA has added some fun facts to the campaign bios of At-Large council candidates Emily Ball Jabbour and John Allen:
Everybody, say "hi" to Emily!
Hi, Emily!
Emily works as a Senior Social Science Research Analyst for the Administration for Children and Families, part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
In her spare time, Emily founded the Hudson County Chapter for the national grassroots organization Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. In this capacity, Emily has worked with local law enforcement to distribute gun safety materials across Hudson County and provide 200 gun locks to the Hoboken Police Department for distribution.
Wow!
Among other civic commitments, Emily served as the HOPES Liaison for the Brandt Parent Consortium for the 2016-17 school year.
So, how does GA know Emily?
She was the mom who famously videotaped her harassment by a poll worker as she handed out 5 o'clock cards for the Forward Together slate on November 8, 2016.
What happened? That evening at around 6PM, Emily stood across from the Ward 3- District 4 polling station with her kids, ages 4 and 19 months, in a stroller, handing out literature for the 1-2-4 Reform slate Jennifer Evans, Sheillah Dallara, and Irene Sobolov.
Emily was peacefully standing with a group of Parents United workers, also handing out lit, when a raging poll worker who identified herself as the "head of the polling station" verbally accosted her, demanding that she and her children move across the street. Once the police interceded, Emily began videotaping.
GA heard about the incident, contacted Emily and asked her if I could tell her story. She consented. So GA posted Emily Ball Jabbour's video and statement about the incident, which she filed in a complaint to the Hudson County Board of Elections. An excerpt:
"This incident was both ugly and concerning as a resident of Hoboken and Hudson County. this behavior was inappropriate and egregious given the presence of my very young children and their obvious fear of her conduct.And that is how GA came to know Emily!
Further, I have concerns about the integrity of the polling station for her to have such clear misinformation about my rights as a citizen to distribute information to voters in a peaceful manner in compliance with election laws.
The Hudson County Board of Elections must hold the "head of the polling station" responsible for this incident and her inappropriate behavior. It is not acceptable to treat citizens in this manner, particularly in the presence of young children.
Further, "the head of the polling station" is clearly not fit to be the head of a polling station in Hudson County – if, indeed, she represented herself in this incident accurately – given the misinformation she perpetuated in this incident."
One tough lady, she has the guts to stand up to bullies, to stand up for what is right, and GA has no doubt that she will do the same for the people of Hoboken.
JOHN ALLEN
No, he doesn't try to hawk parking apps to those municipalities.
John has served as Education Fellow with the Center for Civic Responsibility. There, he helped to implement a civics curriculum designed to empower New Jersey high school students.
John was also appointed an Education Fellow at the Institute for Education Law and Policy. where he prepared curriculum for continuing education classes for school leaders and administrators in New Jersey and New York.
And, as a young whippersnapper, John was elected to serve on the Old Bridge Township Board of Education where his own board elected him Board President. In June 2017, John was elected to the Hoboken Democratic Committee representing Ward 3, District 5
I met John a couple of week's ago. He's a nice, nice guy. Not a schmucky bone in his body. A mensch.
Oh yeah, Jim Doyle. YAWN. GA loves Doyle, but not as much as his gorgeous wife, Leah Healy.
My favorite thing about Doyle (aside from his humor) is his humility- he leaves his ego at the door when he serves the public. Jim puts the interest of the people of Hoboken above all else.
And he chose Ravi Bhalla.
Happy Bhalladay.
DEFUSCO POLLS AT THE BOTTOM
Did you know what unites all Hoboken mayoral campaigns?
Mutual dislike for the DeFusco campaign. That dislike is why a Romano campaign insider shared the following results from last weekend's poll:
GA tried to get more data, but my source said, "NO."
So, today the ailing DeFusco campaign (practically on life support) reacted to Bhalla's announcement with this press release:
Hoboken, NJ –
DeFusco 'Shocked, Stunned' that Bhalla Selects Vibrant Running Mate
"It was difficult to contain my shock at hearing that Ravi Bhalla, made the stunning choice to select vibrant attorney John P. Allen for his Council slate. Who could have ever guessed that a vibrant lawyer like Ravi would chose an equally vibrant running mate? A truly inspired, outside-the-box pick."
