Author: SmartyJones

News

Councilman Peter Cunningham endorses: Tim Crowell, Jen Giattino and Tiffanie Fisher for City Council; 1,3, 4 for BoE

by SmartyJones2 Min Reading

Official release:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,  In addition to our City Council race I discussed last week, there is a Board of Education race and two local questions on the ballot on Tuesday. For the School Board, I am divided.  There are three seats up, and I know four of the candidates running – Alex De La Torre, Joyce Simmons, Sheilah Dhalara and Shweta Gursahani.  Newcomers Joyce and Shweta have a lot to offer our Public Schools.  Sheilah has made tremendous contributions to the Board, and I appreciate the business acumen of Alex, Joyce and Shweta.  While either of the four would continue the good work of the Board, I am supporting =&0=&   You can do further due diligence on your own at the following sites.  https://www.littlehobokenblog.com/single-post/2019/10/08/HOBOKEN-MATTERS-BOE-CANDIDATES https://www.facebook.com/RaisingBrightFutures/  As for the Open Space referendums, I am in favor of voting yes for both.  However, they are very broad as written.  If they pass, amendments to the current law will be presented to the City Council.  These laws require tightening by the Council in order not to lead to abusive spending by the administration. With that being said, I can’t tell you how important it is to have “checks and balances” between the Administration and City Council.  This Administration has already attempted to abuse taxpayer funds in the last budget.

As you know, I am supporting the independent candidacy of Tim Crowell 1D.  Tim is independent, a real estate investment professional, community volunteer and is practical in nature.  He has funded his campaign from Hoboken contributors.  I like him, and know you will too.

https://timforhoboken.org/   
I am also endorsing Jen Giattino in the 6th ward, and Tiffanie Fisher in the 2nd Ward.
Please vote for Tim, Jen and Tiffanie.  Let me know if you have any questions, and pass around to your friends and neighbors.  Thanks, Peter  
Councilman Peter Cunningham endorses Tim Crowell to succeed him for Hoboken’s fifth ward.
The 12-year outgoing councilman also endorses Jen Giattino in the 6th ward and Tiffanie Fisher in the 2nd.


Read More...

News

Joshua Sotomayor-Einstein: Unchecked power for Ravi Bhalla a good idea?

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

The following guest letter is submitted by NJ GOP State Committeeman Joshua Sotomayor Einstein.

Hoboken residents are either revved up by or tired of the constant campaigning for the Nov 5th council election. Wherever one falls, it is indisputably an important election that will determine the fate of the city council and the direction of our mile square. On the evening of November 5th Hoboken will have the answers to many of the questions of the last few months, such as: will the council majority led by 6th Ward Councilwoman / Council President Jen Giattino survive? Will the mayoral backed candidates, who make up a majority of the challengers to the incumbents, give the mayor unchecked power to pursue his agenda and shape our town according to his vision? Read More...

News

EXCLUSIVE: Cristin Cricco-Powell & Nora DeBenedetto received $500 contribution from Stronger Foundations PAC underwriter Local 825

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading
=&0=&

As the Hoboken council ward campaign winds down to the polls opening Tuesday, new revelations about big development monies arriving to influence its outcome are coming to the fore.

Two of Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s council candidates, Nora DeBenedetto and Cristin Cricco-Powell endorsed last month by the powerful statewide big development PAC Stronger Foundations also received campaign contributions of $500 each from its underwriter, Local 825.

The revelations come behind an exclusive report here last Thursday, the Stronger Foundations PAC was running online ads on Facebook for Cristin Cricco Powell and Nora DeBenedetto along with Ravi Bhalla council candidates Migdalia Pagan-Milano and Phil Cohen. Read More...

News

Giattino Re-election Rally in Church Square Park Draws Dozens on Saturday Morning

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Official release:

Giattino Re-election Rally in Church Square Park Draws Dozens on Saturday Morning


Early Saturday morning, Church Square Park was overrun with “Vote Jen Again” t-shirts and buttons as Hoboken Council President Jen Giattino held a rally for her reelection campaign. 


Over coffee and donuts, supporters shared stories from the campaign trail and personal experiences of the work Jen has done for them over her eight years on the council. Enthusiasm was high. Read More...

News

New Jersey Democracy in Action, etc, etc,

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Yesterday afternoon, a Hackensack based political group called “New Jersey Democracy in Action” made a splashy return to the Mile Square City.

The group responsible for two 2018 mailers leading to a blowout in favor of bringing back runoff elections in Hoboken is funded by unknown contributors and has Mayor Ravi Bhalla and his supporters seeing red.

