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| TEAM DeFUSCO |
The deadline may be September 5, but those Hoboken mayoral nominating petitions are rolling in!
Two campaigns filed today; here are their grand totals to-date:
Team Giattino's GRAND TOTAL: 1,759 nominating petitions.
Team DeFusco's GRAND TOTAL: 2,398 nominating petitions.
Team's still out are: Romano and Bhalla.
Mayoral candidates Karen Nason and Ronald Bautista have already filed.
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| Representing TEAM GIATTINO |
Honestly, this is the first time in memory anyone is looking at this metric, the number of petitions, as a measure of a candidate's.... what? Popularity? Endurance?
GA thinks it's silly because the only numbers that matter are votes on election day.
But what do I know? Stay tuned for updates.
There's a chance people are taking a page from the Beth Mason school of petitions, file as many as you can regardless of how many are valid. Mason would have anyone and everyone sign for her ticket regardless of if they lived in Hoboken and were a registered voter.
ReplyDeleteIt'a the initial total that gets reported not how many are ruled valid. I think all candidates will make the ballot, just that these numbers may be more illusion than reality.
There's a hidden story behind the Team GiaFusco petitions. A heart-warming story of healing for these divisive times.
ReplyDeleteDon't think a gay candidate can make common cause with a financial backer of LGBTQ rights-shredder, Donald Trump? Au contraire! When the common cause is making developer wet dreams come true, little matters like rolling back decades of social progress will just have to take a back seat. The Defusco campaign is about nothing at all if not about developer priorities. Actually both of those are true, but we're still grappling with how to turn it into a campaign slogan.
Hey, remember those fierce local political rivalries of the past? Never thought people like Tony and Sara could ever bury the hatchet? Guess again! They're teammates these days. Another Defusco success story!
One day it all just fell into place for the beloved has-beens. A chance conversation at the big Who the Hell Can We Get to Sign these ELEC Reports? meeting....
"Wait, you make all your political choices based on pathological bitterness too? Why, so do I! You'd rather work with easily manipulated, ethically indifferent candidates too? Well who wouldn't!"
And just like that, the old grudges fell away like dead skin, albeit a really big nasty pile of dead skin. But out of that steaming pile stepped a new creation. Not Tony and Sara - sworn political foes but Tony and Sara - friends for political convenience!
Or Sarny, as we call them at HQ.
But let's not forget the healing powers of our other candidate, Giattino. Despite her public indifference to the rent control referendum Giattino has convinced affordable housing advocate Indie.com that she is the best choice to ensure that Hoboken remains a livable city for its low income citizens. Indie, who has never shied away from shying away from criticizing bar and beach home squatters in affordable housing, brings great presumed moral authority to the issue. Which is helpful because she is otherwise unable to cite a single reason why Giattino should be taken seriously on the matter.
Run out of hankies yet, folks? We've accomplished all this reconciliation already and we're just gettin' started! Always remember what a truly great American once said about folks like you who are moved by these heart-warming stories during campaign season: There's one born every minute.
Team GiaFusco: Change that's Changey
classic.
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DeletePlease be gentle with indiecom. Without political prostitutes like her, neither Team Jen nor Team Mike would have our pair of colluding campaigns.
DeleteWe need people like indie - not to mention the ever-malleable, ever-aspiring Hatfield McVictim - always willing to sell out their purported principles at the drop of a mic.
Frankly, I wish folks would leave Indie out of the conversation, she is entitled to her opinions whatever we all may (and do) think about them. Indie is not on the ballot. As far as I can tell, she's just a vocal advocate and not a campaign operative or a candidate who has "suspended" their campaign.
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DeleteRespectfully, GA, indie is a person who, as the illlustrious satirist preceding me astutely outlined above, uses the weight of her self-appointed moral authority on affordable housing to browbeat people about the candidate of her choosing. So while it's true she is not on the ballot, her credibility or lack thereof on her pet issue is on the ballot of public opinion and open to public scrutiny. Because she chooses to put herself out there as the spokesperson on that issue, it's fair game to evaluate whether she is in fact an issue advocate or rather an opportunistic phony who needs to be exposed.
DeleteI for one argue that, like me, she is a GIANT phony and a disgruntled ex-Zimmer lover who's playing a central role in Team Jen - Official Campaign of the Vindictive, the Jilted and the Self-Important.
Point taken, SGI.
