People, tonight's City Council agenda packet is 242 pages long. GA did not go through it all, but here are two Agenda items which jumped out at me.
(1) RESOLUTION CD-6: CONTRACT FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR BLOCK 10 ACQUISITION
This one got my attention because the proposed contract is with Remington & Vernick Engineers, employer of Ruben Ramos BFF Joey Muniz. Muniz does business development for the firm. Muniz is also the right hand man of powerful North Bergen political boss Nick Sacco. It is widely known, that Ramos and DeFusco suck up to Sacco- both Hoboken Councilmen made an appearance this week at Sacco's annual brunch in Hackensack.
Therefore, its a no-brainer that Ramos would vote "yes" on his BFF's contract... or is it? Why wouldn't Ramos vote "yes"?
Because the performance of this engineering service advances the City closer to acquiring Block 10 by eminent domain for expansion of the Southwest park. Block 10 is owned by Academy Bus. Academy Bus' V.P. of Real Estate has already given Ramos for Council (2019) an aggregate of $800 in contributions.
Oh no! What's a conflicted Councilman to do?
Vote "yes" for his friend's contract, bringing the City closer to acquiring Block 10 by eminent domain? Or stand with Academy and stonewall eminent domain and vote "no on the the contract! Poor Ruben!
My guess is, Ruben and DeFusco vote "yes" for the contract, then (in the future) vote "no" on acquiring Block 10 by eminent domain. Just a guess!
RESOLUTION CD-6
(2) ORDINANCE #7 (FOR FIRST READING): ADDING SECTION TITLED “PUB CRAWL EVENT PERMITS” TO HOBOKEN CITY CODE ENTITLED “ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES”
This ordinance, sponsored by First Ward Councilman Mike DeFusco, should come with a laugh track. I hope tonight's attendees will chuckle loudly, even guffaw. I'll be chortling at home.
If this mega-dud isn't' dead on arrival' then we know exactly who is rooting for who-- and it ain't us residents. Yeah, sure, its just First Reading. But there's no reason to pretend this ordinance is anything but dreck.
And why does DeFusco's ordinance suck like a Hoover, and have less teeth than George Washington (who wore wooden dentures)?
Because the ordinance imposes a series of stringent-sounding yet nebulous requirements on the event planner to obtain a bar crawl permit, absent any enforcement mechanism, or liability for the Hoboken host bars.
It is hilarious. The shapeless operational plans" may sound good, but what does that all mean to some pimply kid from Westfield on Facebook inviting his friends to "Valentine-con," or whatever, which then goes viral on social media. DeFusco has done a solid for his First Ward bar-owning donors, putting together an unenforceable piece of legislation to convince voters he's doing something, providing cover for his bar owner-donors to reap the financial benefits of 'legal' bar crawls.
It is hilarious. The shapeless operational plans" may sound good, but what does that all mean to some pimply kid from Westfield on Facebook inviting his friends to "Valentine-con," or whatever, which then goes viral on social media. DeFusco has done a solid for his First Ward bar-owning donors, putting together an unenforceable piece of legislation to convince voters he's doing something, providing cover for his bar owner-donors to reap the financial benefits of 'legal' bar crawls.
You get it? Another legislative fraud. And this fraud will exacerbate the problem, because it sanctions these shitty bar crawls under the pretense of an unenforceable "permit."
Looks real, though. Sometimes I think DeFusco's laughing at us, along with the rest of his gang. Cause they have the votes. Until they don't.
DeFUSCO's UNENFORCEABLE BAR CRAWL ORDINANCE
(A HELPING HAND TO HIS DONORS )
See what I mean?
Mostly interested to see how the butthurts vote on Mike’s steaming pile of vibrant.
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of weird for engineering work to be needed to aquire block 10 - I wonder what that's about?
ReplyDeleteI could understand if it was for acquiring Monarch since you can't honestly calculate a FMV of that property without evaluating the real costs associated with building on that particular pier.
But with block 10 it doesn't make much sense so I'm curious.
I think MDF, who many people would agree represents bar owners and their contributions to a much greater degree then Hoboken residents, felt the need to try to make a some sort of statement similar to Mayor Bhalla's anti-pukefest stand but in a way that would have no teeth that would not upset his backers. Window dressing for November.
ReplyDeleteI agree with GA on Block 10 and Ramos is doing what he does best covering his ass.