Last week’s release of more than 500 emails may unmask the real political boss behind Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer. The emails appear to indicate that her husband, Stan Grossbard, has been the ghost in the political machine that many people have suspected.
The email exchanges start in October 2012 and extend into July 2013. Many of them deal with the removal of HHA Executive Director Carmelo Garcia and HHA Attorney Charles Daglian, and appear to include public officials and, in at least one case, political people without government positions.
The extensive exchanges involve a number of areas. But they appear to show a clear pattern of political and governmental advice from Grossbard to various people, in particular then-HHA Board Chairman Jake Stuiver.
Most important are a number of emails issued by Grossbard to Stuiver, HHA board member Greg Lincoln, and HHA Commissioner and City Councilman Dave Mello, laying out strategies for Garcia’s removal as executive director of the HHA. Mayor Zimmer was copied in a number of emails to her personal email account.
In one email, Grossbard even proposes a possible resolution for the board to pass to enact Garcia’s removal.
One Grossbard email dated Feb. 26, 2013 talks about three possible options to resolve the conflict between the board and executive director and why removal of Garcia is the best. Grossbard even suggests offering Garcia terms of reemployment that he was not likely to accept.
A follow-up email on March 7 talks about getting around the city’s labor attorney and hiring an attorney who “will not spill the beans” in regard to some of these details and suggest the board simply “terminate his [Garcia’s] contract and move on.” A third email dated March 11 offers a suggested resolution that might be passed to accomplish this.
All these are set against the background of Garcia’s claim that he maintained sole appointing authority on the HHA, which one email said is true, and which the plans outlined in these emails intended to change.
While this may not rise to the level of conspiracy that Garcia claims in a lawsuit he filed against Zimmer in 2014, it certainly suggests significant communication between the mayor’s husband and the HHA over how to remove Garcia and Daglian, who was the HHA board attorney at the time.
The envelope, please!
Garcia, a Democrat running against a Zimmer-backed candidate in Hoboken’s 6th Ward City Council election on Nov. 3, came under fire last week when some literature about his legislative efforts against animal cruelty was distributed in the envelope of a fellow assemblyman, a Republican. The issue drew attention when a local blogger reported that Garcia appeared to be distributing campaign literature using state postage and envelopes. Those close to Garcia argued that it was not campaign literature that was being distributed but rather material about legislation he introduced. Secondly, they claim it was through some kind of mix up that it came via another assemblyman’s stationery.
But in Hoboken, everything gets extra scrutiny.
New charges against Chico
Jersey City Councilman Khemraj “Chico” Ramchal was charged again last week with allegedly not doing his job while at the Hudson County Improvement Authority (HCIA), based mostly on GPS records that seem to conflict with his reports as to where he was and what he was doing.
Ramchal claims he used his private car because the HCIA vehicle was malfunctioning and the HCIA did not have another he could use. The new charges come in addition to charges related to an accident he had earlier this year in an HCIA vehicle.
If Ramchal’s denial that he wasn’t doing his job is true, then the whole situation once more stinks of backroom political wheeling and dealing, with the usual convenient leaks to the press.
Some have pushed for Ramchal to resign his council seat.
Several key officials including Mayor Steven Fulop have gone on record to say that Ramchal will have to give up his City Council seat if convicted.
Earlier this year, Ramchal said he would not bow to pressure to resign as a result of the car accident charges. Since then, more information has surfaced. He was fired without a hearing from the HCIA based apparently on the GPS records. With the latest charges, is someone telling Ramchal to get out before things get even hotter?
If so, is there someone waiting in the wings to replace him?
Coincidentally, former Gov. Jim McGreevey has moved back to Jersey City where he lived as a child. He has also moved into Ward B where Ramchal is councilman.
Rumor is that McGreevey has been seeking a way to revive his political career. He resigned as governor in 2004 after announcing that he was gay, at a moment when his administration was rocked by questions about some of his campaign contributors as well as some of the activities of members of his staff.
McGreevey has done much in the way of helping develop a comprehensive reentry program for ex-prisoners, but he has also come under fire for his use of political clout. This may simply be behind the scenes political warfare between him and others who are looking ahead to the 2017 municipal elections, but it does create an atmosphere of suspicion.
McGreevey, who heads the city’s workforce development program, also came under fire recently for taking a job with Hudson County that allowed him to fill in missing work record pieces and qualify for a state pension.
Some believe McGreevey may have plans to run for mayor of Jersey City, if Fulop wins the Democratic nomination for governor in the spring of that year.
What better stepping stone to become mayor would McGreevey need than to start out as councilman?
Three to one in Jersey City school board debate
The Paulus Hook Neighborhood Association sponsored a debate at PS 16 last week for candidates to the Jersey City Board of Education. Four candidates are seeking three seats.
In some ways it resembled a mugging. Three candidates running together ganged up on Gina Verdibello, who is running as an independent.
This is Verdibello’s second attempt to get on the board. Last year, her running mates won thanks to an endorsement by the JCEA teachers union, but the union did not endorse her.
This year, the union has endorsed the slate that includes Vidya Gagnadin, Marilyn Roman and John Reichart. This ticket also appears to have the support of Mayor Fulop.
Reichart, an ex-cop, carries baggage in that he works for a developer with abated property in Jersey City. This means his boss’s building doesn’t pay school taxes, adding to the burden of supporting schools on the shoulders of ordinary taxpayers.
Although his employer launched a campaign this week to promote an educational program in one of the public schools, this seems like a band-aid over what could be a significant issue.
Verdibello has yet to exploit this development. But considering how condescending Reichart was to her during the debate, you have to expect her to counterattack soon. With state funding frozen, the school district faces serious cash shortfalls in the future, especially as new abated properties begin to generate even more students.
Reichart has said his position in the private sector gives him a unique perspective when it comes to the Board of Education in dealing with these issues. But you have to wonder if, when caught between his income working for a developer and the interests of the school district, how objective will Reichart really be?
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.