How to describe last night's 2-hour, McCarthyesque spectacle; vicious political retribution disguised as a judicial process. How to convey the arrogance, hypocrisy, and unprofessional conduct of councilpersons abusing their power to smear an unpaid municipal board volunteer and his wife.
I'll try. The "trial" of Gary Holtzman veered off the rails from the get-go.
Instead of adjudicating the subject of the hearing (whether an email was cause for removal from the Planning Board) the council spent hours dissecting Holtzman, The Man. I've never seen an autopsy done on the living. But this Council, led by Tiffanie Fisher, did it. They pulled apart his resume, career, employer, past combative exchanges during planning board meetings, his opinions (oh my!) about attorneys who'd appeared at the planning board, his alleged lack of contrition, and his wife.
What did all that have to do with an email?
Nothing. But that wasn't really the point. The protracted, irrelevant questioning was all about smearing him, humiliating him, destroying him in public. Even their manner suggested that every aspect of Holtzman's board service and career were somehow tainted or nefarious. Hours of interrogation in "when did you stop beating your wife" fashion; accusatory questions repeated ad nauseum like Goebbels' "Big Lie."
But hey, the evening wasn't all gloom and doom. Councilman Mike Russo provided the laughs of the night as he repeatedly lectured Holtzman about the alleged "impropriety" of his actions! Can you believe that?
Yes, Russo's bullshit was volcanic, spewing over the dais- can't believe no one laughed... Oh, irony of this F.B.I. surveillance video star accepting a $5K bribe for 'helping along' zoning variances yet who was never asked to step down from the Council, now demanding a Planning Board member be removed for alleged "impropriety" over an email!
Mind you, last night Holtzman asked for "mercy" and that the Council show him "grace."
Mike Russo was shown mercy that night of April 4, 2011. That night his colleagues did not ask him to resign. Last night Gary was shown NONE of the mercy or grace shown to Mike Russo. Gary got treated worse than Russo did for accepting a $5K bribe to grease zoning variances.
DECLARATION OF WAR ON VOLUNTEERS
Last night's Trumpian abuse of power was no less than a declaration of war on Hoboken residents who may seek volunteer positions on municipal board and who support the mayor. Fisher, Giattino, Cunningham, et. al. let you know that they will not appoint you, or if they do, will make your life miserable, such as the public smearing of a good man, and long-term volunteer public servant. Dare to support the mayor and Tiff's blogging hyenas will rip you to shreds and demand that you leave town.
RUTHLESS SMEAR MERCHANT
Last night, Tiffanie Fisher, vicious and malevolent behind a sweet smile, was Holtzman's chief character assassin.
By her own admission, Fisher had "free time" to orchestrate the event. Claiming she'd spent "hours" researching case law, Fisher proved what Hoboken residents have long suspected: she's a clueless buffoon. Without proof or evidence, Fisher accused Holtzman of "steering"- a crime. She referred to emails documents and Planning Board meeting transcripts without bringing those documents to the hearing. Call that hearsay evidence. Now, Brian Aloia explained, that rules of evidence and hearsay are much looser in Administrative hearings than court, but they still exist. Yet as Fisher blubbered on, she had no documentary evidence with her to support her claims about Holtzman, and made sure to get her hit parade into the public record; Fisher alleged that Gary called an attorney a "clown" but did not bring the meeting transcript to prove it. As if it were even relevant.
Do you understand now how the evening went?
Last night's Trumpian abuse of power was no less than a declaration of war on Hoboken residents who may seek volunteer positions on municipal board and who support the mayor. Fisher, Giattino, Cunningham, et. al. let you know that they will not appoint you, or if they do, will make your life miserable, such as the public smearing of a good man, and long-term volunteer public servant. Dare to support the mayor and Tiff's blogging hyenas will rip you to shreds and demand that you leave town.
RUTHLESS SMEAR MERCHANT
Last night, Tiffanie Fisher, vicious and malevolent behind a sweet smile, was Holtzman's chief character assassin.
