6/30/2008:

By T.G. Heins:

6/30/2008

It’s the battle of the full-page ads!

This week Mayor David Roberts put an ad in the weekly paper attacking Second Ward councilwoman Beth Mason, who kicked it off with her own ad last week. Mason’s ad warned Hoboken taxpayers of a “huge financial and management crisis” and accuses Roberts of refusing to do anything about it. Mason’s ad warned the Mayor’s “reckless overspending and mismanagement” has put the city on the road to years of financial turmoil. Mason’s ad also noted Roberts is about to give a million dollar retirement plan to a Police Chief “Whose mismanagement… created a national embarrassment.” Mason’s ad also noted the investigation into missing Hoboken Parking Utility funds, which the Mayor has been silent about.

Roberts responds, with HCDO help

Roberts responded with an attack ad that ignores the HPU and SWAT investigations and instead tries to put the blame for the budget debacle on Mason and the City Council. The Roberts ad claims Mason hired “high priced political advisors” to engage in a “low class personal attack on Mayor Roberts”.

The irony? Judging by the signature style and typeset of the ad, it was Roberts who hired HCDO spinmeister Paul Swibinski to do a smear ad against Mason, and he doesn’t work for free.

The ad also included misleading and inaccurate statements in typical political ad style. Roberts says he is working “in cooperation with the state, working hard every single day.”

Take a look at each of them and post your thoughts in the comments section.

4:22pm update…

Looks like a bigger version of the storm we had before is on its way.. gulp.

6/29/2008:

(Keeping up with the tradition) here’s a radar snapshot of the current thunderstorm. The heaviest rain is to our southeast, but still coming down in diagonal buckets here..

6/29/2008:

Watch the Euro 2008 Soccer final with Germany vs. Spain over at Helmers’, Hoboken’s only German bar!

Beer specials throughout the day. Game starts around 2:45pm.

6/29/2008:

Summer’s just getting started, so find yourself a nice pool, air-conditioned spot, or ice-cold beer and relax!

Here are the Top 10 new, bumped or re-treaded postings this week that had the most diverse and hottest overall discussion in Hoboken!

Hottest topics of the week

1. Many mouths to feed
   Super popular eatery The Turning Point adds outdoor seats to cater to the mobs of hungry patrons.
2. Not a witch-hunt!
   Citizens keep city hall on their toes as they expose another “inside deal” in regards to privileged parking allowances.
3. Can cars, bikes and pedestrians co-exist in Hoboken?
   Plans are being discussed to add bike paths, as some other cities have successfully done. Hopefully, they’ll be done right.
4. Free food to woo new customers
   Much-maligned Lana Lounge tries hard to re-brand themselves as a legitimate restaurant.
5. Light at the end of the tunnel
   Hoboken411 chats with a Verizon FiOS technician, readers discuss.
6. Fiscally Embarrassing
   Hoboken’s budget woes make top-shelf headlines with the NY Times.
7. Awww (meow), Crap!
   One 411 reader wonders what to do with cats in the wild, stinking up the yard (as well as his fecal-fancying dog).
8. Mini Park, ribbon, ribbon, Mini Park
   Poor-excuse for a park gets introduced to the scissors and more as it finally opens.
9. Yah, dis Bud iz for you!
   Popular national story about the potential takeover of a Beer giant Budweiser gets discussed locally.
10. You can’t win
    Every good idea brought forward is spun into something negative. In this case, bringing in financial experts to cure the budget disease Hoboken suffers from.

Noteworthy

• Geese can get arrested (if caught)
  Maxwell Place hires “Geese Police” to chase the crap-spewing dirt-birds from the lovely waterfront park.
• Yep, the NY Times
  When the top paper in the country chuckles at Hoboken, perhaps they’re right!
• R.I.P.
  Comedy Legend George Carlin is no longer with us, but lives on regardless.

This week

Summer events continue in Hoboken (you can see them listed on the calender on the bottom of the left sidebar - Let me know if I’m missing any good ones!)

Such as:

• Art for Kids on Monday
• Yoga at the park on Mondays, too
• And another Monday option, Shakespeare in the Park
• Get Jersey Fresh produce at the Hoboken Farmers Market (Tuesday)
• Movies at Pier A on Wednesdays
• More performance art on Thursdays

6/28/2008:

Here’s the current storm skirting Hoboken. I believe we’ll be lucky and will miss the worse part of it, as it appears it’s to be moving northeast.

It’ll surely delay the Yankees / Mets game.

6/28/2008:

Here’s one Hoboken411 reader’s suggested image for the Handicapped Parking privileges in Hoboken:

6/28/2008 Update:

Here’s a thoughtful follow up to Hoboken’s current budget crisis from Rich T.

Citizens deserve more explanation from the State

“According to recent news reports, state supervision means the Department of Community Affairs will install its own business administrator who will “make sure the community is run in an efficient and legal matter.” For example, regarding efficiency, will the DCA perform the city’s Operational and Efficiency review? Will this be solely by the “new business administrator” or by a team? Will the hard decisions be made? Will the state require additional legal advice in view of the concern in this area? It is common knowledge that a budget must be balanced. It is a good example for the state to violate sound budgetary practices? Is this such an emergency that the state goes on a path that appears to be violating municipal budget law? In deferring the deficit to the new fiscal budget, is this misdirection that will puzzle the public as to the real financial impact caused by this budget crisis? Will the DCA have such broad powers so as to increase the revenue stream in any manner they seem necessary? For example, can they change ordinances to produce more license income without the city council’s approval?

The residents of Hoboken deserve more detailed information as to the operational controls and oversight. The state and not the mayor and council, who have presently disappointed all of us, should be forthcoming with this information. The state has to show leadership and communication skills and insure that our tax dollars are well spent. Our elected officials have to try to regain the trust of the people they represent. It’s time for them to do their job and deal with this situation!”

Richard Tremitiedi
Concerned Taxpayer

Read previous Rich Tremitiedi commentary after the jump…

[Click to continue reading the rest....]