Ravi Bhalla Monthly Political Message Email

Here is an email from the political arm of the Ravi Bhalla Administration. It is a recap of Ravi's first two weeks in office and is republished here. It went out to a number of Hoboken residents on the Mayor's email list but not everyone. Regardless of your support level for this Mayor there are some articles here worth reading. The content is also telling of a current local politician who is definitely trying to increase his statewide political profile in his first month of office.

In fact Ravi is a lot like Jefferson, no not Thomas but more like the Jeffersons, like the TV show theme song, "Movin' on up". Ambition and increasing one's political profile are clearly an objective here, whether it is primarily or secondarily, it does not matter.

Is Ravi like the Jefferson's? - not exactly but he is certainly trying to move on up.
But is it a deluxe apartment in the sky built by Stronger Foundations Union
members at the NJ Transit Site selling out Hoboken for the sake of upwardly
mobile political ambition? For that we will have to wait and see. 

From Mayor Ravi Bhalla: 

Hello Hoboken Citizen,

Hi, and Happy New Year! My name is Theo Siggelakis, Mayor Ravi Bhalla's Finance Director. As 2018 gets underway, I wanted to introduce myself to you and announce a newsletter we hope you will find informative throughout Ravi’s administration as Mayor of the great city of Hoboken, NJ.    

Once a month, I will be sending out a news summary of Ravi’s work in the office, media statements and appearances, commentary, and other interesting items to keep you up to date on how your support for Ravi also supports tangible action in Hoboken and beyond during his service as Mayor. This is meant to be a convenient, short news roundup - just one small way to thank you for your incredible support for Ravi.

As always, feel free to reach out to me or my colleague, Sara Tofighbakhsh, with any questions or feedback. Here’s to four years of strong leadership in Hoboken with Mayor Ravi Bhalla!

Sincerely,

Theo

Inauguration Day! Ravi was sworn in as Mayor of Hoboken on January 1st, 2018. You can read the Mayor’s Inauguration remarks here. Some of the coverage and commentary on this historic achievement:

Ravi Bhalla makes history as first Sikh mayor in New Jersey – NJTV News, by Briana Vannozzi [VIDEO]

“It’s not just a new year, it’s the start of new leadership and a historic moment in the city of Hoboken.” NOTE: Contains news video segment of the inauguration ceremony, including comments by NJ Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, Attorney General Nominee Gurbir Grewal, and Mayor Ravi Bhalla.

Bhalla becomes first Sikh mayor in Hoboken and N.J. – The Jersey Journal, by Terrence T. McDonald [PHOTO GALLERY]

"In a time of darkness, in a time of distress, in a time when there are headlines about the divisions and the divisiveness and the hatred and the bigotry and the ignorance, Hoboken looked around and said, you know what, we're going to find a qualified and competent, compassionate man of integrity," Booker said. "We're going to find someone who leads with love."

Hoboken’s first Sikh mayor sworn in – NY PIX 11, by Aliza Chasan [VIDEO]

“I am proud, humbled and honored to be your mayor,” Bhalla said. “I look forward to getting to work on behalf of our residents.” NOTE: Scroll down for a video interview with Ravi about his plans to improve Hoboken as Mayor.

Victories to savor for Sikhs & us all – NY Daily News, Opinion by Simran Jeet Singh

“When my parents first moved here, they could not have imagined that one day a major city in New Jersey would elect a Sikh with a turban and beard. And knowing now that my daughter will grow up with civic heroes who share her background and look like her father gives me hope that she will view her Sikh identity as an asset rather than as a liability.”

Fighting to Save Hoboken’s Waterfront for Hoboken's Residents:

Park or Shipyard? Hoboken Waterfront Dispute Simmers – Associated Press, by David Porter

Less than two weeks into his first term, the new mayor of Hoboken is locked in a tug of war with the nation's third-largest transit system over a parcel of land on the city's picturesque waterfront.

David and Goliath fight brewing over ferry deal with NJ Transit – NJ Advance Media, by Steve Strunsky

"The Hoboken waterfront is the crown jewel of the State of New Jersey," said Mayor Ravi Bhalla. "People from all over the world come to our city to enjoy the waterfront and the breathtaking views that it offers." Referring to Gov. Christie Christie's departure from office on Jan. 20, Bhalla criticized the plan by the transit agency he controls as being "rushed at the 11th hour of an outgoing administration."

