When the Queen of Hoboken places an order...

FISHER HARASSMENT OF MAYOR'S AIDES CONTINUES

And you thought the harassment over their payroll was over?  Guess again.   

Tonight the mayor's aides are being summoned to a closed session ordered by Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher to get "more information" about their payroll.  The order was placed at the May 2nd Council meeting, when Fisher's grilling over the mayor's aides' payroll was deemed a personnel matter.  

Both were "Rice noticed" to directly answer the Councilwoman's questions in a closed session tonight before the Council.  What's a Rice notice? 

According to the Open Public Meetings Act, a Rice notice can involve "the employment, appointment, termination of employment, terms and conditions of employment, evaluation of the performance of, promotion or disciplining of any specific prospective public officer or employee or current public officer or employee employed or appointed by the public body, unless all the individual employees or appointees whose rights could be adversely affected request in writing that such matter or matters be discussed at a public meeting."

Fisher's grilling implicated the "terms and conditions of employment" part of OPMA. 

The question remains: if there was no net change to the Mayor's Office payroll, why does Fisher continue to harass two honest, hardworking, responsive and helpful aides over their paychecks?   

According to my friend, Hobokenus Politicus Emeritus, "There's no political capital in any of this." 

   

Hobokenus Politicus Emeritus has a point. Since there is no political capital in haranguing two popular aides (who don't work 40-hour weeks but are on call 24/7) then the motive for haranguing them must be personal. 

GA hears that tonight will be the third time at least one of the aides been Riced by the Counsel.  

SETTLING POLITICAL SCORES AT THE EXPENSE OF HOBOKEN TAXPAYERS

Courtesy of Hudson County View:

Responding to the law department, Fisher stated in an email that she would be willing to pull the resolution related to Boswell Engineering, but not the one related to Lite DePalma.

“At the end of the day, I am painfully aware that the dollars being discussed relating to Lite DePalma and Boswell are small. One question is where do you draw the line and who decides this?,” she questioned.

“And a second, but more important question, is whether the our pay-to-play officer/corporation counsel are independent and being thorough enough to ensure proper enforcement of our Public Contracting Reform laws.”

“So for clarity, I will be okay pulling Boswell, but I am currently not ok pulling Lite DePalma until we have more evidence from Corporation Counsel on their interpretations of the various related laws. And would like to see a written opinion on Prestige.”

So, Fisher is "not okay" with pulling her resolution terminating the City's contract with Victor Afanador of Lite DePalma after the City's investigation exonerated him from Fisher's P2P accusations.

And... at the same time she questions the integrity of Hoboken's Corporation Counsel, she orders more work: "I would like to see a written opinion on Prestige."  

But, but, but... Fisher questions the independence of Corporation Counsel, disregards their opinion on Lite DePalma (but does on Boswell) then wants them to  bill more hours to the taxpayer for another opinion? 

Maybe Hoboken should hire dedicated counsel to cater to Tiffanie Fisher's Wish List?

In GA's opinion, what's going on (as we transition from harassment of the mayor's aides) is personal. Lite DePalma's attorney, Victor Afanador, represented Mayor Zimmer and her husband against Carmelo Garcia's "ethnic cleansing" suit. Afanador's association with Zimmer- now Bhalla, is enough reason to fire him. That's malice. My opinion. 

Fisher's declaration, "I am currently not ok pulling Lite DePalma" conflicts with the City of Hoboken's Law Department findings that Lite DePalma did not violate Hoboken's Pay-to-Play ordinance.  What does that mean for Hoboken? Fisher's refusal to withdraw legislation to terminate Lite's contract puts the City (taxpayers) at risk of litigation.  

This is reckless, foolish, and in the words of Hobokenus Politicus Emeritus, "There's no political capital in any of this." 

What would the Queen say?

"Off with their stipends! And fetch thee a legal opinion, because the other one is not okay!"