A feature story in the Jersey Journal detailing a partial list of crimes against Jessica Coco, a disabled woman living in the Hoboken Housing Authority drew greater attention on the problems she faces in coming out as part of a group of HHA residents against a real estate deal called Vision 20/20.

That redevelopment plan, originally earmarked to more than double the size of the Hoboken Housing Authority downtown campus was altered in word to hoodwink the Hoboken public it was being changed to a replacement program of 806 units.

First, no one outside of the controversial and ethically challenged Executive Director Carmelo Garcia has seen a plan and it’s been the center of ugly, racially pointed attacks in City Council meetings where the Reform council members refused to sign on and capitulate to staged political attacks last year.

Councilman Peter Cunningham was told to don “the hood” of the KKK by his less than dear friend Councilman Michael Russo as he declined to vote for the undocumented redevelopment scheme.  Councilman Dave Mello, a teacher in New York City’s tough South Bronx neighborhood was falsely accused of calling HHA residents “monkeys,” part of a coordinated attack by the Carmelitos – a band of HHA residents who believe they will benefit by publicly acting as spokespeople for Garcia.

But enough of the eloquent part of the Vision 20/20 debate.

Standing in the backdrop to this gutter politics is Hoboken’s Iron Lady – Mayor Dawn Zimmer. She will not yield, be intimidated or cowed into signing off on a plan involving 15 acres of downtown Hoboken low income housing without giving the community of Hoboken an opportunity to weigh in.

Once again Carmelo Garcia assailed HHA resident Jessica Coco in a Jersey Journal story. The verbal assault is not much different than the criminality she’s faced the past year including death threats. MSV has bonafide evidence and provided it to law enforcement last fall.  Stick that in your Vision 20/20 Mr. Carmelo.

For her consistency protecting all Hoboken residents, Mayor Zimmer has been the focus of attack and frivolous lawsuits from the Hoboken sewer and she refused to knuckle under to political intimidation – even as she faced election with November looming in the distance.

What is apparent in the ugly rhetoric dismissing the numerous attacks Jessica Cocco has faced is the enablers and people who expect to cash in on Vision 20/20 or what is commonly called Carmelo Garcia’s Vision Money Money.

They believe the scam isn’t over and it can be forced down the throats of the Hoboken public.
There are powerful forces moving against Hoboken looking to cash in. It’s heady forces up the hill outside the Mile Square and outside Hudson County too – reaching State levels.

This Vision 20/20 scheme isn’t about 800 housing units for low income residents, one building being blathered about “to start” or anything having to do with replacement units for dilapidated housing.

How to tell? A planted a story on NJ.com where discussion about secretly “approved” funding was declared accomplished without even a phone call ever arriving to Hoboken City Hall. See the transcript of the March HHA meeting in the story below where Carmelo Garcia was regurgitating it practically word for word in a preplanned attack on the mayor for “turning down” this “free” money.

How is that possible? Bigger forces are at work looking to cash in and present Vision 20/20 to the Mile Square as a fait acompli.

It’s not quite the Rockefeller Project, the billion redevelopment project aimed at Hoboken’s northwest but it sure isn’t the run of the mill $5,000 bribe so typical in these parts either. There’s millions, more likely – tens of millions in profits at stake. That’s a lot of sauce to wet a lot of beaks.

As for Jessica Coco, MSV crossed the bridge of her credibility last year. In an October story months before the Jersey Journal weighed in this week, this editor confirmed bona fide details of criminality to her residence and a death threat directed against her.


Some details were made available in this story where Carmelo Garcia made a blanket denial of ANY crimes that occurred against her. 


Details of the criminal evidence in the death threat against Jessica Coco was NOT published here.  

Jessica Coco has been the target of criminal attacks since she was first suspected of not supporting Vision 20/20. That’s a fact but more importantly here’s another. MSV confirmed a death threat against her last year.

Talking Ed Note: Anyone who questions the victimization of Jessica Coco go ahead and do so publicly.

I dare you. I double dare you.