News

BUSTED: Environmental contract proposed by Ravi Bhalla Administration rejected by City Council amid pay-to-play allegations

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading
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City Council rejects $50,000 environmental services contract connected to Union Dry Dock work for alleged Pay-to-Play violations by the Ravi Bhalla mayoral and committee campaigns

An engineering firm allegedly contributing to Ravi Bhalla’s mayoral campaign and Team Bhalla in 2018 in excess of Hoboken’s pay-to-play ordinance saw its proposed contract tabled in the City Council meeting last night.

The contract was part of a two vendor consulting agreement totaling $50,000 for work at Union Dry Dock. Read More...

News

Ravi Bhalla erases Mike DeFusco in Executive Order

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Some will say the election last November is over. Others will point to Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s warlike actions against those who didn’t and don’t support him with absolute 100% agreement and say, “not exactly.”

In Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s latest executive action, he declared all single occupancy bathrooms to be gender neutral making the Hoboken’s People Republic the first in New Jersey to recognize all 64 Ben & Jerry ice cream flavors or is it 64 genders?

Regardless, Hoboken single occupancy bathrooms are designated a free for all and no matter what of the dozens of gender choices your religious tenets holds and/or you self-identify, you are free to enjoy sitting on a toilet seat a man has urinated on of your preference. No, the guys won’t be lifting up the toilet seat and you can’t make them. Read More...

News

Grist for the Mill – RaviLeaks: ‘He’s bailing on mayor to take the Assembly seat’

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

“It’s three months, where’s my next political job?”

According to people who declined to comment on the record, that’s very much a current topic for Hoboken’s mayor Ravi Bhalla.

Hoboken’s new mayor with political junkets to Trenton and Texas under his belt is scoping out his next political position in elected office. The road of opportunity is, however, rather narrow and one that’s bedeviled Ravi Bhalla for years.

A bold move to make a jump before the four-year Hoboken mayoral term is on the table several insiders say. Bhalla made no promise not to leverage the office of Hoboken mayor for personal political gain, unlike his Reform rival Councilwoman Jen Giattino. The issue became a hot topic in last fall’s mayoral campaign. Read More...

News

RaviLeaks are springing

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Good weather will blossom this week and while the fountains will not be spouting at Pier A, the RaviLeaks are flowing.

There’s budding RaviLeaks springing into action at lunchtime today. Events may be impacted when the word gets out and future political ambitions may be subject to change.

In the meantime, keep those RaviLeaks flowing and the transparency budding. smartyjones@me.com

News

Bad Politics & Good Governance

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Official release:


Dear friends and neighbors: When politics conflicts with good government it is important to speak out.  And when it affects my ability to represent you on an important issue, it is time for me to speak out.  

Last Friday, our Mayor used a recent city council vote as his reason to exclude me from speaking at the Union Dry Dock / NYWW “Protect the Waterfront” Rally on Friday evening.   When I asked to speak at the rally, I was initially told by his Chief of Staff that the schedule had been set and that the Mayor was “not inclined to make any changes.”  But when I spoke to Mayor Bhalla directly about speaking, he instead told me the reason he would not support me speaking at the event was because I voted against paying a recurring, bi-weekly stipend for his two, salaried Chief of Staff’s at the last council meeting.   Read More...

News

Horse Sense: What’s next for dealmaker Ravi? Sexism?

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Having Councilman Michael Russo in the fold and your special guest at a Hoboken Democrat Committee meeting has its privileges.

And it has its obligations as the backroom wheeling-dealing with Russo on the Church Towers Pilot is a major conflict but for the conflict-loving mayor, no problema. They’re not throwing in the towel over a conflict. Last year then-councilman Ravi Bhalla never sat out on City Council action when his law firm clients came up. He had to be told to by his colleagues “you’re conflicted” and he kept mum regarding both NJ Transit and Suez. Read More...

News

Grist for the Mill: Team Conflicted: Team Ravi-Russo looks to insert itself on Church Towers PILOT evaluation

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

A new Church Towers PILOT currently in the evaluation stages by the Ravi Bhalla Administration is creating tensions as clear undeniable conflicts surface involving Team Ravi-Russo.

At the recent subcommittee meeting on Affordable Housing last week, the topic of a potential PILOT for Church Towers was presented by the Bhalla Administration. An email from the Bhalla Administration to the subcommittee prior to the meeting included one City Council member who is most certainly not a subcommittee member: Councilman Michael Russo. Read More...

News

Almost halfway there!

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

The weather is moving from freezing temperatures to more suitable construction norms and with it, progress on the overdue Washington Street reconstruction commences.

While the workers are not enjoying the unseasonably global cooling temperatures, they’ve made progress up to almost fifth street.

Let’s hope the Bhalla Administration can continue the effort and get it completed sooner than later.

Here are some Giant progress photos documenting the street improvements downtown.

Read More...

News

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher: Let’s get ready to rally!!!!

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Official release:




  Dear friends and neighbors: With Spring so close we can taste it, there seems to be so much pent-up energy around so of course, the logical way to release some of this energy in a constructive and positive way is to rally with your neighbors!  Hope you can join for all our some! RALLY TO PROTECT OUR WATERFRONT – FRIDAY 4/20 AT 6PM  Please join me, your neighbors and Mayor Bhalla tomorrow night at Maxwell Place Park at 6pm to show your support for Protecting Our Waterfront from NYWW’s proposed maintenance, refueling and storage operations.  

  • Did you know that at least 2 federally endangered species of sturgeon and several state-threatened birds, like the osprey, were identified at the former Union Dry Dock property & would be threatened by expanded industrial use at the site?  
  • Did you know there are real, documented concerns about legacy contamination from Union Dry Dock that are not being addressed and the potential for the new, more intense uses could exacerbate the situation?  
  • Did you know that 3 months ago, hundreds of gallons of oil spilled into the Hudson River meant for NYWW in Weehawken?
    • Read More...