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| Team Bhalla photo again... and this one is glare-free! |
The biographies of the Mayor's slate: Migdalia, Phil, Cristin, Nora and Lisa, will tell you the various accomplishments and volunteer activities that each candidate has done for the Hoboken community, and why each is eminently qualified to serve. You will learn about their jobs. You will learn a bit about their lives. You will discover that none has ever held elected office.
What you won't find in their bios is the thing that stands out to me as remarkable about this slate: Character. Decency. Goodness. Kindness.
They are regular people- our neighbors- stepping up because they love this city and want to bring new ideas and cooperation to our local government. None have connections with County Bosses, developers or PACs. They are like (most of) us. Instead of County Bosses and developers, this team is connected with the Hoboken Public Education Fund, Hoboken's LGBTQ community, Art in the Park, RBD Citizen's Advisory Group, Southwest Park advocacy.
For those not paying attention, the current ward council members have become dysfunctional; too focused on political retribution left over from the 2017 election. Real, sustained behind-the-scenes antagonism by current ward council members has impeded the mayor's progress.
And at the bi-weekly meetings: from petty stuff (refusing to pay for croissants served at a public meeting) to serious stuff (wrongly accusing a former mayoral employee of holding a "no show" job) to outrageous stuff (the gratuitous 2-hour long public humiliation of Planning Board member Gary Holtzman as a pretext to throwing him off the Planning Board)- it has got to stop.
This is not "check and balances" in action. This is legislative trolling.
Therefore, residents should be concerned about their ward councilperson's shifting priorities--away from what's best for them, to what's worst for the mayor. This is most evident in that shocking realignment from supporting reform council colleagues (Jim Doyle, Emily Jabbour) to openly contemptuous and abusive behavior toward them. The brunt of which has been directed toward Emily, in cinematic 'mean-girls' fashion. It's not rocket science. The incivility toward Doyle and Jabbour has been counter productive to working together cooperatively, making the best possible law for Hoboken.
It's obvious to those paying attention. Abusing colleagues who are working in good faith for Hoboken residents is not "checks and balances." Councilman DeFusco man-splaining to Emily Jabbour is not a check on executive power. It's uncivil behavior.
GA discovered recently that it's not just me who feels this way. I bore witness to a tide of sentiment from a large swath of longtime-reformers (including folks once on the other reform team) in favor of a brand new slate.
The exodus of folks to Team Nice speaks for itself.
The exodus of folks to Team Nice speaks for itself.
So, a Mean Team will run mean. It has already begun on the notorious blog patronized by five Hoboken Ward Councilpersons; all but Russo use the controversial blog to publish their official press releases.
What will Team Nice do when the dirt starts flying their way?
They will stay positive because that is who they are.
What's striking to me is how much these candidates remind me more of Cunningham and Giattino back when they were all just "regular" people stepping up for the good of their community, than Cunningham and Giattino remind me of their old selves today. The old Cunningham and Giattino wouldn't vote for today's version of themselves.
ReplyDeletePoliticians often lose their way and unfortunately Cunningham and Giattino seem irretrievably lost and unable to find their way back. It's time to thank them for their very real positive contributions to our City and send them on their way.
As for Fisher and DeFusco - they are who they always were, unfit for public office (DeFusco because of a lack of maturity an ethical compass, and Fisher because of narcism, inability to listen or learn, and simple nastiness). I wish I had seen them for who and what they really were back in 2015, when I like many others, was fooled into supporting them largely because the lack of better alternatives clouded our perspectives. Unlike with Cunningham and DeFusco, they have, in my opinion, damaged the City far more than they have helped it, and the City, especially the residents of their own wards, would have been better off had they never been elected. Its time to fix the mistakes of 2015 and to send them on their way.
As for Ramos, he has never, in my opinion, in all his years of public service, represented the constituents he was elected to serve. He has served only his own ambition and the politicians (Sacco, Stack, then Sacco again) and developers who he thinks can advance his career. Based on the description of "candidate 1" in the criminal information filed by the US Attorney in the Caliccio case, it also seems likely to me (my opinion) that he was, at a minimum, the beneficiary of Mr. Caliccio's criminal activities in the 2015 election, and, whether or not the government ultimately has enough evidence of what Mr. Ramos knew and directed to charge and prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, Mr. Caliccio may have committed the crime at his direction. It is long past time for him to go.
Characterizing not running someone in the 3rd as forming an alliance is par for the course. In the age of the alt-right, continuity of logic from one day to the next is not expected. No one wondered why Zimmer didn't run someone in the 3rd. Now it's an attempted scandal.
ReplyDeleteAs a reminder, here's Lindsay Graham explaining why Bill Clinton should be impeached. He won't walk any of that back while ignoring far worse offenses by Trump. Because it was more than a day ago.
I have high hopes for this ticket. I think they can let most of the hot air out of people who largely subsist on hot air. A sweep would be nice, but they don't need one in order to end the current Beth Lite cycle.
Yeah. I don't recall anyone on the team questioning the empty 3rd ward slot in 2015. Fundraising and GOTV is tough. Everyone is focused on winning in their wards, including the 3 wards with the weakest incumbents (as polling indicated).
DeleteJust scanning HCV, it's getting ugly early. It will actually be good for these candidates. The contrast between people who just want to serve the community and Fisher and Defusco's attack dogs smearing anyone who dares to oppose them will be stark.
ReplyDeleteHere's the talking points they're going with so far. And something or other about Ron Bautista.
Hint: if your talking point requires you to explain who Ron Bautista or Beth Mason or anyone else is before you can deliver the talking point.... Or to try to pillory lifelong residents in a small town for knowing other lifelong residents in a small town.... Never mind.
This is what moral bankruptcy looks like. It works a lot better when you have 500 vbms in your back pocket . Good luck with that.
Yikes. It's a toxic waste dump. Someone's been posting links over there and a certain crackpot is going apeshit cause he thinks it's me. The links are interesting, btw. But really, why would I post them on John's site when I could post them here? It's all drivel.
DeleteWe saw the same paradox with Beth - being totally focused on politics while being totally politically tone-deaf.
DeleteYeah. Poll results showed less than 1% likely voters read Mile Square View. At the very bottom.
DeleteNobody needs to read MSV to know what it says. Mindless rubbish, hates Ravi, Jen and Tiff's shit smells like roses, could care less about MDF and Ramos, Russo in bed w/ Ravibots, all hail Trump, Fox News is the only real news. The man says the same stuff over and over again.
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