Hurricane Sandy Live Blog

This feed, provided by NJ Commons New Organization will be updated constantly as Hurricane Sandy progresses. If you have any photos or leads you would like to share please send email to theboken@gmail.com. Also go to www.theboken.com for comprehensive coverage of Hurricane Sandy.


◦

Hurricane Sandy Live Blog

Hoboken City Councilman Peter Cunningham on Hurricane Sandy

 Below is an update from Hoboken City Council President on Hurricane Sandy...

Since I last wrote, I have been meeting with the Mayor, the Administration and public safety and riding around the neighborhood.  Construction sites appear to be secured and our residents at Fox Hill have been well informed of the storm. 

We are now pulling our valuables out of the basement.  I did it last year, and begrudgingly, I will do it again.  The major concern is the storm surge (very high water) and loss of power.  Two things we were lucky enough NOT to have with Irene.

Please read the following closely.  And in doing so, since we could loose power, be sure your devices are all charged up.  Finally, please keep an eye out for your neighbors, especially the elderly.

Our area is forecast to be hit by a major storm, Hurricane Sandy, which is expected to bring strong winds, heavy rain, and potentially record flooding.

The City has issued a mandatory evacuation of all ground floor apartments by midnight tonight (October 28, 2012). Please find a neighbor to stay with if you live in a ground floor unit. If you live on a higher floor, please consider offering for your neighbors to stay with you. 


Please pass this note around, and let me know if you see something of concern, or have any other questions.

- Peter Cunningham
Hoboken City Council President

City of Hoboken Update on Hurricane Sandy

Shelter
The City will be opening a shelter at the Wallace School, located at 1100 Willow Avenue at 8pm on October 28. Residents going to the shelter may bring medication, a small toiletry bag, clothing for up to 3 days, and 3 days of baby supplies including diapers and formula. Pets are permitted and must be crated. Please bring enough pet food for three days. Residents who wish to donate non-perishable food for the shelter may drop off items at City Hall.

Emergency Operations Center
An Emergency Operations Center is open staffed by City staff and CERT volunteers. Please call our Emergency Operations Center at 201-239-6644/6645/6647/6648 if you have general questions, in order to alleviate the strain on our public safety officials. For emergencies, residents should call 911 or the Hoboken Police Department at 201-420-2100 and Hoboken Fire Department at 201-420-2005/2007.

High Wind Warning
A high wind warning is in effect from Monday 6am until Tuesday 6pm. Sustained winds of 35-55mph and gusts of 70-80mph are predicted. Residents and businesses should bring in unsecured objects from patios and balconies and secure outdoor objects such as lawn furniture which can blow away and cause injury. Please bring garbage cans inside so they do not litter our streets, and if you have a construction zone, please clear and secure the site of all loose materials. The City has brought inside all public trash cans that are not bolted down. Residents are also asked to help clear leaves from sidewalks to avoid catch basins from clogging during the storm.

Garbage Pickup
Regular garbage pickup will occur on Sunday night. Please promptly bring trash bins indoors after pickup has occurred.

Flooding
Please avoid any flooded or barricaded streets. Like many older cities, Hoboken has a combined sewer system, so flood water is a mix of sewage and rain water runoff and poses a health hazard. Man hole covers may also have been displaced, posing a serious threat for pedestrians and drivers. Downed power lines in the water pose an electrocution hazard.

Be prepared
PSE&G has warned that up to 1 million of its 2.2 million customers could experience a power outage, and full restoration could take more than 7 days. For your safety and to ensure that our Police and Fire Departments can respond to all emergencies, it is very important that everyone is fully prepared to stay inside with enough water and food for 72 hours. Assume there will be no power and make certain to have flashlights, and batteries. Charge phones, fill bathtubs and sinks with water, which can be used to flush toilets, and turn refrigerators to the coldest setting and keep them closed.

Schools, Parks & Recreation
Hoboken Public Schools will be closed on Monday, October 29, 2012. Updates will be posted to the Board of Education website: www.hoboken.k12.nj.us and the City’s website. All City parks and playgrounds will be closed at 3pm on Sunday, October 28, 2012 due to wind. All sports league practices scheduled for Monday are cancelled.

