No more double-standards, people.
Everytime Ravi Bhalla opens his mouth to defend Hoboken residents against Trump policies that hurt Hoboken's LGBTQ community like the military ban, or hurt Hoboken families with friends/relatives overseas or students abroad (like the travel ban) Bhalla gets slammed by the Giattino campaign as a "national candidate."
Check this out... The pro-Trump/ pro-Giattino blog went nuts today over the above-referenced ad, sent to Hoboken households this weekend. The theme of the ad is defending the civil rights of Hoboken residents in the age of Trump; not an unusual position for a civil rights attorney like Bhalla.
Yet, this ignited histrionics of a magnitude 7.5 on the Richter scale, with bloviations that Bhalla is a "national candidate" who is allegedly ambitious!
Yet, this ignited histrionics of a magnitude 7.5 on the Richter scale, with bloviations that Bhalla is a "national candidate" who is allegedly ambitious!
But is desire to serve either the state or national legislature someday a negative?
Use your own judgment.
These U.S. Senators were all once mayors of their respective cities: Bernie Sanders (D), Dianne Feinstein (D), Cory Booker (D), Lincoln Chafee (I), Bob Corker (R), Richard Lugar (R). Bernie was elected 3 times as mayor, Booker, Feinstein and Lugar were elected twice.
If it is fair to make a campaign issue out of a candidate's alleged ambition to serve someday as a Democratic Party New Jersey legislator or the a U.S. Democratic Senator....
Shouldn't it be fair to make a campaign issue out of another candidate's service to the National Republican Party, including as a Romney delegate at the National Republican Presidential Convention?
You cannot have it both ways! No siree! 'Cause that would be a double standard. Well then...
It would be fair to call Jen Giattino a rising star in (the New Jersey chapter of) the National Republican Party.
Hudson County Republican Chair, Jose Arrango endorsed Giattino- even before she announced her candidacy- calling her the "perfect candidate for mayor."
And, look who represented her New Jersey Congressional District as a delegate in the 2012 Republican National Convention for Mitt Romney, working to defeat Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama.
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And in 2016, Giattino was a candidate for Republican District Delegate for the guy (John Kasich) who, if elected, promised to DEFUND PLANNED PARENTHOOD.
ANYONE who supports a candidate whose PLATFORM is to DEFUND PLANNED PARENTHOOD should not be supported by anyone who SUPPORTS Planned Parenthood.
Sorry. I would NEVER support a candidate with that on their platform. Never, ever, ever.
Anyway, it really does take a village to survive an idiot like Donald Trump, from the mayor on down.
I for one want a progressive Democratic mayor who supports progressive Democratic principles, including civil rights and women's health and contraception services provided by Planned Parenthood.
The people of Hoboken need someone to look out for us- all of us, especially our most vulnerable residents.
The Trump-nut meltdown over Bhalla's ad is a funny thing- check it out!
I'm getting sad from the whole thing now. There's so much anger and finger pointing, and the end result is going to be Romano or DeFusco because they are going to have the armies of "campaign workers."
ReplyDeleteSomeday there could have been enough of a Reform collection that we could have some legitimate differences of opinion and have some options but all still for good government.
But I don't think we're there yet. And I haven't heard a lick about why Jen is different or better than Ravi. She's just "not Ravi" and for some reason there is so much anger and spite. I don't really want to speculate why, but it bums me out why there's suddenly such a split.
"Don't nationalize the election." I'm sorry, how far is acceptable? Can we talk about how crappy Christie and Guadagno are at the state level? How about Hudson County draining our taxes for minimal benefit? Is that too far out of bounds? How about what Jersey City might build on their side of the train tracks and will undoubtedly have an impact on us? Where's the line, oh so wise ones?
I've lived in Hoboken for 15 years. The only reason I felt good buying a condo was with Mayor Zimmer in charge. And now if Reform is not in control, I really don't want my tax money going to line someone's pockets. All over a stupid pissing contest.
That other place seems to have become "anyone but Bhalla." And if Ravi wins, are they going to be the new "resistance"? Are they going to team up with Russo to gum up the works? Are they going to launch investigation after investigation of why Ravi called out nazis for being pieces of shit? Or maybe Ravi wasn't even born in Hoboken! Where's the birth certificate?
If Jen somehow pulls out a win we'll have a bunch of smug "better at math" uptown republicans who showed their true colors when the time came. Maybe they'll be decent, but if they're already willing to get down with Russo, that says volumes to me.
Poor old dumb dual job Dawn. Brought the town out of the muck, saved us from bankruptcy from the hospital, and is getting kicked in the teeth for it because somebody wants to score some points.
Thank you. Really well said. I believe there is a permanent "anti-Ravi" (so-called) Reform faction, that would rather see Stick or DeFusco win. They will probably get their wish.