DeleteIdiocy.com insinuates herself into every political dialogue. Shedding more heat than light, she is one of the three furies of craziness that plague almost every council meeting, droning on and on. Thank god for the five minute rule, but all the same, they're the reason why most people, even on the dais, tune out.
DeleteOracle - mic drop!
DeleteGA - appreciate your comment to leave me out of the conversation. Wouldn't comment (per your preference) had there not been commenting about me and my support of Jen.
DeleteAs I've stated, ad nauseum, I would have preferred that Giattino take a position against the 2012/2013 MSTA initiative and I appreciated those that did support the tenants. BUT, the fact that the initiative failed did not end the affordability and displacement crisis. And here are some distinctions between Giattino and Bhalla:
1) A huge part of the reason for the escalation in displacement is our flood ordinance (and the way that the mayor's zoning officer administrates it.) Imagine living in a home (unit) that the zoning officer deems, without oversight, must be retired. She's making a habit of this! Oh, and least you think that only tenants have lost their homes, think again. Giattino's platform calls for a re-examination of the flood ordinance - Bhalla's does not.
2) Bhalla's support of the renter side during the referendum vs. the oft-sighted silence of Giattino is counter-balanced by Bhalla's pushing through of the harmful Z-88 anti-tenant ordinance which he boasts as having been a success without having researched to determine if there are any unintended consequences. Well, there have been serious consequences for renters, but in Bhalla's view (and there is video of this) our rent protections "were unfair to landlords" and as a result of Z-88's flawed language it's open season for landlords to not follow our laws. Bhalla has stated that the law is a success because it's reduced litigation. Not a good barometer when people are being harmed.
3) The current administration's response to tenant displacements are (if the tenant is a man) - 'you can go to the YMCA.' If the tenant is a woman - they have no response. Tenants being displaced, whether male or female, have a home and are residents of Hoboken....in many cases for decades. These are not homeless people working their way UP the ladder from the streets to an SRO - they are residents being pushed down and out. I'm concerned that a Bhalla administration will be comfortable with this practice of pushing residents down the ladder to make room for the wealthier tenants or owners that he'd rather see living here. Giattino, on the other hand, has already put extensive energy into finding alternative homes for residents being displaced (many of them over 50, 60 and even 80) including interfacing with the HFHA and NJ Tenants Organization. She's met with developers to get their thoughts on CLTs as well as affordable housing professionals to learn about other remedies that could be explored and she is hell-bent on finding ways to address affordability as well as homelessness. The current administration, and presumably a Bhalla administration should he become mayor seemingly will only focus on the homeless and extremely low-income populations. A mayor should look for affordability solutions for all residents and not wait until someone that is able-bodied, working and contributing to the community is pushed to the brink of extinction before there are any options for them.
4) Bhalla has dismissed the idea of a CLT as not being something that would work for us from a "policy perspective." Giattino will active pursue creating one (or something better.)
5) Bhalla pledges to uphold our 10% affordable ordinance. Giattino's platform acknowledges that the 10% affordable ordinance isn't working (and it's not.)
I could go on,but suffice to say Giattino hasn't convinced me of anything - she's SHOWN me through her actions that the best option to protect the many citizens in danger of displacement are better served if she takes the reigns.
If Bhalla wins, I'm concerned that we'll surely become a town that is 90% extraordinarily wealthy and 10% very poor with nothing in between.
indie, as your stalwart comrade on Team Giafusco, I need to gently suggest that my eyes got tired just scrolling through your dissertation. Politics 101, if you can't say it in 100 words, don't bother. Some of us want to actually win, not just hear ourselves talk.
DeleteJust a bit of GIANT advice for ya!
Hey indie - nicely done. The fact that you "would have preferred" Giattino "take a position" on the MSTA initiative is a genuinely clever bit of sidesteppery. So riddle me this - let's say Councilwoman Giattino HAD taken a position. And let's say the position she had taken might have run counter to your own. Because unless we're really pretending to be naive little neophytes here, we should be able to agree that odds are better than 50% that if she had a gun to her head to take an honest position, that's where she would have landed.
DeleteSo please, indulge my hypothetical scenario and tell me, since you're with the team that's so good at math, how would that fact set have impacted your political calculus?
Indie, thanks. Simple question: Have you approached the Bhalla campaign about your concerns or tried to shape its platform?
