Dear Editor:
We once again received the news that the FBI is targeting Hoboken City Hall. Earlier this year IT head Patrick Ricciardi was suspended after allegedly tapping into City Hall emails. He was arrested and 3 others are named in the indictment. Individual 3 appears to be the hero who showed Mayor Zimmer the emails. The indictment backs up the fact that it was Mayor Zimmer who called the FBI, not the other way around. What would make him allegedly do such a thing? The Hoboken Old Guard has had an axe to grind with Mayor Zimmer from the very beginning. They correctly realized that the patronage gravy train would come to a screeching halt. Oh, the horrors of hiring competent people from outside of Hoboken!
People like Patrick appear to have an agenda. Patrick was the former cameraman at the BOE. Under the previous administrations BOE audit results were withheld from the public despite major violations. When a Kids First majority was elected for the first time the audit, highlighting flaws and violations, was read publicly. The errors were corrected. Unless you were there you would not know this, as that portion of the video was somehow “lost” and never aired. Patrick was apparently replaced in the job shortly thereafter.
I don’t usually believe in coincidences. At the time Patrick was allegedly hacking the emails, Beth Mason and Michael Russo went on a jihad against Dan Bryan and Juan Melli. Coincidence? I doubt it. All minority members have stated that Patrick did not give them emails. It is highly unlikely that he kept them to himself. Perhaps the proper question should have been: “did you receive any City Hall emails”? It is quite possible that Patrick gave them to a third party, who then passed them on.
The minority of the City Council is exactly what is wrong with Hoboken. They are legally and fiscally irresponsible- breaching Corner Cars, employee contracts and recently not allowing a mundane transfer of funds at year end to occur. They held HUMC employees and taxpayer’s hostage until the stroke of midnight. Beth Mason comes out and regurgitates the exact promises that HoldCo had already agreed to, save a minority appointed member on the new board. Let’s hope it’s a large board.
Our parking surplus earmarked for the problematic automatic garage, will now be used so we don’t violate IRS regulations. Hoboken’s budget is 98% on target. Don’t take my word for it. Council President Bhalla received a letter from the head of NJ Division of Local Government Services (DLGS). In part it says that the minority is putting the city in jeopardy of violating N.J.S.A. 40A:4-57, creating fiscal distress. You can read the full document here: http://www.hobokenrevolt.com/forum/topics/minority-council-members-once-again-violate-state-law. Sorry for the weird formatting! This time it isn’t just me criticizing the minority, the head of DLGS has slapped them down. Of course they continued to put the city in jeopardy of violating state law once again on Monday. Expect layoffs to occur now, thanks to Beth Mason, et al.
Scott Siegel