In Christie’s Last Days, Hoboken Waterfront Tussle Drags On – The New York Times, by Patrick McGeehan

Alluding to the possibility of a final-days decision by New Jersey Transit to buy the Union Dry Dock site, [Mayor Bhalla] said, “Any further attempts to subvert this process will be met with fierce resistance from me, and I pledge to use every resource at my disposal to protect Hoboken’s interests.”

NJ Transit's MLK Day Meeting Is Disgraceful: Hoboken Mayor – Hoboken Patch, by Eric Kiefer

When Hoboken Mayor Ravinder Bhalla learned that NJ Transit rescheduled a much-anticipated board meeting from Friday to Monday – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – he had one word for the decision: "disgraceful."

Hoboken: Officially a Fair and Welcoming City:

In 1st executive order, Bhalla declares Hoboken ‘a fair and welcoming city’ – Hudson County View, by John Heinis [VIDEO]

In his first executive order, new Mayor Ravi Bhalla declared Hoboken “a fair and welcoming city” as many city officials and advocates applauded the action earlier this afternoon. “The Hoboken we know and love was built by immigrants and today is sustained by immigrants. Many of the immigrants who found a home in Hoboken sailed past Lady Liberty and her poem welcoming ‘your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,’” Bhalla said at the presser held inside the mayor’s office.

Hoboken sends 'welcoming' sign to immigrants in first act of new mayor – The Jersey Journal, by Terrence T. McDonald

Bhalla signed the order today surrounded by local officials, including Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante, who will issue a police directive to implement the policies set forth in the order. Amol Sinha, executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, told The Jersey Journal it is "extremely significant" that Bhalla's executive order is his first action as mayor. "It allows Hoboken to live up to its potential of being a truly welcoming city," Sinha said.

Supporting the LGBTQ Community:

Fulop, Bhalla stress that LGBTQ community should be proud of who they are – Hudson County View, by Marc Bussanich

“I went to public schools in New Jersey, and as a Sikh American, I looked different growing up and wasn’t like other school children in my class and I was a victim of school bullying just as many LGBTQ students have been,” said Bhalla. “It’s not an easy experience to be different, to be isolated, to feel like there’s no one there. But what I learned is that when you look different or love different, the reaction if you’re under attack is not to hide who you are, but to be proud of who you are, and that’s what gave me strength.”

Improving Public Safety - End SantaCon in Hoboken:

Rich in 'blood money,' SantaCon faces review for possible ban – The Jersey Journal, by Terrence T. McDonald

"This is not what Hoboken's about," Bhalla told NJ Advance Media in an interview Monday. "This is not consistent with our reputation as a growing, family-friendly city." Bhalla added that it was unfair to Hoboken taxpayers and police officers to be burdened and physically assaulted by a largely out-of-town crowd encouraged to drink heavily.

WTF? - Former Vitriolic Hoboken City Councilwoman Beth Mason Appointed to HHA via Chris Christie

Breaking news like this usually elicits abbreviations like SMH, OMG and my all time favorite WTF. Hold on to your horses Hobokenites, this news is like a bad nightmare but real. This is potentially bad news for Dawn Zimmer, Stan Grossbard, Mayor Ravi Bhalla, the Hoboken taxpayer, but more importantly the HHA residents themselves.

Hoboken's Very Own Beth "Cruella Deville" Mason is back on the HHA Board
thanks to departing Republican Governor Chris Christie

Beth Mason Appointed to Hoboken HHA via Chris Christie

Former two term City Councilwoman Beth Mason is back in the game in Hoboken politics with an Appointment to the Hoboken Housing Authority or HHA. This appointment was made by the Governor of NJ Chris Christie and had been vacant for a while but was finally filled by him in his final rounds of appointments before Phil Murphy takes over next week.

Beth Mason had served on the Hoboken City Council for two terms from 2007 to 2015 and then stepped down. She was briefly City Council President and ran for Mayor in 2009 twice unsuccessfully. During her tenure she was known for her obstructionism where she nearly sabotaged to HUMC privatization deal, blocked Washington Street revamping in 2013, was involved in a BOE campaign that featured a Nazi truck, was fined by ELEC for numerous reporting violations, threatened to sue private citizens for exercising their First Amendment rights on the dais at City Hall, and helped fund former HHA Executive Director Carmelo Garcia's vitriolic campaign against Jen Giattino in 2015. This is just a sampling of some of her less than stellar work on behalf of Hoboken, err, I mean her attempt at political advancement.