DeleteSecond simple questions, I noticed you write that "Giattino's platform calls for a re-examination of the flood ordinance - Bhalla's does not."
Where are platforms are you talking about? Can you please share them with all of us since you explicitly reference them?
I can't find Giattino's platform on this issue. All I found on her website was this: https://jenforcitycouncil.com/meet-jen/platform/. It's 5 bullet points none of which discuss the issues you've discussed above.
You also mention a "Bhalla platform" on the issue. Can you share that with us too? I can't find the platform you've referenced anywhere.
I'm completely losing confidence in you, not your passion or intention, your competence. That said, I'm willing to be disabused of my thinking. Please share the platforms you're comparing and say exist.
Also, again, have you approached the Bhalla for Mayor campaign about any of these concerns as an advocate for them?
not sidestepping - fact stating. I would have preferred/she didn't take. strait up facts. No need for hypotheticals and since you're obviously someone that opposes tenant protections, engaging on the discussion is a waste of both or our time, wouldn't you say?
DeleteIndie, where are you seeing anything about zoning or displacement on Giattino's platform?
Deletehttps://jenforcitycouncil.com/meet-jen/platform/
This is her entire presented platform:
1)Continue to fight for more park space and for upgrading and maintaining existing parks.
2)Ensure that an adequate Rainy Day Fund continues to be maintained.
3)Push for needed repairs in our streets and sidewalks.
4)Advocate for development in Hoboken that improves our quality of life.
5)Work to hold the line on taxes.
Campaign insider maybe (knows future press resleases before the public)?
DeleteWouldn't explain projecting what's in Bhalla's platform tho.
sounds like someone is projecting their personal interests on what they wish jen's platform included. none of her campaign literature or website make any mention of all the wonderful positions laid out here.
Deleteit's the reoccurring (and troubling) question of jen's candidacy: is she or isn't she? where does she actually stand?
Indie is actually referring to platforms that do not exist. I asked her to show us the Giattino platform that she very confidently talked about and there is nothing to show except for 5 bullet points that we had to find. I asked her to show us the Bhalla platform that she very confidently critiqued and there is nothing to show. I asked her if she ever approached the Bhalla campaign about her ideas and we got silence. Where's the professionalism? This is truly sad.
DeleteIndie, three questions:
Delete1) How am I "obviously someone that opposes tenant protections"? Please point specifically to anything in my above comment that indicates my own personal position on tenant protections.
2) How is my unstated position on tenant protections relevant to the issue at hand? Tenant protections aren't on the ballet. Your credibility as a tenant advocate, however, is, at least in the context of this thread, in which numerous people are pressing you from different angles on how your fanatical support for Giattino jibes with your claim to authority as the Hero of the Tenants. The question as to where you'd come down if Giattino had openly campaigned against your position on the 2012/13 MTSA referendum question is 100% valid - and, I daresay, the tenants for whom you claim to speak, many of whom may already be scratching their heads, might like to know the answer to this and have a right to if you're going to continue to purport to speak for them.
3) "As I've stated, ad nauseum, I would have preferred that Giattino take a position against the 2012/2013 MSTA initiative and I appreciated those that did support the tenants" - sorry, but when/where have you ever said this publicly in the course of this election cycle? There are many things you say ad nauseum, primarily related to your self-crafted image as the authority and spokesperson of all things rent-control-related, but this ain't one of 'em. I have never seen you, in any context or forum, express any public reservations about Giattino's lack of a position on this or (gasp) the fact that she declined to take one may have belied a fundamental ideological opposition to rent control. Given that the most prominent and influential advocates (sorry, indie, but the mayor and senior council ally are more prominent and influential than you, believe it or not) for tenants rights were Mayor Zimmer and Councilman Bhalla, and you've done nothing but attack, villify and tear them down at every turn, where in the course of the current election cycle have you shown the least bit of appreciation for their having taken leading and consequential roles on the right side of the issue around which you define your public identity? I understand you have your issues with them, but given that tenants rights are the core of your public persona, if you had truly agonized over the fact that your current political hero was silent and possibly against you on this and your political opponents were with you, I think we'd have seen more evidence of that than you simply claiming to have expressed it "ad nauseam."
If these questions sound pointed, I sincerely don't mean them to be and hope you can muster the integrity to answer them properly. I see and hear people referring to you these days as a "political prostitute" and am just trying to help you prove that to be unfair and untrue.
