Hey kids – Just a few thoughts about City of Hoboken Public Question #1 This rent-control-gutting measure was defeated at the polls last year, but re-instituted with some controversial legal maneuvering by well-heeled development interests.  I know that vacancy decontrol may seem to have logical elements, particularly to those unfamiliar with Hoboken’s long history of tenant harassment and the once-thriving arson-for-profit culture.  But this is a really, really bad piece of legislation and I urge you to vote NO.   The amendment, as currently constituted, is an invitation to tenant harassment, particularly without provisions for far stricter penalties with consistent and emphatic enforcement. Although the amendment’s proponents try to assure you that tenant harassment is a relic of the past; I’ve been consulted, due to my familiarity with landlord-tenant law, by dozens of tenants seeking some kind of guidance against illegal, unethical, intimidating behaviors.  It’s still happening. Every day.   The amendment’s profiteering proponents know exactly what they’re doing and are counting on both their huge cache of absentee ballots and general voter misunderstanding to sneak this by this time.  Unbelievably, the amendment begins with this deceptive wording: “Shall the City of Hoboken continue annual rental increase protections for current residents of rent controlled properties…” The principle spokesman for the elusively populated Mile Square Tenants Association is Ron Simoncini of, apparently, Ridgewood and Secaucus. A quick check of his company site, Axiom Communications, reveals a cartoon which seems to definitively outline his general operating methodology: doubletalk the local populace, befuddle an inebriated administration, and sweep potentially corrupt activity under the rug.  If you think my opinion is skewed, I ask you to check it out for yourselves here.  Know this amendment by the company it keeps.   Proponents of the amendment claim that a small group of backwards activists are unfairly keeping property owners from reaching their full profit potential.  Well, they are persistent and maybe a little cranky.  Unlike Mr. Simoncini, they’re not getting paid.  But it’s the same kind of small group of activists (in fact, it’s many of the exact same faces), responsible for your enjoyment of Mumford & Sons and Bob Dylan on beautiful Pier A instead of a 40 story office/residential tower.  You can look it up.   If it passes, and it realistically could given the suspect absentee ballot history, there will be people dramatically affected who can’t afford to be.  The proponents of this amendment have done their best to distract you from its moral overtones. Don’t let Hoboken will lose another little piece of its soul.  Please vote NO on City of Hoboken Public Question #1 so that any inequities can be examined and handled appropriately on behalf of all affected parties. Thanks for reading.   Citizen Dean

The Vision for Hoboken campaign announces:

Together We Can Better Hoboken View this email in your browser Friends and Neighbors: My Team and I are running to make our City a better place for our children to live, grow, and learn.  We decided to run because we were concerned about the current gridlock at City Hall caused by politicians who were putting their own agendas and ambitions ahead of the people they were elected to represent. Laura, Eduardo, Joe, and I are the proud parents of children who attend school in Hoboken and participate in City sponsored activities.  And as parents, we recognize how precious each year of a child’s life can be.  The petty bickering and attack ads that my opponents’ campaigns have subjected the residents of Hoboken to over the past week, only reinforces our decision to get involved in this election so that we can move Hoboken past its current gridlock.  Our children will only be children once.  We cannot afford another 4 years of the gridlock and embarrassing political spectacles that my opponents have delivered in the past and that the tenor of their campaigns promise to deliver in the future.  Our children cannot wait another 4 years for a soccer field to be built, for our schools to improve, or for open space to be acquired.  Please help change Hoboken’s toxic political climate and move Hoboken forward by voting for Laura Miani 1K, Eduardo Gonzalez 2K, Joe Mindak 3K, and me, Ruben Ramos 3J, on November 5th. Thank you for your continued suupport. -Ruben News Vote by Mail: Battle of the Old Guard with up to 300 ballots challenged! 11/04/201301/22/2021 by SmartyJones1 Min Reading =&0=& =&1=& =&2=& =&1=&=&4=&=&5=&=&6=& The election feud over paper ballots is hot and heavy way with over 1,500 Vote by Mail ballots requested and just over 1,000 returned as of Saturday according to county election and campaign sources.  Up to 300 are under investigation, the result of challenges between Old Guard slates as the Ramos campaign and Raia-Mason slate continue their blood feud. A never before seen oddity according to one Ramos backer of what they described as “Beth Mason” shuttle buses from a Raia office on Jefferson Street was taking voters from the Hoboken Housing Authority to the Board of Elections location in Jersey City last week.  