By her own admission, Fisher had "free time" to orchestrate the event. Claiming she'd spent "hours" researching case law, Fisher proved what Hoboken residents have long suspected: she's a clueless buffoon. Without proof or evidence, Fisher accused Holtzman of "steering"- a crime. She referred to emails documents and Planning Board meeting transcripts without bringing those documents to the hearing. Call that hearsay evidence. Now, Brian Aloia explained, that rules of evidence and hearsay are much looser in Administrative hearings than court, but they still exist. Yet as Fisher blubbered on, she had no documentary evidence with her to support her claims about Holtzman, and made sure to get her hit parade into the public record; Fisher alleged that Gary called an attorney a "clown" but did not bring the meeting transcript to prove it. As if it were even relevant.
Do you understand now how the evening went?
Long story short, Tiffanie Fisher proved last night that she is a ruthless smear merchant. Russo proved he is an amoral hypocrite. Peter proved he is as nasty and arrogant as his colleague Giattino: he was mortally offended by Holtzman's statement that the council's actions were politically motivated and was unsatisfied with Gary's contrition (not enough), Giattino moaned about the "optics"-- all of it disingenuous because it was clear their minds were made up before the hearing started. Gary never had a chance.
After last night, they are all radioactive in my eyes.
The following was read at the start of the trial by Gary Holtzman.
First, for anyone who is not aware of what this tribunal is all about, and for those who have been misled by the scorched earth, straight to the press with no inquiry, defamation of my character put forth by Council members Fisher, Giattino, DeFusco, and Cunningham, I want you to know exactly what I was thinking and what it was that I actually did.
Attorney Robert Matule has been working in Hoboken for many years and has, over time, come to handle about 80% of land use applications coming before the Planning and Zoning Boards. Earlier this year, when he announced he would be retiring, a lot of people expressed their concerns for who would fill that void. Numerous requests for recommendations were made to the Board Office and Commissioners.
Rather than put anyone in the questionable position of making a singular recommendation that could be interpreted as ethically inappropriate, I decided to reach out to past and present Board Professionals; Planners, Engineers and Attorneys. They seemed to be an appropriate resource since most of them work, not only in Hoboken but for several communities across New Jersey where they come into contact with numerous attorneys representing a good cross section of application types. This was important because not every application is for a big mixed use development from an experienced developer. There are even more applications, seen by both Boards, that are from homeowners looking to build an addition or a small business needing a use approval.
The application process is challenging enough, and is especially daunting for one-time applicants. So, having a good and competent land use attorney is critical. A good attorney knows the process, makes sure the application is complete, and will get their client through the process efficiently. An inexperienced attorney will end up costing their clients more money and will often delay the process unnecessarily. As a long-time Planning Board Commissioner, I’ve seen both cases and have real sympathy for applicants who are not being served well by their attorney.
The list of attorney recommendations made by past and present Board Professionals I compiled without editing, except to put it in alphabetical order so there was no preferential treatment or perceived ranking to those listed. For any attorneys not on the list, be assured that I personally neither added nor subtracted any names on the list. And, I can say unequivocally that I have no personal knowledge or relationship with anyone on the list. For that matter, I’ve only ever met one of the sixteen attorneys listed, and only because he represented an applicant before the Planning Board several years ago.
If I’m guilty of anything at all, it’s of trying to help applicants have a good experience dealing with the Planning and Zoning Boards and to expedite and improve the process for everyone involved.
That is the long and the short of it.
It is, I believe, rather unreasonable to surmise that this was in any way self-serving or intended to give anyone an unfair advantage. In the end, no attorney is excluded from representing clients before any board and applicants are certainly free to hire any attorney they deem appropriate to their needs.
Second, I would like people to know what has brought me to this place.
I’ve lived in Hoboken for nearly 32 years. One of my earliest civic contributions was as a volunteer participant on the 2004 Master Plan, the first master plan to be undertaken by the City, ever. You can find my name on the acknowledgements page.
