Year: 2013

News

Join MSV and get thy chaos

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

The latest subscriber content: “Chaos thy name is the Hoboken Sopranos,” is out.  If for any reason it did’t reach your inbox, contact smartyjones@me.com.

If you want to know the chaos in store by the Hoboken Sopranos, join up:
https://hobokenhorse.com/2013/04/msv-announces-2013-subscription-drive.html

It’s hard work screwing over Hoboken and pointing the finger, a Hoboken Sopranos staple.
Find out why they think an election year gets them even more excited to stick it to the taxpayers. Read More...

News

MSV makes the call, your support makes the difference

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

MSV offers the most unique news, features and exclusives in the Mile Square City.  Da Horsey is beyond staking out ground with millions visited.  Hoboken’s cutting edge journalism requires daring professionalism and as professionals you’re needed to step up to the plate – just a little.

If you want more of the unique insights, the analysis, photo journalism and the truth your support is needed.  No, actually it’s required.

For about the cost of one major daily newspaper per week, you can keep the hard hitting efforts here going undercutting the Hoboken Sopranos decades long influence polluting every local institution at risk of their nefarious control and corruption. Read More...

News

Council President on water main breaks, local media, “gamesmanship” plus how to apply for damages due to water

by SmartyJones2 Min Reading

From the desk of City Council President Peter Cunningham:

Dear Neighbors,
Last week’s water main breaks were debilitating to our businesses and residents.  The situation is under investigation by the BPU.  It may become apparent that markings were inaccurate, or a subcontractor was negligent.  Would like to think our local papers will continue to report on the matter, but don’t count on it.  I will continue to do my best to bring you updates.
In the meantime, please see the follow excerpt from the Administration on how you can file a claim for damaged caused by this mishap.
“Any resident or business who suffered a loss as a result of the 30 inch break on Thursday, March 28th can submit a claim directly to United Water. They can call Debra Hummel at 201-750-3408. The City will also be submitting a claim for our expenses on that day.

Going forward, we also want residents to know that if they see water in the street, the quickest way to get it repaired is to call United Water directly at 201-487-0011. That will immediately begin the process of getting an inspector sent to the location.“

Unfortunately these problems will likely continue, so reporting them as you see them is important.  Poorly written contracts and execution by past Administrations coupled with our inability to pass meaningful council approvals for this Administration to address these matters continue to plague Hoboken. Read More...

News

Mayor Zimmer addresses infrastructure pointing to contract sale disaster in 1990s

by SmartyJones5 Min Reading
=&0=& =&1=& During the last week as we’ve had a series of water main breaks, lots of questions have been raised. Members of the public and the press are rightly asking why we have so many water main breaks. Where are the investments in our infrastructure? What’s the plan moving forward? I want to talk about all of those things, but first I want to address some of the immediate issues I just discussed this morning with United Water. Last week’s 30 inch main break was caused by a contractor at a construction site who hit a main that was not marked properly. The Board of Public Utilities is conducting a markout investigation to understand what happened. Any resident or business who suffered a loss as a result of the 30 inch break on Thursday, March 28th can submit a claim directly to United Water. They can call Debra Hummel at 201-750-3408. The City will also be submitting a claim for our expenses on that day. Going forward, we also want residents to know that if they see water in the street, the quickest way to get it repaired is to call United Water directly at 201-487-0011. That will immediately begin the process of getting an inspector sent to the location. Now I want to talk about why we have this situation. The fact is that today we are paying the price for investments that should have been made long ago. My Administration has done some research to understand why we’re in the situation we’re in, and I first want to provide some of that background information that sets the context to plan for moving forward. Parts of our water system are cast iron pipes that are more than 100 years old. In the 1990’s, Hoboken faced budget deficits. Rather than balance the budget by cutting costs or raising revenues, Mayor Anthony Russo sold the future profits to our water system and used those one-time payments to plug budget holes instead of fixing our infrastructure. Through a series of agreements, the city sold the rights to our water system in 1994 until 2024. There are 11 years left in that agreement. =&2=& July 1994 – $5,500,000 June 1996 – $3,000,000 June 1997 – $2,000,000 June 2001 – $2,700,000 Total – $13,200,000 Mayor Russo sold a 30 year revenue stream of $240 million and estimated $100 million in profit for $13.2 million in one-time payments. Let me say that again. We sold $240 million in revenue and $100 million in profit for $13.2 million. But it gets worse. That money, as little as it was, should have been invested in our infrastructure. Instead, it was used for the general budget. Our agreements with United Water do require that they spend a small amount annually in capital expenditures or repairs — $350,000 per year. About 80% of that is spent just repairing our broken mains, and there is little left over for infrastructure improvements. What’s important to understand is that our problem stems from a past Administration entering into unbelievably short-sighted agreements, not United Water’s failure to live up to those agreements. This is important because we can’t move forward if we don’t understand where we are and how we got here. So I want to talk about how we move forward from here. Earlier today, I met with United Water to discuss our serious challenges and how we can solve them. Most importantly, just as we are developing a stormwater master plan to address our flooding, the city needs to have a 10 or 20 year master plan for upgrading our water distribution system and meeting the future needs of our city. And I thank United Water for agreeing to share information that will help us develop that plan. We will also look to establish an infrastructure trust fund to ensure that revenue that should be dedicated to infrastructure investments, like the funds received in the 1990’s from our agreements with United Water, are not diverted to operating expenses or other purposes. Finally, the contracts we signed with United Water do have a termination cost. Earlier today I informed United Water that I am evaluating all options, including paying the buyout cost, terminating the contract, and renegotiating a new agreement that provides for extensive investment in infrastructure. We will be pursuing a process to evaluate all our options to determine which makes the most sense, but one thing is for sure: we cannot be stuck with the current system through 2024.
Former Mayor Anthony Russo sold Hoboken’s water contract for a pittance putting Hoboken’s infrastructure
into a precarious position according to data provided at a City Hall press conference Wednesday afternoon.
The ex-felon Anthony Russo himself owes Hoboken over $300,000 for his criminal extortion while mayor.



