Today we received an email (anonymously) from someone who asked if we would consider linking to their website unioncitycorruption.com.  The website hasn’t been on the map too long and is using the American tradition of anonymous criticism of government, a benchmark of our democratic traditions.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation describes the historic right on its website:

Anonymous communications have an important place in our political and social discourse. The Supreme Court has ruled repeatedly that the right to anonymous free speech is protected by the First Amendment. A much-cited 1995 Supreme Court ruling in McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission reads:

Protections for anonymous speech are vital to democratic discourse. Allowing dissenters to shield their identities frees them to express critical minority views . . . Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. . . . It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation . . . at the hand of an intolerant society.

The tradition of anonymous speech is older than the United States. Founders Alexander Hamilton James Madison and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers under the pseudonym “Publius ” and “the Federal Farmer” spoke up in rebuttal. The US Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized rights to speak anonymously derived from the First Amendment. The right to anonymous speech is also protected well beyond the printed page. Thus in 2002 the Supreme Court struck down a law requiring proselytizers to register their true names with the Mayor’s office before going door-to-door. For more, see the Electronic Frontier Foundation website: https://www.eff.org/issues/anonymity

One among other criticisms on the self-named corruption site is that Union City Mayor Brian Stack and its council receive free health benefits.  The website also complains about the cost to taxpayers for a number of other activities including the infamous “Shame on You,” television segment where a city owned SUV was used to drive Stack’s former wife to a private day care job with her dogs. Read More...

Renovations are underway at 10 Church Towers as Councilman Michael Russo prepares to move into a three bedroom apartment in the current digs of Ma and Pa Russo.

A source with an eagle eye view to the legal aspects of the Russo clan swap wonders how once again the family specializing in grifting has circumvented the law on who can obtain a three bedroom unit in the building and says, “Is there no one on the list in need who actually qualifies?”

A family of three does not qualify for a three bedroom in Church Towers based on this source.  The Church Towers list has been closed for years. Read More...

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The big news breaking over the weekend involves one senior journalist from the Jersey Journal who lurched toward the truth signaling where this crud of a SLAPP civil suit needs to be dumped.  The tar pits in California is the suggested destination where it can then move on to being fossilized.

That’s the blunt assessment of a decades long Hudson County political writer/reporter – Augie Torres in his Political Insider column where he wrote:

— Hoboken. You hate it; you love it. What more can anyone say about the rhetoric coming out about a $ 2 million lawsuit less-than-shy political operative Lane Bajardi brought against a pair of city administration symbiotic bloggers — Nancy Pincus and Roman Brice — who have targeted Bajardi as their favorite punching bag. The threat of going to court has only turned up the vitriol in cyberspace. We’re better off just marking this issue a hazardous Superfund site and avoid it for now. After a bit, like a tar pit, nature may take its course and all this will be part of the fossil record. Read More...

A number of other important developments in the August City Council meeting came to pass and an important one here is the subject of redevelopment in the Hoboken Housing Authority.

Councilman Dave Mello announced a series of HHA board meetings with a verdict on the controversial 20/20 plan presented at the previous meeting.

Mello broke the news rather gently noting the doubling of the number of units in the wall to wall large buildings was not viable from any number of quality of life issues affecting both the HHA residents and the surrounding areas including a senior building along with all of Hoboken. Read More...

Times are hard when you have to make due on your husband’s annual earnings in the millions and you are a mere councilperson in Hoboken and one of the most despised people among 50,000 in town.

Your stuck buying weekly ads in the local pro-Old Guard rag week after week as your bands of political consultants, political operatives and internet blogging team are under constant fire from residents who refuse to stomach corruption and you just don’t know what to do to counter the footsteps closing from behind. Read More...

