Record requests that, in the opinion of the Hoboken Law Department, create a legal concern/liability for illegal dissemination of "lawfully protected information" should only be made available to City Council members who have attended a "government official" OPRA training seminar.

For several years, Hoboken Community Activist Beth Mason has been in the forefront advocating "transparency" in government.  Mason and I, along eleven Hoboken citizens, were founding members of People for Open Government, a Hoboken-based civic organization dedicated to campaign finance reform, ethics, OPRA, public access and other open government issues. 

In addition, Mason serves as the president of the New Jersey Foundation for Open Government which seeks to increase transparency, accountability, honesty and democracy in government at all levels by defending and expanding public access to government records and meetings. Mason, as a private citizen, built a reputation across the State as a leader in government reform.

POLITICAL TRANSITION:

On July 1, 2008, Mason's political status changed from "private citizen" to "government official" when she was sworn into political office representing Hoboken's Second Ward as "Councilwoman Beth Mason." With several "private citizen" initated OPRA lawsuits against the City of Hoboken still pending in the Courts, Councilwoman Mason now finds herself in the political quagmire of suing herself as a Hoboken Government Official.

"The train has already left the station" said Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer in response to attempts to make major financial cuts "eight months into the FY2008 budget year."

How ironic...  Almost three years to the day that Hoboken City Government "closed down" back in March, 2005, Hoboken Mayor David Roberts and the City Council are once again battling over the City budget. 

Deja vu.  And even more remarkable is that the City finds itself with another budget funding shortfall and once again must rely upon a cash advance (LOAN) on the sale of the Municipal garage complex.    

Thus far, budget years FY2005, FY2006, and FY2007 have all relied upon cash advances from the sale of the Municipal garage and “budget magic” to balance the City’s budget.  This past November, the Roberts Administration introduced the FY2008 budget.  The $ 87M spending plan relied upon a $ 4M cash advance from the sale of the garage and the potential for a 2.5% tax increase.

City Hall Shutdown?  Can it happen again?  YOU DECIDE! Read this five page report with two News4 videos on the 2005 City Hall shutdown.

Life in the fast lane. City asking State to approve another $ 7M "cash advance" on the Municipal Garage sale to balance this years budget. Lawsuit to overturn Garage Sale filed by unsuccessful developer and a private citizen.

The March 19, 2008 Hoboken City Council meeting lasted almost 5 hours. The hot topic of the night was the $ 93M AMENDED FY2008 BUDGET, a $ 16M INCREASE over last year's $ 78M budget.

City administrators are awaiting State approval of several revenue items, including a $ 7M upfront cash loan against the proceeds of the $ 25.5 M Municipal Garage sale. To date, the City currently owes a finance company $ 13.5M that was used to offset previous year's budget deficits.

Wright's most incendiary remarks with snippets from Obama speeches and interviews

 Republican John McCain's campaign suspended a staffer who sent out a provocative video linking Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama to the comments of his spiritual mentor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

The staffer, a low-level aide named Soren Dayton, sent out a link Thursday to the YouTube video, titled "Is Obama Wright?" on the social messaging Web site Twitter.

The campaign suspended him a few hours later, although it wouldn't say for how long.

The proposed rule states that residents addressing the council "shall not make personal, impertinent, slanderous or profane remarks." If they do, the council would have the right to throw them out.

A resolution to update the City Council's rules of procedure was tabled Wednesday night after a stir over a section on proper "decorum."

The proposed rule states that residents addressing the council "shall not make personal, impertinent, slanderous or profane remarks." If they do, the council would have the right to throw them out.

The rule would also ban other "disorderly conduct" and "loud, threatening, personal or abusive language," and would also include the conduct of council members, prohibiting them from interrupting each other and disturbing the proceedings in other ways.

The proposed AMENDED FY2008 Hoboken City Budget has a $ 94M price tag and represents a $ 16M increase over the FY2007, $78M spending plan. 

Richard Tremitiedi's report on the FY2008 City Budget

To:  Honorable Mayor David Roberts   Report
From:  Richard Tremitiedi, Special Advisor

Date:  March 17, 2008

Subject:  Efficiency, Economic and Quality of Life Recommendations

Relative to my role as a special consultant to the mayor and after attending council meetings, budget workshops, and select discussions with professionals, administrative and elected officials, please be advised as follows:

Hoboken Mayor David Roberts promises a "fair and impartial" investigation. But the Mayor, Hoboken's Chief Executive, was also present at Kenner. Is he investigating himself?

The Jersey Journal quoted Hoboken Mayor David Roberts as saying "that he would be "extraordinarily careful" in picking a replacement" for outgoing Police Chief Carmen LaBruno and that problems for LaBruno began after the now disbanded SWAT team's post-Hurricane Katrina trip to Kenner, La., in September 2005 and a subsequent visit to New Orleans for Mardi Gras the following year. 

Roberts is also quoted as saying that “he knew that there'd be criticism that there was "going to be a whitewash" and moved to ensure that the city was fair and impartial.“

Wait a second, weren’t there “other” City Officials on the “humanitarian” trips to Kenner, La?   How about Mayor David Roberts and Councilman Michael Russo?

In the quest for a scapegoat, it appears that one important mitigating circumstance may have been overlooked, the CHAIN OF COMMAND and a LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT.

Fellow taxpaying Hoboken residents, we should all be offended by the letter from City Corporation Counsel Steve Kleinman in last week's Reporter, as well as the statements by Mayor Roberts regarding the lawsuits filed by Beth Mason over the city's noncompliance with OPRA requests.

United Textile Fabricators had been previously taking the coins to their place of business in Toms River, NJ and depositing the funds in their accounts.

The Hoboken FY2007 budget (July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007) had some interesting comments on the City's parking meter coin collection, coin counting, and meter repair contract.

The City contracted with United Textile Fabricators, Toms River, NJ for coin collection services and deposit of the City’s monies for 2006 and on a month-to-month basis for 2007. Collections for fiscal year 2007 were $660,894, compared to $991,316 for fiscal year 2006, representing in a decrease of $330,422, or 33%.