Idiocy.com can't tweet.
DeleteSB: Sigh…why are you wasting my time and yours? Sounds like you must be a Ravi supporter and you’re busy trying to slip that whole partisan politics thing into the discussion with the political prostitute thing – how can a democrat like me, blah, blah yeah…so tired, and I’m so not interested.
Delete1) Anyone actually concerned about affordability and displacement and rent protections would not endlessly be pointing to events in 2012 and 2013 when we are in 2017 and tenant harassment/displacement escalates. Haven’t heard you say one word about that so, it sure appears that you are more interested in getting your candidate elected than you are in actual tenant protections. Being that we are in crisis, anyone that doesn’t acknowledge, is suspect. Now I don’t know how many other handles you’ve used, but statistically speaking, it’s likely that you’ve rabidly opposed tenant protections under one or another of the potentially different handles that you’ve used.
2) Love the comment that my so-called credibility as a tenant advocate is on the ballot. Be sure and let me know the ballot position so that I can vote on the issue. By the way, love the assertion that “numerous people” are pressing me on the subject. That’s really funny since there are about 5 commenters if I’m being generous – at least 3 of which could care less about the subject. Also love how supporting a candidate morphs into fanaticism. If anything, my voicing support for Jen’s candidacy is a counterweight to the all things Ravi that this site is known for. By the way, please advise when I claimed to be the “Hero of the Tenants?” I’d love to be reminded of the day that I made that statement….NOT. By the way, trying to turn an event or situation that NEVER happened into something that matters is stupid and, as previously state, a waste of everyone’s time.
3) To answer, I’ve written that I appreciated those that supported the tenant side of the referendum every time this subject comes up. It’s getting really boring to have to say the same thing over and over again. With that said, I’ve never said that I have reservations about Giattino’s lack of position when supporting her candidacy, because (and listen up now) I don’t have any reservations about it.
3a) The fiction that the Mayor and Bhalla are prominent and influential advocates for tenants’ rights is so laughable that I’ve pulled it onto its own separate line just so that everyone can share a full-fledged belly laugh. I’ve had more than one conversation with Jim Doyle where he’s said that the Mayor doesn’t oppose tenant protections, (and obviously she doesn’t) they are just not a priority for her.
And while they've not been a priority for her, more and more tenants are getting displaced. Since Ravi is following the mayor’s agenda – there’s no reason to expect a policy change from him. This is not a vilification of either Ravi or the mayor. This is fact and, unfortunately owing to the lack of action on tenant displacement under the current administration – any contender that publicly states that they will continue the existing administration’s policy is making it abundantly clear that they will continue to allow rampant displacement in Hoboken.
By the way, I have no “political hero” and I’m not a true believer. My support of Jen is a pragmatic decision based on which candidate provides the best chance that some action will be taken on slowing displacement and protecting tenants from unnecessary displacement and providing affordability options that amount to more than 1 new unit per year. It will also be a criteria in my choices for city council candidates.
I have no problem answering questions, pointed or otherwise – but out of respect for the blog owner, you might want to take future questions to my FB page or the other blog.
lol
DeleteAs these campaigns brag about these incredibly unimportant numbers it's worth noting that if each member of the slate has the bare minimum of 360, that adds up to 1440. Viewed that way is 1750 really something to brag about?
ReplyDeletenumbers, I wouldn't throw shade on Jen's numbers- she's only been a candidate for 2 months, and I trust her campaign's done it honestly. I think it's a respectable number, nothing to sneeze at.
DeleteAs for DeFusco, he's been mumbling about running since October 2016, and a declared candidate since May. I'm guessing when you subtract his invalid petitions (dead people, non-residents, fake names, non-registered), Giattino cleans his clock. I truly thought DeFusco would come in with double, just because of the loot he's got to work with. It would be interesting to see if the VBM requestors and petition signers match up. GA's heard rumors that the Feds are watching this election.
I'm not throwing shade on Jen's number. I'm just putting it in context. I don't think anybody doubted she and her team would be on the ballot. The petitions she's filed meet that low bar. Bragging about barely meeting that theshhold is really pretty pathetic.
DeleteUnless DeFusco paid people to sign which I doubt, his signatures (as opposed to himself, his campaign and perhaps ultimately his paid for votes) are no less honest" than anyone else's.
