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The calendar is ticking with a June 4th primary in the distance for the 33rd Assembly seat.  The ticket is up in the air as Carmelo Garcia awaits the NJ Appellate Court verdict on his candidacy.

The Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) also awaits the decision.

Both received bad news in Hudson County Superior Court when Assignment Judge Peter Bariso ruled they were out of order with Garcia being disqualified based on existing NJ law and the HCDO being told it had made its pick in Garcia and the five remaining candidates wouldn’t miss them. Read More...

Hoboken resident Carly Ringer found herself under attack first in a recent Hoboken City Council meeting by the Hoboken Sopranos and then after by its scurillous website sponsored by Beth Mason in Hoboken411.

First, Councilman Michael Russo led the attack joined by the Hoboken Sopranos crew asking if an OEM employee couldn’t do the work she’s providing on a limited basis since Hurricane Sandy.  He complained the council was misled her temporary salary would be repaid by FEMA.

If you thought one additional individual aiding after a Superstorm was problematic on a temporary paid basis aiding residents seeking governmental assistance, then you certainly have a friend in Michael Russo who has a family bill of six figures owed to the City from his father Anthony Russo of over $300,000.  That amount doesn’t include the estimated $100,000 stolen in illicit health benefits over years by Ma Russo and her husband finally stopped in 2011.  Union City’s BoE helped out giving her a job. Read More...

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The National Football League kicked off a charitable $2 million dollar aid plan for the area hit by Superstorm Sandy visiting the Hoboken Boys & Girls of Hudson County to announce a $100,000 donation to the facility Friday afternoon.

The overall grant is part of an effort by the NY/NJ Super Bowl host committee’s Snowflake Foundation improving sports facilities for young people damaged after last year’s storm.

The Jets and Giants each donated $1 million each to the Snowflake Foundation with co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch on hand for the NY Giants and Jet owner Woody Johnson of the NY Jets. Read More...

A number of NFL players from both the NY Jets and Giants appeared at the event Friday afternoon at the Boys & Girls Club event for the NFL’s support post Hurricane Sandy.  (More on that later.)  One large star though was former Jet and Hall of Fame NY Jet Curtis Martin.  It was a tossup who was the main attraction among the hundreds in attendance between Gov. Chris Christie and Curtis Martin.

Da Horsey had an opportunity to have a few words with Curtis Martin and it was based on his commitment to the community first and admiration for him as a player second.  His reputation is beyond stellar but let’s hear from him.  Here’s his induction speech from 2012 to the NFL Hall of Fame. Read More...

at the Hoboken Boys and Girls Club late Friday afternoon.

Gov. Christie with Assembly candidate and Hoboken Councilman Ravi Bhalla

At last week’s City Council meeting, odd comments from Councilwoman Terry Castellano said everyone should be able to have their voice heard no matter how long they live in Hoboken.  It’s a remarkable statement deflating the divide and conquer class warfare often propagated by some in the Old Guard to keep control over Old Hoboken voters.

Days later a controversy has broken out over an ice cream truck at Church Square Park.  The voices are however not what we’re being told.  Here’s the most recent comments from supporters of Terry Castellano and Tim Occhipinti’s petition claiming a threat to an ice cream truck: Read More...

Office of the Mayor announces:

“Tonight’s Council meeting was the second opportunity for the City Council to vote on two different alternatives for paying our firefighters the terminal leave they have earned and we have an obligation to pay. Terminal leave is not salary, nor is it pension cost, as it has been incorrectly described. It is a retirement benefit based upon number of years of service. It is not a current operating cost attributable to the year in which it is paid and therefore the State permits for this cost to be spread out over five years for budget purposes. Taking advantage of this option requires the City to finance the cost with the use of short term five year notes so that the firefighters can be paid immediately upon retirement. 


Spreading the cost out in this way protects taxpayers from the unfair burden that would otherwise result when, as this year, an exceptionally large number of retirements occur in one year.


The City Council was fully aware when they voted to introduce the budget that terminal leave would be financed using the legally available five year option.


