UPDATE: (VIDEO) the COUNCIL kicked Easterseals to the Curb

Shockers, the video clip  reveals that  Tiffanie Fisher lied when she claimed: "BRIAN ALOIA PULLED IT!"  

No, Brian Aloia was asked for a legal opinion if the Easterseals ordinance could be carried over.  The Council professionals do not pull legislation.  That Council does.  And they did.

Watch the video. This was a group effort. It went off like a dance recital.

DeFusco cues Fisher with a tap on the shoulder as Clerk Jimmy Farina reads the ordinance: "Showtime!"

Council President Ramos said that Fisher and Giattino had "questions."

Giattino: "Is there any [legal] reason we [the Council]can't carry this to the next meeting? (unintelligable banter)

Fisher:  (interrupting) "Can I ask my questions anyway?" ( Some unintelligible talk.)   "Can I ask a couple of... like... questions? (More unintelligible talk.)   "Can I.. can I...can I...Can I ask some questions for you to consider before it comes back next time? It's not specific to the lease?I guess one question is what, how was Easterseals determined to be the tenant? Were any other tenants given the opportunity or considered for this? And second, um, I do know that Easterseals is something that our um, Chief of Staff to the Mayor is very active with, uh, as a matter of fact in the second quarter of his ELEC he raised $2600 and donated $1,000 to Easterseals so, is this somehow something specific to his interest and should this be, should other entities be considered? And I would throw in there that I'm not exactly sure why the Chief of Staff is raising money if he's not an elected official or running for office. But if you could look into all that as we reconsider this and one last thing, my understanding is that we are in litigation with Advanced on another project and considering a settlement so settlement, so can we even enter into an agreement with Advanced right now? And I don't know the answers to all that there's just a lot of hair on this and I think its something we should talk about before we enter into an agreement..." 

Ramos: It's being pulled.

You get it?

Pitchers and catchers. Choreographed. Purposed to muddy John Allen and the mayor by proxy, public benefit be damned.

Not a single one of them gives a shit about unemployed Hoboken senior and disabled residents  who stand to benefit from the charity they've blocked from Hoboken.  Not a single one. Everything to them is political, fodder for sacrifice on their altar of spite. Talk about "cooperation" with the Mayor's Office is all talk. Pure bullshit. 

Tiffanie's "questions" could have been answered with a phone call to the mayor's office.   She gets a salary. What the hell does she do all day? Why is she wasting Corporation Counsel's time to get answers that she could have gotten herself with a phone call, and before the meeting?

The answer is: this was a cheap political stunt. Giatino, Ramos and DeFusco were in on it. DeFusco didn't open his mouth to fight for Easterseals, even though he sponsored the ordinance.

Heres how full of shit Fisher is. Harlow developer "Advanced" has no relevance to the City leasing its own space.   The litigation is not at the Harlow. That space belongs to the City of Hoboken. The developer has not been at the table in any of the negotiations for the lease, nor do they have to be. They are irrelevant. Fisher  knows that or else is an idiot. 

Next. Fisher falsely alleged that John Allen fundraised per the 2nd Quarter ELEC. No,  he closed out that ELEC and did not solicit the single contribution which was sent in April. Allen zeroed out his account- check the last page, Tiffanie. Tiffanie knows that candidates/committees are allowed to give charitable donations, and they often do. There is nothing nefarious going on. Fisher, leader of the Holtzman hanging party,  has become quite the character assassin. See where that got her doppelganger, Beth Mason.

_________

UPDATE:

2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher has vehemently denied any role in the tabling of the Easterseals ordinance:  "I DID NOT DELAY THE VOTE! WATCH THE TAPE! BRIAN ALOIA PULLED IT!"  

GA Note: In deference to Fisher's vehement denial, GA has modified some language in this post, but not the theme: that Fisher's "concerns" about Easterseals lease were politically-motivated obstruction that derailed Wednesdays vote. How like the Chief Inquisitor of Hoboken's infamous Council of No and her relentless need for"more information". The consequence of this delay brings the final vote into October-- too late for the charity which is losing it's Jersey City space on September 30.   

Fisher wrote on Facebook:

"I think EasterSeals is a wonderful organization and does a lot for those who suffer from disabilities. As fiduciary to Hoboken taxpayers, I had questions though about giving a free 10 yr lease for only 12% services. Are there other non profits that could do more for Hoboken residents? Should we charge a rate that is more comparable to a market rate for a non-profit? I also expressed concern about any potential conflicts there were with John Allen, the mayor’s chief of staff, being on the board of Easterseals. The administration actually had a shared concern and had solicited a legal opinion addressing the same concern. Happy to answer any other questions you may have." 

What was the shared concern? 

Those are a lot of concerns over a City-owned space that's sat vacant for two years. What has Fisher or her cohorts done to find a charity that could "do more" for Hoboken residents and fill the City coffers with "market rate" rent?  Nothing. 

Further more, why should we shake down a charity for "market rate rent" for a 1,000 sf space in our $118M budget? Easterseals is currently rent-free in Jersey City because the City values their contribution to preventing homelessness.  Homelessness is a regional problem, not confined within Hoboken city limits. 

But really, the "concern" about John Allen is pure scorched earth politics.  What conflicts could there be?  Easterseals is a charity, for G-d's sake. Allen gets no salary or benefits for his volunteer work. Sadly the administration expected this response from the Croissant cabal, so the city procured a legal opinion to evaluate whether Allen was conflicted. Note, Allen has personal/emotional ties to Easterseals-- his mother has multiple sclerosis. He erred on the side of caution and had recused himself from all negotiations. I don't understand Fisher's "concerns" about John Allen; is she implying  he's getting kickbacks from Easterseals? 