DeleteAll right thinking Hobokenites hate people who hate hate. This is a nonpartisan election goddarnit and hating hate is an outrageous attempt to introduce lunatic left wing partisan politics into a local election where a candidates position on hate simply has no place in the dialogue among devotees of real reform.
DeleteWe in the Giafusco camp have a Giant tent where we welcome people who hate hate as well as those who hate people who hate hate.
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ReplyDeleteEddyE, Allegations of deviant criminal activity even against U.S. Senators are defamatory.
DeleteBut let's talk about you. How's the weather in Trenton? I assume you came all the way up north to Hudson County to wet your beak in Hoboken? I know, if Mike DeFusco gets elected, there'll be a lot of beak-wetting.
Dumb comment. whatever happens to menendez (and, um, remember that part are "innocent until proven guilty"?), is has NO BARING on laws that effect people of hoboken. if ravi takes a stand on an immigration LAW, it's because it's a LAW that impacts people here.
Deleteapple and oranges. try getting a clue before mouthing off.
GA please stop deleting my posts, I am trying to respond to me's misguided comment. What Menendez is accused of doing (medicare fraud specifically) affects anyone that pays social security.
DeleteC'mon, EddyE. Is Menendez on the ballot? Feel better.
DeleteNo but neither is anyone you mentioned in your blog. Ravi has publicly expressed his support and stated it was his "mission to make sure Sen. Menendez is re-elected". Since Ravi IS on the ballot, I'd like to know if it is still his mission to make sure Sen. Menendez is re-elected, or if he thinks he should resign.
DeleteWrong Eddy - Social Security taxes pay for Social Security. Medicare payroll taxes pay for Medicare. And I am pretty sure it is bribery trial and he is not accused of Medicare fraud. You really need to get your facts straight if you want anyone to take your posts seriously. You have them all crisscrossed.
DeleteAnd if we are going to be judging Ravi on this issue, then it is only fair to judge Jen based on Donald (which you folks have been freaking out about).
Yes he was allegedly bribed to help a convicted felon commit medicare fraud. "In addition to the visa applications and port security negotiations, prosecutors allege Menendez also intervened in the doctor's $8.9 million Medicare billing dispute with the Department of Health and Human Services".
DeleteIt'd be easy to say that Republicans in Hudson County are able to gain traction because of the shitty job the Democrats have done here for so long, until you look at their party affiliations after they move down to their shore homes upon retirement and discover, that they were Republicans, or Democrats In Name Only (DINO's) all along. That describes Cunningham, at least Giattino is honest about being one of them.
ReplyDeleteWhat? Democrats have been robbing their constituents blind in the northern part of the state for any number of years. You're all about to elect a democrat governor who has already said he's going to increase taxes. Democrats in NJ come in all sorts of corrupt flavors.
DeleteRepublicans may as well, but they're not the party robbing you blind in Hudson County.
So voting for Jen or Ravi based on party affiliation is downright stupid.
You've missed my point, but the reality is that party politics does play an important role at the local level. To believe otherwise is naive, and state and nationally elected officials usually start off as someone who either had craven ambition, had backers propping them up to do their bidding, or just thought they could make a positive difference. Most candidates are a combination of all of those three attributes. The question is, in what proportion?
Deletesnoopster, let the voters decide this one.
DeleteHonestly, I've been listening to the attacks on Ravi since the end of June from (so-called) Reformers saying he is trying to nationalize this election, calling him the "national candidate" whenever he talks about issues that adversely affect our residents. Moreover, he is beaten up because he is "ambitious." Well, not only is that a giant heap of crap, but I am tired of hearing it.
So, to the campaign who keeps pointing an accusatory finger at Bhalla, back at ya. They want to call Bhalla a "national" candidate, okay, then Giattino's GOP activism at the national level is fair game. Right?
It's fairly obvious that all of the sycophantic dreck on MSV is sanctioned by the campaign- like Beth Mason used Hoboken411- you even see his fawning dreck getting posted on Facebook by Giattino campaign officials. What does that tell you?
@snoopy: i would' trust most politicians as far as i could throw them and agree there are many dirty democrats in jersey, particularly in hudson county. that being said, i disagree with many republican principles, and if jen supports those principles, it's (yet another) reason for me to not vote for her.
Deleteas a city councilperson, jen didn't have the authority and power to enact what could be termed her GOP beliefs. as mayor, though, she may very well do so.
also, i think one of GA's points is that if jen is a proud republican, then why doesn't she embrace it?
"me" and Oracle:
DeleteYou know I asked both Republican mayoral candidates Karen Nason and Jen Giattino who they voted for. Karen answered me without missing a beat, even though she knows how I feel about the Orange Caligula. She was very direct with me about her GOP affiliation and spoke with confidence and pride. Let's just say Nason is the only GOP candidate in the race who was totally forthright about her party affiliation, her presidential vote and has completely owned it without equivocating.