Council Members Castellano, Mason, Occhipinti, and Russo have indicated that they believe that the decision not to burden taxpayers unnecessarily this year causes the budget to be “underfunded.” While this is not correct, the budget is now in the hands of the City Council, and it is within their power to include the amounts in full in this year’s budget. Doing so will require an otherwise unnecessary increase in the tax levy. 


Since the four Council Members have made clear that they would prefer to raise taxes than to take advantage of the more responsible and fairer alternative available under State law, we will once again for the third time be presenting an emergency appropriation that fully funds the terminal leave costs in this year’s budget.


The terminal leave ordinance passed at the last meeting makes no fiscal sense without the corresponding notes that the Council failed to pass. As a result, I will be vetoing the terminal leave ordinance tomorrow morning.


Once again, the budget is in the Council’s hands, and it is their responsibility to fully fund it. I assume, given the public statements of Council Members Castellano, Mason, Occhipinti, and Russo, that they will pass the emergency appropriation so that our firefighters can be paid immediately. It is unfortunate that their choice will also result in an entirely unnecessary burden on Hoboken’s taxpayers.”


Read More...

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Spin it Old Guard council members how you like but the firefighters who showed up tonight were not happy with the obstruction games played at their expense.

Then again, too many municipal employees have bought into their lies. So why not one more time, courtesy of the Hoboken Sopranos.

Scroll ahead to the five minute mark of the ten minute non-meeting.  You support MORTe as the only game in town, this is how they treat you.

Had enough?

When you hate the people running Hoboken on the second floor at City Hall, you have to come up with ways to undermine and hurt the City for your political gain.

Tonight’s special council meeting called by the mayor is part two of such a plan, a staple in the Hoboken Sopranos playbook.  Some Hoboken firefighters have opted for retirement over remaining in the Gov. Christie passed pension reform plan.  As a result, municipal employees statewide are choosing to leave.   This incurs a one time hit to municipalities called terminal leave.  In this case, Hoboken is on the hook for $700,000, a figure only accounting for those who are retiring to date.  The City anticipates more fire employees to put in retirement papers by September. =&0=&, a consistent sabotage against sound financial advice by =&1=& municipal expert.  But don’t ask them to name financial  experts they are basing their actions; =&2=& They are so petty in their hatred, they are willing to hurt Hoboken firefighters – all with an eye to draining the surplus.  There’s just one problem.  Hoboken’s mayor actually believe a surplus is important.  Hurricane Sandy has only confirmed to Mayor Zimmer how critical a surplus is but not months after, the Hoboken Sopranos are back to the same old games. Tune in at 7:00 or watch the replay to see the Hoboken Sopranos in action.  Will they once again shoot down the sound financing for terminal pay to the retiring Hoboken fire employees?   Those are municipal employees, the very people they claim to represent.  What matter more to them, harming Hoboken and getting in a shot at the mayor or allowing the City to use a state approved five year financing formula as most any “normal” NJ municipality. But Hoboken is special is in the words of Councilwoman Terry Castellano.  

Talking Ed Note: Mayoral candidate Ruben Ramos is entering the fray, talking about this issue with typical Old Guard misinformation hand delivered to Hoboken Patch. Well he’s cut from that same Hoboken Soprano cloth.

Are you surprised?  Did you think he would try to project a professional image on sound financial action by the City?  As it turns out, the council slate is only a skin deep figment of that imagination. Read More...

There’s a special meeting tonight where the surplus will be under threat (again) by the Hoboken Sopranos but Hoboken is after all the birthplace of baseball.  Last night was one grand game where the legend of Matt Harvey continues and a walk off home run ended the game in extra innings.

Jordany Valdespin escapes the scrum (l) after hitting a walk off grand slam in the 10th inning last night at CitiField. The win over the LA Dodgers was celebrated by a delirious Mighty Petz crowd.  (They’ll make great pets.)

Original photos by Jhnny “to the butter” Newman

 More surprises at the jump

Not since Doc Gooden have the Mets had a figure like rookie Matt Harvey on the mound.  He didn’t get the W but escaped a loss seeing his ERA ballon to 1.94 with seven strikeouts in six innings.

Picture of the board right before the Grand Slam for DR’s Jordany Valdespin.

A ball caught down the right field line in the 10th inning off Bobby Parnell via A. J. Ellis.  Thank you Bobby.