For more information visit the City of Hoboken website www.hobokennj.org.
Thank you and stay safe. ◦

Hoboken City Councilman Peter Cunningham on Hurricane Sandy

Hoboken BOE Forum Tonight at Demarest School 7-9pm

The Kids First Team (on Columns KLM November 6th), and fully supported by Mayor Dawn Zimmer, invites the public to a public forum on Hoboken Board of Education BOE issues tonight at Demarest School at 4th and Garden Streets from 7-9 pm.

The Kids First Team, that has accomplished much in their tenure since having the majority is running against the Slate of Move Hoboken Forward, whose backers have been distributing Nazi imagery with midnight fliers and a video truck in an attempt to smear their opponent Kids First. Apparently Move Hoboken Forward does not have have much else to offer other than negativity, Hudson County Machine Support form the likes of Jersey City Freeholder Bill O'Dea and the illegal financial support via wheeling courtesy of despicable City Councilwoman Beth Mason. No wonder the Mayor of Hoboken is backing Kids First.

Pat Waiters is also scheduled to appear at the forum and is running as an independent. 

For those interested in Hoboken's educational future for district school students this is a chance to see the candidates and in particular question who was behind those disgusting midnight fliers and the Nazi truck. 

◦

Hoboken BOE Forum Tonight at Demarest School 7-9pm

Rent Control Forum Recap

Last night at Our Lady of Grace Church School, a forum on the topic of rent control was held from 7-9pm sponsored in part by the Hoboken Quality of Life Coalition (QLC) and The Parish of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph. The debate at times was spirited with Dan Tumpson and Matt Shapiro representing the pro rental control position from Hoboken Fair Housing Association and Rent Control opponents Ron Simoncini and Charles X. Gormally, Esq. of the Mile Square Tax Payers Association.

This is an important issue that could impact Hoboken property owners and tenants for years to come regardless of where you stand on the issue.


Note: The video from the forum will be available at www.qlchoboken.com if you want to hear of the finer points on this issue. 

Below are the summarized positions from  the two advocacy groups that were handed out at the forum for those who have still not made up their minds...

Hoboken Fair Housing Association (lIFHA)

Position: Vote NO on Hoboken Public Question #2

On the November 6,2012, Hoboken Public Question #2 (HPQ2) will appear on Hoboken's election ballot which will ask Hoboken voters to approve or reject amendments to Hoboken's Rent Control (RC) law which decontrols rents for all new tenants and which permanently eliminate all RC protections for tenants in 1-4 unit buildings and condos.

The wording of HPQ2 is identical to the wording that Mile Square Taxpayer Association (MSTA), the
developer/realtor organization that circulated the initiative petition which put the RC amendments on the ballot, put on their initiative petition:

"Shall the City of Hoboken continue annual rental increase protections for current residents of rent
controlled properties but allow property owners to negotiate rents for vacant apartments and exempt
buildings with one-to-four units and condominium units from the rent leveling ordinance by adopting the
proposed amendment to Chapter 155 of the Code of the City of Hoboken?"

HFHA's position on HPQ2 and the underlying MSTA RC amendments is twofold:

I.  If approved by the voters on November 6, The MSTA RC amendments will eliminate RC protections for all new tenants. This elimination of RC protections will destabilize the Hoboken community by encouraging landlords to evict their current tenants and by permanently eliminating a large fraction of Hoboken's affordable housing.

Here's what will happen if a majority of the voters approve the RC Amendments by voting "yes" on HPQ2: Once a current tenant vacates his or her unit either voluntarily or by court ordered eviction: (1.) Rents are decontrolled can be increased to whatever the landlord wants to charge for every new tenant. (2.) All 1-4 unit buildings and condos are permanently exempted from Rent Control.

New Jersey State law makes it easy for a landlord to obtain court ordered eviction of tenants from 1-3 unit rental buildings and condos at the end of their lease and from all rental buildings with condo conversion evictions. Thus, if HPQ2 is approved by the voters, landlords will have the means and financial incentive to evict current tenants or otherwise "convince" them to move "voluntarily" and then jack up the rent to whatever they want for new tenants. MANY HOBOKEN RENTERS WILL LOSE THEIR HOMES.