"My running mates, a Tea Party Trump-Donating Republican and a guy who failed to get a contract with Hoboken for his Parking App do not equal my vibrancy and love of vibrant things like coffee roasters, urban wineries and uh... forgot the other one. But it was vibrant, I promise you."
"In fact, I am so much more vibrant than my running mates- I have more vibrancy in the hair on my chinny-chin-chin then they've got in their entire bodies, I swear. I am so vibrant, I can separate Hoboken's $83M combined sewer with my vibrancy-power. When I am mayor, I will wear a unitard with a big letter "V" on the front. The people of Hoboken will decide by public referendum whether or not I will wear a cape (with my unitard). I will pick the color."
"In all seriousness, this is just the latest example of a candidate for Mayor in Ravi Bhalla who claims to represent reform, but who in reality is a vibrant lawyer more interested in continuing the progressive policies of Mayor Dawn Zimmer than in vibrant coffee roasters, urban wineries, and whatever the third thing Tony told me to say was. That's who Ravi Bhalla is and this selection of an equally vibrant attorney is just the latest proof."
Shocked! Stunned!
It looks like Hoboken has some very good additional choices for at large candidates. Too bad about the old guard puppet. A DeFusco piece is on another blog where he is criticizing the Suez deal. He should talk to the Russos about how to come up with the best worst deal with the water company. Might even get a shore home out of it.
ReplyDeleteHa .. that's not what he said .
ReplyDeleteThis is what he said " It was difficult to contain my shock at hearing that Ravi Bhalla, a politically connected insider lawyer at one of New Jersey's most powerful law firms, made the stunning choice to select a fellow political establishment attorney in John P. Allen for his Council slate. Who could have ever guessed that a lawyer like Ravi, whose law firm was paid over $3.8 million in government contracts in 2016, would decide to run with a lawyer whose firm was also paid over $3.8 million in government contacts? A truly inspired, outside-the-box pick.
In all seriousness, this is just the latest example of a candidate for Mayor in Ravi Bhalla who claims to represent reform, but who in reality is a pay-to-play lawyer more interested in the next government contract than in delivering for the people. That's who Ravi Bhalla is and this selection of a fellow insider attorney is just the latest proof."
Plus I saw the video .. if I were there with children .. I would walk away and let someone else do the filming if they want to .. why expose children to potential harm .. what's wrong w people ??
You made that up, Hobokened Out! Did I ever tell you that your posts weren't vibrant?
DeleteSo I lawyer who gets jobs to his friends .. gets another lawyer friend a job .. that's great for Hoboken :) like the cabaret song says .. money money money money money money money .. vibrant enough ? You can't make this up .. want government paid lawyers or a republican for the "New Reform" ?
ReplyDeleteI also did a bit of research on the Easter Seals .. interesting reading below :
"The National Easter Seal Society's Form 990 for 1995 showed that, for the fiscal year ending August 31, 1996, it paid Assistant Secretary to the Board of Directors James Williams $267,000, plus $29,343 in benefits. Chief Executive Director Donald Jackson got $197,400 plus $21,694 in benefits. Senior Vice-President Christopher Cleghorn received $167,395 plus $18,395 in benefits. Executive Vice-President Joseph Romer received $157,741 plus $17,336 in benefits; Vice President for Development Robert Taylor got $135,900 plus $14,935 in benefits and Norman Grunewald, the Vice President for Development and Quality Assurance, got $94,100 plus $10,342 in benefits. Twenty-nine National Easter Seal Society employees made over $50,000 that year, according to their 990 form.
Many non-profit organizations use commercial fundraisers. When you get a call from a charity, in may in fact be from one of these commercial fundraisers.