I'm not registered to either major party. But I used to be registered republican and then democrat. I found both to be a joke, and wouldn't be proud to embrace either of their platforms (especially after the national joke/nightmare that occurred leading up to November 2016). But hey, that's just me.
Deletealso, it's glaringly obvious this is the type of topic crazy horseshitville invents because he has no legitimate argument for why "jen" is the better candidate. it's the CHV signature move: have nothing positive to point to for your own candidate? then make up some batty BS on her opponent!
ReplyDeleteno worries. the few of local infowars readers who make up his readership might pay attention to this crap but no one else cares, at all.
It's been stated eloquently above but bears repeating: Jen has not been able to establish a reason(s) for her candidacy. Roman just posts attacks on Ravi, and now Dawn too. That's all they have. And the attacks are weak. Most people get that whether it's the ACA, or the effort to defund Planned Parenthood, or funnel federal funds to charter schools at the expense of traditional public schools, what happens in DC matters. The Ravi is ambitious argument a desperate attempt to throw out anything, no matter how speculative.
ReplyDeleteI know I keep saying it but it bears repeating: Jen has no reason to run policy wise, she is consistently in 4th, her only reason to run is to be a spoiler even though Jen, Tiffanie, and Peter said that would never ever happen back in June.
As I see it, there are really two separate issues afoot here. The first is, does party affiliation matter at the local level. As Fiorello Laguardia said, "There is no Democratic or Republican way of cleaning the streets." In NJ, it holds true that there is no Democratic or Republican way of cleaning up the corruption. Machine politics, bossism, nepotism, kleptocracy and bid-rigging are the way of New Jersey, whether you live in a Democratic or Republican stronghold. The reasons for this are many, and of course depend on who you ask, but in my opinion (and I've seen thorough, non-partisan research to support this), it dates back to the early days of road and infrastructure development in the wake of the Holland Tunnel opening in 1924. Once the tunnel was completed, it suddenly became emergent for the Jersey side to begin developing roads and infrastructure to support the massive amount of new access from New York. Municipalities fought with each other over who was responsible for footing the bill, and soon enough, new municipalities began to incorporate to allow residents to split off from the tax burdens being taken on by towns shouldering the construction burden. This had a domino effect, eventually leading to the ridiculous 565 municipalities we now have in our relatively tiny geographic plot.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of towns, which means a lot of coffers and a lot of opportunities for bad people to get their hands in them. It's important to remember that most people who run for local office (and even many that run for higher office) aren't very sophisticated and view local government pretty unapologetically as an opportunity to broaden or their local business interests. This is definitely a bipartisan effort. The Republican machinery in places like Bergen, Somerset and Hunterdon has historically been as reliably self-serving as it is in Hudson, Union, Middlesex and Camden. And I've personally witnessed cases in which one regime goes so far over the top in their corruption that they FINALLY get thrown out, despite the party-affiliation numbers being overwhelmingly in their favor, and the new guard comes in sounding all reformy, and within the first year, they've already taken a "now it's OUR turn" tack. Same game, new faces, new letter next to the name. I've seen corrupt Democratic turns transform into corrupt Republican towns and vice-versa.
The only exception I have ever experienced has been Dawn Zimmer. Whatever issue or disagreement anyone may have with her on any given issue, no one can credibly argue that she is anything but as clean and even-handed as she advertised. People DO try to argue otherwise, but they are not credible. They are political hacks. Whether the person accusing Zimmer of corruption is Lane Bajardi, Beth Mason, Carmelo Garcia, Matt Calicchio, Roman Brice, Kurt Gardiner or Cheryl Fallick, those types of critics have always been and always will be projecting their own nefarious agendas onto a mayor who has served honorably and with extraordinary fairness and dignity in the face of extreme and constant adversity. Having worked with each of the major candidates in this election, Mayor Zimmer determined that her experience pointed to Ravi Bhalla as the person she trusted to carry on that legacy. That should be all anyone truly interested in Reform needs to know.
Nicely said. Wow. You know so much. If you have any books you'd recommend for further reading (historical info/nonfiction of course), I'd like to read them. :)
Delete"New Jersey's Multiple Municipal Madness" by Alan Karcher is really the bible when it comes to this particular topic and Exhibit A in the need for increased consolidation and shared services. "The Last Three Miles" by Steven Hart is a particularly gripping tale of the HudCo labor war that broke out as a direct result of the Holland Tunnel opening, eventually spilling over throughout the state. It also contains a lot of color on the Hague era, whose political machinery looms over most of the region to this day. If you like that one, Hart wrote another one called "American Dictators," which details the relationship between Hague and Nucky Johnson, the Atlantic City boss who was the basis for Boardwalk Empire's Nucky Thompson, and how their shared brand of bossism became the template for New Jersey politics.