II.  In violation of NJ State Law, the MSTA public question wording that will be on the Nov 6 ballot is so misleading that it will trick many voters into voting against their intent. 

Suppose a voter who wants Hoboken to continue RC protections reads the beginning of the MSTA ballot
question: "Shall the City of Hoboken continue annual rental increase protections for current residents of rent
controlled properties ... " The voter will naturally assume that he must vote "yes". NOTHING COULD BE
FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH. The actual purpose of the HPQ2 initiative is to completely DECONTROL all rents upon vacancy. Note also that HPQ2 fails to mention that the rent can be increased to whatever the landlord wants to charge for new tenants, but states only that the MST A amendments will "allow property owners to negotiate rents for vacant apartments". In actuality, there is no negotiation involved: the tenant must pay whatever rent the landlord demands ifhe wants to rent the unit.

The deceptive wording of the HPQ2 thus fundamentally undermines the democratic electoral process: voters can be tricked into voting against their intent.

HFHA is therefore doing what we can to communicate the true purpose of the MST A Rent Control amendments to Hoboken's voters so that they will not be deceived and will vote NO on Hoboken Public Question #2 in order to defend Hoboken renters by keeping Rent Control protections intact.

Mile Square Taxpayers Association (MSTA): 

Vote YES on Hoboken Public Question #2 

Voting to approve Hoboken Public Question #2 will insure that tenants remain protected by rent control for as long as they stay in their apartments, while moving the City's toward a housing policy that promotes investment in rental property and the readjustment of the unfair tax burden on small property owners.
Hoboken's current rent leveling ordinance should be reformed to address inequities for property owners who are deprived of the value of their properties and disincentivized from improving them. The Hoboken Housing Improvement Initiative will follow the example of most municipalities in New Jersey by exempting vacated units in condominiums and structures with 1-4 apartments from the rent leveling ordinance and allowing for rents on vacant units in buildings of greater than 4 apartments to be negotiated to the mutual satisfaction of tenants and owners.

There is abundant support for modernizing Hoboken's rent leveling ordinance, given that:

a) That the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs has set a standard exempting from rent control small properties and that as a result most New Jersey towns exempt buildings with 1-4 units from rent control;
b) New Jersey tenants are afforded the most stringent anti-harassment, anti-eviction and property maintenance legislation in the country, providing ample protection of their rights to continued occupancy of their apartments;
c) Most tenants entering apartments in Hoboken are coming from outside of Hoboken;
d) That contemporary rent control ordinances in similar communities have evolved to reflect the current fiscal, housing and business environments;
e) That the proven effect of rent control laws is to transfer property tax burdens from multi-family to single-family home owners but not other commercial property owners;
f) That creating and maintaining affordable housing while a worthy social objective is not furthered by rent control and the depressed rentals benefit those that don't need it;
g) That the health of the housing stock is threatened by limiting the income of properties to a point where their upkeep is not practical for the owner;
h) That current annual increases alone do not permit energy or insurance pass-throughs, resulting in an effective property taking and a multi-family property tax appeal spiral;
i) That restricting rents can lead to condominium conversion and an effective reduction in
affordable housing;
j) That the administration of rent leveling ordinances should not be unduly burdensome and expensive to the  municipality or the property owners;
k) That violators of the rent leveling ordinance should be subject to penalty of under the law.

As expected, a Superior Court judge affirmed the wording of the question as it appeared on the petitions to also appear on the ballot because it is a critical function of the amendment that there are no changes to existing protections. As we have seen from the rent leveling office's performance in Hoboken, any amount of political mischief is possible in the administration of the rent leveling ordinance. The wording of the question reflects our desire that existing tenants remain as they are until they voluntarily vacate their units. A deal is a deal.

