Beth Mason's Latest Political Machinations and Budget Politrickery

Now we see what Beth Mason was really up when she cut the budget surplus to zero. Municipal Finance experts recommend a surplus of anywhere from 5% to 10%. Initially Mayor Dawn Zimmer wanted 10% but presented a budget that had the surplus at 5% as a compromise and was at the lower limits of the recommended range. Just this Wednesday Beth Mason and her City "Council of No" allies passed a zero surplus budget and she is now claiming victory at the expense of fiscal sanity.

Dear Friend,

We did it! On Wednesday the City Council voted to pass a budget on first reading that will use Hoboken’s Budget Surplus to provide substantial property tax relief. This Amendment is scheduled for a final reading at the June 15th City Council meeting.

The City Council also voted on a series of measures to reduce patronage expenditures in City Hall and bring them closer in line with comparable sized New Jersey cities:

· Reduced a $200,000 no bid legal contact for a politically connected law firm allied with Mayor Zimmer and her supporters on City Council by almost 40%.

· Reduced the salary of the Business Administrator from $150,000 to $100,000. Our Business Administrator is also collecting a public pension. Prior to this salary reduction he was making more money that the Governor of New Jersey.

· Reduced Mayor Zimmer’s salary from $116,000 to $100,000. Even after this salary reduction Mayor Zimmer is still the third highest paid elected official in Hudson County, second to the Hudson County Executive and the Mayor of Jersey City, the second highest populated City in the State.

· Reduced the six figure salaries of City Directors by 10%. Our Director’s salaries are now more in line with the salaries of Directors from comparable sized municipalities such as Union City, North Bergen, and Bayonne.

· Called for a review of email communications between Mayor Zimmer’s public relations aides to determine if political work is being paid for with taxpayers’ money. Under our Sunshine Laws, emails sent and received on City computers are public property available for inspection by Hoboken residents. This is the very essence of open government and transparency.

As a result the 2011 Budget will cut municipal taxes 20%. Combined with the tax cut we achieved in the transition year budget that was passed in October 2010 we will cut municipal taxes 25%. These results are the product of the Hoboken City Council and our community working together to do what is best for our City. I am honored to serve as City Council President and help bring about this much needed tax relief.

Thank you for your time and continued efforts to stand up for good government and the rights of everyday people. I look forward to seeing you soon.

- Beth Mason

My Comment: Folks, she's running for Mayor in 2013 and she just got re-elected to City Council. See what raw ambition taken to excess can do to a person. We can all debate about the proper level of a surplus but to have none is the height of fiscal irresponsibility. Additionally her recklessness could jeopardize the payments and jobs of fire and safety next year or necessitate a substantial tax increase next year. This is just foolishness and putting her own political ambitions above the best interests of the City of Hoboken.

Real world example: If you own a Condo and are trying to get a loan today, mortgage lenders require at least a 10% surplus or reserve for the condo board to even consider approving the loan. The same principle applies to municipal finance although the rules are more complex. ◦

Beth Mason's Latest Political Machinations and Budget Politrickery

Greg Lincoln Thanks those who Donated for their Support

I received this thank you for your support letter from the Greg Lincoln Campaign:

June 1, 2011

Dear Friend and Supporter,

Thank you very much for your donation to my campaign for City Council. Although we did not prevail in the 3rd Ward, we accomplished much with my run for City Council. First and foremost being that the reform majority on City Council was restored which will help Mayor Zimmer to
continue the positive progress of the past 18 months.

Without your support it would have been difficult to communicate the importance of continuing the progress and ending the culture of corruption that has plagued Hoboken. Campaigning is hard work, but it is very rewarding work when I have the support of people like you who share a desire for open and honest government, accountability, and making Hoboken a better place to live.

I am proud that we ran a clean and honest campaign, I can’t imagine doing it any other way. We helped expose the long history of corruption and neglect in Hoboken’s 3rd ward. I am glad that we were able to motivate so many new residents to vote, but this is an area in which we need to do more to get people involved. We did a lot of ground-breaking work for reform in the 3rd Ward, and it will pay dividends in the future. The tide is turning and Hoboken is moving ahead.

Again, THANK YOU for your support. We could not have accomplished what we did without your financial and moral support.

Sincerely,

Greg Lincoln ◦

Greg Lincoln Thanks those who Donated for their Support

Ravii Bhalla to host Family Fun in Church Square Park Saturday June 4th 10AM-1PM

Ravi Bhalla is one of two Hobokenites out of three running for State Assembly on June 7th. He is supported by the Mayor and is on column C come Tuesday June 7th which is a primary election day. Here is a note from his wife on a family event this Saturday where you can meet the candidate and bring your kids.

