Thursday pollpourri

Bruising poll results for Mike DeFusco

LIL' ORPHAN POLL
As mentioned yesterday, GA heard some new poll data. However, the campaign it was attributed to denies it was theirs.  So, until someone wants to claim this poll, GA will decline to give numbers. 

I will tell you that it shows Stick Romano has moved up, Mike DeFusco has moved back.  

But don't count the nasty weasel out; even if he tanks on the machines, remember he's expected to reap the HHA/Applied VBM harvest.  Remember, in 2009 Zimmer won the machines then... she lost by 161 votes. 

  
It is anyone's race to win, or lose. 

In GA's opinion, Reform would have cruised to victory, had a second Reform campaign not entered. Forget Monday morning quarterbacking. If we end up with a Mayor Romano or (God Forbid) DeFusco.  I know where I will lay the blame. 

DEFUSCO MEDIA BLITZ(KRIEG)
Here it comes!   It looks like Mike DeFusco for Mayor has launched its homestretch ground and air war:  mailers, ads on the web and on a popular music streaming service.   

Yes, music streaming.

A GA reader reported hearing a DeFusco advertisement on Pandora!  Apparently, the Pandora platform allows ads to be targeted down to the zip-code:
"Since Pandora’s inception, they’ve enjoyed a distinct targeting advantage over other platforms.  That’s because every Pandora user registers by giving Pandora three critical pieces of information: (1) their gender, (2) their date of birth and (3) their zip code. ..  As for your creative message, Pandora airs 15- and 30-second audio commercials, as well as providing banner ads that display on screen (smartphone, computer, tablet) and remain visible until the next commercial airs.... It’s important to note that, the more narrow your targeting, the higher the cost of generating an advertising impression."
I didn't know that, did you? 

Just imagine, you're streaming  your favorite tune, and suddenly it's interrupted by a bleating weasel.

Or, say you're on your favorite website, having a good time. All of a sudden, a Mike DeFusco for Mayor ad pops up and scorches your retinas! Ouch! 

This GA reader was enjoying the fantasy football site fantasypros.com, when his retinas got scorched:

Ouch! 

And need I mention, the 4 page, full-color slime-encrusted mud-fest which defiled your mailbox yesterday?

Be warned, people.

#CONDOS4DeFUSCO
A picture that's worth a thousand words

Now that DeFusco's media blitz(kreig) is intruding upon your musical and web entertainment, and is stinking up your mailbox, GA will remind you that he will smear honorable people, lie to your face.  

One example is his phony condemnation against tearing down historic structures for new luxury condos.  

As a ZBA Commissioner, DeFusco  hardly met a variance he didn't like- even when it meant a historic building tear-down.  

Watch this 1:36 video (a GA production:)


More! 

Recall when DeFusco claimed to "rally the Council and Administration to save the church at 901 Bloomfield?"

Bwaaa haw haw... "condo King" DeFusco Facebooks that "we don't need more luxury condos"


So then, where was ZBA Commissioner DeFusco when the application for the 901 Bloomfield church conversion to luxury condos was heard? 




See what I mean people?  

Take his nasty, lying mail and throw it in the trash.

Comments

  1. just got a slick four-page MDF mailer today, might be the same one you mention. three pages of all his lofty, vibrant "wants" for the city and the entire back page devoted to ravi: lies about his suez situation, scary allusions to how he can't be trusted, a slightly menacing photo just to make sure everyone knows HE WEARS A TURBAN, NUDGE NUDGE WINK WINK.

    giattino's gilded posse are going to regret not lifting a finger to fight MDF and standing passively by all these months, abetting even. on second thought, they're probably too entitled to regret anything.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. actually Ravi's little posse may regret not realizing that they should have stepped aside for the candidate that was willing to represent all of us.

      Delete
    2. If I recall, that's darn close to Beth Mason's old slogan from May 2009 when "all of us" meant Beth's band of fake reformers and the Russos.

      I know that's just a coincidence and Jen has not stooped to those kinds of sleazy alliances, but the rhetoric is strikingly similar. I guess there are only so many political slogans that readily come to mind so we are doomed to hearing them be recycled over and over.

      As long as you've dropped in, can you explain what Jen meant when she referred to being obsessed with the idea of building "micro units" like the ones JC has included in their new 50 plus story residential developments, as a tool Hoboken could emulate to address the affordable housing crisis? I was a little confused by that. Do you agree with her?

      I was a little confused by that.

      Delete
    3. Yeah - it is disgusting how the Britebarters would rather trash the reform movement and go down in a blaze of glory than make sure a competent and qualified candidate who seeks to do best for the city win.

      BTW, the whole microunit (really tiny studio) idea is a boon to the developers and an incredibly bad idea. not a shocker she would support that as her supporters appear to support mass development of certain parts of town. They just want massive buildings filled w/ offices instead of condos.

      Delete
    4. Indie, Ravi's "posse" is not so little. As much as my dear Reform friends on the other side of the divide wish to think, Ravi has substantial support from 'old time' grassroots- reformers who all recognize by first name. There is no imbalance of 'grassroots' support between the divided Reform. Getting a little tired of that talking point, perpetuated in Al Sullivan's column. Everybody knows who he talks to.