And finally, the biggest concern voiced by tenant advocates is that "subtle" harassment will occur in order that existing tenants vacate their units so owners can achieve higher rents. It is important to note that the Hoboken Fair Housing website acknowledges that there is no change in the rights of tenants to remain in their apartment as long as they wish proposed in the amendment. Tenants are asking the voters to accept that all of the benefits of the amendment should be eschewed in favor of tenants who are worried that anti-eviction law, anti-harassment law, and habitability standards laws will fail to protect them from a landlord who can raise rents on a vacancy. There is no evidence of such occurrences in other New Jersey municipalities, despite that this precise type of decontrol is present in more than 540 municipalities in New Jersey. ◦

Rent Control Forum Recap

Statement from Mayor Zimmer on Lawsuit Filed by Council Minority

Let the dysfunctional behavior of the City Council Minority continue. City Council members Castellano, Mason, Occhipinti,have all filed a lawsuit to remove James Doyle who was appointed City Council when Carol Marsh stepped down for "personal" reasons last month. Below is Mayor Dawn Zimmer's  statement.....

Statement from Mayor Zimmer on Lawsuit 

Filed by Council Minority

“Yesterday, City Council members Castellano, Mason, Occhipinti, and Russo filed an action in Superior Court seeking to remove Councilman Doyle from office. The apparent purpose of the lawsuit is to create a 4-4 deadlocked Council for at least the next eight months.”

“The City believes that their claims are entirely without merit. It is extremely unfortunate that instead of focusing on properly representing the interests of their constituents that these Council members are attempting to paralyze our government for political reasons to the detriment of the citizens of Hoboken who they were elected to serve.”


◦

Statement from Mayor Zimmer on Lawsuit Filed by Council Minority

Fund For a Better Waterfront "Parks in Peril" Fundraiser Tuesday November 13, 2012 7pm

The Fund for a Better Waterfront and the Eastern Environmental Law Center are hosting a fundraiser at the Hoboken Elks Lodge on November 13th, 2012t. This is a benefit fundraiser to support the important work of these nonprofit organizations. FBW's vision for a continuous, public waterfront park is once again in peril. The remarkable progress made to date could largely be undone if recent ill-conceived proposals at the Hoboken Rail Yards, Union Dry Dock, Stevens Institute and the Shipyard's north pier come to pass. This will be a fun-filled event for a serious cause. For more info & to purchase tickets go to this link: More info & to purchase tickets

Shipyard attempts to reverse board denials in court, fights motion to intervene by FBW

The Shipyard Associates have filed complaints in Superior Court challenging the denials of its applications before the Hudson County and the Hoboken Planning Boards. Developers Michael and David Barry have been seeking approvals to build two towers on a Hoboken pier where they had previously agreed to provide open space, including tennis courts, a tennis pavilion and the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway.

On March 7, the City of Hoboken filed a lawsuit to enforce the 1997 developers agreement between the City and Shipyard Associates. In September, the FBW filed a motion to intervene in this case. Superior Court Judge Barry Sarkisian will hear arguments on the motion this Friday, October 26 at 9 a.m. at the Brennen Court House, 583 Newark Avenue in Jersey City, NJ. But a recent letter from the developer to the Judge may force him to step down due to a conflict of interest. Read story.

NJ Transit abandons plans to buy Union Dry Dock for bus parking/ferry refueling

Persistent efforts by Mayor Dawn Zimmer, supported by FBW and neighboring property owners, have paid off. Over the past six months, the Mayor made repeated phone calls and sent letters to NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein, NJDOT Commissioner James Simpson and Gov. Chris Christie. On October 17, NJ Transit abandoned its plans to purchase the Union Dry Dock property for use by New York Waterway. Arthur Imperatore, Jr., the owner of the NY Waterway ferry company, sought to move his shuttle bus parking and ferry repair/refueling from Weehawken to this prime Hoboken waterfront site at 901 Sinatra Drive. Read story.

Keep up with HoBoken FBW in real time @Hoboken_FBW on Twitter

FBW is now tweeting. Learn about planning and urban design issues, people and organizations advocating the best ideas for our cities and the latest on critical development issues on the Hudson River waterfront. Follow Hoboken FBW: @Hoboken_FBW. If you are not on Twitter, not to worry, you can read the Twitter feed on their Facebook page.

Be Generous, Be in Touch, Be Sociable

Go to the footer on their homepage for quick links so you can be involved with Fund for a Better Waterfront, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Please donate, volunteer, subscribe to this newsletter and "like us" on Facebook. Individual donors and volunteers have been their most important and dependable source of support since we began in 1990.

