News

Campaign moves – less than a month to go!

by SmartyJones2 Min Reading

Councilman Ravi Bhalla announces:




Blog      Volunteer      Contribute
Horsey and MSV readers —

If you haven’t already heard, I’m running for re-election to the Hoboken City Council this November. I’m proud to be running again with my good friend Mayor Dawn Zimmer, whose record of achievement and leadership are unrivaled in this election, as well as my council teammates: Councilman David Mello and Jim Doyle.

In the last four years, the Zimmer Team’s record has put Hoboken back on the right path. By focusing on integrity and accountability this team has passed a balanced budget 4 years in a row, reduced taxes each fiscal year, saved our Hospital and renovated an opened new parks throughout the City. Together, we’re ready to build on this progress and take on whatever challenges might lie ahead.
In the coming weeks, my teammates and I will be sending out campaign updates to this email list.

If you are in Hoboken or near by, consider signing up to volunteer a few hours of your time to help our cause in the next month.

We’re also asking folks to support our grassroots campaign by making a small contribution of $10, $25, $50 or whatever you can give.

As always, your support is greatly appreciated.
Best,

Ravi Bhalla
http://www.dawnzimmer.com/
 

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The Ruben Ramos for mayor campaign announces:

Join Me for Wine & Cheese
Join Me At Headquarters For Wine & Cheese!

Every week from now until Election Day we will be hosting a series of information sessions with our ticket. This Thursday, October 10th, come out for some wine & cheese and hear about my vision for a better Hoboken. Our topic for this week will be Parks and Quality of Life.

I hope to see you there!

Thanks

-Ruben

When: Thursday, October 10th, 7:30 pm

Where: Vision for Hoboken headquarters
              801 Washington Street, Hoboken

Contact: John Castellano, campaign field director
                 John.James.Castellano@gmail.com
News

Sign of the times: Betime for Bonzo?

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

No, it’s not the original but who says cable TV has no antidote for insomnia.  In a tweet today, Timmy Occhipinti the wannabe Mason-Raia underwritten candidate for mayor announced he’s proud to have appeared on a cable show.

Guess who is sitting in the interviewer chair:

=&0=&
Look who’s interviewing Timmy? It’s Beth Mason! Is this her show on cable to support her investment?
Mason’s investment in Timmy now runs in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Just another “in-kind” payment not showing up in an ELEC report no doubt.


And it won’t be reported on either!
News

Carmelo Garcia denies “ALL” incidents reported by HHA resident Jessica Coco

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading
=&0=& =&1=& =&1=& MSV evidence counters Carmelo Garcia’s complete denial of Jessica Coco’s account 

Public comments of intimidation, harassment, numerous crimes including death threats by a HHA resident received notice in the weekend paper with the Hudson Reporter calling the detailed account given last Wednesday night in the City Council meeting by HHA resident Jessica Coco “disturbing.”

The alleged series of criminal actions against Coco are due to what she said began with “suspicion” she was against HHA Executive Director Carmelo Garcia’s Vision 20/20 plan.  To date, the plan consists of a regurgitation out of a three year old colored brochure specifying one option to more than double the size of the HHA downtown campus. Read More...

News

Mayor Zimmer: “We now own an acre” for first part of a larger Southwest Park

by SmartyJones3 Min Reading
Agency Logo
Tuesday October 8, 2013

City of Hoboken
   

Community: City of Hoboken Acquires Property For Southwest Park

The City of Hoboken has acquired a nearly one acre property as the first major installment of a new Southwest Park.

“I fought for a long time for a Southwest Park, and I’m excited to announce that we now own an acre of property for the first part of a larger park that we will expand through the redevelopment process,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “I look forward to immediately kicking off the planning process so we can design and build the first phase of this much-deserved park that reflects the community’s vision for this neighborhood. I thank County Executive DeGise, Freeholder Romano, and the Hudson County Freeholders for their funding support of this project.”

As part of a comprehensive resiliency and readiness strategy to protect the neighborhood from flooding, the City has received a $500,000 technical assistance grant to incorporate sustainable flood mitigation strategies, including underground water detention systems, into a new Southwest Park.

The City has hired Starr Whitehouse, a landscape architecture and planning firm with expertise in parks design and green infrastructure for stormwater management, to lead the planning process for the Southwest Park. Community meetings will be announced shortly. Residents are invited to complete a survey available online at www.hobokennj.org/swpark.