Voting in person with the expiration of Vote by Mail applications already passed pushed that as the only option to ensure the voter is not casting a secret ballot at the polls behind the curtain.  One county observer called that action a first among the exponential issues in Hoboken elections adding to the alarm of out of the norm voting activities in the Mile Square. Read More... News Beth Mason – ‘You like me, you really like me! Don’t you?’ 11/04/201301/22/2021 by SmartyJones1 Min Reading In a clear and obvious divorce from reality, Beth Mason had a full page ad  on the back page of her newspaper this weekend.  It is hers isn’t it? The usual pile of misinformation and fabrications were of course included, hey it’s a Beth Mason advertisement after all and she wanted you to know she’s behind the Mason One Hoboken Team just like in the spring of 2009. Well Da Horsey wants to make sure you know too. Beth Mason wants you to support her Mason One Hoboken Team. The candidates are less important of course so they are on the bottom and Beth is on the top.  Da Horsey fixed it. It’s unclear what paid political consultant told Beth Mason she’s an advantage to a campaign in Hoboken – any campaign.  In the last Old Guard funded poll, all of their top names were trotted out to see who among them was least offensive to the Hoboken electorate.  Beth Mason’s favorable-unfavorable numbers were completely upside down. Read More... News Ramos campaign extends rally invitation tonight 11/04/201301/22/2021 by SmartyJones1 Min Reading The Vision for Hoboken team announces: Election Eve Rally  Join Us Tonight For An Election Eve Rally Friends, This is the final evening before Election Day. First, I want to thank you for all of your hard work to this point. Second, I want to invite you to a rally to celebrate our candidates at headquarters tomorrow. We will toast to all of our hard work and get ready for election day. Refreshments will be served. I hope you will join us! -John Castellano Field Director When: Monday, November 4th, 6 pm – 9 pm Where: Vision for Hoboken headquarters               801 Washington Street, Hoboken Contact: John Castellano, campaign field director                  John.James.Castellano@gmail.com Share Tweet Forward to Friend News Frank “Pupie” Raia: ‘Vote for Me – I really mean it’ 11/04/201301/22/2021 by SmartyJones1 Min Reading As we’ve reported earlier, the Mason One Hoboken Team has disintegrated into a reflex of self-interest with both the “top” of the ticket and the top underwriter of the ticket out and about mouthing the most important words in the world: “just vote for me.” Frank “Pupie” Raia has taken the advice he’s been giving around town to voters for weeks to a new level with this full page ad in the Hudson Reporter.  It’s ostensibly “paid for” by a Union City North Hudson Sewerage Authority commissioner Libero Marotta. Read More... News Out in the open: ‘The Brian Stack – Carmelo Garcia – Ruben Ramos Team’ 11/03/201301/22/2021 by SmartyJones1 Min Reading =&0=& =&1=& This handout features the chant of Carmelo Garcia’s spokespeople, the Carmelitos who he denied previously. This Garcia-Ramos campaign promotion is paid for by Garcia. News JIm Doyle: How to find your voting location and sample ballot 11/03/201301/22/2021 by SmartyJones1 Min Reading Jim Doyle announces: Blog      Volunteer      Contribute Dear Horsey & MSV readers — We know how busy life gets. The Zimmer Team is sending you a small reminder to make sure you add election day to your calendar.  Election is just 3 days away–that’s Tuesday, November 5th. What’s your plan to cast your vote for the Zimmer Team? Have you decided when you’re going to the polls? Polls will be open from 6:00am to 8:00pm. Do you know where your polling location is? If not, you can find it by going to www.hobokennj.org/pollsearch or checking your sample ballot. Are you familiar with the ballot layout? There’s a lot on the ballot this year. Make sure you know how to cast your vote for the Zimmer Team. Check our How to Vote page to see how to vote for the entire Zimmer Team. Please share this page with your friends on Facebook! We’ve come so far and in order to lead Hoboken Forward we need to make sure that we get the city out to vote. Thank you, James Doyle http://www.dawnzimmer.com/ Created with NationBuilder News Anti-rent control flyer in the HHA 11/03/201301/22/2021 by SmartyJones1 Min Reading =&0=& =&1=& Here’s an actual flyer being distributed in the Hoboken Housing Authority against rent control: The flyer’s origin is clearly a continuation of developer Frank “Pupie” Raia’s “Let the People Decide” PAC which was generously funded last year by MSTA (Mile Square Taxpayers Association.) The open question is if the Ramos campaign and Carmelo Garcia are allowing or backing the effort? Supporting the pro-developer position is consistent with their support of Vision 20/20. Read More...