RAMOS HAD BID RIG DEFENDANT ON ASSEMBLY PAYROLL
On July 23, 2009, the F.B.I. issued a press release, Two-Track Investigation of Political Corruption and International Money Laundering Rings Nets 44 Individuals- FBI Arrests Mayors, Assemblymen, Political Operatives, Rabbis.
Of course, the "two-track" investigation is better known as "Bid Rig"- an ongoing probe into New Jersey political corruption. Hoboken residents know Bid Rig as the F.B.I. sting at the Malibu Diner that took down Hoboken's Mayor Peter Cammarano.
The 2009 press release summarizes the charges of the 44 Defendants named in the Complaint. Those Defendants included Jack M. Shaw, who was then on the payroll of Assemblyman Ruben Ramos.
Note, Shaw was charged but not indicted; days after he was charged Shaw committed suicide.
Remember, Mr. Shaw never had his day in court. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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HOW THE DARK SIDE THWARTED 2015 VOTER FRAUD INVESTIGATION
Does anybody remember when the County launched an investigation of "voting irregularities" in the 4th Ward during the 2015 ward elections?
Do you remember the County's investigation started at 400 First Street?
4th Ward candidate Tim Occhipinti responded on-the-record:
Occhipinti strongly denied he is the candidate who harvested VBMs from the mainly senior population. Occhipinti attributes the operation at 400 First Street to candidate Ruben Ramos.
Apparently, word spread fast at 400 First Street, and the mainly senior population was warned not to open their doors. Did that involve threats or intimidation?
Occhipinti strongly denied he is the candidate who harvested VBMs from the mainly senior population. Occhipinti attributes the operation at 400 First Street to candidate Ruben Ramos.
Apparently, word spread fast at 400 First Street, and the mainly senior population was warned not to open their doors. Did that involve threats or intimidation?
Who knows. But the warnings not to open doors for investigators worked.
What can be presumed is that efforts to thwart the 4th ward voter fraud investigation, starting at 400 First Street, were done on behalf of electing Ruben Ramos*.
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*Ruben Ramos' VBM harvest also pushed John Madigan (564 VBMs) and Brit Montgomery (471 VBMs) onto the Hoboken Board of Education, defeating Reach Higher's Sheillah Dallara (145 VBMs) and Addys Velez (133 VBMs).
(Thanks for the dead wood, Ruben!)
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RAMOS ENDORSES CARMELO GARCIA FOR 6TH WARD CITY COUNCIL, ENDORSES VISION 20/20- 2015 (VIDEO)
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RAMOS: PAY-TO-PLAY LAW WONT STOP ME FROM ACCEPTING AN ILLEGAL BRIBE- 2007 (VIDEO)
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RAMOS SILENT DURING COUNCIL COVER-UP OF $1 MILLION PARKING METER THEFT- 2007, 2008 (VIDEO)
Councilman Ramos sat silent during a 2008 exchange with Hoboken Parking and Transportation Director John Corea about "$1 million in revenue missing from collection in parking meters." In 2012, Corea was sentenced to 7 years in prison and fined $300K in restitution for his role in the parking meter theft. Watch the video. .
Video transcription here: https://grafixavenger.blogspot.com/2011/12/castellano-clearasil-at-city-council.html
Quote from Eric Kurta:
Eric Kurta: "UTF was awarded the contract to collect meter quarters in November 2005. That previous August, deposits to the HPU totalled $123,493. By August of 2007, the month's deposits had dropped to $15,975."
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Yes, it was legal because the 'anti-Dipper' law was enacted in 2007. Ramos said that same year (2007): "You cannot legislate character."
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GIATTINO, FISHER AND CUNNINGHAM EXIT REFORM FOR BACKDOOR DEAL WITH RAMOS
Broken on Hudson County View:
2017 PARALLELS TO BETH MASON IN 2009, 2010
Beth Mason left Reform and went to the Dark Side, too, after she got creamed in the 2009 mayoral election. Like Giattino, Mason wildly under-performed with Reform voters who favored Dawn Zimmer. (Ironically, Mason lost Reform voters after her public merger with the Dark side; an election strategy and sold as a "Fusion Ticket")
The parallels are striking.
Mason cut the same kind of Dark Side deal as this one. After Mike Lenz lost the 2010 Special Ward election, the Council flipped from Reform to the Dark Side, Mason became Council President, and dedicated the rest of her Hoboken legislative career to opposing the Zimmer administration.
Yesterday GA was told in no uncertain terms the deal's been done. MSV, with it's hotline to Fisher, et. al., posted this news days ago.
So, I write this post not to change the outcome, but to inform the electorate.
The "Resistance" to Reform is complete, these sell-outs belong to the Dark Side.
There's no way a little blog can unseal a Dark Side backroom deal.
Former Mayor Zimmer did not make a "backroom deal" in asking Ravi to run for mayor; she made a good faith choice in the best interest of Hoboken.
Former Mayor Zimmer did not make a "backroom deal" in asking Ravi to run for mayor; she made a good faith choice in the best interest of Hoboken.