Why Did Chris Christie Make the Appointment?

We can speculate but we don't know. What I do know is it was not because Beth Mason personally gave to Republicans in NJ. Her entire contribution records from the NJ ELEC site show no actual contributions to Republicans. She confined her contributions to Non-partisan races in Hoboken and elsewhere and contributed only to Democratic candidates in the state.

Did Christie want to stick it to Dawn Zimmer who he had a falling out with? Perhaps, but this appointment was part of a large batch of appointments by Chris Christie as shown in the link below. I am not sure if Hoboken is high enough on the departing Governor's radar. Most likely, Beth Mason lobbied for this position and used her connections to get the appointment irrespective of her Democratic affiliations.

Chris Christie Press Release - Final Apointments

More important is how this will effect HHA residents? To be determined.

Beth Mason's Political Contribution History NJ (No Republican Donations):

Beth Mason NJ political contribution history from Hoboken Resistance

What Will Impact to HHA be with Beth Mason on the Board?

Beth Mason has a history of spending a lot of money. It is likely that HHA residents will get free food and other services such as free burials (she actually offered this service years ago) from Beth Mason and that is not necessarily a bad thing. It is possible Beth processed the results of the last fractious Hoboken election and wants to build up a political base to possibly take another shot at elected Hoboken office. If you only need 33% to get elected anyone with a big war chest has a shot. Correct?

Based on my experience Beth Mason is not solely doing this for altruistic reasons but is most likely committing her time to get back in the political game in Hoboken. With Beth Mason, any act of charity always has strings attached.

Beth Mason with political ally Carmelo Garcia who had his contract terminated for cause
as Executive Director and sued potentially getting $700K if HUD approves settlement.

The Board on the HHA consists of seven members and two are historically allies of departed HHA Director Carmelo Garcia. With Beth on the Board that makes three and only one more vote would be needed to flip control to a Beth Mason majority. If Beth Mason had such a majority the true nightmare scenario would be Carmelo Garcia not only gets his $700k settlement but is able to get back as Executive Director.

We will have to see what happens but the nightmare scenario is a real possibility. Let us hope it does not come to fruition.

Link to original Hudson Reporter article: 

Hudson Reporter - Beth Mason Appointed to HHA via Chris Christie

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla Somewhat Weak First Week in Review

The Hoboken Resistance hopes you had a happy holiday season. I took some time off and enjoyed not worrying about Hoboken politics for a few weeks. It is now time to get back to business.

Last week Ravi Bhalla began his first week as Mayor of Hoboken. Here is a brief recap so far of key moments...

The Sold Out Inaugural Ceremony and Focus Outside of Hoboken:

Ravi Bhalla was sworn in on January 1st in a sold out ceremony at Hoboken's High School. Numerous high profile dignitaries attended including New Jersey US Senators Cory Booker and Robert Menendez among many others. Both US Senators spoke of the historic significance of electing a Sikh Mayor in this current political climate. This significance is not lost on this author as well but ultimately the Mayor of Hoboken will be judged on his or her handling of local issues and not national ones like identity politics or immigration. If you want to make Hoboken a "Welcoming City" focus on finishing Washington Street first.

The notoriety of his Inauguration  is obviously a plus for Ravi's political profile but it remains to be seen what that will translate into for the sake of Hoboken and not just Ravi's own political advancement. Certain key issues about Hoboken will come down to WWPMD (What will Phil Murphy do) like NJ Transit Redevelopment and the Union Dry Dock. We will have to see how this develops but the stakes are huge and will determine how Hoboken develops going forward.

Hoboken's New Mayor Ravi Bhalla - Screen Capture from HCV

More coverage of the ceremony are on Hudson County View with link below:

Coverage of Ravi's Swearing in on Hudson County View

The City Council Appointments and Consequences of Scorched Earth Political Campaigning:

The following key appointments were made to Hoboken's Public Boards. Ravi Bhalla had essentially no say as Mayor on the City Council appointments and the vote largely fell 2-7 against his favor.

