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Horsey’s Timely News Posts

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Beth Mason’s non-binding resolution on layoffs fails in a 5-4 vote

by SmartyJones2 Min Reading
In what came as no surprise, Councilwoman Beth Mason’s non-binding resolution disapproving the police reorganization and layoffs failed 5-4.  Council members Mike Russo and Terry Castellano who have family in the Hoboken Police Department were joined by Nino Giacchi.
The mayor’s council majority led by City Council President Carol Marsh along with Mike Lenz, Peter Cunningham, Ravi Bhall and David Mello stood up to a roomful of police, their supporters and family members in supporting the mayor’s plan.
Many members of the public spoke against the police layoffs, those in the audience were largely residents of Marine View and also the Hoboken Housing Authority.  The rambunctious crowd more representative of citizens outside of the Hoboken Police Department were often loud in voicing both approval and disapproval with council comments along with different public speakers.
The Council of No – voiced strong frustration on police layoffs.  Terry Castellano again charged the mayor as being anti-Hoboken claiming a discriminatory posture due to her being against people who are born in Hoboken.  Councilman Ravi Bhalla described that claim as “unfortunate.”
Former Councilwoman Terry Labruno

The Council of No members voiced frustration with the council majority.  Often they speak of budget cutting and reducing taxes but they offered no concrete methods to raise the approximately $2.5 million to offset the police reorganization and municipal plan put forward by the administration.  Numerically the layoffs are about equal for both police and municipal but the value of the reductions on the police side is substantially higher.

The public portion of the meeting ran close to four hours leading into the vote on Beth Mason’s non-binding resolution on police layoffs.  Terry LaBruno, a former City Council member, spoke about the resolution claiming it held overriding power to the mayor’s authority.  Her stated claim cheered by the audience however is incorrect. Read More...

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Guest of the Stable: plywood

by SmartyJones5 Min Reading

Flashpoint

Ø    the lowest temperature at which the vapor of a combustible liquid can be ignited in air Ø    In international relations, a hotspot; an area or dispute that has a strong possibility of developing into a war. Ø    a 1991 live album by the Rolling Stones Ø    a dangerous place of violent political unrest Ø    point at which something is ready to blow up

Hey everybody, I had been concerned about something for a few months and wanted to just grab your coattail and expound a tad. Having been on these local blogs for a time now I must say they are entertaining, informative and often fun. How nice it is to wile away the hours blogging instead of doing something more trivial like paying the PSE&G bill or painting the bathroom. We all know those arcane matters can, and what is more will, wait.

Many years ago, the local websites initially were robust and lively. The mood light and jocular, the dialog fast, the dynamic relaxed. Sure, sure, there were references to “born and raised” and “yuppies” being at odds but it by and large didn’t go too far. Seeing as I don’t fit into either of these categories, and transplanted “Old Work-a-day Nebbish” was something I didn’t want to OWN, I took it all with a grain of salt. Anyway, I decided to jump in the blogging fray and years ago was often taken aback by the just horrible things that people would say about restaurants, realtors, pizzerias, etc. I for some reason have always been interested in defending the underdog from the rigors of online anonymous attack, and often did and do so. As time went on, the blogs became more of a community force, and moved on to attacks on doctors, lawyers and Indian chiefs. Then came political figures and ideologies. My awareness became more and more that many bloggers will now say just about anything if they are certain enough that their identity will never be know. Enough to make you cringe. Things that might enrage and incite the target. Negative commentary on blogs and bloggers becomes more and more a topic in general conversation, council meetings, etc. I began to wonder why that was. The answer, once I comprehended it, was surprisingly simple: “Because This is Freakin Hoboken”. Talk about your art history, the art I remember back in the day was fights on street corners and later such things as “THIS IS DISPLACEMENT” being spray-painted on buildings (there was also that thing with the sneakers slung on the overhead lines at 7th and Park but that’s another story for another day). There was no blogging back then, people just took it to the streets. People had to physically step up to the plate to weigh in. Not for the faint of heart. Not so anymore. Multiple screen names, multiple e-mail accounts. And probably the most troublesome is the growing disconnect between saying something negative and being concerned about being personally held to task for it. The notion of waking up in a bad mood or frustrated, and going on the internet to take it out on whoever shows up that day, in some kind of a subconscious effort to feel better, all anonymously from the comfort of your home. Heck, you don’t even have to comb your hair or put on a presentable pair of pants to do it. The internet is becoming lousy with trolls stirring up nonsense. Nowhere is immune. The language is troubling. One notable example might be “asshat” which I far as I know doesn’t mean anything but clearly you don’t want to be called one; simply said to offend and demean. Well my friends, this all was sort of at a troubling maintenance level until the rules changed. During a strong economy, it’s one thing to be nasty to people with money in their pocket, accelerating real estate values, low taxes, rose-colored glasses and a gleeful song in their heart. It is quite another thing to trample the id of someone scraping to maintain their status quo, facing down a potential short sale, massive tax increases, scratched cheap sunglasses with a piece of adhesive tape holding them together, and the “free credit report dot com” song running through their head. They’re already pissed. Cue Rodney King. Would it be okay to blog civilly as if the intended recipient was a rich older relative from who you were hoping to inherit money? Can we limit comments to something we would say to a person’s face with both arms tied behind our back? OK, maybe one arm. Could we consider holding ourselves to one screen name? Could we really realize that like ourselves that most of these locals we meet in the internet neighborhood are just trying to keep on keepin’ on? That all day some are trying to protect their hard-earned money, their way of life? That =&0=& is now needing to economize? I think it is safe to say these times bring many challenges, stress being one of them. Please everyone, can we hold it together and not take it out on each other? And while we’re at it, for the last time, can you remember to put down the toilet seat? So, please, if you take nothing else from this diatribe, could you just knock it off and behave? Golden rule? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Thanks for your time   

