City of Hoboken announces:
LOCATION CHANGE: Community Meeting Scheduled For Design Of 1600 Park And Hoboken
The City of
Last night’s City Council meeting is the first of the year presenting the new ‘majority,’ with Beth Mason wielding the gavel as City Council President. The change is a direct outgrowth of the mathematical inexplicable voting patterns from the fourth ward election last November – explainable only by massive fraud.
The grandstanding on a $25 recreation fee was on full display (again). The personal animosity ginned up created a number of outright attacks far beyond the value of $30,000 in an almost $100 million budget. The fee generates additional recreation services for all the children of Hoboken but garnered cursing from one long time political operative at the microphone who quoted part of a sentence from MSV just yesterday.
MILE SQUARE VIEW EXCLUSIVE
A construction code official was sought to be served legal papers due to alleged failure to comply with financial disclosure requirements. Apparently, the official in question – Al Arezzo, the town Construction Code Official may have been asked to do so and refused after 30 days notice came and went. Or is it related to some other matter ongoing for a long period of time?
Not in the office today, police and legal servers were said to be in the field where Al Arezzo was expected to be working but he could not be found at any of the anticipated locations.
The fruit of the labor from Tim Occhipinti’s invisible army of hundreds and hundreds bought and paid for votes is about to reach its apex. Beth Mason and family are en route to the City Council meeting.
You don’t think they are all attending in order to see someone else made the head of the City Council’s emergency power grab do you:?
Tune in at the Hoboken Journal and see what $13,400 in illicit campaign contributions buys you.
Greg Lincoln an active Hoboken resident on issues in town, submitted this last month. For those who may have missed it and considering it’s being brought yet again to the City Council, here is his guest piece. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a parent of two boys who participate in the Hoboken Recreation programs. I have also served for 3 years as a volunteer assistant coach for instructional league soccer teams (5 and 6 year olds). After that, the kids tend to know more about soccer than I do. I was fully supportive of the $25 recreational fee (as was the City Council, unanimously at 8-0) when it was first introduced, despite meaning money out of my pocket. I was supportive of it in part because of the provision that lower income families would be able to get the fee waved, so no children would be denied the opportunity to participate. I spoke at the Council Meeting against the measure to remove the fee, and I applaud the Mayor’s decision to veto the ordinance. =&0=& #1: “Do it for the children” Michael Russo argued that repealing the fee will “allow the children to participate”, and that we should give up the revenues garnered by the fee ($32,00 to date, with an expectation of annual revenue of $50,000 or more). He said we should “give it up for the children”. Counter: Are opportunities for the children to play denied due to the inability to pay a fee? NO. Is the fee stopping children from participating? NO. Does the fee discourage parents from signing their children up for recreational sports? Not if they are aware that the fee can be waived. #2: “It’s a backdoor tax on the backs of our children” That’s a direct quote from the mouth of Michael Russo. Tim Occhipinti also called it a “back-door tax.” The expressed concern is that Hoboken families should be given recreation sports to play for free, and not be subject to a tax or fee in order to do so. Counter: Someone has to pay for Hoboken Recreational sports. In fact, all tax-payers in our community are already paying for them. By eliminating the fee, Russo and Occhipinti were deciding that ALL tax-payers should continue to pay for 100% of the recreational budget, as opposed to having the people who actually use the service pay a little bit more than the rest of the community. The analogy given by Councilman Bhalla of toll roads is an apt one. When you use a toll road, you pay to use it. It’s only fair to charge those who use a service. Most of the parents I know from my children’s sporting activities feel the same. We feel we are using a service, and are contributing to it happily. We like the service, and want to see it continue and improve, and give it our financial and moral support. #3: The city doesn’t need the revenue Arguments were made that with such a large budget surplus, why do we need to piddle around with $32,000? Just waive the fee! Counter: So much for self-proclaimed “budget hawk” Michael Russo. Wasteful spending, no matter how “small” (only $32,000) is still wasteful spending. Throwing away money that can offset costs, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is still wasteful and irresponsible. Tax savings for the residents are not only accomplished at the macro-level. It’s unethical to only choose be a “budget hawk” when it serves your own agenda.
