Hypocrisy, Inaction (Pamphlet #7)

If it were an earthy possibility that hypocrisy could take the shape of a pig, our council chambers would surely be the sullen quarters of a most stinking and squalid sty.  For too long the entrenched Members of Council who legislate solely to preserve their inept positions in bold defiance to our outcry for reform and good governance have lazed in the filthy mud of impotent squalor.  For too long the Entitlement Class leaders who peddle the "Old Hoboken" lie have done nothing for the public at large while striving to establish their importance to we who pay taxes.  In INACTION, their calls for support are the height of HYPOCRISY.

First, they DARE to call themselves REFORM!  NO!  These stagnant tramplers of justice have done nothing for years - some for decades - and claim to be aligned with our dear child reform.  They claim they have never been the majority!  They claim they have always represented the weak and defenseless.  LIES, do not trust these scoundrels!  This, dear Hobokenite, is the most vile of HYPOCRISY, when those who have CONTROLLED EVERYTHING in this city for far too long feign to be the heroes of OUR reform.  This, dear neighbor, is the putrid regurgitation of popular rhetoric while absolutely nothing that has not benefited the FAMILY RULE has been ignored by INACTION!

Secondly, majority Members of Council have, on countless occasions, insisted that they seek to improve the quality of life of ALL RESIDENTS, yet they confide only with those whom they qualify as members of  "Old Hoboken" to save and preserve the legacy of FAMILY RULE over democracy.  These Members of Council assemble campaign literature that presents themselves as having concern and support for OUR reform issues, yet there is no record to show this has ever been true.  Consider the recent approval of bonds for parks.  Councilwoman Castellano is on record - on taped video even - claiming that "Hoboken has enough parks", and dismisses OUR reformer efforts to improve the quality of life for all Hobokenites.  Council Vice-President Russo, too, is quoted in the press several times over his many, many inactive years sitting on the Council favoring various forms of development over new parks.  Yet now, when there is a desperate need to trick residents into voting for their form of political hyprocisy through inaction, a new contradictory vote is made to support the parks bond.  What can be the rationale?  Be it parks that are suddenly more of a necessity to these Members of Council, or perhaps be it votes?

Thirdly, majority Members of Council release statements to the press criticizing the implementation of policy for ensuring accuracy of information released to the public, characterizing this as "suppression", yet at every single meeting, the Council President attempts to stifle the voices of dissenting Members of Council and - what is even more appalling - members of the public.  How can anyone other than a hypocrite insist on both things at once?  And has not any Member of Council criticizing this policy ever READ the actual policy?  Here it is for the liars who dare to fool us:

"Employees, like all citizens, have a First Amendment right of free speech. On occasion, an employee's personal interest in an issue may be different from the City's position. When this occurs, employees are required to clearly state that their position is personal. Notification following a conversation or interview with the news media must be made the same day of contact. Notification of media contact must be made to the City's Business Administrator and the employee's immediate supervisor. Notification must be in person, by telephone, or by e-mail."

Fourthly, majority Members of Council demand that the city is not following good governance laws by citing a letter from the New Jersey Comptroller criticizing activities FROM A FORMER MAYOR, yet they regularly change or entirely ignore the rules of City Council to forcefully install a new council president, force through votes that have not been vetted appropriately, and disregard laws or requirements that are not in the interest of their political ambitions.

Fifthly, in a recent debate on the issue of rent control, majority Members of Council rally behind the argument that "Perfect be not the enemy of good".  Their argument being that the rent control amendments were not perfect, but they were a good start and should be voted on as a way to move forward.  Good politics, that be, weeks before an election.  Yet, in exactly the same meeting on a debate about anti-wheeling laws, the Council Vice-President Michael Russo argues that the amendments to this ordinance presented are not perfect, require a comprehensive and thorough effort, and must not return to Council for a vote until complete.  Suddenly now, "Good be not the enemy of Perfect."  But good politics again, that be, weeks before an election.  Is this not the epitome of HYPOCRISY through inaction?

Sixthly, majority Members of Council announced months ago a so-called open space initiative, yet no legislation was ever presented, ONLY PROMISES.  These same Members of Council voted down the mayor's bond request for park land acquisition after they failed to take action for many weeks after their announcement.  They even go so far in their hypocrisy as to criticize the large amount of the mayor's bond request, yet in the next breath demand that they may in fact need a much larger bond, perhaps ten times as large!  Insult to injury, at the very next City Council meeting, all of these opposition Members of Council, without explanation of a believable rationale, vote in favor of this bond request.  More good politics and permanence for them.  More hypocrisy is what we get.

And yet more unpleasant hypocrisy there is.

• Council President Mason accuses the administration of being "sloppy" because an agenda is not organized to her liking, but then allows Council Vice-President Russo to introduce at the very last moment a revised emergency budget hand-written with pencil on a sheet of notebook paper:
• http://hobokenhorse.blogspot.com/2011/01/beth-mason-and-mike-russo-take-hoboken.html 
• http://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/11015934/article-Fiscal-incompetence-returns-to-Hoboken?instance=news_special_coverage_right_column
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bj7Va2Cw14 
• Council Vice-President Russo criticizes the administration and refuses to approve the costs for a director to attend a conference, yet votes "yes" for the costs for other city employees to attend a different conference:
• Refer to Councilman Russo's votes on bills/claims for 3/2/2011 and 3/16/2011
• Council President Mason demands reimbursement for pay and health care benefits retroactively after campaigning that she refused these, and then criticizes another Member of Council for accepting health care benefits:
• http://www.edmecka.com/articles/mason-asks-for-back-pay-salary-and-benefits.html
• Council President Mason insists on a lower budget and reduced spending yet when she finds, likely through polling, that the community wants parks she agrees to a bond, and increased spending, for $20 million.
• http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_stories_home/12142550/article---Hoboken-council-votes-to-introduce--101-7M-budget-and--20M-parks-bond--passes-controversial-rent-control-amendments---- 
• http://www.hobokenrevolt.com/profiles/blogs/budget-wars-and-beth-mason
• Council Vice-President Russo demands in 2008 that an investigation be done due to his findings of ex-employees inappropriately taking health benefits, yet it is recently revealed that at that time and for several more years before and after, he speaks nothing to the point that his own father - convicted felon for taking bribes and shaming our great city - was one of those people illegally receiving these health benefits!  He has yet to provide documentation that prove his murky claims of ignorance.
• http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/zimmer-ends-benefit-payments-to-former-mayor-russo 
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps4CmBwRuGE
• Council President Mason and Vice-President Russo demand that the administration reduce the budget by 15% but have fought against lay-offs that resulted in major budget reductions (and offer no real alternatives)
• http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/resolution-to-rescind-police-lay-offs-fails 
• http://www.nj.com/hobokennow/index.ssf/2010/09/occhipinti_official_4th_ward_c.html

Dear resident, the majority members of the City Council have demanded from the Mayor an on-time budget and have also PROMISED to return $20M to the taxpayers without the lay-offs that they oppose.  That is the FOUNDATION of their campaign.  They have further demanded an ADDITIONAL 15% cut in the budget as they "Hold the mayor's feet to the fire."  Will this fiery rhetoric disappear in baseless smoke over the next few weeks?  Will the majority Members of Council follow through on their promises and commitments, or will HYPOCRISY THROUGH INACTION deliver next to nothing in reductions out of fear of further layoffs or anything else politically unpopular?  And will you, dear neighbor, then hold their feet to the fire in the upcoming elections?