Recent events outside of Hoboken have had GA completely distracted. But life goes on, and this blog keeps it local.
Today's topic: an item on this week's City Council meeting agenda which has aroused a bit of, um... controversy.
BOARD APPOINTMENTS
The Mayor's nominees to fill vacancies on the all-volunteer ABC and Rent Leveling Boards are as follows:
Congratulations to all nominees.
The only one I know is my neighbor, Paul Blanos-- a smart, by-the-book fella. He will do well as an ABC Commissioner.
As for the Rent Leveling Board, Heath Urban and Warren Hall are newbies, the others are re-appointments.
CONTROVERSY (WHAT A SURPRISE)
This is Hoboken, after all.
This controversy has a context; cracks in Reform manifested as 'two teams' in the 2017 mayoral race split wide open after the election. Unity was an option, but the (3) Council "losers" chose a different path- setting to leverage their "swing vote" to determine final outcome on legislation that normally would see unified Reform support.
Their public explanation has been they are voting in the best interest of Hoboken and as a check on Executive Power. An early attempt at legislating a municipal audit committee (sponsored by Tiffanie Fisher) which had oversight authority of departments within the Executive Branch, failed; Corporation Counsel Brian Aloia called it "illegal."
So, the intent of the (3) Council losers became clear when they started off 2018 with a reorganization alliance that (literally) shut out their colleagues Jim Doyle and Emily Jabbour.
The (3) losers merged with Ruben Ramos and Mike DeFusco for a political faction with the power to make or break the new mayor's agenda-- think of them as a hammer. And, to a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Including colleagues Jim Doyle and Emily Jabbour.
Jim and Emily learned of the board appointments in real time. The fix was in; Doyle was removed from the Planning Board, replaced by Mike DeFusco (a "disaster" on the board--more on that, later). Longtime Zimmer ally Brian Assadorian was removed from the NHSA without cause, replaced by DeFusco ally Tony Soares. GA calls it a pogrom of Zimmer-Bhalla allies.
Were these choices made in the best interest of Hoboken?
Even the least-cynical among us would say "no." The (3) council losers were guided by politics. Their alliance with Ruben Ramos and Mike DeFusco is about leveraging political power. They are a third political entity-- self-identifying as reform, openly anti-Bhalla and leveraging political power by working with longtime opponents of reform.
Whack, whack, whack goes the Hammer. "Ouch!" goes the nail.
So, here we are. This next round of appointments are being made by the Executive Branch.
Whack, whack, whack goes the Hammer. "Ouch!" goes the nail.
GA hears there has been much screaming behind the scenes. I suppose, a much better scenario would have been if the (3) losers had picked themselves up and said to their Reform colleagues, "Hey, we feel like crap, we're mad at you, but we have been working together successfully for years, agreeing on policy, working with the mayor as a team-- let's put the election behind us, and work together in the best interest of Hoboken."
Alas not. Nobody should be happy at the current course set by the (3) council losers.
But, one cannot deny the world is sort-of round, and that Newton's Third Law of Physics also applies to our governing bodies.
Newton's Third Law not only applies to pushing and shoving, it works the same way with civility, respect and cooperation.
So, here we are. This next round of appointments are being made by the Executive Branch.
Whack, whack, whack goes the Hammer. "Ouch!" goes the nail.
GA hears there has been much screaming behind the scenes. I suppose, a much better scenario would have been if the (3) losers had picked themselves up and said to their Reform colleagues, "Hey, we feel like crap, we're mad at you, but we have been working together successfully for years, agreeing on policy, working with the mayor as a team-- let's put the election behind us, and work together in the best interest of Hoboken."
Alas not. Nobody should be happy at the current course set by the (3) council losers.
But, one cannot deny the world is sort-of round, and that Newton's Third Law of Physics also applies to our governing bodies.
NEWTON'S THIRD LAW
Newton's Third Law not only applies to pushing and shoving, it works the same way with civility, respect and cooperation.
Hoboken needs people who can work with the Mayor, City Council, and anyone who thinks about Hoboken first, second, and last, not people who are actively working relentlessly every single day to undermine the Mayor because their hearts as measured by their activity (watch what I do, not what I say) are politically-oriented not service oriented. Lenz and Fallick are mega-operatives. By any objective measure they engage in daily politicking to the point that they throw objectivity and facts out the window in the name of serving their politics not the public interest. No need for politicians on these public boards. I’d like public servants without an obvious political agenda.
ReplyDeleteLast but not least, their protestations ring hollow given the actions and words of their (small) political family. With regard to Brian Assadourian’s removal, Jen said, “I think it’s time for a change,” during the campaign, and then it happened, and Kurt then wrote on his blog wrote, “elections have consequences,” in a snickering comment. In this regard, these people live in glass houses.