      Furthermore, there is nothing 'grassroots' about dispatching an old time politico to negotiate with Brian Stack for help- which is what Jen's campaign has done. Anything "grassroots" about that? We can go tit for tat. Not worth it. Anyone can win this election. Nobody is walking around with a puffed chest. No one should.

      Delete
    5. @indie, can you explain exactly who ravi is not representing? and can you explain how jen represents me (since i'm one of "us")?

      i bet you can't plausibly explain either, plausibly being the operative word.

      Delete
    6. well, I will absolutely agree with you that anyone can win, GA. Have no idea what you're talking about with Stack. Only thing I heard was about Ravi going to constituent great that Stack was doing at the HHA and Ravi showed up.

      As for the Beth Mason nonsense above. As best as I can tell - Beth's entire old crew is with Ravi.

      Delete
    7. The Ravi-Stack story is an MSV fairytale--recall how he was going to do a follow up in-depth story after his fairytale was challenged? Never did it. Because it never happened. Repeat: Ravi never went to Stack's HHA constituents meeting.

      Um, no. Beth's old crew is with DeFusco and Romano. Others went with Zimmer, whom you've all thrown under the bus.

      Delete
    8. Like Jen should have stepped aside when you supported Nino Giacchi for 6th Ward Council? Because he was the best candidate to represent all of the 6th ward?

      Delete
    9. Giachi was a horrible candidate and anyone who supported him is either an idiot or only out to "get what's theirs" which makes them amongst the worst of the worst.

      Delete
    10. @indie, still waiting for your response: can you please explain exactly who ravi is not representing? and can you explain how jen represents me (since i'm one of "us")?

      Delete
  2. One thing you have to grant Mike is that he is openly running as who he is: 1/2 smooth bullshitter and 1/2 nasty, petulent child.

    Ravi is running as who he really is as well: a smart, mature, thoughtful, highly educated professionally successful man who leans politically to the left and whose natural civility has been readily apparent in his years in public life.

    The contrast couldn't be more striking.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Speaking of running as oneself, just because he is a democratic doesn't mean Ravi is going to give away the store from a fiscal point-of-view. That was a unifying theme for reform before the partisan split.

      He's getting dragged through the mud for dismissing the need to expand HFD (by alleged conservative MSV on behalf of alleged Republican Jen). Time was when MSV would side with the city's best interests in these matters but that wouldn't help Jen so...

      Where is Jen's comment on this? Didn't want to ruffle feathers? Only a republican when it's convenient? So far I haven't seen her stand behind anything that is traditionally republican turf. Republican how?

      Delete
    2. Jen was not on the City Council when the Mayor and Ravi and the rest of the then reform team fought the war to restructure Hoboken's public safety departments. When Zimmer was being called a "domestic terrorist" at a City council meeting and $100,000 was spent in the "stop the zimmer layoffs" campaign, Jen was a private citizen. While I have no doubt Jen was personally supportive of the effort, I'm not aware of any actual public expressions of support like speaking at a CC meeting, letter to the editor etc., . As far as I know, she was never a member of the Hoboken Revolt group that Sue Pregibon refers to in her letter. Ravi on the other hand was a member of Hoboken Revolt and very much in the middle of the fray.

      This is another real distinction between the two and Jen's silence at the meeting coupled with Roman's attempt to flip the issue on its head make's the distinction even clearer. If there was one thing I though Jen actually believed in it is the need to keep personnel and particularly public safety costs under control. But would she as mayor have the courage of that supposed conviction? Ravi and Mayor Zimmer proved under fire that they do. Jen? Your guess is as good as mine but I'm not optimistic.

      Delete
  3. The truth is that if Reform was unified, we would win this election. We're not, so Stick may be Mayor. The fallout will be long and hard and continue for years.

    Michael has and is destroying his political career with how he's chosen to conduct himself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a bunch, "Jen" and "Tiff". If you two end up helping elect Romano (which looks like a distinct possibility), you both will have earned the reputation of petulant spoilers which will ruin any political future you may have hoped to have in this town. "Jen", please...you have no real reason to run and no noticeable administrative skills...give it up already!

      Delete
    2. Let's not forget the 6th Ward (my ward) is at risk of losing its Council representative with NO APPARENT REGARD for who will represent the 6,000+ residents until 2019.

      Delete
    3. Jen, Tif and Pete are destroying their political careers as well. Far more reformers trust Zimmer than the petulant entitled CC members who's feathers were ruffled that they were not consulted by the Mayor when she endorsed one of their peers. Quite honestly, we are pretty ticked off at those three and many of us will hold it against them for a long time.

      Delete
  4. Indie, the slogan comparison to Mason is a fact and characterizing it as "nonsense" is, well, nonsense. As I said, it doesn't say anything about Jen, it just speaks to how meaningless slogans are and coming on here spouting the slogan as if it actually means something is, to use your term, "nonsense."