I continued as an advocate for smart growth and development, fighting the Devil’s Hockey Arena proposed for the NJ Transit rail yards, and advocating for open space.
In 2007 I was elected as a Democratic Committee Man. While holding that post I participated on a bi-partisan committee that drafted the first ever organizational by-laws for the group. I also served on the Executive Board as Committee Treasurer after receiving New Jersey Elect Certification.
Shortly thereafter in 2008 I participated in the creation and advancement of Southwest-6, a citizen-driven development plan that advocated for a 6-acre Park in Southwest Hoboken. The 1st phase of that park was completed and dedicated by Mayor Zimmer in 2017. And, Phase II, of the Southwest Park, was recently presented to you by Starr Whitehouse.
In 2011 Mayor Zimmer appointed me to the Planning Board where I’ve served the City as a Commissioner and as Chair for several years. Under my Chairmanship, the Planning Board took on a modern, more progressive and proactive approach in how we interact with the public and with applicants. We made the process more open and transparent. While not required to do so, we held numerous public meetings in an effort to foster community involvement. To protect our neighbors and neighborhoods, we took added steps to require disclosure of environmental concerns. And, we worked collaboratively with applicants resulting in public benefits like state-of-the-art architecture to enhance PSE&G substations, a 125,000 dollar contribution to the Shade Tree Commission, tens-of-thousands of square feet of green roof, greater than required stormwater detention, additional street and sidewalk improvements, and the recently unveiled mural on the Cube Smart building.
One of the highlights of my time on the Planning Board was the completion and adoption of an extensive and comprehensive update to the Master Plan and Land Use Element bringing me full circle to where I started my community service 14 years ago.
Now unfortunately, my good-faith effort to help people, is being politicized and taken out of context by members of this Council. I guess the saying is true, that no good deed goes unpunished. I don’t know what their ultimate motives are, or what they hope to accomplish by removing me from the Planning Board, but I believe my resume speaks for itself and it is my intention to remain on the Planning Board and continue to serve the City of Hoboken by ensuring that development in Hoboken is carried out in a modern, fair and efficient manner for the betterment of the City and its citizens.
With that said, no matter what the outcome of the Council’s actions, rest assured I will continue to be engaged in civic life and will serve my community in whatever way I can to make it a better place for all its residents.
So, what happens now? I guess that’s in your court, city council. Does my civic contribution get subverted by politics? Or do we work together to help the people of Hoboken? The list I pulled together is not unusual – several municipalities in the State of NJ provide a directory of qualified professionals to assist their residents find contractors, architects, and yes, attorneys. These are not closed lists. Anyone wishing to be added to the directory simply needs to provide qualifications and contact information.
I admit I could have handled it better, but the objective was right, and I stand by what I did.
After last night, they are all radioactive in my eyes.
The following was read at the start of the trial by Gary Holtzman.
GARY HOLTZMAN STATEMENT
First, for anyone who is not aware of what this tribunal is all about, and for those who have been misled by the scorched earth, straight to the press with no inquiry, defamation of my character put forth by Council members Fisher, Giattino, DeFusco, and Cunningham, I want you to know exactly what I was thinking and what it was that I actually did.
Attorney Robert Matule has been working in Hoboken for many years and has, over time, come to handle about 80% of land use applications coming before the Planning and Zoning Boards. Earlier this year, when he announced he would be retiring, a lot of people expressed their concerns for who would fill that void. Numerous requests for recommendations were made to the Board Office and Commissioners.
Rather than put anyone in the questionable position of making a singular recommendation that could be interpreted as ethically inappropriate, I decided to reach out to past and present Board Professionals; Planners, Engineers and Attorneys. They seemed to be an appropriate resource since most of them work, not only in Hoboken but for several communities across New Jersey where they come into contact with numerous attorneys representing a good cross section of application types. This was important because not every application is for a big mixed use development from an experienced developer. There are even more applications, seen by both Boards, that are from homeowners looking to build an addition or a small business needing a use approval.