#4: Waiving of fees is “embarrassing for some parents”
Councilman Peter Cunningham sent out the following email communication including a copy of a Facebook communication from Councilman Russo’s mother, Michelle “Five-dollars-a-tow Russo highlighting the ongoing chasm between the taxpayers and the tax takers:
Friends and neighbors… Please see the attached posting from Michele Russo, Councilman Michael Russo’s mother. She’s calling for all parents that have children in Hoboken sports to attend this evening’s council meeting to denounce the Mayor’s VETO which stopped the Russo/Mason Recreational Fee rollback. The rollback ordinance was sponsored by Councilman Occhipinti. If you can, I am asking the same. Please attend this evening to support the Mayor’s Veto as there’s a resolution on the table to overturn the fiscally prudent measure we passed overwhelmingly last year. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Thanks, Peter
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Michele RussoHob Little
TO ANY PARENT WHO HAS CHILDREN WHO PLAY A SPORT IN HOBOKEN:
Please come to the Council Meeting tomorrow Night. Asking for $25.00 per child per sport is insulting. We have one field our Little League fieldthat isn’t even regulation size. 1 gym that we share with adults, who pay for it (I might add) I coach Cheering my girls pay for eve…rything. If we get $10,000.00 a year for competition fees that’s a lot. Come join me and my coaches and parents to tell this Mayor we are done with her stupidity. Please say it’s only $25.00 it’s the principal. Bayonne charges $5 and has over 12 fields, North Bergen charges $25 and has over 6 fields all other communities are free and have more fields and gyms that Hoboken. AND FULL COOPERATION from their BOARD OF EDUCATION. Talking Ed Note: Tonight’s City Council meeting will include this item for further grandstanding purposes so the entitlement class is properly ginned up for the spring elections and is motivated to keep their hands in the pockets of the taxpayer whenever possible. More importantly, item number 1 tonight is the coronation of the the new City Council “majority’s” selection of a City Council President. That action not seen by anyone in memory will complete the replacement of current City Council President Carol Marsh before the completion of the standard one year term via the midnight power grab last month in City Council. The action deemed an “emergency” by Councilman Mike Russo is slated to put Beth Mason into the chair and a step away from the Mayor’s office. All of this would not be possible without the installation of Tim Occhipinti in the fourth ward election last November – an election still under review by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. Problems surrounding the election began with complaints by the Lenz for Council campaign and a cursory investigation by the Hudson County Board of Elections on election day uncovered numerous problems. That initial investigation led to criminal referrals being sent on to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office and then to the Attorney General in the same week. None of this would have been possible without the monies flooding Tim Occhipinti’s campaign paying almost 600 ‘campaign workers,’ who were mostly paid $40 or more for their ‘work.’ Tonight Beth Mason collects on the bill. Her questionable $13,400 to Occhipinti, including $8,200 from her 2007 council committee just days before the election was most certainly used to “pay” off Tim Occhipinti’s ‘workers’ on election day. If you were not available at midnight to raise your voice to this travesty, you get your chance first thing tonight. The City Council meeting begins at 7:00 pm tonight. The public gets their first chance to weigh in at the very start of the meeting. |
Hoboken Municipal Hospital Authority Signs Letter of Intent With Prospective Purchaser of Hoboken University Medical Center
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Months-Long Public Process Ensures HUMC Will Remain Open as a
Full Service Acute Care Community Hospital
HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY – The Hoboken Municipal Hospital Authority (“Authority”) announced today that it has signed a Letter of Intent with HUMC Holdco LLC, an entity having common ownership with nearby Bayonne Medical Center. HUMC Holdco LLC has pledged to keep the Hospital open as a full-service, acute-care, community hospital for at least seven years. The parties plan to complete due diligence and conduct negotiations leading to the execution of a binding asset purchase agreement by the end of the first quarter of 2011.
Mayor Dawn Zimmer said, “The Authority’s action marks another step towards privatizing the Hospital. There can be no guarantees, but we are one step closer to an agreement with a new ownership group that will operate the Hospital, relieve the City’s taxpayers of the bond guarantee obligations made to save the Hospital in 2007, and advance the state’s goal of reducing reliance on state subsidies while maintaining access to quality health care. Most importantly, the Hospital will remain open as a full-service, acute-care community hospital.”