Dark Money efforts first appeared in the fifth ward against council candidate Nick Maganucco when a phony Hoboken group contacted his job last summer asking if he had received permission to run. Read More...

News

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher: ‘GOTV’

by SmartyJones3 Min Reading

Official release:

  Dear Friends and Neighbors,   We are in the home stretch with just 72 hours to go until polls open and my campaign is now all GOTV – which means reminding my supporters to vote!  I sent out my last piece of mail yesterday (I won’t offend you with the amount of mail I sent and trees killed).  Would love some additional volunteers this weekend if you can spare even just a couple of hours – everything from making phone calls, handing out cards to people as you are walking around the 2nd ward, wearing a t-shirt or pin, data entry, hanging a window poster and knocking on your neighbors doors to remind people to vote!  Please call or text me at 201/208-1674, email me at hoboken2nd@gmail.com or just stop by at 1500 Hudson St.(ask for me) to pick up your shirt/button/sign!    If you still have any questions that you would like answered to get to ‘yes’ for me, please call me and let me know that reason is and let’s try to resolve.  I am happy to get on the phone with anyone at any time.  201/208-1674.    Here is some information I hope will help you get to the finish line with me.  This is basically a bullet point list (FINALLY, RIGHT?) of all of the information I could find that will give you a sense of who I am, what I stand for, and how I have engaged with, informed and advocated for you over the past four years.  I am humbled by the support you have already shown, and I am hopeful I have earned the support of the rest.     CAMPAIGN MAILERS – All five mailers sent: 
  • Introduction and Platform, Impacts of Overdevelopment, Waterfront Advocacy, Independent Voice on Railyards, Get Out The Vote.
MY NEWSLETTERS   MY WEBSITE (which includes the following):   QUESTIONNAIRES DEBATES QLC / Hudson County View Debates:  Link to video HERE (summary provided by nj.com).  Questions asked included county taxes, Railyards project, Transportation, Special Improvement District, eScooters, Union Dry Dock and more.  Hudson Media Group Debate – my opponent chose not to participate so it was a 60 min interview with 18 questions.  Each video link below is 2-4 minutes. Opening Statement

Over Development Read More...

News

Grist for the Mill: Who is behind the 2017 Ravi Bhalla Terror Flyer?

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

As Hoboken prepares to vote in contentious council ward elections Tuesday, today is an anniversary of sorts.

Tonight is the two-year anniversary of the Ravi Bhalla Terror Flyer hitting the streets of Hoboken.

Unlike Hoboken’s volatile political history of midnight flyers at election time; these flyers were discovered almost instantly on an early Friday evening, four days before the 2017 mayoral election.

Some residents fear a similar episode. One Hoboken resident recently expressed worry on Facebook in response to a post by Ravi Bhalla’s first ward candidate that a similar flyer attack could occur. Read More...

News

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher: Voting details & 2017 hit jobs revisited

by SmartyJones10 Min Reading

Official release:

