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| Read the FULL Dan Letter at Hudson County View! |
GA nominates Dan in the "Best Endorsement Letter"category of 2017's Hoboken general election! Not only is the letter comprehensive, here's what I really like:
Dan doesn't tell you what makes him cry, he tells you what makes him think.
Dan's letter cites 6 "clear differences" between the two Reform candidates, Ravi Bhalla and Jen Giattino.
GA excerpts them below, with my editorial comment (italicized.)
(1) "Ravi’s focused and professional campaign has raised nearly double the amount raised by Jen. Perhaps even more important is that Ravi has received more contributions from actual Hoboken residents than any other candidate."
GA note: This is true. Professional campaigns cost money. Giattino's failure to build 'a warchest' is not a positive attribute for someone who has "wanted to be mayor for six years"(Little Hoboken Blog's interview). Starting a citywide campaign (where she is splitting Reform votes, thus needs an apparatus to get her message out) with $236 shows poor planning, recklessness and overall bad judgment. As a result, Giattino has run an ad-hoc, guerrilla operation, with no adults in the room, no central organization, nobody telling supporters "don't do that".
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| NO ADULTS IN THE ROOM- is this how Giattino will govern Hoboken? |
Not only does the Giattino campaign lack funds to get her message out, and her few mailers tell you that she deserves to be mayor because she will "put Hoboken first." Okay, then what? What is she going to do?
Giattino appears to have surrendered her authority as head of her campaign to control bomb-throwing surrogates on social media; she told Mike DeFusco's partner to "speak to him [the person guilty of contacting the partner's boss.]
Jen Giattino's softness- a positive attribute as a Councilperson- shows in her weak management style, messaging and overall inability to run a professional campaign. She has failed badly as an executive of her own campaign; she chose to mount a citywide race with insufficient funds for a serious, professional operation. Zimmer ran a tight-ship in 2009-- a grassroots campaign with a professional staff and message discipline, and pulled it off. Jen has not.
(2) "Ravi is the best positioned to win. As an at-large Councilman, he has represented the entire City, not just one Ward."
GA note: Maybe he started with slightly higher name recognition, but I don't think this one is so important.
(3) "Ravi has a bachelors and advanced degrees – he graduated from UC Berkley, received a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics, and received a law degree from Tulane. Serving as mayor is not the same as serving on the council. The mayor is the chief executive officer of a complex city government. While it may not be the deciding factor, a reasonable voter should examine the educational background of any candidate. In this category, Ravi has the significant advantage."
GA note: My Dad never went to college. He was open and honest, he'd tell you why (had to help his widowed mom support his 2 brothers and 3 sisters.) Jen hides this fact- why? I am sure she had her reasons. Some folks put a premium on life experience over book learning. I don't care personally that she only finished High School and lacks a college diploma. I do care that she isn't up front and honest about it, which makes one wonder what else isn't she telling us. To boot, her surrogates foolishly attack Ravi as "bad in math" which casts a spotlight back on Jen's educational resume.
(4) Ravi enjoys the enthusiastic endorsement of the wildly popular current mayor, Dawn Zimmer. Mayor Zimmer’s robust support for Ravi is a valuable asset that has mobilized her supporters.More importantly, Mayor Zimmer has worked with both Ravi and Jen for many years. Based on that experience, Mayor Zimmer determined Ravi is eminently more qualified and better suited than Jen to be the next mayor.
GA note: Agree.
(5) "Jen has two years left to serve out her term as councilperson. If she wins this election, she would be abandoning her seat on the council to serve in higher office. This is important to note because a few of Jen’s supporters have accused Ravi of being “ambitious.” Unlike Jen, however, Ravi is not abandoning his current position. Rather, his term as councilman expires this January. In other words, Jen is willing to abandon her current position to serve in higher office."
GA note: As a 6th ward resident who has been happy with Giattino's constituent services, am amazed how she wants to drop my Ward mid-term with no expression of concern for who will 'fill her shoes'- and with Carmelo Garcia waiting in the wings. Thanks a lot, Jen. So, if she is willing to drop her elected duties mid-term for higher office, should her campaign really be attacking Bhalla for alleged "ambition?"
(6) "The political ideology of political candidates still matters. The political philosophy of an individual seeking office informs their decisions and is an indicator of their policies. Jen is a Republican, Ravi is a Democrat. Jen has been a delegate for at least one Republican presidential nominee and has attended the Republican National Convention several times. Jen also selected as a running mate a man who is not only a conservative Republican, but a public supporter of Donald Trump and his oppressive agenda. Ravi has been a civil rights attorney championing progressive values. Ravi is also the only mayoral candidate to have a selected all progressives as his running mates. It is patently unreasonable to ignore this stark contrast."
GA note: Agree.
Well peeps, what do you think?
Is Dan a big meanie? If so, ask Karen to pass you a Kleenex:
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| WAAAAAAAAH! |
if ravi had the slimeball campaign of the race, his people would walk around saying "hoboken isn't ready for a republican mayor with only a high school education". you'd see it in ads and on mailers.