• Ruben Ramos appointed to City Council President.
• Jen Giattino appointed to City Council Vice President.
• Mike Defusco appointed to City Council Planning Board Representative replacing Jim Doyle.
• Jim Aibel re-appointed to Zoning Board of Adjustment. Notably Phil Cohen, a key Ravi Bhalla ally was not re-appointed or even nominated. 
• Antonio Grana  re-appointed to Zoning Board of Adjustment. 
• Steve Firestone, Cory Johnson, and Ann Graham appointed as alternates to Zoning Board of Adjustment. 
• Tony Soares was appointed to represent Hoboken on the NHSA (North Hudson Sewer Authority) once again. Tony replaces Brian Assadourian on the Board who was a key personal Ravi Bhalla ally and close personal friends of both Mayor Zimmer and her husband Stan Grossbard. This was accomplished despite all the belly aching from Civil Discourse Disruptor Grafix Avenger who spewed all kinds of venom about putting Tony back on the board. I am on the board and all I can say is that Tony Soares has been a good advocate on the Board and displayed nothing but professionalism while on the board. Whatever you think of his political views outside of the board that is fine. I look forward to working with Tony once again and value his input with respect to the NHSA. 

Tony Soares - Back on the NHSA! Bye bye Brian! - Elections have consequences

This is an example of how Ravi Bhalla may have won the Mayor seat but lost the City Council majority. The City Council appointments are made by the City Council and not the Mayor and this shows the limitations on what Ravi will be able to do if he can't get a Council majority on key votes or a super majority for bonding to be the infrastructure Mayor he desires to be.  He will have to be more open than Zimmer in his approach to the City Council and will not be able to be "Ram it Ravi" but rather "Reconciliation Ravi." The choice is his. What path will he choose?

Santa-Con - Disgrace on the Uptick:

Ravi Bhalla as Mayor elect spoke out against the the debauchery of Santa-con, the seminal drunken douchebag drinking event that has replaced Leprecon as the number on public nuisance in Hoboken sponsored by a mere 13 bars. It is all fine and well to speak out against the event but it still remains unlcear what Hoboken can do legislatively or administratively other than crack down on capacity of bars and shut them down for violations. We will see what real solutions Ravi proposes rather than rhetoric on Twitter. It is my hope the City Council will cooperate with any viable solutions out of the Mayor's office but keep in mind State regulations on liquor licences will drive what can be done ultimately. 

Two For the Price of Three Times a Single Chief of Staff: 

Jason Freeman is to be appointed as Deputy Chief of Staff for a reported $85,000 per anum. This is in addition to failed City Council Candidate John Allen who was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff. There is no official confirmation of his salary but something north of $100k per year is likely. When Dan Bryan became "Chief of Staff" he was in the range of $50k or lower when he started. The question is why is an assistant necessary now? The result of this a potential threefold cost to staff the position when Mayor Zimmer first started. If you add in a potential new Constituent Services Director and staff you could be adding over $500K to the Mayor's Office budget. The question is and remains are these expenditures necessary or just an extension of the old Hudson County Patronage Playbook - the one perfected by County Executive Tom "Who ate my Hoboken Cheese" Degise ? Time will tell. 

Snow Removal:

I give the incoming Mayor a B for the first snow storm of the year in terms of snow removal efficacy. We had over 12 inches and blizzard like winds and thus it was a tough task. The side streets were plowed but not a cleanly as in the last storms under Zimmer. Just one more pass would have brought the performance up a bit. The Hoboken Horse gives Ravi a B+ for snow removal this storm. Perhaps he had some carrots before opining his opinion. Horses facing the glue factory are apparently less stringent in grading than project managers who run websites. In the end no one gives a horses ass what I or the Hoboken Horse think about snow removal as long as the damn roads get plowed. Good to see this facet of government is still effective.

Union Dry Dock: 

Mayor elect Ravi Bhalla, his council allies and Council persons Giattino, Cunningham, and Fisher seem to be in synch in trying to prevent NY Waterway and NJ Transit from making the Union Dry Dock a hub for ferries on Hoboken's valuable waterfront. It remains to be seen if Hoboken will ultimately have any control on the decision or not. Key is this is Governor Phil Murphy and the balancing of Mass Transit vs. Hoboken's quality of life issues. Once again its WWPMD - What will Phil Murphy Do?