I respectfully disagree that he's likely to have fewer qualified petitions than Jen. Quite the contrary. The gap would be far larger. His percentage of "good" signatures will be the highest of any campaign, since fewer of his signatures come from random canvassing of strangers. As opposed to Mason, for example who got almost all of her mountain of petitions that way.
It's a good point @NumbersCruncher. Getting above the bare minimum is well... And good point @FAP. I think these numbers tend to garner the attention of the top 1% of insiders who really get into elections. That said, I guess, to the extent valid signatures are collected, this would indicate the level of early campaign activity. In others, how hard are the candidates or their surrogates working early on to spread the word about their candidacies. Of course the numbers don't indicate whether the person is an actual supporter or a registered voter randomly encountered in a park who may or may not be a supporter. In other words, you'll never know the quality of the number of valid signers from these post just the level of campaign activity. Last, in an age of social media everything seems to get reported, hence these numbers are being more widely reported than in the past.
ReplyDeleteIt's very telling that all the photo ops for candidates delivering their petitions were taken outside the city clerk's office. MDF's was taken within.
ReplyDeleteHaha - Pretty cute, FAP - here's Jen's policy on affordability (but, you knew that, right)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.teamgiattino.com/platform
Address Affordability And Displacement
Hoboken has become expensive beyond the means of many long-time residents. The number of affordable units is declining and the number of below-market rent stabilized units is declining faster. Displacement is damaging the character of our town. Adding a handful of affordable units each year while losing many more is not enough. We need to expand our current mix of predominantly large new units with affordable one-bedrooms, studios, micro-apartments, and co-living spaces. We must review the 10% low-income inclusionary ordinance and explore alternative developer contributions that might work better. And it’s time to seriously consider the creation of a community land trust that could help reduce displacement and protect Hoboken’s historic character. Recognizing everyone has right to a safe and secure home, we will continue to support improvements made for residents living in the Housing Authority buildings.
Amending the current flood ordinance so it does not apply outside of flood zones and exploring ways to protect rental units in flood zones are both priorities. Flood ordinance driven tear-downs displace long-time tenants and damage the city’s character. We need more coordination within city hall so that existing tenants are considered when reconstruction and demolition permits are issued. To help with this and other issues of residential concern, we will reinstate the Office of Housing & Tenant Advocacy.
For your efforts, you are 40 years too late.
DeleteSo Giattino has two mayoral websites? That seems asinine and the sign of a campaign that doesn't have its act together.
DeleteNo, FAP - that's her city council website....duh - but you knew that.
DeleteIndie if it's her council website how do you explain the logo(see linked picture)?
Deletehttp://imgur.com/a/06WLw
Perhaps in your zest to defend Giattino's error you forgot to read her site?
All Hoboken: To answer your question – Have I approached the Bhalla campaign? – I’d have to say, ‘not exactly’ & what I mean by that is that I reached out to Emily Jabbour via email, to ask her what her positions were on issues – generally, not for rent protections - (this was early on when all I’d seen on her FB page were her friends endorsing her). I specifically reached out to her because I’d heard positive things about her from people that I know who know her. She didn’t respond, which is odd since my city council votes were and are completely up for grabs. That’s the only contact that I’ve had with the Bhalla campaign. I’ve, of course, heard that Councilman Bhalla has also reached out to everyone he can think of to ask for their support, but I haven’t heard from him either. Not that I would have expected him to – but, as far as I’m aware he hasn’t reached out to any of the strong tenant voices for input on his platform and positions on tenant protections. Ravi does have a history with rent protections, so suffice to say he can craft his platform & policy positions without input from others.
ReplyDeleteAs to the rest of your questions – I’m going to take it on face that you hadn’t seen my exchange with FAP about Jen Giattino’s platform when you posted and that you inadvertently confused a city council page with her mayoral page. But, just in case you want to continue to pretend that Jen doesn’t have a stated platform – here’s the link, once again: https://www.teamgiattino.com/platform. If you are interested in seeing Ravi’s platform, you’ll find it with a quick google. Hope that disabuses you of all of the silly stuff you’ve posted.
To answer the question again that you repeated – no, I haven’t shared my concerns directly with the Bhalla for Mayor campaign. I’d be happy to discuss them with him and his slate; however, I do have some experience with Ravi saying one thing and doing the exact opposite on tenant protections. And, you know what they say “once burned, twice shy”