p1ywood is a fictional character living in the mind of a Hoboken blogger. p1ywood (or plywood depending on venue) can often be found on the internet clinging to utopian fantasies or playing with his/her mental blocks. Remember, “p1ywood” is never capitalized. Read More...

News

Here comes the ‘show of force’- Mayor says opponents to union should sit it out

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Tonight’s meeting promises to amp up the volume in front of the City Council and although Police Chief Falco did a great job of keeping a high level of professionalism among most of the members at the last City Council meeting, tonight’s is showing hints it may fall short.

Based on a Hoboken Now story, Mayor Zimmer is anticipating some heat.  The heat though is not what the police expect as she’s suggested citizens not sympathetic to the police position stay away from the City Council meeting tonight.  The mayor expects the tone to be less than healthy. Read More...

News

Beth Mason: applauds not one police layoff but…

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Back when many people viewed Councilwoman Mason as the front runner mayoral candidate, she addressed the serious issues of the day.  Yes, it hardly seems possible but it was only last year in 2009 many thought Beth Mason was heading straight to the mayor’s office and not with a visitor’s pass.  One would say tackling the issues of the city and holding serious positions were of the utmost importance to the second ward councilwoman back then.

Beth Mason at her mayoral event last October.  No longer for rightsizing police and fire?  

The current 2nd ward Councilwoman was so serious about facing down the issues the city of Hoboken faced, she more than once used the term rightsizing or in street parlance: downsizing or layoff.  Not only has Beth Mason advocated rightsizing, she even told us where she planned to apply it: police and fire. Read More...

News

Guest of the Stable Redux: Justin L. DePascale

by SmartyJones2 Min Reading

Justin L. DePascale is back with more on taxes and the surplus with his perspective on the failure of the Mayor’s administration.  

To my fellow Hobokenites, A week ago, I wrote a letter in which I spoke of a 20 million dollar budget surplus.  This letter drew some criticism on the validity of this monetary figure.  With this in mind, I began a more in-depth review of the three budgets that comprise the Hoboken tax base.  For those of you who do not know, the final tax bill in Hoboken is made of three tax levies combined.  The City of Hoboken, County of Hudson, and the Hoboken Board of Education tax levies make up the final amount.  After reviewing this information, I have come to a new conclusion.   I believe the budget surplus is just below 20 million, but could have been upwards of 27.5 million dollars.  I know what the skeptics are saying, he must be crazy, but let me explain.  First of all, I am not a finance major in any respect, but as a police officer I have worked as an investigator for a number of years.  In its simplest form, the City of Hoboken’s tax base has been pillaged by the County of Hudson as well as the State of New Jersey without so much as a quibble by Mayor Zimmer.  Shouldn’t we fight harder for our money?

  • The Hoboken share of Hudson County taxes have been increased by approximately 6 million dollars this year to an approximate total of 45 million dollars, per year, under Mayor Zimmer.  The total amount of tax increase paid to the County of Hudson for this budget year is approximately 12 million dollars, which means Hoboken alone has shouldered 50% of this total increase, unfair to say the least
  • State aid to Hoboken has been reduced by approximately 1.5 million dollars this year
    • Read More...

    News

    How to save police jobs: open letter to PBA President Vince Lombardi

    by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

    An open letter to Vince Lombardi: A Win For Taxpayers And Police

    Hoboken resident Scott Siegel offers a specific plan to save jobs of police members.

    1) 4 year (2 retro) wage freeze.

    2) Accept demotions. Private companies are downsizing and demoting. Look at what’s happening to police and fire in every major city in this country. According to the last budget the average member of the Hoboken police force earns $105m per year vs. $65m for the average Hoboken family. Your men would still have highly compensated positions. Agree to a one time waiver of bumping rights. Read More...