Not quite, Al

Al, my friend: when I said lay off the bong, I didn't say lay in the bong. 

Oh, new owners of The Hoboken Reporter, I kid. But, when I read Al's column this morning I did ask myself, "What was he smoking?"

NOT A POLITICAL EVENT

Hey, Al is entitled to his opinion.  But as a (real) friend of Karen Nason's, I feel like his portrayal of her Hoboken Hothouse "Farewell Party" as a political event was a disservice to her.  The party was not about politics. It was about Karen. The evening brought a warm outpouring of affection for the lady and her business, closing after 7 years, attended by her  neighbors, customers, friends.  About 80 of them. Any depiction of the party as some political who's-who plotting and planning against DeFusco is practically hallucinogenic. 

Out of that bong, Al! 

Oh, I kid.

GA didn't even see Al Sullivan there--he left before I arrived.  The only Hoboken political people I saw were John Allen, Terry Castellano and Jim Vance. The still pics I posted were provided to me by Karen's husband and his bad ass camera. 

TWO-WAY SPLIT

 Then there's this:

Hoboken has become politically fractured in new ways as a result of the mayoral election. So, the city is no longer just born-and-raised vs. newcomer, but a three-way split composed of the DeFusco/Ramos faction, the Bhalla faction, and a faction that includes Councilmembers Jen Giattino, Peter Cunningham, and Tiffanie Fisher, all of whom are up for reelection next year. Giattino’s poor showing running for mayor last year suggests that she and her allies may be vulnerable unless they can find a powerful political friend. 

 Make that a two-way split!

Tiffanie Fisher, Jen Giattino and Peter Cunningham  are (according to Fisher) together with Ruben Ramos and Mike DeFusco. If the others are playing coy about it, Fisher told a non-Reform Dem Committee-person "I'm in a coalition with Ramos..."  Luigi Percontino, a truthteller, told me that Fisher asked him to run on her slate "with Mike DeFusco." 

I hear that Fisher claims that Luigi was lying. She can take it up with him. Are my eyes lying, too? I've seen the Ramos-Fisher team together at 2 events in the last 2 weeks.  Do pictures lie?  

Hoboken City Council allies Ruben Ramos and Tiffanie Fisher  hang out at last Monday's vigil

Oh, indeed, they are a coalition. Here's how you can tell.  

Fisher's blog, Ravi Square View, never ever, ever criticizes Ruben Ramos nor Mike DeFusco. Ever.  Because they are conjoined. Not for nothing. The presumed election strategy is for Fisher-Giattino-Cunningham to fool their constituents that they are independent from Ramos-DeFusco.  Do "independent" council persons take gifts (free legal work) from DeFusco's North Bergen backer, Nick Sacco?  

Not very Reformer-y. 

Gotta hand it to Peter Cunningham. He's smart enough to stay far away from Ramos and DeFusco in public.  Peter doesn't want that triple-dipper, P2P stink on him. Smart politics, considering the voters in his ward.  But make no mistake, he goes with his colleagues.  

Three separate council factions?  Not now.  

But ya never know, 2019 is a long way away.  Who knows, maybe we'll have 5 factions.  Or 17.  Let's see where people land.   

TERRY SET TO OPEN CAN OF WHOOP-ASS ON DEFUSCO

As GA wrote 2 weeks ago, Terry Castellano is running for First Ward Council in 2019. 

Yep she's all gung-ho.   

Ravi has someone he wants to run in the First Ward.  A Reformer.  And boy, GA is jazzed.

So, I am not sure where this beauty came from: "Many of those who attended the event – including the always controversial Pincus – seemed to lean towards backing a run by former 1st Ward Councilwoman Terry Castellano whom DeFusco beat in 2015."  

Sure, Terry should run-- the more, the merrier!   Boy, will she ever scorch that whiny you-know-who.

Who would Terry run with? Raia appears to be putting a slate together;  he's  drafted a 2nd Ward  Council candidate to take down the Tiff-ster. Castellano also has plenty of name recognition to run as an Independent.  

Hey, I am all in for a crowded field of candidates. It looks like that is exactly what's ahead for Hoboken ward races; anywhere from 2-5 candidates per ward.

Why not?  Run-offs are coming back since Fisher, Giattino and Cunningham flipped to the Dark Side.  Luigi has stated his intention to run, either with Bhalla or as an Independent.  

Oh, and while Terry hates DeFusco, do you want to know the real reason she's running? She said, "DeFusco is doing a horrible job!"  

Terry told me about how so many former constituents who voted for Mike come up to her to apologize. 

"We thought he'd be good!"  

"He promised to ______  and he hasn't done anything!"  

"He doesn't  get back to me!" 

"He tells me to ask someone else because he's got a full time job!  

Get the picture?

Go, Terry!