They believe that successful waterfronts begin with sound planning, time-tested urban design and an understanding that the water's edge belongs to the public.

Fund for a Better Waterfront

Address: P.O. Box 1965 Hoboken, NJ 07030
Phone: 201.217.0500
Email: fbw@betterwaterfront.org
Website:www.betterwaterfront.org ◦

Fund For a Better Waterfront "Parks in Peril" Fundraiser Tuesday November 13, 2012 7pm

Twitter-Gate Part Deux - Perry Klaussen Games his Hoboken411 Twitter Follower Numbers - Advertisers Beware

Perry Klaussen Hoboken411

The Hoboken Journal was founded in 2009 after I was censored and had my account locked out at Hoboken 411 for not agreeing with the owner Perry Klaussen's pro Beth Mason agenda. I used to be a contributor to that site but once he started advertising for Beth Mason and I did not support her, his support of me on his website went bye bye. It is after all, his website and if he wants to censor most of the commentary off of his website that is his prerogative. I actually support his efforts at destroying his own website traffic by filtering out almost all of the intelligent readership.

The reason I bring this history up between the websites again is simple, Hoboken411's owner Perry Klaussen is showing how desperate he is to prop up his traffic stats due to the heavy decline in commenting (and presumably traffic) based on his own shoot himself in foot editorial style (yellow journalism and obsessive control).

Perry Klaussen Distorts Hoboken 411 Web Traffic Numbers back in 2010:

In one example of a cover up he previously disconnected his website from Quantcast (a reliable web traffic estimator) which in a previous Hoboken Patch article published in September of 2010 laid waste to his claims of 400,000 monthly visitors. See the excerpt below from Andrew Tavini's piece:

"It's hard to know exactly what type of web traffic Hoboken411 draws because web traffic analytics is still such an inexact science and Klaussen, the only one who knows Hoboken411's traffic statistics for sure, is notoriously guarded about sharing such details. In an entry dated August 27, Klaussen writes that Hoboken411 attracts "several million page views…each month," over 400,000 of which he claims, according to Google Analytics, were unique visitors.

However, Klaussen recently hid Hoboken411's traffic data on Quantcast, another web analytics company available online. The last time Patch checked Hoboken411's traffic stats when that information was available was on July 15 and, according to Quantcast's numbers, the blog was attracting just over 32,000 monthly unique visitors. Quantcast describes Hoboken411 as "popular among a younger, fairly wealthy, mostly male audience."

Link to Story:  http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/can-you-really-make-any-money-blogging-about-hoboken

Get it, not 400,000 monthly unique visitors but 32,000 in 2010 for Hoboken 411 and probably even less now based on declining participation! Thanks to Andrew Tavani Perry Klaussen was caught in a very big lie. It is what Perry does.

Editor's Challenge: Hoboken411 is free to correct the Hoboken Journal by publishing real traffic numbers and forwarding them to kurt.gardiner@gmail.com

Perry Klaussen Distorts Hoboken 411 Twitter Follower Numbers back in 2011 with the use of Japanese Twitter Bots: 

Now that Perry Klaussen has an itty bitty bitter blog (say that three times fast) in comparison to his hey day from 2006-2008 he seems to be doubling down on the concept that he is still king of Hoboken blogs (a legend perhaps in his own mind) with deceptive efforts at distorting his true support.

The latest of these efforts again lies in propping up his Twitter numbers. The Hoboken Journal first discovered this campaign by chronic truth distorter Klaussen back in July of 2011 when Perry propped up his numbers using Japanese Twitter Bots. Seriously folks, do you think his traffic is authentically local? What a joke!

Link To Twitter-Gate Part 1: http://thehobokenjournal.blogspot.com/2011/07/perry-klaussen-of-hoboken411-uses-bots.html

Hoboken411's Twitter Followers in 2011 were anything but authentically local

Perry Klaussen of Hoboken 411 Purportedly Props Twitter Followers in 2012:

So fast forward to late Summer and Fall of 2012 and we have another serious of abberations (in this case I mean non-organic growth) in his Twitter account for Hoboken 411. As of August 4th, 2012 Hoboken411 had "grown" to 9,429 Twitter followers according to TwitSprout which track Twitter analytics. For the sake of argument lets say that traffic was organically accomplished (which based on my 2011 article we know clearly that it was not in total).