  Dear Friends and Neighbors,   Hopefully everyone has their plans made to vote!  Join me Election Day evening for my Debate Watch Party at Bin 14 and bring your “I Voted” sticker for special discounts.  More to come…     Make Sure you vote! Whether early with a vote by mail or early on Tuesday to get it out of the way!   This email gives you everything you need to know for this year’s election including: 
  • HOW: Vote By Mails and Provisional Voting 
  • WHO: Candidates/offices on the ballot (including me!)
  • WHAT: Ballot questions – what you need to know
  • WHERE: Find your polling location
  • WHEN: As Some Say in Hudson County vote early and…
  • WHY: Because Your Quality of Life Depends On It
  • WHY (PART2): Referendum on Attack Ads and Special Interest Money
HOW – VOTE BY MAIL, LAW CHANGES, AND PROVISIONAL VOTING   Get your ballots in – they need to be postmarked no later than Election Day!  I am starting with this because as of this writing only 141 out of 549 of you who have received ballots have cast them! This is literally the easiest way to vote – you don’t have to get off your couch.  I hope this ratio increases dramatically between now and Tuesday…   The law recently changed and we saw more than a doubling of the VBM list and I am concerned that many of you on the list may not realize it (based on feedback I have received).  Reminder that if you voted by mail any time in 2016-2018, you have been mailed a ballot this year.  Which means you can either vote by mail, or vote provisionally at the polls.  Don’t worry, provisionally is basically filling out a ballot by hand at the polls and takes an extra 60 seconds so don’t let this dissuade you.        Going forward if you want to be removed from the VBM list you need to submit a form to the County Clerk (click for the form).     WHO – CANDIDATES / OFFICES ON THE BALLOT (INCLUDING ME!)   You have up to TWELVE votes you can cast: 
  • 2 for State Assembly (legislative arm of our state government, partisan)
  • 1 for County Executive (like a mayor of our county, partisan)
  • 1 for County Sheriff (partisan)
  • 1 for County Surrogate (What is a surrogate you ask?, partisan)
  • 1 for City Council Ward Representative (me in the 2nd!, non-partisan)
  • Up to 3 for Hoboken Board of Education (non-partisan)
  • 1 for State-level ballot question – about property tax credit for veterans
  • 2 for Hoboken level ballot questions – about open space trust fund
Here is what the ballot looks like, click here to take you to the website where you can see a larger version.  Familiarize yourself before you vote.       There are two columns each for State and County level candidates/offices – Column A is for Democrats and B is for Republicans.   City Council choices are in the middle of the page and have either two or three columns depending on which ward race.  In the 2nd Ward, please VOTE1C for me!     Hoboken Board of Education Candidates are listed to the far right – there are five candidates and you get to choose three.  Even if you don’t have kids (I don’t) there are many reasons to vote with the most important being that a strong public school system is at the heart of all strong communities and our school board oversees almost 1/3 of our property taxes.   WHAT – THREE BALLOT QUESTIONS WORTH UNDERSTANDING & VOTING   State Level Ballot Question:  This is basically to allow certain veterans that qualify to receive a $250 property tax credit if they owned a home, to still receive the credit if they live in continuing care retirement communities where their ownership interest is not represented by a deed but it still operates like ownership.  The state would then reimburse municipalities for this credit which is estimated to be approximately $500K statewide.  Long story short – more benefits for veterans.  I am a yes.   Two Hoboken Ballot Questions:  As I said at the debates last week, I am a hesitant yes on #1, and a yes on #2.   Question #1 – This changes the allocation of how the fund can be used.  Currently, a minimum of 75% of the OSTF has to be used for acquisition of open space (the remainder can be for development).  The proposed change now lowers this minimum to 25%, allowing more to be used for development of open space (and historic preservation if passed in Question#2).       Question #2 – This question accomplishes two things that in hindsight should have been separated into two questions.  
  • First – it increases the amount you pay toward our open space trust fund from $.02 to $.03 for every $100 of assessed value.  The financial impact based upon the current tax rate of $1.599 per $100 is that your overall property taxes will increase .63%. For a home valued at $400,000, this means you already pay $80 annually towards municipal open space, but now you would pay $120 annually.  This increases the total annual amount raised from $2.3M to $3.5M and expands our capacity by about $50M (give or take).  
  • Second – it expands the uses of the open space trust fund to now include Historic Preservation.  
At the heart of this is whether you are a supporter of more open space and historic preservation.  If you aren’t, then vote no.  If you are, then voting yes is much easier.  The way I look at both is that these allow you more flexible sources to fund open space and related initiatives.  However, be mindful that you, as taxpayers (whether as owners or passed through to renters), are the financial source of this and there is a little bit of a shell game going that has both pros and cons…     We are in a rising cost environment that is putting a lot of pressure on our municipal tax rate.  So voting ‘yes’ on the proposed changes allows the City to move some of its obligations out of the municipal budget into this fund.  In particular, the $100M Northwest Resiliency Park that is currently under construction.  The annual debt service cost for this park is expected to easily be around $2-3M.  You are paying for it either way, but how much you are paying becomes less transparent once the source of funding is the open space trust fund.  This debt service would equate to about a 3-5% increase in the municipal tax rate to cover.  Alternatively, the increase would be much less if the debt service could instead be fully funded by the OSTF.   And by moving expenses out of the municipal budget, you then don’t have as much pressure on the municipal tax rate which is always both controversial and political (keep in mind there is another mayor race in two years).   I am a yes on #2 primarily because I like the addition of Historic Preservation to the uses.  Projects like restoring Court Street and Castle Point terrace, two that have lagged due to funding, and others like restoring City Hall or possibly contributing more to the restoration of the “Y” someday could all now be more readily funded through the OSTF because of this change.     But…I am a hesitant yes on #1 because with the proposed changes to allocation, I believe that the administration will push as much of the $100M Northwest Park through the OSTF to keep the municipal tax rate low and use all remaining capacity so no other projects can be funded through it.  Especially that $50M park my opponent says she wants to build (assuming Shipyard says no…) It is a mayoral election in two years – no one wants to run on a significant tax rate increase…    WHERE: FIND YOUR POLLING LOCATION   If you are a registered voter you should have received your sample ballot in the mail with your polling location.  Also, if you are a voter in the 2nd Ward you will receive a GOTV mailer from me with your polling location.  Or you can use the NJ Polling Place Locator Tool as well.     As a reminder last year I was able to make two changes to 2nd Ward polling locations to make it easier to vote: W2D2 – Maxwell, Hudson St. W voters now vote in 1125 Maxwell Lobby, W2D5 – Shipyard voters now vote in the Historic Museum.    WHEN: AS SOME SAY IN HUDSON COUNTY VOTE EARLY AND…   But I don’t, I say just vote once, vote early and Vote Tiffanie Fisher 1C.  Polls are open from 6am to 8pm.  If you are standing in line at 8pm, you will be admitted to vote.  If you get on line at 805pm, you will not be able to vote. Vote early.  Don’t let the weather or a late meeting keep you away, so get it out of the way first thing.   WHY:  BECAUSE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE DEPENDS ON IT   This election is when your vote has the biggest impact on your day to day life from the effects of overdevelopment and a growing population to affordability and taxes.  Given the lack of a federal office or Governor on the ballot, this is considered a low turnout election.  In 2015 when I ran, ~1500 people voted and I received 49.9% of the votes in a three way race with no incumbents.  Had we had runoffs at the time, just two more votes would have made the difference of me being in a runoff or not.  And those two votes could have determined whether Washington St. got done, or if we got a new contract with Suez saving taxpayers $30M and ending water main breaks or a new Special Improvement District that will turn the tide on vacant stores on Washington St.  There are just two candidates in the second ward race, so no runoffs but that just means your vote in a low turnout election matters even more.     WHY PART 2:  A REFERENDUM ON ATTACK ADS AND SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY – DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN   The 2017 Mayoral race was brutal for our community.  It involved bullying that ended friendships and pulled the city apart in ways we never would have expected.  It took over a year to recover and we were well on our way until the last couple of weeks reminded us again how ugly it can be.  What should be startling to many reading this is where the negative attack ads and special interest monies are coming from and who they are supporting.    As you are thinking about who you want to represent you, please consider this about my opponent (and the same goes for Jen Giattino’s opponent in the 6th Ward race):     Additionally she has been pretty silent on all issues other than Monarch and a pedestrian safety plan that looks decidedly like the one I have been working with the administration and the County on and 