=&0=& =&1=& =&2=&: =&3=& =&1=& =&1=& A NJ Department of Community Affairs letter issued late March of this year details actions by the former Hoboken Construction Official Al Arezzo and outlines a conflict of interest leading to the State revoking his license. Arezzo’s license no. 002417 as detailed in a March 28th letter was revoked due to a conflict.  The State letter details the offense writing: ...while you were employed as the Construction Official, Building Subcode Official and Building Inspector for the City of Hoboken, you obtained a member interest in Triple Minga, LLC (owner of 76-04 Monroe Street, Hoboken New Jersey).  From March, 2001 to the sale of and construction on the property in 2003, you were directly engaged in the construction/development of the property. The letter continues, =&7=&

The City of Hoboken announces:

=&0=& =&1=& The Council voted 5 to 4 for the redesign of Washington Street, Sinatra Drive, Observer Highway and Newark Street; however six votes were needed to approve the bond. Council Members in opposition, Councilwoman Castellano, Councilwoman Mason, Councilman Occhipinti, and Councilman Russo, expressed concerns about the City taking on new debt in terms of its impact on the City’s bonding capacity. In fact, the City has excellent capacity for bonding and has used well below 1/3 of its $360 million bonding capacity. “Bonding is the fiscally prudent and fair way to pay for long-lasting improvements to our neglected infrastructure,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “Residents today shouldn’t bear the full cost for benefits that future residents will reap from these investments. We’re seeing progress on parks because the Council approved bonding for those improvements. But just like our parks, our streets, waterfront, garages, police headquarters, and other infrastructure have been neglected for too long.” =&2=&: The City thanks all who supported and advocated for these measures. The streets improvements will be reintroduced separately and the Administration will continue to work to help the Council and public understand the importance of these infrastructure investments to safety, quality of life, and economic development, as well as why bonding is the fiscally responsible way to make these investments. Parks Progress =&3=&The Council approved payment for land for a Southwest Park in Block 12 which is bounded by Harrison Street, Jackson Street, Observer Highway and Paterson Avenue. The $2.35 million comes from a Hudson County Open Space grant. The final purchase price will be decided by a court. =&4=&The Council unanimously approved Phase 1 of improvements to Church Square Park, which will be paid for through a bond approved last year. This work will include renovations to two playground areas, the basketball courts, and the restroom. To view the plan, visit www.hobokennj.org/churchsquarepark. The City will be going out to bid for construction shortly. Future phases will be completed as additional funding is secured. =&5=&Yesterday evening, The Hudson County Planning Board approved the City’s plans for 1600 Park. To view the plan, visit www.hobokennj.org/1600park.  The City will now be completing bid specifications and going out to bid for construction shortly. The City is coordinating with the County and thanks them for moving ahead with the installation of a traffic signal at 16^th Street and Park Avenue this fall. =&6=& Email | Text |Website | Facebook | Twitter | RSS

Here’s a snapshot of Beth Mason at last night’s meeting as Councilwoman Terry Castellano concludes her remarks on additional funding to run the City’s law office.

The subject is LITIGATION.

No one took the opportunity to ask Mason what she was talking about with her threat of introduced “legal action” against MSV at the last City Council meeting.

As it turns out, it wasn’t only MSV on the “verge of legal action.”  It was scores of Hoboken residents. Read More...

In a 5-4 vote lacking a single vote from MORTe, the process to begin moving on repaving Washington Street, Sinatra Drive, Observer and parts of Newark failed.

The bond ordinance to being the process required six votes.  As is typical of this City Council, the sixth vote was not available.

The $1.1 million bond held high stakes with government monies from outside Hoboken available and more sought as the project would have progressed.

Based on the overwhelming positive support from the community and members of the public attending the meeting, MORTe attempted to deflect why they could not get behind the infrastructure bond ordinance. Read More...

Perry Klaussen, Hoboken’s biggest pathological liar on behalf of the Old Guard is trotting out his usual half-truths and smears on the Hoboken scene in a risky attempt to undermine support for the launch yesterday of the Hoboken Free Speech Legal Defense Fund.  More important, he’s clearly back doing the full bidding of his sponsor Councilwoman Beth Mason and their friends.

Not a word at all about any of the nefarious relationships among the parties is there?

Beth Mason thrilled again with Mason411

While Perry Klaussen smears others constantly always making sure they can’t comment on anything or ever have a word without his totally controlling it so the truth doesn’t ever get out; here he’s making it clear he’s back in the political game.  His pal who spilled the beans he was moving to Vermont is officially on hold now with the money splashing all over town from uptown Hudson Street. Read More...