The baseline week ending August 4th, 2012 above, shows normal organic Twitter followers being added and subtracted with a modest net increase.

For the week ending August 11, 2012 shown below, the increases in Twitter followers come in just two of seven days with 3268 added on Wednesday and 1645 on Friday. According to one source it is very likely the fact that he is buying followers given this pattern of additions to followers.

With no Twitter Follower "buying" in place for the week ending August 18th shown below, Hoboken411 resorted to its natural and anemic growth by actually losing 4 net Twitter followers. 

The week ending August 25th depicted below shows 3159 new followers on Saturday but now where near that an any other day. Smells like programmatic Twitter additions doesn't it?

And one more week ending September 1st 2012 shown below with over 5,100 Twitter additions on Tuesday but all other days except for one had negative growth. Note the midnight hours as well when this traffic was added. Perry loves to stay up late according to sources.

And finally, the misleading ways of Hoboken411's Twitter growth show a 546 followers loss for the week ending October 6th below. Low Karb Klaussen is the "Big Loser" here. See what happens to his Twitter followers when he is not purportedly "buying" them? Lately all these so called followers have the potential to leave in droves.

Just another example of Perry Klaussen and his artificial propping of web traffic and social media support. Advertisers take note and beware. If there is a snake oil salesman in Hoboken it starts with three numbers 411.

◦

Twitter-Gate Part Deux - Perry Klaussen Games his Hoboken411 Twitter Follower Numbers - Advertisers Beware

Meet & Greet for Kids First Hosted by Mayor Zimmer Sunday October 21st 4:30-6:30pm

Mayor Dawn Zimmer is putting her support behind the BOE slate of Kids First and is hosting a meet and greet on Sunday October 21st. It is important this slate get re-elected to continue the improvements needed for Hoboken's schools.Kids First will be Columns KLM on the bottom of the ballot this November 6th in Hoboken. It is important that every voter cast their ballot not only for President, Senator and Congress but the BOE as well. Below is the Mayor's note:

Dear Friends,

Please join me this Sunday to meet the Kids First Team of Ruthy McAllister, Jean-Marie Mitchell, and Tom Kluepfel.

The details:

Meet & Greet for Kids First
Hosted by Mayor Zimmer

Sunday, October 21st 4:30 – 6:30 pm
59 Madison Street, Apt. #2

Together let’s keep Kids First progress for our schools going!

For parents like me now in the high school search season,

please also join me for an open house at Hoboken High School: 

(Time flies--my older son is an 8th grader at Elysian Charter School)

Hoboken High School Open House: 

Wednesday, October 24th

6:30 to 9:00 pm

Thanks and look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday!

- Dawn

[Mayor Dawn Zimmer]

Editor's Note: The Hoboken Journal now has over 1,000 Twitter followers. To follow the Hoboken Journal go to www.twitter/hobokenjournal or go to @HobokenJournal on Twitter on your mobile device.Spread the word about Kid's First BOE slate and vote columns KLM on November 6th. ◦

Meet & Greet for Kids First Hosted by Mayor Zimmer Sunday October 21st 4:30-6:30pm

HFHA - Two Films by Nora Jacobson Screening October 20, 2012 at 7pm

Delivered Vacant Screening October 20, 2012

The Hoboken Fair Housing Association (a pro rent control organization) will be hosting a double screening event on October 20, 2012 at The Community Church at 606 Garden Street starting at 7pm. The two films are Hoboken Waterfront Referendum and Delivered Vacant by Nora Jacobson. The film Hoboken Waterfront Referendum is making its debut and if you have not seen Delivered Vacant, it is a telling documentary over this issue and how it impacted Hoboken several decades ago.