Hey Everyone,

Please join us this Saturday, June 4th, 10am-1pm in Church Square Park for some Family Fun in the park. See below and attached flyer for fun activities for kids. So, come along to join in on the fun and please forward this e-mail and flyer to your friends and neighbors.

We'll be joined by Mimi Yoga, Music with Big Jeff, Right Start Nutrition, Arts & Crafts, Face Painting, Cupcake Decorating, and much more.

As you know, this is the last weekend before election day on Tuesday, June 7th so we hope you'll all come out on Sat and support Ravi Bhalla for Assembly and our strong slate of Democratic Committee candidates. Thank you for your support and see you on Saturday!

Sincerely,
Bindya Bhalla

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Ravii Bhalla to host Family Fun in Church Square Park Saturday June 4th 10AM-1PM

Note From Mayor Zimmer: Support Bhalla and Hoboken Needs a Surplus

This email went out from Dawn Zimmer's organization "Friends of Dawn Zimmer Hoboken Mayor" to alrage list of people but I figured I would share it here:

Dear Friends,

Thank you, thank you, and thank you for voting, volunteering, and telling all your friends to vote on May 10th to give us a new City Council majority that cares about the future of Hoboken.

Now it is crucial that this Tuesday, June 7th, we vote to increase our voice on the County and State level to keep moving our City ahead and position ourselves to demand lower taxes and more resources for Hoboken.

Please come out and vote this Tuesday, June 7th for Column C, Ravi Bhalla for Assembly and Democrats for Honest Government Committee candidates.

By getting out and voting, we send a message that we as taxpayers, are fed up and want fiscally responsible change on the County and State level.

Vote Column C for Change on Tuesday to give Hoboken a strong  county and state voice, and to prevent our opponents from wheeling development money through the Democratic committee. (They wheeled over $1 million through the committee for Mayor Roberts' election and will do it again if they can).

Voting on Tuesday sends a message to the County and the State that Hoboken needs more resources to help with our numerous challenges, and we absolutely want lower taxes on every level!

By voting yourself, and bringing a few friends, you have the power  to send a strong message to the County and the State that Hoboken wants change!

As I watched the Council meeting last night I was especially thankful that on July 1st I will have a Council willing to work with me on behalf of the people of Hoboken, and who won't play politics with our City's vital interests.

Last night the lame duck Council majority voted to ZERO OUT  our surplus. They are willing to destroy the fiscal health of our city, ensuring that we will face a fiscal crisis next year and in the forseeable future, resulting in massive tax increases and layoffs in future years, destroying our bond rating for years to come.

This was not done because of any genuine disagreement about policy;  it was done simply because they believe the crisis they will cause will  help them regain power.

Clearly, we need to keep pushing hard for change on the local, county and State level.
I am appalled and angry at their actions. Together, let’s translate this anger into pushing for a positive direction for our City. A strong showing for our Democratic Committee members in Column C will
raise our profile with the County.

Ravi is truly committed to fiscal responsibility and we need his voice in Trenton to represent Hoboken. If Ravi is elected, the reform Council members and I will choose his reform successor who
will serve until November 2012.

Together, this Tuesday, let’s keep pushing for change on the local, county and State level!

Many thanks!

- Mayor Dawn Zimmer

P.S. Find your Polling Place here: http://www.hobokennj.org/departments/city-clerk/voter-information/ ◦

Note From Mayor Zimmer: Support Bhalla and Hoboken Needs a Surplus

Meeting of the QLC’s Committee for a Green Hoboken June 9th 7PM

The next meeting for the Committee for a Green Hoboken is scheduled for next Thursday, June 9th:

Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Location: 601 Park Avenue, The Hudson School (1st floor)

Meeting of the QLC’s Committee for a Green Hoboken

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Meeting Agenda

• Fundraising (Frances Jennings)
• Schools, T-shirts and Reusable Bottles
• Sustainable Schools Report (Brad Miller)

• Back to Schools Event
• Cali Carting Coloring Book Donation
• Set up booths
• “Green” prizes
•  Superintendent’s new “Green Initiative” announcement

• Green Drinks (Holly Fedeyko)
• Recycling

• Awareness, Education & Outreach
• Composting

• Round Table Discussions & Green Building Tours (Tom Chartier)
• Calendar of Events
• Ordinance Report (Tom Chartier)
• Sustainable Jersey - Hoboken certification & Grants
• Education Bulletin

• Condo Board Task Force

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Meeting of the QLC’s Committee for a Green Hoboken June 9th 7PM

Hoboken City Council Meeting Tonight 6/1/2011 at 7PM

Update: Resolutions and Agenda are now posted on the City website.