Read Jim Doyle's bio here: http://hobokennj.gov/council/members/james-doyle/
When Republicans lose, they show their true colors. Completely disgusting behavior from these Republicans.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I am sick and tired of hearing about a back room deal. What pisses off these whiny little shits is they wanted to run things, they wanted to pick Zimmer's successor and she basically made the decision on her own. They wanted a back room deal with her and she ruffled their feathers by doing what she thought was best.
DeleteThese former reformers need to grow up. Jen lost for a reason. She sucked as a candidate and all the people who pushed her into running sucked as advisors. The mayor made the right choice.
Those who want to run in the 2nd, 5th, and 6th Wards should start burnishing their credentials. Jen foolishly ran for Mayor on the faulty premise that she, Tiffanie, and Peter would carry their wards. Wrong. Turns out their base was not as loyal or dedicated as they thought. Why do I say so? I says so because #4thPlaceJen #3rdPlaceinHerOwnWard #CouldNotWinHerDistrict.
ReplyDeleteI predict that there will be a substantial exodus of Jen, Tiffanie, and Peter supporters after tonight who will flock to Ravi, feeling more than a little duped. The three of them will be left holding a bag, and they will have been played by Michael and Ruben, and actually be dependent on them for a base in their wards since their own bases will be in complete tatters. If they were embarrassed on election night in 2017, 2019 will be a nightmare.
It's amazing what anger and jealously can do to people. They're not thinking clearly or with a moral compass.
Besides Council President there are 4 ZBA appointments (2 full 2 alternates) on the agenda and a NHSA appointment.
ReplyDeleteIn all likelihood the decisions on these appointments we're made in private conversations among 5 Councilmembers - DeFusco, Ramos, Fisher Giattino and Cunningham. These conversations likely consisted of "you guys get to choose these seats and we get to choose this seats.". Policy positions and qualifications be damned!
In my opinion that is a real backroom deal. Pretty much the only thing Kurt Gardiner and Roman Brice have been right about since Dawn announced she wasn't running is that the "reform movement" as we knew it is dead.
The good news is that the era of good government that began when Cammarano resigned and Dawn was sworn in lives on.
Yep. These three have crossed over to the Dark Side in their coalition with Ramos and DeFusco against the new administration, against Jim Doyle.
DeleteRe: NHSA Giattino told Brian Assadorian it was "time for a change"- so, if she sticks to her guns, it looks Brian gets the heave ho off the NHSA to install Ruben's friend Tony Soares, a former NHSA Commissioner.
Re: ZBA I have no idea who the applicants are. When I was on the board, we left politics at the door. If Jim Aibel has reapplied, I served with him for 4 years, he was a great Board member and President, and support his re-appointment though he will have the votes.
As for "Reform is dead"- Reform under Zimmer is dead. Maybe this "split" will be seen as a purging of people who were motivated by self-interest, not principles. Friends of mine went to Giattino because they thought she was better than Ravi or furious at the mayor/Ravi. At that time, they made an honest, good faith decision. Do they still think so? I cannot believe Giattino, Fisher and Cunningham are playing footsie with corrupt individuals because they lost an election. The principled folks will come back eventually, and new blood is coming in. We may see an expansion of Reform in the Bhalla administration. Who knows.
It's a matter of semantics. That's why you said the era f good government lives on. The supposed "reform movement" for many of it's supposed leaders turned out to be more about their egos than about good government.
DeleteThe best thing that came out if this election was all the new faces for whom all the old "reform' stories are just historical anecdotes.
since when is calling a republican candidate a republican considered "unfairly bloodied and beaten"? what else am i missing? imagine how the tears would be flowing now if opponents ran ads about her lack of college degree or questionable wall street position. but they didn't. if anyone was unfairly bloodied, it was probably the guy accused of being a terrorist, amiright?
ReplyDeletejesus christ, grow up.
There is no earthly reason for the three idiots that claim to be for good government to vote for Ruben Ramos for any office, including dog catcher, much less Council President. You are spot on with pointing out the Beth Mason analogies. But his time Tiff Mason, Jen Occhipinti and Peter Cammarano have joined forces to create the Council of Stupid. Didn’t these morons complain about the alleged “back room” deal between the Mayor and Ravi over the Mayor’s endorsement? I don’t think these idiots have any sense of shame or irony with regard to the treacherous nature of their actions. They are all dead to me, nothing but mere ghosts of people that once were thought to embody the principles of good government. I wish I was sad about their impending political demise, but given their cravenness in supporting a known card carrying member of the Russo Kleptocracy, I say nothing but good riddance. Besides, all of their wounds are self-inflicted, just like Mason’s.
ReplyDeleteChief Crazy Horse! Perfect timing.
ReplyDeleteNot sure how to take this, but a certain lunatic who seems to haunt this web site, just wrote that I was "one dead operative." Time to involve the police?
