The Democratic primary on June 3rd will be decisive to Hoboken selecting its representative who will legislate at the county level.
One of the people who stood up for Jim Doyle and his original appointment upheld by Hudson County Superior Court Assignment Judge Peter Bariso was the Refom movement’s Phil Cohen.
He did so repeatedly as Hoboken’s ability to move forward was blocked in a cynical use of the courts.
As we approach election day on June 3rd, it’s important to revisit and recognize the contribution Phil Cohen has made to Hoboken.
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A feature story in the Jersey Journal detailing a partial list of crimes against Jessica Coco, a disabled woman living in the Hoboken Housing Authority drew greater attention on the problems she faces in coming out as part of a group of HHA residents against a real estate deal called Vision 20/20.
That redevelopment plan, originally earmarked to more than double the size of the Hoboken Housing Authority downtown campus was altered in word to hoodwink the Hoboken public it was being changed to a replacement program of 806 units.
The March Hoboken Housing Authority meeting may have been a disaster on many levels but the issue most in its immediate threat to residents and Hoboken at large was the unilateral proposal by HHA Executive Director Carmelo Garcia to unplug the five man Hoboken Police Department section.
The special Hoboken Police section was set up contractually with the City to operate inside the area of the HHA more than two years ago.
The cost to the HHA as part of that arrangement is approximately $500,000 annually, funds Garcia announced at the meeting were now cost prohibitive. According to minutes of the meeting, Garcia claimed HUD rule changes on the use of capital funds no longer permit the HHA to procure policing services with the City of Hoboken.
From the desk of Freeholder candidate Phil Cohen:
Dear Friends,
We have worked together on many successful campaigns to bring reform to Hoboken. Today, our city, led by Mayor Dawn Zimmer, is a place we can be proud of.
Now it’s time to take our reform efforts to the county!
I’ve decided to run for Hudson County Freeholder to do just that — and I am asking you for your help.
=&0=&, and I will be running on the =&1=& for Freeholder to represent all of Hoboken and parts of Jersey City. My goal is to bring fiscal reform to county government. We need to know why =&2=&
Councilwoman Beth Mason in her first public comment on the massive campaign violations filed last month against her by the state’s campaign watchdog agency denied their severity calling them “hyped up.”
The complaints filed against Beth Mason’s 2009 and 2011 election campaigns include 19 counts with hundreds of violations listed in the two reports issued by the New Jersey Election Law Commission (NJ ELEC). Even a fraction of the campaign violations finalized would mean Beth and Richard Mason of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz being hit with the largest campaign fines in NJ history.
A surprise guest appeared among the dozens turning out to thank Renee Steinhagen and New Jersey Appleseed, the Public Interest Law Center where she’s a lawyer in her efforts at trial last February to prevent hundreds of Vote by Mail ballots being reintroduced back into the certified vote results.
Mayor Zimmer arrived and delivered impromptu remarks thanking Ms. Steinhagen for her stellar efforts in working for voter integrity in Hoboken. That legal effort was pivotal in upholding the hard fought razor thin rent control ballot question in last November’s election.
For many months a rumor has been circulating on two fronts regarding Peter Cammarano, the former mayor and convicted felon who took $25,000 in bribes for zoning variances from federal informant Solomon Dwek.
His arrest, conviction and prison sentence may be all behind him as in two weeks, a hearing will be held to consider changing his suspended law license and allow him to be a NJ practicing attorney again.
The first rumor had been he had not been disbarred by the NJ but only had his license suspended after his arrest and conviction. The second rumor heard going back to last summer said he was going to get his law license back.
You wouldn’t know it but tonight’s City Council meeting will be a State of New Jersey affair. In the balance is a resolution to waive attorney-client privilege of the City’s land use attorney.
A subpoena from the US Attorneys Office is waiting.
Passage of the resolution tonight means Attorney Joseph Mariziti is authorized to waive the attorney-client protection, respond to the federal subpoena and answer questions posed by a US Attorney on his conversation with Mayor Dawn Zimmer – the same day – she spoke with Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno in Hoboken last May.