There is a Hoboken City Council meeting Tonight at 7PM. As of 8:40 AM this morning no agenda or resolutions were posted on the City Website. They are posted now:

Agenda: http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/council/agenda11/ccm-06-01-11.pdf
Resolutions: http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/council/respack11/revised-respac-06-01-11.pdf

I think that the citizens of Hoboken should be properly noticed as well as the agenda and resolutions ahead of time. This rungs true especially since Beth Mason will plan to try to bring her witch hunt resolution that is a fishing expedition of local blogger's emails (such as myself) to the table one more time.

Here is the live feed and chat both provided for by the City of Hoboken.....

Live Broadcasting by Ustream

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Hoboken City Council Meeting Tonight 6/1/2011 at 7PM

Hoboken Municipal Election Winners and Losers Part 1

Here is my take on Hoboken's 2011 Municipal Election winners and losers in two parts. Here is part one for now and I conclude with part 2 later in the week:

Loser: Scott Delea 5th Ward

Mirror mirror on the wall,
who lost another election once and for all,
at least Scott bested Belfiore and made up ground,
but he didn't quite make it to the second round.

He as a politician was vaccous and non-committal,
and the truth in his flyers he did distort,
but put up a detailed policy question for submittal ,
and only a stuttering non-answer was his retort.

Another lost election for Scotty in the month of May,
Surely not enough "old guard" support to win the day,
But Party with a Purpose will keep him from going astray,
here is another word that rhymes, can you say toupee?

Anybody But Cunningham "Das Killer Klown Klaussen" would rage,
but can you take him seriously with alleged multiple roommates at his age?,
Cunningham won outright and predicted it like a sage,
and now with Scott Delea its time to turn the page.

Loser X2: Perry Belfiore 5th Ward

He got crushed. He came in third place. He had a few poorly printed comical fliers full of lies and distortions. He without a doubt had the best hair but he got beat by Dave Roberts light in Scott Delea for second place. All the big words and mea culpas couldn't buy Bellfiore "Old Guard" support.  Boys and girls: can you say political dinosaur? Perry, how about a slush puppy? My treat!

Loser: Michael Russo

Predictably he won his re-election bid by about a two to one margin. So why do I have Mike Russo in the loser column? Simple: he lost his political narrative and the City Council Majority. If you remember on the FBI tapes he was bragging how he was going to have control over the City Council when Beth Mason's slate came to power in May of 2009. Mason came in 3rd place in that election.

He then thought he had redemption when his puppet friend Tim Occhipiniti won by buying at least 400 votes in November of 2010. Mike Russo's belly fat exposed in jubilation at the announcement of Tim winning back then will forever be etched in the annals of Hoboken politics. Longer shirts next time Mike!

This election has him back in office without the finance chair and a majority. Leaving future FBI activity out of the picture Mike Russo remains as a Hoboken relic, "The Clown Prince of Corruption".

Advice to the New Majority: give this politrickin' gum flapper his 5 minutes and move along. Nothing of substance other than subsistence and subsidy.

.........

All three of these winning candidates got out their vote and none of them resorted to vote buying but rather good old fashioned pound the pavement campaigning.

Winner: Theresa Castellano 1st Ward

Theresa exceeded what many thought her maximum base of 600 by 70 votes. Almost half of her votes came from Marine View Towers. Old ladies in walkers, whole families, and all sorts sprung from their apartments and showed up for her on election day in those two buildings.

Winner: Jen Giattino 6th Ward

Jen Giattino supposedly hit every street address in her ward 10 times. Now that is pounding the pavement. The result speaks for itself for Jen as a politician. Nino, never really stood a chance. Some call her Dawn 2.0 for her grassroots appeal. She may turn out to be even more formidable than Dawn as a Politician. Time will tell as she migrates away from her "green period".

Winner:  Peter Cunningham 5th Ward

Peter Cunningham said to me on election day that he was taking this in the first round. He gave me a breakdown that was largely correct but he was actually under by 100 votes due to the low overall turnout. He still avoided the runoff anyway. I always thought he could win but in a runoff. Peter knows his ward well and it showed on election day. He even carried Fox Hills Senior building. Amazing!