The cost is $10 and space is limited. You do not have to be for rent control to attend. Documentaries by Nora Jacobson are instructive regardless of where you stand on any of the issues. A discussion on rent control will follow the two movies. ◦

HFHA - Two Films by Nora Jacobson Screening October 20, 2012 at 7pm

Hoboken Mom Nancy Pincus Attacked with Midnight Fliers by Move Hoboken Forward (or Backward) or Supporters

Move Hoboken Forward, the Frank Pupie Raia backed BOE slate opposing the reform minded Kids First BOE Slate that has been supported by Mayor Dawn Zimmer may or may not be directly responsible for these latest midnight fliers attacking Kids First, but their some of their supporters sure as heck are. A number of fliers denouncing independent blogger Nancy Pincus have been distributed trying to tightly associate her with the Kids First Campaign. Below is a photo of one of the fliers being distributed to Hoboken windshields....

Photo Courtesy of Grafix Avenger Blog

 

Link to Story on GA: 
http://grafixavenger.blogspot.com/2012/10/political-attack-on-hoboken-mom.html

They don't call politics in Hoboken the "silly season" for nothing!

Here is where I stand on this issue:

• Nancy Pincus runs an independent political blog.
• Nancy Pincus is currently not on the current Kids First Campaign in any capacity according to sources.
• Yes, her blog is partisan and pro-reform. She is entitled to her opinions. 
• Nancy calls her own shots on what to write and does not take editorial direction from City Council, the Mayor or the BOE candidates. I should know from when she used to send me articles for the Hoboken Journal before she started her blog.
• She has helped out from time to time with graphics for reform candidates and even helped me in my Freeholder Race with handout cards as well as Kids First in the past. 
• Nancy Pincus calls it the way she sees it and while I might not always agree with her tone or content choices, she never intentionally misleads with her posts. Aside from her sometimes silly graphics, her fact based research posts are simply some of the best.investigative journalism out there on Hoboken politics. The Hudson Reporter should take note.That bird cage liner "Old Guard" rag oozes the stench of Old Guard corruption with just about every article on a weekly basis.
• She is not liked by the Old Guard due to her fact finding content whether it is about BOE waste and fraud , ELEC violations, or wiretapping fraud.
• Political satire of politicians or their operatives is not bullying. It is free speech.
• Too some Nancy Pincus is a funny commentator, to others she offends. To others both.
• If you don't like her blog, don't read it.
• Pro old guard operatives in the past have proved to be the real bullies. A school board member was harassed in front of her 5 year old child, and old guard blogger ripped a camera out of the hands of a reform blogger and was charged with assault. Another old guard goon yelled obscenities at a 5'3" soccer mom. These are just a few examples of how the opponents of reform roll.
• Yes, there is a civil lawsuit out there against her, another blogger and a bunch of screen names. The case is just in its beginning stages so no conclusions should be drawn until the facts some out. 
• Needless to say for anyone needing to be convinced that the SLAPP lawsuit wasn't filed as a political weapon should just look at the flier above and draw their own conclusions.
• Under advice from counsel I will refrain from commenting on the SLAPP lawsuit directly but suffice it to say I am looking forward to a very favorable outcome for all the defendants and a very unfavorable one for the plaintiffs. 

In my opinion, Move Hoboken Forward should either apologize for distributing this flyer or denounce it and request their surrogates stop with this nonsense. Don't they have any real campaign issues to offer? If this is what Move Hoboken Forward is about, they need to change their name to Move Hoboken Backward.  ◦

Hoboken Mom Nancy Pincus Attacked with Midnight Fliers by Move Hoboken Forward (or Backward) or Supporters

Kids First 2012 - Campaign Message - Volunteers Needed for Continued Progress @Kids1stHoboken

Kids First, the BOE Slate that has brought you reform for the last three years to Hoboken District Schools has sent out this message to help spread the word about the upcoming election that will determine the path for Hoboken Education for years to come.

I will be voting columns KLM for Kids First come November 6th and I urge that any one else that supports the progress in our district schools to do the same and get others to as well. A failue to re-elect this board will send a very qualified Dr. Mark Toback likely packing as the new board would very likely appoint someone else with patronage and not education as a top priority. Hoboken's children can not afford to have our District Superintendent change every other year and Hoboken's tax payers can not afford to have the return of patronage and plunder that occurred under the Frank Pupie Raia years when he had control of the BOE. It took several years to clean up after that mess. Support Dr. Toback and let Kids First lead the way to truly move Hoboken District Schools forward. Don't be fooled by imitators and shills for the Old Guard. That path leads to the dark side.

