Office of the Mayor announces:

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR ZIMMER ON STORM & FLOODING “For the third time yesterday, our new H-5 flood pump, combined with our existing H-1 pump, kept western Hoboken dry through the kind of major storm that previously would have flooded our neighborhoods. But as we saw the river splash over the bulkhead along Weehawken Cove and fill the tracks in Hoboken Terminal, yesterday was also a reminder that we face a real flood risk not just from downpours, but from the river itself – and not only during hurricane season. That is why the Rebuild by Design project is so important, and I invite everyone to attend the public hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project on March 16. Thank you to the Office of Emergency Management, Police and Fire Departments, Environmental Services, and Construction Office for making sure we were prepared for yesterday’s storm.” A flyer with the latest updates on the Rebuild by Design project is available at: 

http://www.nj.gov/dep/floodresilience/docs/rbdh-newsletter-201701-eng.pdf Read More...

=&0=& =&1=& =&2=& =&3=& Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro’s bill (A-4165) aimed at educating new drivers on the correct ways to share the road with bicyclists and pedestrians passed the General Assembly today by a vote of 67-0-2.

“This bill was drafted after I noticed more and more residents in Hoboken and Jersey City using a bicycle through share programs or just buying one for personal use,” Chaparro said. “Given this change in the way that people travel, it is important to ensure that our driver’s education classes, tests, and manuals are updated to reflect the changing landscape of the roads. We need to work to eliminate fatalities and injuries of pedestrians and bicyclists in New Jersey, and by improving the education of new drivers, this bill is one way we can work toward that goal.” Read More...

The following article is submitted by Hoboken resident Josh Sotomayor-Einstein A state GOP leadership that fails to take the field in Bayonne, Hoboken, or Secaucus cannot be expected to be taken seriously. A Republican Party that ignores that many citizens in Jersey City and across Hudson County with conservative and liberty leanings and that doesn’t run School Board or City Council candidates is a joke we can no longer afford. The Republicans of Hudson County, and of NJ, need change. Republicans can be a critical part of changing the state GOP right now by donating to the campaign at https://www.gofundme.com/gop-state-committee. GOP voters can choose a new direction – of outreach, supporting candidates for local office, and a state party that will build our local branches and grow the list of responsible Republican local officials – by voting for me, Joshua Sotomayor-Einstein, for NJ Republican State Committee. For years, New Jersey has been a leader in state government bad-enough to create a population drain, an out-state migration that would be all the more pronounced if not for the immigrants who flock to our region and find a home in our greater NYC and Philly metro areas. It is no surprise that blue state progressive policies make daily living for residents of California, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, and others so bad as to convince them to move.  Despite New Jersey’s Republican governor, the state is still headed off a fiscal cliff, remains insolvent, maintains a bloated bureaucracy, and is still ineffective and inefficient. New Jersey’s regulatory regime has chased away business owners, job creators, and investors. It has denied parents the right to send their children to the school of their choice and continues confusing public schools (a method of delivery) with public education (the actual goal). Despite nearly 8 years of a well-intentioned Governor Christie, who served his entire time with Democrats in control of the legislature, NJ is still a blue occupied state. The question is both how did this come to pass and what is the solution? The answer is that during the almost 8 years of a Republican governor, neither he nor the state party spent any political capital on electing purple district Republicans to the legislature, and thus our state continued down the progressive path of high taxes and low growth. The solution is that the NJ GOP must be held accountable for its inaction. New blood is needed to shift the state GOP to outreach and engagement. The State Committee, the highest leadership element of the state party has an important fundraising role and added to its billet should be speaking engagements, building community relationships, candidate scouting, and organizational reinforcement. Many of these are overlapping, a State Committee person traveling to a county or municipal meeting can scout for solid candidates for local office and deliver an address. The State Committee should be organizing speaking engagements at county branches of the NAACP, the many regional Jewish Federations in NJ, and with many other community based organizations in their counties. It should invest in training candidates for local office, working with grassroots small government and liberty movements, hosting conservative activist skills building sessions, facilitating citizen journalism through media seminars, and more.

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Councilman Mike Defusco the sole member of the Hoboken City Council meeting who did not vote for eminent domain last week explained why he did not vote yes on first reading of the ordinance as his other either colleagues unanimously did.

An abstention vote may be made by voting “present” as was elected here. The ordinance’s second reading will be held with opportunity for public comment at the next City Council meeting.