Deletethank you very much. I intend to get a copy of these books. I really appreciate it and the topic interests me greatly. Thanks!
DeleteCareful there, RBB - you're tipping your, or your candidate's hold card. Imagine someone suggesting that fighting against displacement in Hoboken is a "nefarious agenda!" Right...really nefarious to try to help people that are being displaced or harassed.
DeleteLet me know when you find someone who fits that description. I was only talking about political hacks.
Deleterb, it has become truly disturbing to watch the otherwise intelligent kind-of-wanting-the-right-thing supporters of Giattino continually say things that they can't possibly believe. Yesterday it was standing behind that idiotic poll. Today, they want to float the idea, twisted out of whole cloth, that Bhalla is in favor of displacement.
DeleteEvery utterance reeks of desperation; a desire to invent issues when no real issues can be found. Very much looking forward to something concrete from Team Jen like a non-internet poll or an ELEC report.
Ravi is a bleeding heart Dem. He isn't going to kill rent control. I wish he would b/c it is an absolutely stupid policy from an economic standpoint and creates all sorts of perverse political incentives to pander to that crowd. But hey, I am a Republican leaning person saying that. Ravi is far too liberal to share that viewpoint. But you know who does? Other Republicans.
DeleteAnd I am not voting for those other more right leaning candidates because I value honesty, a willingness to do hard work and skills in a mayor above and beyond partisan politics. I used a similar rationale to justify voting for someone besides Trump and why I voted for Zimmer.
Let's see - where to begin:
DeleteRBB: weak retort, very very weak. Suggest when you got nothin' don't say anything
Dang: Ha-ha Talk about twisting ideas/comments - where have I say Ravi was in favor of displacement? I'm sure some of his supporters favor it, but I haven't heard him say it. I have mentioned that he will pay lip service, but not do anything to stop it and, I suppose that there are some that would believe that, because the result is the same, it is the same thing - to me - there's such a thing as nuance
DOR: Actually, the people that, in my experience, are most likely to oppose rent protections are people that bought properties that were rent protected, try to force out existing tenants (often older and less affluent or artists/musician types that don't make a lot of money). They hate the fact that other human beings actually have some legal protections. Most other people, fortunately, believe that the people forcing out the tenants are creeps.
Once again you seem to have misunderstood the lay of the land. I wasn't aiming to entertain you, so my failure to do so is inconsequential. My goal was to proffer perspective and insight to those it may concern. My perspective is that nobody in this discussion accurately fits the description of "fighting against displacement in Hoboken."
Delete"Using faux displacement-fighter credentials to kosher someone with a track record of turning a blind eye to said displacement while throwing in with the most notorious affordable-housing abusers in Hoboken" is a more apt description of some of the players here.
You also forgot that just about anyone who passed economics and has 2 functioning brain cells remembers that rent control is the stereotypical example cited in every lecture about how government policy can cause an artificial shortage and drive up the cost of a good. But thanks for trying!
DeleteThe second issue to unpack here has less to do with Democratic and Republican policies and more to do with the unique phenomenon known as Trumpism. Trumpism is not a role-of-government-based ideology but rather a daily assault on various people and categories of people throughout our country. Bhalla has made clear that he considers protecting Hobokenites - Americans - from the aspects of Trumpism that affect us locally to be an important part of what he stands for. Whether or not you agree with him, being honest about his mission and core values is more than a leg up on Giattino, who has developed a reputation for keeping her cards close to the vest - even on her own basic principles of governing - and trying to be all things to all people. Hence, indie thinks she's pro rent control even though her actions have consistently reflected otherwise. Kurt and Roman think she made the Southwest Park happen, even though she's known to have opposed it behind the scenes quite strenuously.
ReplyDeleteSo it's really less of an issue of "nationalizing the election," and more one of telling the voters what you stand for. Through that frame, my opinion is that Giattino has earned the nickname DisenJenuous.
Again, there are a lot of hacks in this election trying to spin you every which way. But just as when Mason was shrieking about "release the e-mails" and "need more information", it's important to scrutinize the agendas of the Fishers, Fallicks, Lenzes, Soareses, Gardiners and Brices of the world, just as sure as we did with Bajardi, Liebler, Garcia and all the other rogues with axes to grind. Because each and every one of them are chanting their own version of "We can, we will, watch us." Mayor Zimmer is not corrupt, and anyone who says she is, is deflecting from their own corruption and trying to sell a bill of goods.
Very well said and another reason why I will not be voting for Jen. Come to think of it, I can't think of a single reason why anyone would ever vote for Jen. Not one.
DeleteThe easiest thing in politics is to take no public position on the tough issues. That's not leadership, just the easy way out. It allows you in private to take all positions. Or as Beth Mason would say her priorities are "yours"
ReplyDelete