The application process is challenging enough, and is especially daunting for one-time applicants. So, having a good and competent land use attorney is critical. A good attorney knows the process, makes sure the application is complete, and will get their client through the process efficiently. An inexperienced attorney will end up costing their clients more money and will often delay the process unnecessarily. As a long-time Planning Board Commissioner, I’ve seen both cases and have real sympathy for applicants who are not being served well by their attorney.
The list of attorney recommendations made by past and present Board Professionals I compiled without editing, except to put it in alphabetical order so there was no preferential treatment or perceived ranking to those listed. For any attorneys not on the list, be assured that I personally neither added nor subtracted any names on the list. And, I can say unequivocally that I have no personal knowledge or relationship with anyone on the list. For that matter, I’ve only ever met one of the sixteen attorneys listed, and only because he represented an applicant before the Planning Board several years ago.
If I’m guilty of anything at all, it’s of trying to help applicants have a good experience dealing with the Planning and Zoning Boards and to expedite and improve the process for everyone involved.
That is the long and the short of it.
It is, I believe, rather unreasonable to surmise that this was in any way self-serving or intended to give anyone an unfair advantage. In the end, no attorney is excluded from representing clients before any board and applicants are certainly free to hire any attorney they deem appropriate to their needs.
Second, I would like people to know what has brought me to this place.
I’ve lived in Hoboken for nearly 32 years. One of my earliest civic contributions was as a volunteer participant on the 2004 Master Plan, the first master plan to be undertaken by the City, ever. You can find my name on the acknowledgements page.
I continued as an advocate for smart growth and development, fighting the Devil’s Hockey Arena proposed for the NJ Transit rail yards, and advocating for open space.
In 2007 I was elected as a Democratic Committee Man. While holding that post I participated on a bi-partisan committee that drafted the first ever organizational by-laws for the group. I also served on the Executive Board as Committee Treasurer after receiving New Jersey Elect Certification.
Shortly thereafter in 2008 I participated in the creation and advancement of Southwest-6, a citizen-driven development plan that advocated for a 6-acre Park in Southwest Hoboken. The 1st phase of that park was completed and dedicated by Mayor Zimmer in 2017. And, Phase II, of the Southwest Park, was recently presented to you by Starr Whitehouse.
In 2011 Mayor Zimmer appointed me to the Planning Board where I’ve served the City as a Commissioner and as Chair for several years. Under my Chairmanship, the Planning Board took on a modern, more progressive and proactive approach in how we interact with the public and with applicants. We made the process more open and transparent. While not required to do so, we held numerous public meetings in an effort to foster community involvement. To protect our neighbors and neighborhoods, we took added steps to require disclosure of environmental concerns. And, we worked collaboratively with applicants resulting in public benefits like state-of-the-art architecture to enhance PSE&G substations, a 125,000 dollar contribution to the Shade Tree Commission, tens-of-thousands of square feet of green roof, greater than required stormwater detention, additional street and sidewalk improvements, and the recently unveiled mural on the Cube Smart building.
One of the highlights of my time on the Planning Board was the completion and adoption of an extensive and comprehensive update to the Master Plan and Land Use Element bringing me full circle to where I started my community service 14 years ago.
Now unfortunately, my good-faith effort to help people, is being politicized and taken out of context by members of this Council. I guess the saying is true, that no good deed goes unpunished. I don’t know what their ultimate motives are, or what they hope to accomplish by removing me from the Planning Board, but I believe my resume speaks for itself and it is my intention to remain on the Planning Board and continue to serve the City of Hoboken by ensuring that development in Hoboken is carried out in a modern, fair and efficient manner for the betterment of the City and its citizens.
With that said, no matter what the outcome of the Council’s actions, rest assured I will continue to be engaged in civic life and will serve my community in whatever way I can to make it a better place for all its residents.