Toni Tomarazzo, Chairperson of the Hoboken Municipal Hospital Authority, said, “We’re very pleased to have reached this stage. The comprehensive process to identify a buyer for the Hospital has been ongoing for almost a year. The Authority’s Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued in July 2010 and set forth the Authority’s clear objectives: maintain the facility as an acute-care hospital, preserve the jobs of Hospital employees, continue the valuable working relationship with the medical staff of the Hospital, and relieve the City of Hoboken of its bond guarantee obligations.
“We have followed a very deliberate and thorough process, which has included input from a wide cross-section of the Hoboken community. We are optimistic that we will reach an agreement with a very qualified owner-manager.”
E. Norman Wilson, Vice Chairperson of the Hoboken Municipal Hospital Authority, said, “This is a positive step for Hoboken. In 2006, Hoboken’s hospital was on the verge of shutting its doors for good after it received no interest from a potential new owner. Today, thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone at Hoboken University Medical Center, we are at the beginning stage of a potential new chapter for our community’s hospital.”
Joseph Kozel, MD, a member of the Hoboken Municipal Hospital Authority, said, “We are early in the process, but this represents a good opportunity for Hoboken University Medical Center, its employees, and our community to maintain a full-service, acute-care community hospital in Hoboken.”
Spiros Hatiras, CEO of Hoboken University Medical Center, said, “I’m pleased with our progress and that HUMC Holdco has indicated it will work to preserve relationships at Hoboken University Medical Center with our outstanding employees and medical staff. As the process moves forward, I am looking forward to working collaboratively to help ensure these aims are achieved.”
HUMC Holdco LLC has indicated its intention to pursue and secure fair and reasonable contracts with most, if not all, third-party payors following the receipt of all regulatory approvals and prior to closing. And, at this stage of the process, HUMC Holdco LLC would be pleased to enter into negotiations with any insurance provider that currently has a contract with the Hospital.
With a Letter of Intent executed, the process will move on to the negotiation of an agreement after a due diligence phase. While the Authority has sole authority to reach an agreement to transfer ownership of the Hospital, any such decision is subject to review by the New Jersey State Department of Health and Senior Services, through the Certificate of Need process, which will also include a public comment process.
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=&4=&: MSV filmed most of the event and will have extensive video shortly.
The Hoboken Journal has some initial video of the meeting now:
https://hobokenhorse.com/2011/01/humc-signs-letter-of-intent-with.html
This story is breaking….
As reported on the Hoboken Journal earlier today, Mayor Zimmer has appointed three people to new terms on the Planning Board:
Daniel Weaver, Brandy Forbes, and Gary Holtzman are the 2011 Mayoral choices for Hoboken’s Planning Board. Below is a brief note from Gary Holtzman with the definition of what the planning board does. Congratulations to Gary, Daniel and Brandy for their appointments and godspeed to helping plan Hoboken’s future.
The newest member serving is Gary Holtzman. Daniel Weaver previously served as 1st alternate along with Brandy Forbes on the board.
Rami Pinchevsky is currently serving on the Planning Board to the end of this year and strongly believed weighing a run against Tim Occhipinti for the 4th ward seat in the May City Council elections.
These appointments are made by the mayor. There are three Zoning Board appointments that will come from the City Council.
Congratulations to the new appointees. The complete December 31 year end Planning Board is illustrated in the chart below. Say goodbye to anti-Zimmer, anti-Hoboken non-birth certificate holders resident Perry Belfiore.
Mr. Belfiore asked for an explanation. MSV does not subscribe to any division in the USA of people by origin of birth. US citizens all share the same rights as other citizens no matter their place of birth. People who make Hoboken their home, register to vote have the same rights as any other resident of the town.
This is not Yugoslavia and we will not be Balkanized.
HOBOKEN MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL AUTHORITY
Hoboken University Medical Center
308 Willow Avenue
Hoboken, New Jersey 07030
PUBLIC NOTICE
Pursuant to the Provisions of NJSA 10:4-6, et. seq., there will be a Special Meeting of the Hoboken Municipal Hospital Authority at 6:00 PM on Tuesday January 4, 2011.
AGENDA