“This is a great day for so many friends and neighbors, past and present, who have long advocated for a park in our Southwest neighborhood,” added Councilman David Mello, Chair of the Community Development committee. “This initial acquisition will serve as a cornerstone of a larger Southwest Park. The Mayor and I have both worked hard to begin realizing the dream of a Southwest Park, and this open space purchase should serve as the first of many western Hoboken land acquisitions.”

Today, the transfer of title was completed for Block 12, a property bounded by Jackson Street, Observer Highway, Harrison Street, and Paterson Avenue. The Southwest Area has been designated an Area in Need of Rehabilitation, and the City intends to substantially expand the park through the Rehabilitation process.

Funding to purchase the property was provided from a $3 million Hudson County Open Space grant. Although the City has deposited its offer amount of $2.937 million with the court, the final value will be established by an independent three-member commission appointed by a State Superior Court judge.
=&0=&: Next is the planning and implementation phase for the Southwest’s first large sized public park, a long held dream by Mayor Dawn Zimmer and local park advocates. It was =&1=& the mayor’s staunch opposition: =&2=&, Michael Russo, =&4=& and Timmy Occhipinti but with Castellano out at the previous meeting, there no longer was enough votes available to stop the Southwest Park. =&6=& had attempted to have far smaller pocket parks purchased taking most of the grant monies used in the purchase of this one acre property.  He =&7=& only agreeing to vote for it in the end when passage was set to occur no matter how he voted by the reform council members: =&8=&, Ravi Bhalla, Peter Cunningham and =&11=&. Was blocking a Southwest Park an act of humanitarianism?  
News

Exit Stage Left, Timmy Occhipinti’s ex-employer oddly enters stage right

by SmartyJones2 Min Reading

There’s no conclusive election importance about the self-proclaimed Timmy Occhipinti resignation from his support analyst position at a midtown financial firm.  Even if a non-starter as part of any significant impact on the Hoboken mayoral race, the question for some has not been fully answered.

What prompted Timmy Occhipinti’s very odd exit from his job? MSV can say with absolute certainty, there is currently strong interest in his Hoboken political doings at his former employer Alliance Bernstein.  Either the employer or someone in the firm has a strong interest in viewing numerous stories about Occhipinti from =&0=& =&1=& The question is why which opens up a whole other pandora’s box, not of the mole making kind. =&2=&: If merely a typical employee departure, why would an employer be conducting detailed investigation into the doings of an employee who left more than a week back? Occhipinti announced just over a week ago he was resigning from his long held job as a help desk support analyst with only a little more than a month left to the November election. Contrast this with Steve Fulop who resigned his vice president in equities and trading position over a year in advance to focus on his run for Jersey City Mayor.  Fulop announced his resignation in March 2012 in advance of the May 2013 election more than a year later.
News

Ramos campaign of events week, Mayor Dawn Zimmer campaign picks up Laborers Union endorsement

by SmartyJones3 Min Reading

The Ruben Ramos campaign for mayor announces:

Less than one month until Election Day!

Sprinting to the Finish

In more ways than one!

We’re less than a month from election day and the candidates are kicking the campaign into high gear! Last Thursday we hosted the first of several “Whine” and Cheese events at campaign headquarters to talk about solutions to Hoboken’s flooding problem. On Saturday morning, our candidates gave out free coffee and donuts to other soccer moms and dads at 1600 Park. On Saturday afternoon, Ruben ran the City Challenge obstacle race – the above photo shows him crossing the finish line with his son Ryan!

If you’d like to get in on the campaign action, there will lots of ways to spend time with the candidates, get informed about our Vision, and help achieve victory in November! Here are some of the events we have planned for this week:

MONDAY October 7th
Monday Night Football at the Elks Lodge
1005 Washington Street
$10 for all-you-can-eat food while you watch the Jets game and hang out with the Vision for Hoboken candidates

TUESDAY October 8th
Hoboken Reporter Mayoral candidates forum
The Hoboken Reporter will be hosting a candidates’ forum – keep an eye out on their website for video of the event, and be sure to pick up this Saturday’s edition of the paper to read all about it!

THURSDAY October 10th
“Whine” and Cheese
Join us at campaign headquarters, 801 Washington Street, for wine, cheese, and a question-and-answer session about our Vision.
This week’s topic: Quality of Life issues.

FRIDAY October 11th
NJ Power and Politics interview
Keep an eye out for an interview with Ruben on News 12’s New Jersey Power & Politics program. He’ll be discussing why he’s running and his Vision for Hoboken’s future.