In a series of texts, he wrote exclusively to MSV:

I voted ‘present’ to indicate support of a second reading but a concern with access to information.  Specifically, the Council requested our annual debt statement and audit and neither document was provided prior to the vote.  Casting a ‘yes’ vote on first reading without that data is a  populist vote, rather than a vote based on financial data and potential impact on future municipal  budgets. Everyone wants an expanded park (I really want bocce courts) so I’m looking forward to working with everyone to chart the right course of action.  The Council’s request to see our current debt servicing is so that if a deal is reached, and if it comes back in front of the Council to fund, we can actually pay for it.   This isn’t a vote on who likes parks and who doesn’t, it’s about how we’re going to expand a park and do so without impacting our city in a negative way.   Negatives to me are increasing residential bulk to offset cost, a technique that was used for decades to the detriment of our City.  On the flip side, the other negative is a very real potential to engage in a litigious battle that we may not win.  

Councilman Mike DeFusco is sworn in as the elected Hoboken First Ward City Councilman in January of last year.

Talking Ed Note: Councilman DeFusco, a rumored mayoral candidate to oppose Mayor Dawn Zimmer this November may be seeking additional information as described in his statement. MSV is providing links for both Councilman DeFusco and the public who may wish to review: Read More...

From the desk of Councilman Peter Cunningham:

Good morning! Last Thursday night we had a great crowd at the Jubilee Center to weigh in on the “pop up” park at 12th and Adams.  The attached photograph of the slide show will give you a some sense of what’s to come – this summer.   As described, these park features are temporary as we begin a more thorough planning process which will bring additional flood mitigation to north Hoboken and permanent park amenities all without an increase in taxes and added residential density.  And it should also go without saying that property values, in north Hoboken and all over Hoboken, will be positively impacted by having this great space!  Why wouldn’t we want more?   It’s not too late to submit to the survey below as it will close at midnight.  Many thanks to those that made it last night and completed the survey.  Please circulate to your friends and neighbors, and let me know if you have any questions.      Thanks, Peter Cunningham
www.hobokennj.gov/nwpark

From the desk of Councilman Ravi Bhalla:

Dear Neighbors, After the election of Donald J. Trump as our next President, many of you wrote to me, with a strong desire to find ways to get more involved and make an impact in our community.  For those who reached out, thank you and I apologize for not being able to respond to everyone individually.  I have had many conversations with residents who want to serve on local boards, run for office, or find others ways to make a difference.  As Tip O’Neill once said, “All politics is local.” With this in mind, I’ve compiled a list of a few ways in which you can step up your community engagement in 2017.  Here we go … Know thy neighbor (and neighborhood): If you haven’t yet already, make an effort to know your neighbors, and your neighborhood.  Being more aware of your immediate surroundings and community can open your eyes to different perspectives and bring awareness to issues, big and small, that your neighbors care about.  It may be something very simple, like placing a stop sign on the corner of your block, but it may impact you, so you should be aware and involved!  This will also give you the ability to contact your local officials (council members, school board officials, mayor, agency officials, etc.) and advocate for positive change in your local neighborhood. Ever think about running for office?  Here’s an option: in alternate years, the Hoboken Democratic Party and Hoboken Republican Party elect Committeewomen and Committeemen in each of the 40 districts in Hoboken.  Why not run to be a Committeeperson in your neighborhood?  Click here for more information about running for Committee. Apply to be a Poll Worker on Election Day: Were you unhappy with the way the election process was administered at your polling place for the Presidential election?  Did you witness confusion and incompetence?  If so, be a part of the solution by serving as a Poll Worker on Election Day!  It is very easy to apply to be a Poll Worker: you just need to fill out a one-page application and take a basic training.  I recall being so frustrated with my polling location in 2008 that I applied to be a Poll Worker and served as one for a few elections.  It’s an incredibly rewarding experience.  Plus, you are paid $200 for your time.  This is a very good way of ensuring elections that are administered professionally and protecting the integrity of the election process in Hoboken.

Apply to serve on a local board or agency: Read More...

In a well-attended ceremony outside Hoboken City Hall Friday afternoon, an inaugural celebration on the American transfer of power with the swearing in of the 45th President Donald Trump was memorialized by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer and other local officials.

Mayor Zimmer said the inaugural celebration was appropriate as “everyone is shaped by change coming to America” demanded by American voters last November with the majority voting against Hillary Clinton. “This was a change election, one tens of millions of Americans sought. Many said change would arrive in 2008 but Americans last November voted for change versus the offered transformation.” Read More...

The full transcript of President Donald Trump’s remarks below, as prepared for delivery:

Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you.

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people. Read More...

Live from Washington DC:

A reader reports seeing five Homeland Security vehicles this morning in uptown Hoboken positioned on Sinatra Drive. A similar report only two weeks ago said the Homeland Security Director Jeh Johnson was here.

Is Hoboken anticipating post-election violence or is this part of routine pre-positioning as part of a routine anti-terrorist operation.

A reader sent in this shot of five Homeland Security vehicles parked uptown on Sinatra Drive.