Will the War on Cars Continue?:

Ravi Bhalla did not initiate the Washington Street repair project but as the new Mayor of Hoboken he will be expected to close it out. The project is not even close to be on schedule and there are penalties for the contractor that will incur per diem to the winning bidder if the project is not completed on time. Much has been made about the excessive use of curb bump outs on Washington Street by many Hoboken residents. Perhaps as one citizen suggested they amend the contract to not include curb bumpouts past 7th Street, the project could actually get done sooner. It will still be behind schedule in all likelihood. Is 2019 the new realistic completion date? Yikes! 

Bumpouts are one thing but will we see the current Disney-fication with additional bollards as well? I give you Ravi Bollards Hoboken. All in jest. Happy parking!

Ravi Bollards? Yikes! Happy Parking Hoboken.

Exclusive- Grafix Avenger Blogger Nancy Pincus was a Paid Political Operative for Ravi Bhalla for Mayor

Recent ELEC filings from the Ravi Bhalla for Mayor campaign indicate local political blogger Nancy Pincus who runs the Grafix Avenger blog was indeed paid by the Bhalla campaign. This was for work rendered during the election but paid out after the election on November 13th 2017. It does not appear that Nancy Pincus ever disclosed to her readers that she was a paid political operative of the campaign during that campaign. Three ways to lose leadership fast as a local political blogger is to either dupe them, be disingenuous, or outright insult your readership or segments of it and it appears that Nancy Pincus has hit the trifecta this election cycle.

More than just hugs, Payola too!- Ravi Bhalla hugs his number one website
propagandist Nancy Pincus after election in a Al Jazeera PR celebration video.  

The latest ELEC filings from the Bhalla campaign indicate that the payment was made on November 13, 2017 in the amount of $1,200 for "printing literature,handouts- flyers/palm cards,design of palm cards."

Was this the flyer Nancy Pincus worked on and got paid for?
Just asking the question.
Update: I did receive a statement from Nancy Pincus via text. She wrote: 
"I  had nothing to do with either Defusco flyer. Nothing. Ever. Now scrub 
your f*cking blog and don't pull this Roman Brice shit - Nancy Pincus."

Nancy Pincus who runs the website http://grafixavenger.blogspot.com had previously denied working for any campaign as a political operative. Shown below is her posting on Facebook using the handle Gee Aye denying what based on the information above is clearly untrue. Nancy Pincus commented "I don't/never had worked for or any campaign or candidate. The opinions I express are my own. It's a matter of opinion whether they help or hurt any candidate I advocate for or against. Been doing it for 7 years now."

The fact is that Nancy Pincus was indeed a paid political operative for the Ravi Bhalla campaign and appeared to never disclose that fact and doubled down by denying it on Facebook. Readers of political blogs expect bias in their stories but the failure to disclose this information from her readers will impact her reputation going forward.

For reference and context below is Ravi's most recent ELEC showing in excess of $458,000 in expenditures. If you add the $70,000 from Stronger Foundations developer PAC that means Ravi was close to raising well over a half a million dollars to win just 32.75% of the vote.  The moral of the story is that going forward in Hoboken, you better be willing to raise over $500,000 to get elected Mayor.

Ravi Bhalla for Mayor 2017 29-Day Post Election Report:

Ravi Bhalla November ELEC 2017 from Hoboken Resistance

Editor's Comment: 

As editor of the Hoboken Resistance and Advocate I feel it is an important function of being honest about who you support and don't support running a political blog. I did in fact donate $500 to the Jen Giattino campaign and volunteered to get the word out. I did not get paid to specifically work on her campaign but if I had I would have disclosed it.

I feel that is was a grave mistake for Nancy Pincus to not disclose her involvement and payment from the Bhalla campaign and as a result her tumbling credibility will suffer even more. It is a mess of her own making as well as the conduct of the Ravi Bhalla campaign that went "scorched earth" on reform. To this day Nancy Pincus is not just going after politicians but supporters of other candidates with a viciousness that surprises even me after following Hoboken politics.

Now that we know Ravi has paid Nancy for her work, Mayor Elect Ravi Bhalla owns every vitriolic swipe, half truth, and flat out untruth that comes out of this bully blogger beast's forked tongue. Good luck Ravi trying to coral this loon unless of course you are signing off on every deranged post and comment. So much for the effort to unify. You paid for it, you own it.