Cannon Fodder Award goes to:  Greg Lincoln

Greg Lincoln ran for City Council realizing he was a long shot to win at best. What he did the most for the Dawn Zimmer slate was occupy Michael "Mea Culpa" Russo's ground troops on election day. While they were busy breaking all kinds of minor ELEC rules on election day his hooligans could have been better deployed elsewhere in the City where things were up for grabs. Once place might have been Nino Giacchi's campaign. Just goes to show that things are not as always as unified as they always may appear in the land of the "Old Guard". Like the takers that they are (when you are subsidized you are a taker) egos and self-interests get in the way for the old guard. Greg was in it to win it but his efforts distracted Russo enough to hog his campaign resources when he really didn't need to in hindsight.

Push: Timmy

Puppets don't win, only their handlers. Push goes to Tim Occhipinti. More vote buying, more arrogance, more stilted speech, more BS, no leadership, and more anti-Zimmer sniping. Nothing more to see here: move along. Oh wait, there is still an investigation from the AG. I guess we will have to wait.

Oh, Mike Novak's new plan being pimped by BOE vote buyer Carmelo Garcia for knocking down the housing projects in 4-4 and upzoning indicates the razing of Mama Johnson field that Hoboken just spent money on to evaluate. Will Timmy the "independent " stand up to that by golly or simply roll over for his political bosses?

Push: Beth Mason 2nd Ward and Perpetual Mayoral Candidate

Sure she won re-election but missed the possibility of a run-off by only 10 votes. With all that money? With a challenger who wouldn't mix it up with her because as a person he is really that nice? Some victory. Push.

Winner: Beth Mason's 2013 Mayoral Race (Existentially)

The day she won re-election as 2nd Ward Councilwoman is the day she kicked-off her 2013 Hoboken Mayoral Campaign. The only way she doesn't run is she gets offered a bigger position. Who is going to do that for a woman who needed full on Ramos and Russo support in Applied just to squeak by? Don't hold your breath.

To be continued: More later in the week. There will be some people on part 2 that may surprise you....... ◦

Hoboken Municipal Election Winners and Losers Part 1

Racheal Grygiel Teacher at Hoboken HS Honored at Princeton University

Here is another positive story about a quality teacher that I know that is being rightfully recognized for her efforts in making Hoboken High School a better place one lesson plan at a time: Rachel Grygiel.

Princeton honors exceptional secondary school teachers

Princeton University honored four exceptional New Jersey secondary school teachers at its 2011 Commencement on Tuesday, May 31.

This year's honorees are Kathleen Chesmel, New Egypt High School, New Egypt; Robert Downes, Mountain Lakes High School, Mountain Lakes; Rachel Grygiel, Hoboken High School, Hoboken; and Donata Nicholas, East Orange Campus High School, East Orange.

The teachers were selected for the award from 64 nominations from public and private schools around the state. Each teacher will receive $5,000, as well as $3,000 for his or her school library.

"What distinguishes this year's winners is their intellectual leadership among their colleagues and in their communities," said Christopher Campisano, director of Princeton's Program in Teacher Preparation. "These four outstanding teachers are among the most highly respected members of their respective faculties and administrations -- serving as role models, coaches and mentors. Their absence would be a tremendous loss to the life of each institution. They are a constant and indelible source of inspiration for their students, and they hold fast to the belief that all students can learn to high levels of understanding. They truly represent what is best in the teaching profession, and we have much to learn from their wisdom."

The staff of the Program in Teacher Preparation selected 11 finalists, each of whom was visited at work by an observer. Finalists were selected by a committee that was chaired by Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel and included Campisano, two Princeton professors and two external education professionals.

Princeton has honored secondary school teachers since 1959. The University received an anonymous gift from an alumnus to establish the program.

Rachel Grygiel

Teaching in an urban school district, Rachel Grygiel faces challenges that go above and beyond getting students to perform well on tests -- and the Hoboken High School social studies teacher has exceeded expectations.

"In essence, Ms. Grygiel does more with less," Daniel Loughran, Hoboken's supervisor of curriculum and instruction, said. "The respect and admiration she has garnered from students, along with her colleagues and the community at large, comes as a direct result of Ms. Grygiel's insistence that students work hard and that they live up to their potential. A student in Ms. Grygiel's class is always challenged to be his or her best."

Hoboken senior Francis Howitt said Grygiel pushes students with academic rigor as well as entertaining lesson plans and assignments, such as one that involved making interactive family trees that had each student exploring his or her ancestry.

"Ms. Grygiel is a very rare teacher. She understands what needs to be done to excite students about their work," said Howitt. "She always seems to find new ways to implement her lesson plans through fun and interesting activities."