ReplyDeletebut they aren't the slimeball campaign in the race. surprisingly, and sadly, that honor goes to another campaign who's supporters make thinly veiled dog whistle comments like how the city "deserves a candidate who will represent all of hoboken" and the like.
Absolutely true! The Bhalla campaign has known for a long time that "Jen" doesn't have a college degree and that "Jen" was never a broker at Goldman Sachs; she was a "specialist", whatever that is. Ravi's campaign could have put that kind of meme out there, but because his campaign goes high when her campaign goes low, it did not.
DeleteNo degree at Goldman tells me that she was an admin assistant.
DeleteGoldman is super-competitive both as to hiring and once you're there. They seek out candidates at top schools rather than waiting for you to come to them. Not sure what the real story is here. But with the snowflake tendencies of the campaign, don't want to ask too many questions.
DeleteDavidD, Read the post. What assumptions?
DeleteI did not discuss her career at Goldman. I did discuss her lack of disclosure about her educational resume.
That subject was raised by your campaign. Your campaign surrogates attacked Ravi's preparedness to be Chief Executive of Hoboken ("bad in math, no executive skills") thus making the formal education of both fair game for public discussion. Do you think that's wrong?
Funny, you folks have had guns blazing from right out of the gate, not a peep from Ravi. When he finally fires back (and you may disagree, but many voters care about national political party affiliation) there is "crying" and complaining from the candidate and surrogates.
My presumptions are offensive?
I am offended at the "not-electable" theme your campaign started flogging last June and I'm told, still are. I'm offended that you campaign publicly with Kurt Gardiner after he depicted a Ravi advocate as an object to be raped in the mouth by the mayor's husband. I can keep going. Some campaign you're running!
Dave D...thanks for the definition. Unfortunately, it does nothing to advance the discussion. "Jen" claims she was a broker. What she apparently did involves a lot less discretion or knowledge. That's the only point I meant to make. As with her lack of a college degree and her Republican Party credentials, "Jen" has completely dissembled. The voters have a right to know about this dissembling.
DeleteStanding on the stock exchange floor is proof of nothing. is that definition the goldman definition of specialist at the relevant time frame? And, even if it is, reading that definition it looks to be acting as an assistant to the trader.
DeleteOkay, just looked it up. A "specialist" is not a "broker"- they facilitate trades for brokers.
Delete"A specialist has four major roles to fill. He acts to show brokers the best bids and offers. A specialist also continually updates floor brokers to act as a catalyst for buying and selling. He places an order on behalf of brokers, and places orders for customers ahead of his own. Despite all of these duties, the number of specialists has declined, thanks to electronic trading."
So, did she or didn't she say she was a broker? If she didn't, I see no issue here.
You know what other job has declined in numbers thanks to computerization of their job functions? Administrative Assistants.
DeleteFor what it's worth, "Jen"has stated that she is the "first woman clerk Goldman Sachs ever promoted to a broker". (Hoboken Girl 10/7/2017).
DeleteConsidering the stupidity on exhibit by Jen when discussing finance matters, I don't care what the hell she did in the past for a living. She is completely unsuited to run a city. I wouldn't let her run a lemonade stand.
DeleteI know of at least one major instance -- and have no doubt there are many more -- in which Jen took a position on an important matter based on marching orders from Lenz and Marsh, and, when pressed for the reasoning behind her decision, inadvertently muttered "I can't remember."
DeleteThere's nothing wrong with being a specialist, it's a necessary if not glamorous job. As a specialist I doubt Jen worked for hard dollar commissions or had her own P&L so it's more of an order taker/trade referral position. It's a perfectly good place to start a career on wall Street.
DeleteRespectfully, that's not the point, FAP. The point is that "Jen" tried to lead the voters to believe that she had more discretion and authority in her job than she actually had.
DeleteI would like to know why anyone in his/her right mind would take advice from Michael Lenz and Carol Marsh. Talk about has-beens!!!
DeleteBeth Mason once said that the infamous H411 dirt wasn't "dirty" because it was "all true." With the Tiffanie, Kurt, Roman gang we are experiencing "deja vu all over again."
ReplyDeleteBhalla's credentials are impressive. Apart from Nason and Romano, I don't know much about the academic, personal and professional sides of Giattino and DeFusco, and I'm sure I'm not alone, and until his mailing, I thought MDF was single and in the closet. But if a candidate isn't using their basic bio info so that they can to get elected, does that mean they got nothin' worth sayin'?
ReplyDeleteDeFusco makes a big deal about"being the only candidate who commutes to work in Manhattan!" Who gives a shit? He sounds like a friggin BUMPKIN. Did he fall off a turnip truck and roll into Hoboken? EVERYONE has commuted to Manhattan at one time or another- for business, for school, for entertainment... I commuted for years: college, work. So does sitting on buses and trains qualify me to be mayor of Hoboken? HELL NO! Same goes for Mike DeFusco! He's highly unqualified!