Season's Greetings from the Beth Mason Civic League- Christmas has Come Early

Beth Mason Civic League with Christmas Decorations up even before Black Friday

Beth Mason, former two term Hoboken City Councilwoman from 2007-201, has brought out the holiday cheer even earlier than ever this year. Her Beth Mason Civic League located at 12th and Washington Street was decorated this year in the Christmas theme even before Thanksgiving this year.

Beth Mason was not a factor (at least from what I could tell) in the 2017 Hoboken elections this year but was certainly busy spending time and money to bring some holiday pizzazz to Hoboken's premier shopping district. Washington Street has besieged by a poorly managed infrastructure project that is anywhere from 7 months to a year behind schedule and adversely hurting many small business owners I have spoke to. Politics besides, perhaps a little holiday festivity on street that is less drive-able than some war zones can't hurt. In all honesty, I find the decorations to be quite tastefully done as far as Christmas decorations go.

For the sake of diversity perhaps an additional menorah, some Denali inspired lights and a little Kwanza would add a little variety and inclusiveness. After all, Hoboken just proved it trumped hate with the Mayoral election results on November 7th.  

Hoboken Resistance Rebranded to Hoboken Resistance and Advocate

Double Your Fun with two URLs instead of one

The Hoboken Resistance was born out of a desire to keep the big outside dollars from totally influencing Hoboken's future in the aftermath of the November 7th election. The top two candidates approached $500k or more in fundraising and literally drowned out anyone else from a chance of even having a real voice in the last two weeks given the constant TV ads and the free media from the nationally reported flier-gate incident. Grass roots reform is dead as we know it. Future mayoral candidates will have to pony up and raise at least $400k- $500k in funds to be able to compete for the low information voters it will take to get over the top. Until Citizen's United is repealed this will be the unfortunate state of Hoboken when it comes to electing a new mayor in the foreseeable future.

The goal of this website is to report on the issues as they come up with a focus on what is best for Hoboken residents and not political office holders, candidates or outside interests. Unlike to the unabashed propaganda over at Grafix Avenger where talk of revenge still rages on for the so-called winners of this election, the website endeavors to keep it policy focused. From time to time I as editor will call out propaganda when it is at its most egregious and as always I reserve that right under the First Amendment.

Based on my small informal focus group there was ironically some resistance to the name Hoboken Resistance. Although my focus group has no where near the funding of Stronger Foundations, The Super Developer PAC that funneled at least $50k in advertising to help Ravi Bhalla get elected, they made a few suggestions for alternative names. Keep in mind there used to be a far more menacing sounding group that was called Hoboken Revolt. Their purpose was to protest and advocate during the Robert's Administration fiscal mismanagement that could have nearly doubled our taxes with larger deficits and the bankruptcy of the HUMC.

For those that do not remember or were not here, a trip down memory lane:

No pitchforks, but angry protesters storm Hoboken City Hall

My solution is a compromise and the new name is Hoboken Resistance and Advocate. Depending on your mood or issue you access this blog-site in one of two ways:

http://hobokenresistance.com or http://hobokenadvocate.com

Take your pick. I have decided to give you two different flavors of the same brand. Two links are better then one. Double Your Pleasure. Double Your Fun.

City Council Candidate John Allen Named Chief of Staff by Mayor Zimmer and Mayor Elect Bhalla

Mayor Zimmer and Mayor-Elect Bhalla Announce New Chief of Staff:

Mayor Dawn Zimmer announced today that she will appoint John Allen to serve as Chief of Staff effective December 4, 2017.

“In consultation with Mayor-Elect Bhalla, I am appointing John Allen as Chief of Staff,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

John Allen New Chief of Staff for Mayor Zimmer and
Mayor Elect Ravi Bhalla - photo via Facebook

“John will help ensure that there is a smooth transition between administrations and will be a tremendous asset to Mayor Bhalla and the City of Hoboken.” "John has all the right qualities and experience to take on this important role in City Hall,” said Mayor-Elect Ravinder S. Bhalla. 

“I look forward to working with John as my Chief of Staff in 2018.” Mr. Allen is an attorney who specializes in the representation of governmental bodies, including boards of education and municipalities. He serves on the Board of Directors of Easterseals New Jersey, one of the state’s oldest and largest charitable organizations dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and earned his law degree at Rutgers School of Law. 