The National Easter Seal Society used My Favorite Charities as a commercial fundraiser. The December, 1996 California Attorney General's Report on Charitable Solicitation by Commercial Fundraisers reported that My Favorite Charities raised $101 for the Society; for this the Society paid My Favorite Charities $3,399. The AIP reports that in that year the National Easter Seal Society spent 57-80 percent "on charitable purpose" and their "cost to raise $100" was anywhere from $24 to $57. AIP rated them Grade D (Unsatisfactory)."
That's the charity one of them is involved in
Hobokened Out, in the future can you post the link instead of copy-pasting the entire novel? Thank you!
DeleteSo to clarify--Hobokened Out's complaint against Ravi's slate is that while passing out campaign literature Emily was accosted by a poll worker who happened to support another ticket. While being harassed with her children, she chose to record the incident as record of what has become an all to common problem of tainted elections in Hoboken.
DeleteMeanwhile--DeFusco trots out a Trump supporter and a guy who is upset at the city for not endorsing his malfunctioning mobile app and is banking on a city contract? And to think, many of us thought MDF wasn't a clown...but we were proven wrong.
Yeah that's merely stupid when you have a 4 year-old that are usually difficult to control in that kind of situations or a 19 month old .. completely vulnerable.. All I said was I would not have exposed my children to that theater... why take the risk .. you never know how people will react .. and if , as you said , those conditions are hostile to begin with .. you are twice as stupid then
DeleteHobokened Out, it was 6 PM on the streets of Hoboken. Hoboken's streets and playgrounds are "vibrant" with parents with young kids pushing strollers. Maybe you dont know that. I took my kid with me for election day activities- it is a great civics lesson. Stop the parent shaming- you are offending parents everywhere.
DeleteHoboken6 said "record of what has become an all to common problem of tainted elections in Hoboken." that said , if you know they are closing doors on you , screaming at you or maybe even fighting you .. why bring babies ?!!
DeleteI'm ok w the civic lessons part .. however hoboken6 or that candidate seem to have common sense
Hobokened Out, please make sense. No volunteer "knows" they are going to be harassed by a kook, because that is NOT supposed to happen. I certainly haven't seen anything like it. You aren't helping your candidate, Mike DeFusco. No comment on him polling in last place? Even the Bike Guy did better!
DeleteOh yeah ? Show the official data .. thanks
Deletelemme get this straight: HO's beef with the Bhalla ticket has something to do with an Easter Seal's payroll from 11 years ago. Um...ok.
DeleteI, for one, am looking forward to speaking with all of the various candidates across slates on their views on issues of importance to Hoboken.
ReplyDeleteOne on one conversations are fine, but on matters of importance, you're likely to get outright lies from some, and obfuscation and deflection from others. No, the candidates forum or debate is the right place to get answers, and for christ's sake, please let's not have the QLC run the thing with that game show host.
DeleteNah, debate prep leads to scripted answers - I prefer one on one conversation, you can pick up things, sincerity, 'tells' - both good and red flags. I've changed my mind about who I was going to vote for based on having spent some time with a candidate. I've also gotten more comfortable with casting a vote for someone that I thought might be a better option but wasn't sure.
DeleteThis is hilarious. Singing Bhalladay. Well done. Nice to have some comic relief.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great slate. Considering everything that's happening in education in Hoboken, it would be good to have someone who has a background and interest in that area.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI have asked you to post links instead of copy-pasting huge blocks of text.
DeleteThree strikes you're out. Get it together.
I'd forgotten about that issue. The optics were not good there. But it's not like they were partners or that he couldn't afford to pay the lease himself if Condon lost all of his revenue. It wasn't that big of a deal.
DeleteYeah .. Hoboken politics seem to have early selective dementia .
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteYou've broken a house rule. No links to cyber-toilet Hoboken411 are allowed here. Sorry, you will have to link legitimate news sources. Same goes for Alt Right cesspool like InfoWars, Breitbart, Gateway Pundit, and so on.
DeleteBut if you're going to post other people's garbage, and not contribute to the discussion, prefer you go to MSV. They will lap it up.
There ... if you can put whatever "(fake) news " so can I
ReplyDeleteFeel better now?
Delete