DeleteWHAT??? Big Mike thinks commuting every day to NYC is a Badge of Honor??? No wonder he wants to be the Mayor of Hoboken...so he would no longer need to do the commute. This is damn funny!
DeleteSo it looks like in four days, our choices are between Bhalla, with three degrees, an inactive real estate agent, an angry coffee shop owner, a disliked bar owner / county freeloader, a locally unknown social media consultant or a manager for a sports network who commutes. My prediction? Whoever has the master of the illegal vote harvesting in their camp will win.
DeleteIt is all BS. Without a college degree she was nothing special at GS.
ReplyDeleteUnless you're a profit center/rain maker not having a degree will limit you at Goldman. Other shops back in the day would likely be more forgiving but Goldman has always held itself up as the best and the brightest.
DeleteThis letter is excellent. A few thoughts:
ReplyDelete1. Jen sucks. Really. We would be winning this election by a landslide without her in it. She is the pits of world for pulling this crap and dragging everyone into it. And for what? Has she articulated a vision that is so different than Ravi’s? In the meantime she’s run a C grade campaign that EVERY POLL SAYS SHE IS LOSING. EVERY POLL. In the meantime she is paving the way for Anthony Romano or Mike DeFusco. Ridiculous.
2. Regardless of whether Ravi wins or not, Tiffanie has to go. Reform has never had as vapid an elected official. Her Facebook page is a public testimony to diarrhea of the mouth. Who is she to judge anyone based on how wrecklessly she makes public statements? Who would have the gall to support a Republican while Trump is President and simultaneously claim the Hoboken Democratic Party Chair as hers? She is a laughing stock.
Dan’s letter is crisp and clear and needs to be disseminated more widely, though I wish it could be disseminated with polling data. The Jen supporters would realize that their votes are completely wasted on her and also get that the whisper racist campaign that is now part of the Jen brand was wrong along. Enough people minus the Jen crew believe in merit above all else.
Ambition and hurt feelings over process fueled Jen’s campaign, not ideas and principle.
As I've said before, "Jen" is running a Vanity Campaign in search of a Cause!
DeleteBut Roman has another fictional poll showing yet another Jen surge.
DeleteMaybe they polled the people in Jen shirts at the Ferry. Kurt was given extra weight in the poll because - well because he's Kurt.
Roman is dumb as a bag of rocks. The poll was commissioned by Stronger Foundations, Inc. A big hint about poll results arrived in our mailboxes today: a mailer reminding voters that DeFusco endorsed Peter Cammarano, paid for by Stronger Foundations, Inc. Does Roman need to buy a clue?
DeleteYeah, Jen surged in that poll-- backwards. So did Stick. Can Dummy figure out who surged now? Practice saying "Mayor DeFusco." Practice saying "Jen the Spolier."
A vote for Jen is a vote for DeFusco.
I love Roman's polls they all either have Jen way ahead or Jen surging to the lead. If Jen is in the lead where is she surging to the lead from?
DeleteI wonder if Jen enjoys having her own personal Pravda/Baghdad Bob or if she finds it as silly as everyone else.
You really shouldn't insult the rocks like that. I assure you, they are far smarter than a pile of horse crap.
DeleteThe cries of sexism and homophobia spewing forth from the alt-right blog are too rich.
ReplyDeleteNone of the surviving trio of democrats-when-it's-convenient have taken exception to MSV toeing the Gateway Pundit/Breitbart/Trump line in blaming the recent tragedy in NYC on Chuck Schumer. Too busy prospecting for sexism and homophobia in the ether to counter that piece of heartless xenophobic cynicism. Then again they also had no problem when MSV sub-referenced InfoWars to blame the Vegas shooter on antifa. And none of them objected to Jen’s campaign contacting a gay man’s employer about his participation in Defusco’s campaign and thus chilling his online speech. Not surprisingly none of them saw anything amiss when Jen told the victim to deal with it himself. Imagine the outraged howling and the dozen MSV articles if that episode involved Bhalla instead. But it didn’t. So why start acting like words matter now?
If words mattered, the surviving trio of democrats-when-it's-convenient might note that insisting a woman shouldn't have to answer the same job application questions as a man is sexism in its most patronizing form and only a complete patronizing sexist himself would think to brand it "sexism". But this is the kind of Newspeak you should expect when faux democrats take refuge in the bombed out alt-right village that was MSV.
Question: Does Roman Brice actually not understand that he, not Jen, was the butt of the dating game graphic?
ReplyDeleteOr does he think twisting it around into some kind of convoluted sexism narrative is just oh so clever?
My vote is the latter but but his seeming genuine inability to process information with any clarity makes me not so sure it's not the former.
Does he still believe Podesta is a pedophile 6 months after even Alex Jones abandoned pizza gate? Does Kurt really think GA is a homophobe? Hard to tell. Projection can become as important to a person as breathing.
DeleteThat's a good thing about propeller. You know that he doesn't believe in jack squat.