Editor's Note: 

There had been some speculation that perhaps former Zimmer Chief of Staff Vijay Chaudhuri would be appointed to be Ravi Bhalla's Chief of Staff but it looks like he is forging ahead with other opportunities. Vijay had previously resigned mid-week to join the Bhalla campaign as manager in late August.

As for John Allen, this is an interesting move for a full time lawyer in an established firm that actually brought in more in government contracts in the prior year than Ravi Bhalla's law firm according to the Michael Defusco campaign. Michael's prior assertions are referenced here with the following link:

In Hoboken DeFusco goes after Bhalla for adding political establishment attorney

We will have to see how this plays out but these appointments usually go to someone more junior and more familiar with the local political landscape then John has exhibited to date at least publicly.

Additional comments from Michael Defusco appear on Hudson County View's latest piece on the hire:

http://hudsoncountyview.com/hobokens-bhalla-selects-recent-running-mate-lawyer-as-his-chief-of-staff/

Hoboken Mayor Elect Ravi Bhalla Unveils His Transition Team

Hoboken Mayor Elect Ravi Bhalla - Credit MSV 

From the Ravi Bhalla Campaign/Transition team:

Mayor-elect of Hoboken Ravi S. Bhalla has unveiled the leadership of his Transition Team. Chaired by Phil Cohen, the transition leadership includes 4 of the other candidates in this year’s mayoral election and two new Council Members, who will serve as chairs of key policy committees, along with other people with expertise in Hoboken government and civic affairs selected for these important transition roles.

Each Committee Chair is charged with preparing at least 3 substantive recommendations for implementation in 2018. Mayor-elect Bhalla encourages any Hoboken residents that are interested in joining the Transition Team and serving on one of the transition committees to send an email to Cohen identifying their area of interest and the committee on which they are interested in serving, which will be provided to the relevant Committee Chairs or Co-Chairs. His email address is philiphcohen@gmail.com.

Based on the recommendations of the Committee Chairs, the Transition Team will assemble a report to be considered by Mayor-elect Bhalla and the members of his Administration. Mayor-elect Bhalla said, “One of the largest untapped assets of Hoboken is the intellectual capital of its residents. I encourage interested residents to participate in this process so our Transition Team can provide the kind of quality recommendations that will better enable us to hit the ground running.”

Bhalla went on to say, “I appreciate the participation of so many of my fellow mayoral candidates. This demonstrates unity in our common interests as a community, and promotes effective governance.”

Phil Cohen - Chairman of Ravi Bhalla Transition Team

Transition Team Chair Phil Cohen has a long history of active involvement in local civic affairs. He currently serves on the Zoning Board of Adjustment and has served on the Planning Board. He is the First Vice Chair of the Hoboken Democratic Party and is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the United Synagogue of Hoboken, the past Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Stevens Cooperative School, and the recipient of the Corporate Leadership Award from the Women's Housing and Economic Development Corporation.

The Committees with their respective Chairs are listed below. Biographical information is available upon request:

• Affordable Housing - Councilwoman-elect Vanessa Falco  
• Arts, Music & Culture - Chris O'Connor & Liz Ndoye  
• Constituent Service – Assemblywoman Annette Chapparo 
• Drug Abuse Prevention – Angelo Valente 
• Economic Development - Councilman Michael DeFusco 
• Education - Councilwoman-elect Emily Jabbour
• Infrastructure – Jon Otto & Stewart Mader
• Public Safety - Freeholder Anthony Romano
• Quality of Life - Mayor David Roberts
• Small Business Development - Karen Nason
• Transportation and Parking - Ron Bautista

Hoboken Election Results - Final including provisionals

More for posterity than anything else, Here are the 2017 Hoboken Election Results over all. I will have more detailed ward and district breakdowns next week when the provisional votes are added to the City of Hoboken Clerk's office final document.

The winner of the Mayoral election was Ravi Bhalla with only about 33% of the vote. Ravi won Wards 2,3,5, and 6 and second place finisher Mike Defusco won Wards 1 and 4. 66% of the Hoboken voters voted for someone else besides Ravi Bhalla. Keep that in mind because there is no mandate and the result has prompted a group of Hoboken Residents to at least discuss the idea of instant runoff voting. Whether this leads to election reform is another matter.