already implementing Read More...

News

Stronger Foundations PAC goes to the mattresses for Ravi Bhalla’s council slate

by SmartyJones2 Min Reading
=&0=& =&1=& =&2=& =&3=& =&3=& They’re back! Stronger Foundations, the powerful statewide construction PAC is back in Hoboken.  The influential political player that got behind Ravi Bhalla’s candidacy for mayor in 2017 running tens of thousands of dollars in TV ads on cable has started a Facebook ad campaign for a slew of candidates it endorsed late last month. Featured in its official Facebook ad campaign is almost the entirety of the Ravi Bhalla council slate plus Councilman Michael Russo of the Ravi-Russo Alliance. The ad campaign on Facebook began for each on October 29th and is likely to continue into the Hoboken council elections on Tuesday: Each of the ads is similar in its scope and promotion, often using the exact language as on the candidate’s campaign mailers through Ravi Bhalla’s political consultant and spokesman. 
Nora DeBenedetto, the Ravi Bhalla – Stronger Foundations PAC endorsed 2nd ward candidate
Cristin Cricco-Powell, the Ravi Bhalla – Stronger Foundations PAC endorsed 6th ward candidate 
Michael Russo, the Ravi Bhalla Russo Alliance – Stronger Foundations PAC endorsed 3rd ward candidate
Phil Cohen, the Ravi Bhalla – Stronger Foundations PAC endorsed 5th ward candidate
Migdalia Pagan Milano, the Ravi Bhalla – Stronger Foundations PAC endorsed 1st ward candidate

In response, at least one candidate is responding with a Facebook ad countering with a fact-based representation. City Council President Jen Giattino began running the following ad over an the Cristin Cricco-Powell stating in red letters: “Paid for by big development Super PAC Money.”

The counter by the Vote Jen Again campaign is sure to highlight the scuttlebutt about big special interests impacting the upcoming Hoboken elections.  The issue of big construction PAC money and related special interest is a topic heading into the critical elections next Tuesday.

In a departure from her positions on outside special interest money over her political career, former mayor Dawn Zimmer aligned herself with the big construction PACs endorsing Ravi Bhalla’s council slate. Read More...