SATURDAY October 12th
Coffee & Canvassing!
Join the candidates at the campaign office from 11:00AM to 1:00PM this Saturday (and every Saturday!) for free coffee and donuts, then at 1:00PM head out for door-to-door canvassing!

EVERY DAY
We are always looking for motivated volunteers to canvass door-to-door and phone bank to spread the word about the Vision for Hoboken team! If you’re interested in volunteering, stop by our campaign office at 801 Washington Street any weekday between 11:00AM and 7:00PM for more information on how you can get involved!

Thanks for your continued support!
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Twitter
Website

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The re-elect Mayor Dawn Zimmer campaign announces:


NJ Laborers Union Supports Zimmer for Hoboken Mayor

The New Jersey Laborers Union has announced that it is supporting Dawn Zimmer and the Zimmer Team in their respective races for Mayor and Council of the City of Hoboken.  The union cited Mayor Zimmer’s policies to modernize both the city’s government and its infrastructure as one of the reasons for the endorsement. Both Zimmer and her council candidates combine a keen understanding of the needs of Hoboken residents with the unparalleled skills to deliver results. Read More...

News

State of NJ on Tornado Watch until 7:00 pm

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

A statewide tornado watch has been issued effective until 7:00 pm.

If you are interested in human self-inflicted disasters, Grafix Avenger has a story today detailing the imploding Timmy Occhipinti campaign.  It’s akin to a Real World soap opera on MTV combined with a bad episode of Peyton Place.

Who owes who and who will double cross the other last jacking peops’ wallets for the ride?
MTV might be interested in a bizarre contest of who wins the doofus last: Brit or Amanda?
Does that matter after November 5th? Read More...

News

Old Guard War of the Roses

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

The Hoboken scene appears serene on the surface but in the rough and tumble Hoboken political environment, it’s all out war and all the guns are blazing or about to let fly.

Whether it’s the traditional Hoboken Housing Authority dance of the vote-by-mail ballot buys or the knocks on the door by campaigns, winning hearts and minds is the name of the game with just a month left to election day November 5th.

First, the very successful Zimmer campaign event at the Madison last week with Eli Manning and his wife was by all accounts a huge success and not only from the fundraising aspect.  Eli and Abby were graceful and clearly engaged showing this was no mere appearance but the beginning of a down payment on the community. Read More...

News

Jessica Coco responds to Carmelo Garcia’s denials of her account of mistreatment

by SmartyJones3 Min Reading

The following is a response from Jessica Coco in reply to the weekend paper’s report HHA Executive Director Carmelo Garcia called “all” of her account “false.”

Mr. Carmelo Garcia stated to the Hoboken Reporter that all my allegations are false. I sent him a letter detailing the harassment I received which included =&0=& incidents of vandalization, burglaries and threats to my car, home and person on Aug. 26th.  I never received any response to this letter.  These incidents were filed with the Hoboken Police Department. Certainly, the Hoboken Police Dept informed Mr. Garcia of these incidents that all took place on HHA property.  Did Mr. Garcia ever do an investigation into any of these incidents? If not, why? Isn’t this his job to make sure under the law that his tenants have a safe and secure living environment? Why am I not entitled to a safe and secure environment?  Is it because I voice concerns and skepticism over the pet project he is trying to push, i.e. Vision 20/20? Even when Mr. Garcia approached me on Sept. 13th at the local housing office located at 321 Harrison St. while I was renewing my lease, I brought forth the fact I did not feel safe at the HHA and vocalized the harassment I was experiencing.  Mr. Garcia’s only response to these incidents was to state he was not responsible, because he alleges that neither he nor his HHA staff are responsible for the acts. This answer is wholly unacceptable and as I explained it’s irrelevant whether he was directly involved or not, the law stipulates the landlord is responsible for providing a safe and secure living environment.   For nearly a month, my lock was damaged and I couldn’t leave my apartment unattended. This is disgraceful. One of Mr. Garcia’s supporters who threatened “to hurt me” over the phone has even the nerve to approach me in my mail room to threaten me a second time. Here too, a report has been filed with the HPD.  How is this behavior acceptable? Mr. Garcia’s only answer isn’t to investigate or do anything about the harassment but to totally ignore the repeated acts of harassment aimed towards me.
Carmelo Garcia, the contracted landlord in the HHA has nothing to say about the documented account of
harassment, intimidation and death threats to a resident who voices skepticism against his Vision 20/20 plan.
Garcia only offers a complete denial calling all of her account of mistreatment “false.”