Talking Ed Note: Michael Russo complains that when the past is illuminated and the truth comes out it “looks bad” for Hoboken.  This has been a familiar refrain by Russo whenever the truth in Hoboken comes to light, whether it’s Cammarano caught taking bribes or his father once again doing Hoboken so wrong, it’s costing the town to this day – whether it’s Sinatra Park and the pain felt there or the Union Water contract.

When Sinatra Park fell apart, Michael Russo tried to pin or “finger point” at the mayor.  “What did the mayor know and when did she know it,” were his exact words in a council meeting.  Then when the truth came out engineers had advised against using timber pilings as his father Anthony Russo decided, he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore.  Then it “looks bad” and finger pointing re: accountability needs to stop. Read More...

News

Mayor begins re-election battle against incompetence, corruption and the Hoboken Sopranos

by SmartyJones2 Min Reading

Dear Friends,

Great things are happening in Hoboken thanks to

your tremendous support! 
From restructuring the City to lower taxes …
to saving Hoboken University Medical Center,
to renovating nearly every park,
to being on the cusp of acquiring land for new park space,
to surviving and rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy,
We have much to celebrate! 

Please join me for a Re-election Fundraising Gathering:

Where: City Bistro, 56 14th Street

When:  5:30 – 7:30, Thursday, April 4th

Why:    Your support helps keep the positive direction for Hoboken

            going for the next four years!

Let me be clear:  This election will determine whether Hoboken

continues on its current path toward a positive future with leaders
who are focused on improving quality of life while maintaining fiscal
responsibility, or returns to the old ways which led to an 80% municipal
tax increase, overdevelopment, virtually no investment in our aging
infrastructure, and a reputation as one of the most
corrupt cities in the country.

As always, my opponents will likely be well funded by the special
interests that will benefit financially by turning back the clock and by the
wealthy individuals who have repeatedly attempted to buy their way
into public office.   

Please come celebrate and join with me to ensure that our

City continues on a positive direction for the future.

Best,

Dawn
News

Council restaurant zoning showdown and meth action @ 7:00

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Well the exciting developments today will likely be largely ignored unless residents show up and join in at around 7:30 to sign up and speak on the uncanny links of Tim Occhipinti’s campaign worker being snared by police for hosting a meth lab in her HHA apartment.

There’s also the restaurant on lower Jackson across the street from the parking lot the City is looking to turn into a park.
Expect lots of hot air, rationalization, obstruction and well the usual from the Hoboken Sopranos. Read More...

News

Tim Occhipinti campaign worker arrested for alleged meth lab in HHA apartment

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading
=&0=&

According to news reports a methamphetamine lab was discovered by Hoboken Police inside a fifth floor apartment at 501 Marshall Drive. Both the Jersey Journal and Hoboken Patch featured the story with three arrests but Grafix Avenger uncovered the political connection revealing the HHA resident of the alleged methamphetamine lab, Cynthia Rivera is shown on Timmy Occhipinti ELEC reports as a campaign worker in his 2010 and 2011 campaigns.

MSV can confirm both the apartment building and floor location are also one and the same of Councilwoman Beth Mason’s political operative and fourth ward Democratic Committeeman Matt Calicchio. Read More...

News

City Council: squatter restaurant finally on tap and Beth Mason’s back after Brian Stack’s ‘million dollar’ rejection

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

The City Council meeting tonight is primed to decide about the zoning violation riddled restaurant on lower Jackson Street after a number of fits and starts.  The wannabe pub/restaurant took great advantage of Hoboken’s zoning rules and committed numerous violations along the way but the biggest among them may be the 390 square feet of space it stole quite literally from the City of Hoboken.

On background, a senior official familiar with some of the affair said the building was set up to have an elevator.  Puzzled as to why a small two story building would be installing an elevator the answer came back it wasn’t for a bomb shelter below but with the idea to expand up to five stories above. Read More...