One example of such an activity is Grygiel's "Veteran's Project," in which students are assigned to interview World War II veterans who live in Hoboken, edit the interview footage and then send the mini-documentaries to the Library of Congress.

"It's one thing to read in textbooks what happens during war, but to hear the stories that these veterans told with raw emotions truly touched the hearts of everyone involved," recalled former student Samantha Rotondi. "Ms. Grygiel teaches more than history; she teaches life lessons that will never be forgotten. She teaches you how to become a better person."

Since joining the Hoboken faculty in 2001, Grygiel has excelled at teaching U.S. history and International Baccalaureate history of the Americas, and also has become involved with several initiatives designed to better the school and its surrounding community. For example, she helped establish the International Baccalaureate program at Hoboken and has included the school in an exchange program in which journalists from Europe visit to see what life is like for American high school students.

Grygiel also is coach of the girls' soccer team, adviser for the Hoboken High School Excellence Awards, adviser for the Harvard Model Congress Club, and co-founder and adviser of the Sierra Club's Inner City Outings outreach program at the school.

"Over my 10 years of being an educator, I have learned that the best lessons are the ones that the kids lead," said Grygiel, who earned her bachelor's degree in history from Georgetown University in 1998 and her master's degree in administration and supervision from St. Peter's College in 2005.

"Whether it's a writing assignment, video documentary or group discussion, you have to put the power in their hands," she said. "Some days I accomplish this by feigning ignorance; other days it is done genuinely by sharing my curiosity, while on others it is done by learning right alongside my students in order to hook them. And there's nothing quite like the energy of a classroom when the students are running the program."

Full article at:

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S30/64/19Q43/index.xml?section=topstories ◦

Racheal Grygiel Teacher at Hoboken HS Honored at Princeton University

Fleet Week Military Photos Aircraft and Watercraft

Below are some recent photos of military aircraft over the Hudson and watercraft on the Hudson during 2011's Fleet Week in NYC. The US will always have military might as long as we are able to procure oil. What happens when the oil runs out or becomes way more scarce? Something to think about. Perhaps this will be the cause of war and the death that results for our future fallen heroes on Memorial Day. Or are we already there with Iraq? 

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Fleet Week Military Photos Aircraft and Watercraft

Beth Mason Supports Anthony Romano for Freeholder Who Won't Fund Repaving Washington Street

Here is another email from Beth Mason proving she is all in with the old guard by backing a candidate that was Dave Robert's 2nd or third choice. I personally like Stick Romano but I need to see him at least try to do more for Hoboken. Our county taxes go up and we in Hoboken have little to show for it. Beth Mason once again shows how detatched from reality she is with this flowering press release likely written by a staffer.

Dear Friend,

As you may be aware, Tuesday June 7th is the Democratic Primary Election. I am supporting the Real Democrats for Hoboken slate that is running in Column “A”. Please remember not to forget the candidates for Hoboken Democratic Committee and be sure to Vote Column “A” from top to bottom.

Our Freeholder Anthony Romano is running for reelection. In his first term Freeholder Romano proved to be a tremendous public servant for our community. He is a much needed ally in my continued efforts to stand up for good government and the rights of everyday people.

Freeholder Romano is not only a great advocate for the residents of the 2nd Ward, but for all the people of Hoboken. He fought to lower Hoboken’s county tax rate and continues to work to make sure we receive our fair share of County services. When Sinatra Drive North collapsed he immediately took action to begin repairs. His work with the Hudson County Municipal Alliance Against Drugs and Alcohol educates our children about the dangers of substance abuse.

When our roads in the 2nd Ward were filled with potholes Freeholder Romano did not hesitate to get the repairs we desperately needed. What resulted was the largest road repaving project in Hoboken history. These important improvements to our neighborhoods would not have happened without him. Our City will be well served by reelecting him for another term to be our voice on the Freeholder Board.

On Tuesday June 7th please vote for Column “A”. Polls are open from 6AM to 8PM. I look forward to seeing you on Election Day.

Thank you for your time.

My Comment: Anthony Romano told me last week that the County is not responsible for repaving Washington Street. I say BS! County taxes went up 7% last year so I ask the reader what is Anthony Romano doing to help get Washington Street repaved after Hudson County gobbles up Hoboken's money and gives us little in return back? Many vehicles from outside of Hoboken use that road. Sure the City should chip in but aren't we taxed enough? Hoboken needs to get someting more back. He needs to partially fund Washington Street's repaving to get my vote for him as Freeholder. ◦

Beth Mason Supports Anthony Romano for Freeholder Who Won't Fund Repaving Washington Street