Folks, if this City can't welcome a charity like Easterseals into Hoboken, what have we become? Fisher's "questions" could have been answered before the meeting, the week before when she got the agenda and ordinance.  

I will cut the clip and post. 

EASTERSEALS PULLED OFF AGENDA

This one should have been a no-brainer, which leads me to believe that the Council member whose actions caused this ordinance to be pulled off the agenda has no brain-- or heart.

Tiffanie Fisher's actions stopped a vote to lease a 1,000 sf vacant, ground floor space owned by the City of Hoboken to a non-profit for use by two employment programs for elderly and disabled Hoboken residents.  

I kid you not. 

This 1,000 foot space is located in the Harlow (a.k.a. Trader Joe building); the space has sat vacant since the Harlow was built.  It was reserved for the City of Hoboken as a condition of Preliminary Site Plan Approval by the Hoboken Zoning Board of Adjustment in 2009*. (*Neither GA nor Mike DeFusco were on the ZBA yet, but we both saw the return of this application later for additional relief and final approvals.)  

Well, in exchange for annual rent of $1, the City of Hoboken sought to lease the vacant space (at no cost to Hoboken taxpayers) to the non-profit for its employment programs for Hoboken seniors and disabled.  

Why was it so critically important to get the vote done on Wednesday?

Because these two non-profit programs are losing their Jersey City lease at the end of this month (9/30). They cannot wait for Hoboken to get its shit together. There is an urgent need NOW for the charity to find a new space before the clock runs out.   

Tiffanie Fisher ran the clock  for what (I believe) are partisan political reasons.  GA spoke to several persons knowledgeable about this situation. One said point-blank, "Tiffanie Fisher has hurt people."

AT WHAT COST TO HOBOKEN's ELDERLY & DISABLED RESIDENTS?

These are the 2 employment development programs which the City of Hoboken lost because the lease agreement vote was kicked down the road.  

 "1) SCSEP (Senior Community Services Employment Program): A community service and work-based program for older Americans...  SCSEP participants gain work experience in a variety of community service activities at non-profit and public facilities, including schools, hospitals, day-dare centers, and senior centers. Participants work an average of 20 hours a week, and are paid the highest of federal, state or local minimum wage. This training serves as a bridge to unsubsidized employment opportunities for participants. Participants must be at least 55 years of age, unemployed and have a family income of no more than 125% of the federal poverty level. 

2) Supported Employment Program: Funded through the Department of Labor, the Supported Employment program assists people with disabilities in choosing, finding and maintaining competitive employment in an integrated setting. Employment Specialists use an individualized approach, matching the skills and abilities of the participants to the employer needs, which results in successful job matches. The goal is to empower participants with training and education so that they may achieve their maximum potential through increased independence, productivity, and work place integration."

Further, these two employment development programs would be a fully integrated component of the Mayor's Homelessness Task Force.  This non-profit has proven to provide services to elderly and disabled to prevent them from becoming homeless. 

THE REASON FOR BETH MASON 'S TIFFANIE FISHER'S CONCERNS ABOUT HOSPITAL SALE EASTERSEALS' LEASE
It's this guy:

John Allen's mother has Multiple Sclerosis, the disabling erosion of nerves in the brain and spinal cord. As a consequence of his personal tragedy, John is an Easterseals NJ unpaid board member, devotes countless hours to volunteer work, and is a donor to the non-profit.  Oh yeah, he is Hoboken Mayor Bhalla's Chief-of-Staff. 

Now for the name of the non-profit: Easterseals-NJ.

Get it? Allen serves on the Board, is not paid, does not 'get' anything but satisfaction from helping disabled through Easterseals-NJ many programs and benefits for disabled. Like his mom.

What kind of craven political opportunist would create a nefarious narrative from this? Oh right....

Yes, Tiffanie Fisher channeled Beth Mason, in her glory days of trying to kill the HUMC sale (which would have bankrupted Hoboken and lost 1,200 hospital jobs).  Well one difference, Mason tried to kill jobs that existed, Fisher's fusillade of politically-motivated questions effectively stopped Easterseals from finding jobs for Hoboken elderly and disabled.

Oh, and John Allen anticipated this and recused himself from all involvement between parties, including all discussions and negotations and communication, AND obtained a legal opinion which advised that recusal was not necessary. But Allen did it anyway, anticipating the WORST-- and we got it.

The City Council should call an emergency meeting early next week and PASS this lease agreement with Easterseals-NJ.  

Someone on the Council can be a Hero.  It doesn't matter who.  Just get it done for our residents in need.  Have a heart. 

PROPS TO DeFUSCO (YES, YOU HEARD RIGHT)

Councilman DeFusco sponsored the Easterseals-NJ resolution. He gets props for that. But did he fight for it?  My understanding is that a majority of Councilpersons support this lease. 

Enough games. time is of the essence.  If the Council shows good faith to Easterseals-NJ, if we show that we welcome them, then perhaps Hoboken seniors and disabled will not lose out.   

HOBOKEN LEASE AGREEMENT WITH EASTERSEALS-NJ 

PULLED OFF AGENDA BY 2ND WARD COUNCILWOMAN TIFFANIE FISHER