Please consider voting columns KLM Kids First for School Board November 6th.

Dear Friends,

Election Day is November 6 -- only a few weeks away. The race for the Board of Education is going to be close and every single vote counts!

Voters face a simple choice between Kids First, with a proven record of educational and financial reform, and our opponents, who will take the district back in time to its pre-reform state.

It’s vitally important that reform-minded voters not only vote for Board of Education, but help get out the vote. 

You can help in lots of different ways: donate to the campaign, register to vote, “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, put a campaign sign in your window, canvass with a candidate, hold a candidate “Meet and Greet,” and tell your friends why it’s important to vote Kids First. 

But most important is helping us inform voters on election day itself. We’ve had great success in the past with volunteers on election day and we must repeat that success this year. Please consider volunteering an hour or two to help keep the reform majority this November 6. Simply reply to this email to let us know that you want to help continue the progress.

Donate: We are a grassroots campaign and every donation -- no matter the size -- does make a difference. You can donate online via Facebook or at this web page. (To donate by check, simply reply to this email to let us know. We’ll provide the details.)

Register to Vote: And don’t forget to update your voter registration if you have recently changed your address. The deadline is only one week away: October 16.

Register to Vote By Mail: If you can’t vote in person on November 6, you can apply to vote by mail. To receive your ballot by mail, your application must be received by the County Clerk seven (7) days prior to the election. A voter may also apply in person to the County Clerk until 3:00 p.m. the day before the election.

“Like” Us on Facebook: Visit the Kids First Facebook page to read about the candidates, our platform, and campaign updates. And share the Kids First page with your friends.

Follow Us on Twitter: Follow us for campaign updates.

Campaign Signs: Put campaign signs in your windows to show your support. Reply to this email and tell us how many you need. We deliver!

Canvass with a Candidate: Ruthy, Jean Marie and Tom would welcome your company and moral support when they’re out talking to prospective voters. Or take them on a 30-minute door-to-door around your neighborhood and introduce them to your neighbors. To accompany a candidate and meet Hoboken’s voters, just reply to this email.

Hold a Meet and Greet: Introduce the Kids First candidates to your friends and neighbors. Hold an event at your home or in a building common area. It can be big or small, during the day or in the evening. Just reply to this email and let us know what works best for you.

Be a Polling Station Challenger: On election day we need people to ensure polling stations follow proper procedures. Reply to this email to let us know you want to be a challenger.

Get Out the Vote on Election Day: This is the most important thing you can do! We need to make sure voters don’t forget to vote for Kids First on election day. Just one or two hours of your time on election day will make all the difference in this election. Reply to this email to let us know you can help.

Finally, PLEASE forward this email to your friends and neighbors. Spread the word about Kids First!

Paid for by Kids First 2012:
Kids First 2012
214 Garden St Apt 4
Hoboken, NJ 07030 ◦

Kids First 2012 - Campaign Message - Volunteers Needed for Continued Progress @Kids1stHoboken

Alex Karras Dead at 77 - Long Live Mongo!

Alex Karras, former Detroit Lions lineman in the NFL has died at 77 from kidney failure and other complications at home with friends and family. Famous as a menacing NFL defensive lineman, a Monday Night Football commentator, but perhaps received most of his fame for his outstanding role of Mongo in Mel Brook's comedy Blazing Saddles.

Link to Story: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/alex-karras-former-nfl-defensive-143833176--nfl.html

The character Mongo has always been one of my favorites, especially  with the classic line "Don't know, Mongo only pawn in game of life". As goons go Mongo was certainly loveable and eventually turned to be out on the side of good and aligning with Sherrif Bart. Can the same be said for Hoboken's political goons under the wing of the Old Guard and the employ of Beth Mason? Highly doubtful but the FBI has a funny way of turning people when the right leverage is applied. 

To the Karras family my deep sympathy but part of the legacy of Alex Karras will go long on in the form of Mongo, American Cinema's most loveable goon turned good. If Hoboken could only be so lucky.

◦

Alex Karras Dead at 77 - Long Live Mongo!