So, what happens now? I guess that’s in your court, city council. Does my civic contribution get subverted by politics? Or do we work together to help the people of Hoboken? The list I pulled together is not unusual – several municipalities in the State of NJ provide a directory of qualified professionals to assist their residents find contractors, architects, and yes, attorneys. These are not closed lists. Anyone wishing to be added to the directory simply needs to provide qualifications and contact information.
I admit I could have handled it better, but the objective was right, and I stand by what I did.
tiff's in for quite a surprise come reelection time. well, a surprise to her anyway, being as clueless as she is to the world outside her butthurt bubble. everyone else is dying to get rid of her, just like everyone wanted her gone from the democratic committee. remember what happened there, tiff?
ReplyDeletebha bye, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
Someone created a countdown clock on Twitter.... # days until she's gone. 419 days from today.
Deletehttps://mobile.twitter.com/FisherCountdown
Jen too.... help is on its way to defeat her. Happens when youre snotty to the wrong people.
Not sure why the council was legally entitled to their personal inquisition, but it was sickening to watch the ethically and morally challenged council members go after Holtzman. Guess they'll get to pick his unqualified replacement.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Does Mike DeFusco have to recuse himself on any projects that come before the zoning board that Dell'Aquilla's involved with? What about the projects from the many developers who contributed to his campaign? If he does, wouldn't that make him ineffectual as a planning board commissioner, more than he already is?
I am sure they will pick someone who is hopelessly ethically challenged who is willing to sell the entire town out to serve their own personal agenda just like so many of their other hand picked appointees.
DeleteHorrendous. I would never advise anyone to pursue litigation because it is costly and time-consuming but I almost wonder if that would be a healthy check for this group of power-hungry nutsos if this were ever appealed. It might be healthy for them to face down some attorneys and answer questions for a few hours about their character and ethical lapses this year. Falco - did you check with your city council colleagues to see if they were bothered by Gary being married to someone who worked for the city all the years that they served on the Planning Board? If they didn't have an issue with it then, why bring it up now? And how is it relative to the email? Fisher - you're no Marcia Gay Harden. Googling how to dismiss a Planning Board member does not qualify you as a lawyer. What does following the law mean to you when you can't seem to follow the Sunshine Law and the Faulkner Act. Ramos - did you do anything besides giggle during this hearing? You provided no basis for voting to dismiss Gary. Giattino - networking is how one gets a job these days. Not suspicious at all. Cunningham - since when is arrogance a cause for dismissal? If that were the case, you would have been kicked off the council after the last meeting. Russo - the dramatics were a bit much. If someone had worked for the same company during most or all of his time on the planning board and it wasn't an issue when some of your colleagues served on there, then how does that fact relate to this email in question? Defusco - you've been on the Planning Board for how long and how many meetings have you missed? And does it make any sense at all that the Mayor's Chief of Staff whom you constantly berate would confide in you and tell you that you had a duty to hold a hearing and discipline a Planning Board member? Would love to see you state that again under oath of law. I have 4 letter for you... ELEC.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. There is plenty more coming from me on this issue. Last night was so far beyond the bounds of decency and NORMALITY... (you said it much better) they should be shunned by their constituents and abandoned if they seek re-election. They are as radioactive as Beth Mason in her craziest, most destructive days on the Council. "Power hungry nutsos" is right.
DeleteOver on Hudson County View, Mikey DeFuckup is quoted as saying:
ReplyDelete“This is not political: we were advised, by the mayor, his chief of staff, who called me directly and mentioned that they found this to be a problem, one that the council could address,” DeFusco recalled.
Yeah...probably not, Mikey.
Even if the mayor or his staff said anything remotely resembling this, Mike was too stupid to realize that the proper translation is "if you really want to do something so stupid and blatantly political as to railroad an honest person to suit your own personal self-interest and political agenda, you go ahead and make yourself look like a complete asshole if you want to. I am just going to sit back here, watch the shit hit the fan and fly right into your face."
Delete