From your windshield, to U.S. national news...
I don't know how you-all feel, but I'm embarrassed. The rest of the country sees that the birthplace of baseball and Frank Sinatra has a dark, racist underbelly.
Racism in black and white, on political flyers which I was still finding today in Willow Avenue vestibules.
Less obvious racism is the quiet repetition of "he's not electable" and "Hoboken is not ready for a mayor with a turban" told to undecided white voters by one campaign in particular.
That's the polite kind of racism.
The other in-your-face kind of racism happened last night, the spread of flyers calling Ravi Bhalla a "terrorist" on behalf of or by the DeFusco or Romano campaigns.
DeFusco blamed Ravi for the flyers in a phone call after the incident went public. Absurd and offensive. Ravi's wife cried over them, and his 10 yer old daughter can't understand why those things were said about her daddy.
DeFusco staged a press conference today, with some flyer-ripping theatrics which felt more like self-promotion than genuine. To me, that's suspicious.
On the other hand, this midnight "terrorist" flyer hit two birds with one stone: Ravi and DeFusco, making Romano the obvious beneficiary.
A third possibility, but less likely, is a hate group, not affiliated with Hoboken politics.
And that is why the Hoboken Police Department is investigating this hate crime.
GA spoke to Hoboken Police Chief Kenny Ferrante who was unable to give an update the confidential investigation which has "received a lot of major media attention."
HPD Chief Ferrante told me, "I can confirm that we began an investigation when we were made aware of the situation last night. We are investigating this as a Bias Incident and looking at this from many angles and put many hours into this today. If anyone has any information regarding this issue, please contact Capt. Charles Campbell, Investigations Bureau Commander at 201-420-5103 or email him at CampbellC@hobokenpd.org"
Chief, do not hesitate to ask the Feds for help on the forensic part of the investigation! I mean analyzing the copies for markers left in the printing process.
Here's the HuffPo article:
I cannot wait to see who did this! It is amazing folks find it hard to believe that someone's campaign in Hoboken is responsible. I have been ridiculed and told to get out of race, thugs from Bergen said to my face I would not be in the race, DeFusco told me in the beginning he had so much money I don't stand a chance, Rai said stop singing you are making a fool of yourself, the Press repeatedly reported right until a few weeks ago that there are only Four candidates in the race. Well folks, I am still in this race, still unafraid, still watching the constant bullshit, mudslinging, throwing people under the bus to get up the ladder, crybaby, lying, conniving, deceitful, lot of folks I have EVER seen. I have my suspicions that I will keep to myself until further investigations are completed. As I said before, the amazing amounts of money wasted on this garbage could have been used to fix Hoboken High School, or build your pool, or fix your YMCA, etc. etc. Instead, you folks shoved it so far up our butts I will not be surprised if we have a LOW turnout for voting. Shame on you all for such gross campaigning. PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER! and Yes I am singing it! Pull the curtain shut and press 1 H. SERVICE OVER AMBITION!
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