UPDATED: How they won in 2015 (Hoboken City Council)

UPDATE: GA has added the missing commentary, and welcome the diversion from the Kavanaugh shitshow.

VBM sluggers in 2015 municipal race

_____________

[GA NOTE: Commentary on this post is incomplete due to Kavanaugh hearing (yeah, that's right). Will complete later.] 

There are several reasons why this topic is relevant now.  In no particular order: 

(1) the same six 2015 Ward Councilpersons are up for re-election in November 2019 

(2) there is a ballot referendum to bring back low-turnout run off elections

(3)three ward councilpersons have formed a permanent anti-Bhalla coalition with Council VBM harvesters and pay-to-players. The reasons: hard-feelings about Mayor Zimmer's choice of Ravi Bhalla, plus a bruising election.   

(4) The US v Lizaida Camis portends a sweeping prosecution of endemic vote-buying which may sweep up VBM harvesters, farmers, "payroll" companies, and behind-the-scenes coaches.  

The folly of the (3) councilpersons choice to turn their back on constituents who support clean elections and historically do not vote by mail, who supported elimination of runoff elections, comes into focus upon review of their own  election results. Here is how all six councilpersons won. 

MICHAEL DeFUSCO

Mike DeFusco may have hoodwinked Mayor Zimmer into getting on the Reform ticket (and others like yours-truly) but behind-the-scenes he was working with BoE candidates John Madigan and Brittany Montgomery on a bounty of First Ward VBMs. His 2015 co-harvesters were Ruben Ramos and Mike Russo.   The First Ward harvest helped wash Sheillah Dallara and Addys Velez off the Hoboken BoE.  DeFusco is now in a coalition with Tiffanie Fisher, Jen Giattino and Peter Cunningham, to bring back low-turnout runoff elections.  

GA is stunned at the hypocrisy of those who shun Tom Kluepfel at the same time they embrace Fisher and Giattino, who left Reform in a huff to work with vote-buyers and pay-to-players-- the very guy whose VBM crop brought the Hoboken District John Madigan. Before you condemn Kluepfel (and the district kids) by bullet voting against a guy who has kept the faith with the CHILDREN of the district, look hard in the mirror. 

TIFFANIE FISHER

To her credit, when Fisher was elected, she admitted that she was not a student of Hoboken's vote-by-mail corruption, and thereafter became a quick study.  Fisher identified the replacement of longtime poll workers as a needed step to enforce order at citywide polling locations.  It seemed to me that was her pet issue and knowing her then, I felt personally confident that she would doggedly pursue election reform; I felt personally confident that she would also pursue prosecution of VBM harvesting.

Hence, shock and disillusionment that after the election, Fisher, Giattino and Cunningham forged a council coalition with VBM harvesters and pay-to-players. 

Their online operatives cried (and still do), 'Reform is dead! Reform is dead!"; part-justification, part-rationalization for the Fisher-Giattino-Cunningham unholy alliance with VBM harvesters and pay-to-players.  

In fact, "Reform" was never about people-- neither Zimmer nor Bhalla-- it was always about ideas. Ideas do not die.   

Fisher, Giattino and Cuningham abandoned the idea that elections should not be won by vote-buyers and pay-to-players when they joined an alliance with vote-buyers and pay-to-players. That is a stain that won't wash off.

Moreover, Fisher did not win her election in 2015 by buying votes. She won it honestly. Her 2nd Ward constituents are not vote-buyers. Therefore, it is mystifying why she would abandon the idea of clean elections and abandon her political base for a coalition with Mike DeFusco and Ruben Ramos.  Perhaps it's an asset to be on the VBM Farming Team in a Citywide election, but not for a 2nd Ward election. 

  

MICHAEL RUSSO

By far, Russo has the best political skills of anyone on the Council. He gave it his all in 2015 to push Eduardo Gonzales over the finish line with an army of 5th ward paid "campaign workers."  Oh yeah, Russo's election was unopposed. Which explains why he paid 245 "campaign workers" who could only vote in the 4th and 5th ward races. Doesn't it?   Make perfect sense to me. Stay tune for an analysis of these 245 campaign workers. 

RUBEN RAMOS

Political allies Ramos and Fisher

If a Ruben Ramos election were a TV show, some might call it "All in the Family."  In the 2015 election, Election Law Enforcement Commission investigators were dispatched to Hoboken; rumor had it that the Ramos Farming Team leaders were advising residents of the buildings under scrutiny not to open their doors. GA wrote about one such investigation:" Breaking: Confirmed Voter Fraud at 400 First Street."  

Even under the eye ELEC investigators, Ramos managed to haul 26% of his 4th ward vote total from mail-in ballots. Did he send a Thank-You note to uncontested candidate Russo for his 4th Ward "paid workers"? 

PETER CUNNINGHAM

Never in my wildest imagination would I have believed this guy would have hooked up with Ruben Ramos and Mike DeFusco. That was abundantly clear at the January re-org, when Doyle and Jabbour were excluded from the appointment discussions which put Mike deFusco on the Planning Board, and Ruben Ramos at the leadership of the Council. 

GA will debunk the myth that "Jim Doyle turned down Council President."  He was never asked.   Ask him yourself. Had Jim been asked, he would have said "YES."  Of course Doyle didn't want it.  He loathes political gamesmanship.  Not his thing.   

So, Peter Cunningham was on the team chose division over reconciliation.  Elections are ugly, and nasty- but once the People have Spoken, it's time to govern. Fisher, Giattino and Cunningham have chosen spite over the governing principles that held the reform coalition together.  I am mystified by Peter's choices, and his silence while more outspoke women (Fisher, Giattino) get all the heat for abandoning the Clean Elections Team.    

JEN GIATTINO

What more is there to say. Giattino has been a very good Councilwoman on constituent services. Her hyper-partisan anti-administration position and petty council behavior ("No pizza for you!") has made many of us in the 6th ward very uncomfortable, even angry.  This is not a side of her we ever saw.  The 6th Ward was a Zimmer stronghold. Mayor Bhalla's popularity is at least on a par with the former mayor's. Her political posture suggests that she is not running in 2019.  I don't understand why she and her colleagues chose an alliance with vote-harvesters and pay-to-players over reconciliation.