Let me address a few false allegations:
(1) The Schmooze News did NOT come from the Mayor's office. It did not come from a public official. People talk. They talk to me. They used to talk to the lunatic before he fell into an abyss. He is jealous, hence obsessed with me, obsessed with photos of me and obsessed with this website.
(2) I have twice updated the "count" of Council members who RSVPed, contrary to the ravings of said lunatic. I updated them last night, and this morning when I was contacted. Unlike the lunatic who still has a post online calling me a "person of interest" in the terrorism flyer investigation ( actual defamation, not a lunatic's hurt feelungs), I do corrections and retractions.
(3) Tiffanie Fisher is pathetic. She emailed the mayor's office about content on this blog. I do not and have not ever been directed by any Mayor or Councilperson.
(4) The lunatic keeps refers to me as a "paid operative." Um, no. I was paid for a graphic design job. He was paid for advertising. I may have to publish a Spring 2017 fundraising letter from Fisher, and he can explain the appearance of quid pro quo.
fwiw, the crazy horse farm garnered a grand total of FIVE comments since december 19. and his sidekick hasn't posted an article on his resistance (or is it advocate?) blog since december 18. no one gives a crap about those two doofs anymore.
DeleteAll true, but he just made what feels to me like a death threat: "one dead operative."
Delete@me Truth must hurt. None of them, Jen, Tiffanie, Peter, Kurt, Roman were ever as relevant and important as they thought they were. As it turns out, people do care about people's actions, and make decision them based on people's actions. All of them have taken turns at being foolhardy and reinforcing each other's foolishness and in doing so hastening each other's demise. The more Jen, Tiffanie, Peter have Roman defending them, the worse their brand becomes. The more Roman defends Jen, Tiffanie, Peter and flip flopping on his perception of Ruben, the worse Roman's brand becomes. They are in a self-perpetuating death spiral.
ReplyDeleteAt what point should be dig up all the crap that Roman has said about Ruben and then compare that side to side with what he's saying now?
At what point should we dig up all the crap Tiffanie said about vote buying and pay-to-play and then compare and contrast that with who she supports now?
The 2019 campaign literature content will be written tonight. Fools. You given them enough rope and...
I actually don't think they care about their political demise. I think these actions show that they do not plan to run again in 2019 and this is a big middle finger to Reform, Kids' First, Mayor Zim and now Mayor Bhalla. Peter, Jen and Tiffanie have heretofore melded with Old Guard and become Old Guard/Old Reform. There could be no rhyme or reason to believe that anyone in New/True Reform would support them in 2019 with an action like this.
DeleteIt's truly bizarre that these guys go on and on about a fictional mathematically impossible "deal" between Ravi and Russo while sitting in the "backroom" with DeFusco and Ramos dividing up whatever patronage the City Council controls. And make no mistake - this is pure old fashioned patronage.
DeleteJim Aibel will get his ZBA seat back in exchange for DeFusco and Ramos choosing the 3 other (pro-development) ZBA commissioners and Soares replacing Brian Asadourian on the NHSA. Basically a 4 for one back room deal.
The "REAL REFORMERS" sure know how to negotiate!
They really are a bunch of hypocrites. And like that braying donkey, they have become everything they once stood against.
DeleteWell, if you were one of the Lucky 46 who live-streamed the meeting, then you know the Dark Side has 3 new members. Props to Jim Doyle and Emily Jabbour for voting "Present" (abstaining) on the Council President vote for Ramos, and the Council VP vote for Giattino.
ReplyDeleteOh, and apparently both Jim and Emily were excluded on discussions about nominees for ZBA, Planning Board and NHSA. Oh yes, Assadorian got the boot for Tony Soares (nominated by Giattino)... and DeFusco was voted on to the Planning Board! You know, the ZBA Commissioner who never met a variance he didn't vote for.
Well, the big news of the night was made by HPD Chief Ferrante who was asked by Ramos in New Business to give an update on the "terrorist flyer" investigation. Oh boy! Chief Ferrante spoke for 20 minutes... stay tuned, peeps.
Funny how Giattino bitches and moans about the Suez contract and then puts forward one of the idiots who approved it to be on the NHSA. How stupid is she? The man helped screw up the water contract and now you want him dealing w/ sewers? Had she 2 brain cells to rub together, she'd have flushed his nomination down the toilet.
DeleteThank God she lost big time. She'd have been a disaster as mayor.
Don't forget that the other guy who voted with Soares for that Suez disaster in 2001 is now the City Council President thanks to Fisher, Giattino and Cunningham.
DeleteYou are right, which makes the lot of them hypocrites twice over on the exact same issue - the Suez contract. Not to mention they are hypocrites on "back room deals" - which they are the only people guilty of engaging in. Completely disgusting behavior. We might as well have a majority of Russos on the CC.
DeleteI'm sure this is somehow Ravi's fault. We'll find out how when Peter, Jen, and Tiff are criticized for their deal to make Ruben council-president.
ReplyDeleteI guess Tony Soares years internet posts paid off for him.
ReplyDeleteomg, i know. if he wasn't intolerable already, he'll certainly be so now.
Delete