For City Council Jim Doyle won re-election along with newcomers Emily Jabbour and Venessa Falco.

For the Hoboken BOE, the Hoboken Proud slate of Sharyn Angley, Chetali Khanna, and Melanie Tekirian won and will represent Hoboken's district schools for 3 years. Incumbent Peter Biancamano lost and just missing the number 3 spot by a little over 100 votes.

Ranked Choice Voting or Instant Runoff Voting In Hoboken as an Option

In light of the Hoboken election results with the Mayoral winner Ravi Bhalla only getting 33% of the vote due to the elimination of the runoff, there has been discussion of returning to the runoff elections for municipal contests. Another option is the instant runoff which requires no extra elections.

The organization Fairvote.org has an option for voting reform called Ranked Choice Voting or Instant Runoff Voting. The link is here explaining the concept: http://www.fairvote.org/rcv#rcvbenefits.

There is a new Facebook Group Hoboken Residents For Election Reform which has just been formed and already has 120 members. Of course not everyone will support this concept as to be expected. This change can happen for the 2019 Ward Council races either by ordinance or ballot initiative.

What is not clear yet if the ability to do Ranked Choice Voting has been made legal yet in New Jersey. There was an initiative in the NJ legislature but as of this writing it is not confirmed by this author if it has passed.

The link to the 2016 NJ legislative initiative is here:
http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2016/Bills/A2000/1762_I1.PDF

Here are some features of the instant runoff concept:

Promotes Majority Support With ranked choice voting, if no candidate has more than half the vote in first-choices, candidates finishing last are eliminated round-by-round in an instant runoff until two candidates are left. The winning candidate will be the one with majority support when matched against the other. In a multi-winner election, ranked choice voting promotes majority rule because the majority of voters will always be able to elect a majority of seats, without fear that an entrenched minority has used gerrymandered districts to ensure they stay in office.

Discourages Negative Campaigning In non-ranked choice voting elections, candidates benefit from “mud-slinging” by attacking an opponent’s character instead of sharing their positive vision with voters. With ranked choice voting, candidates do best when they reach out positively to as many voters as possible, including those supporting their opponents.

Provides More Choice for Voters Too often, to avoid “vote splitting” in which candidates can and do win with very little support, efforts are taken to limit the number of candidates who compete. This limits voters’ choices. In some places, that means a low turnout primary election eliminates most of the candidates; in others it means restrictive ballot access laws keep out challengers; and in others it means that candidates are shamed into staying out the race. Ranked choice voting allows more than two candidates to compete without fear of splitting the vote.

Minimizes Strategic Voting Voters should be able to vote for candidates they support, not just against candidates they oppose most. Yet in elections without ranked choice voting, voters may feel that they need to vote for the “lesser of two evils,” because their favorite candidate is less likely to win. With ranked choice voting, you can honestly rank candidates in order of choice without having to worry about how others will vote and who is more or less likely to win.

Mitigates Impact of Money in Politics Too often, candidates win by barraging opponents with a slew of expensive, negative ads, rather than building a positive, grassroots campaign for support. Candidates who have run and won in ranked choice voting elections have been successful because they built grassroots outreach networks. Those more positive and inclusive campaign tactics cost less than polarizing negative radio and television elections, helping to explain why candidates seem able to win ranked choice voting elections even when outspent.

Saves Money When Replacing Primaries or Runoffs Many local offices are elected in two rounds of elections; either a primary winnowing the field to two followed by a general election, or a general election followed by a runoff if no candidate has a majority. In either case, the election that takes place outside of the context of the general Election Day often suffers from very weak and unrepresentative turnout, while raising issues of vote splitting in the first round and the possibility of disenfranchising overseas and military voters. Ranked choice voting can accomplish the benefits of a primary/runoff election structure with only one election, avoiding these issues while saving the jurisdiction the costs of running two elections. That's why ranked choice voting is often called "instant runoff voting" when used to elect mayors, governors, and other single-winner offices.

Promotes Reflective Representation Compared to winner-take-all elections, ranked choice voting in multi-winner contests allows more diverse groups of voters to elect candidates of choice. This promotes diversity of political viewpoint as well as diversity of candidate background and demographics. Even in single-winner races, ranked choice voting can promote the representation of historically under-represented groups like racial and ethnic minorities and women.