    Are you saying Bernard Kenny did not lobby Senator Stack to endorse Jen? Or are you just saying that if he did you are not privy to it? The first statement would be a lie. The second might perhaps be true, depending on your actual role in Jen's campaign. I personally don't have a problem with Senator Kenny's efforts, it's what he has built his career doing, but perpetuating a myth about Ravi attending a constituent meeting while denying the reality of Senator Kenny's lobbying efforts on Jen's behalf is, well, to use the term coined by Reform Baseball, disinJENuous.

    You neglected to answer my question about micro-units in luxury high rise apartment buildings. Can you elaborate on how this concept that Jen describes herself as "fixating" on will help resolve our affordable housing and displacement crisis? It seems to me it would result in an influx in young single transients with no connection to the greater Hoboken community living in tiny over priced apartments in a bunch of new out of scale high rises. As an advocate for stopping virtual all market rate development while somehow magically creating tons of affordable housing without raising taxes, how do you square Jen's "idea" with your philosophy?

    Re the "spoiler" issue, Indie - can you confirm or deny the story that you (and folks like Mike Lenz and Carol Marsh) were part of a small group around Jen intensely lobbying her since the 2015 election to try to push Dawn aside, and if that didn't work to run against her this year? I've heard that this group considered the risk of the "bad guys" taking over to be a risk well worth taking to get rid of Dawn (which for some reason was personally important to them), but that Jen herself, while she considered it, didn't agree to do it.

    If true, it would explain a lot, including Jen's anger and frustration when Dawn, without having been successfully pushed aside, decided on her own terms not to run and endorsed the candidate she believed was best suited for the job, who happened to be Ravi not Jen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. was the "micro-units" part of Jen's "GOOD BUILDING" plan? Kinda like clean coal i don't know what "GOOD BUILDING" actually is? I do know that all the new apartments are limited to how many 1BR apartments they are allowed to be built in any new building. This really is pissing off the builders as they have to build more family style units (2br/3br) and are making less zillions per each building they put up. Now I wonder who will the builders support? The candidate that want to I assume carry on this less 1BR apartments, or the ones that want "micro-units" which will be mean more short term hoboken residents/renters who won't get involved in local politics, and less families having even fewer options for larger 3BR apartments. Good going #4thPlaceJenn

      Delete
    2. Over the years, one of the hidden from public view splits within the Zimmer governing coalition was between those who wanted no more family housing (and if residential had to be built, limiting it to tiny apartments housing transients - micro units fit the bill perfectly) and those like Ravi and Dave Mello and mayor Zimmer who felt Hoboken had a need for more family housing - especially reasonably priced (whatever that means in our insane market) so families who wanted to could stay in Hoboken longer.

      Jen is a card carrying member of the "close the door behind us' anti-family housing of any kind faction led by Carol Marsh. In that context Jen's self described obsession with micro units makes sense, since the last thing this group would like to do is encourage more families to come to and stay in Hoboken.

      Of course it has nothing to do with affordable housing so it's odd that Jen brought it up in that context. Unless she was advocating building lots of micro units to help fund a few new affordable units, a plan that I doubt would have much popular support, especially among those concerned about over development.

      Unfortunately we have never had an honest public discussion about the competing views of family housing (though the debate did occur behind the scenes. In my opinion, the Carol and Jen faction has been disinJENuous in public about their anti-family housing stance because they knew their views would be unpopular with many voters if openly and honestly expressed.



      Delete
    3. So basically, Jen wants to make it unaffordable for young upwardly mobile professionals to stay in town if they decide to get married and have a family. Nice. She should be honest and just put that on her campaign literature.

      BTW, Microunits sound perfect for real estate agents. More apartments, more turnover and commissions. What does Jen do for a living again?

      Delete
    4. I guess we now know what really makes the Mona Lisa smile....barf #4thPlaceJenn

      Delete
  5. Families present greater infrastructure challenges than transient singles, precisely because they are more involved in the community. The biggest challenge is children since they need day care, then pre-school and then school as well as evolving recreational opportunities from toddler through the teen age years.

    The Bhalla/Zimmer solution is to say the value in making Hoboken a place where people can stay and raise their families is worth rolling up their sleeves, do the necessary planning and make it work.

    The Giattino/Marsh solution is to slam the door.

    Carol reportedly has said to more than one person that if a family wants a bigger unit they can buy 2 existing units and combine them. We don't have to build it for them.

    Kind of makes one think of Marie Antonette saying of the peasants with no bread "let them eat cake."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carol is an idiot and quite honestly, the reason they don't want people to stay here is newcomers who buy and settle down here end up voting - and probably won't vote for people like them.

      Delete
    2. Agreed Ojo. I think that people like to get "theirs" and then slam the door on anyone who might want to get some too.

      Delete
  6. IMHO instead of micro-units or dorm rooms for adults, the city could use affordable studio apts in several sizes (box, queen, king). This could possibly free up 2 and 3 bedroom units all over town presently filled with multiple singles sharing the rent.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The "micro" units may be a surreptitious way to provide what would be essentially dorms for Stevens.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment