The Hoboken Tax Reform Coalition
City Hall Update Email from Peter Cunningham 5th Ward - sent 1/10/2009
First, I would like to clarify next week's JOB SEARCH WORKSHOP event. It's TUESDAY January 13th, not Wednesday.
On the budget front, there have been quite a few retirements and cut backs in services. Some of which you may have seen. For instance, we have the Hospitality Association responsible for their own recycling on weekends and holidays which will save the city $380,000 per year by the City eliminating the service. To set the record straight, Russo is taking exclusive claim for this measure when it was me and Rubin Ramos that suggested and honed the legislation then convinced other members that this was the most appropriate way to go. Russo actually supported the Administration's idea to charge the restaurants and bars for the pick-up based on some crazy formula. The legislation is finally in effect.
We also received new this week that the cross town bus service has been eliminate. This will be effective February 1st, with an annual savings of approximately $260,000.
I am trying to get our dysfunctional finance committee to meet this week with the Administration regarding status updates with the Audit...where there is expected to be numerous findings costing the city lots of $$$; the 1009 budget and 1010 budget process...where additional cuts can be considered and implemented to realize annual savings; meet the new Finance Director...Nick Tresante, from Highland Park. The Donahue firm of Bayonne (formerly the outsourced finance department) is finally gone, and should have been gone a long long time ago.
It is important to recognize that while this tax increase has been very painful for all of us at the most inopportune time, if it were not for the appointment of the Fiscal Monitor, whether we like it or not, we would not have an independent apolitical auditing firm reviewing operations, firing of our Finance Department or cut/layoffs like we now have today...and that's goes with out saying $10 million in over expenditures in one fiscal year. But we all know we have much more to accomplish, but it's a start.
A couple of other things and I'll let you go.
Special Counsel for Labor Negotiations RFQ has been issued. I am confident that we will hire a firm that will be fair to all parties. More to come on that front as our collective bargaining agreements are a major part of our budget.
And finally we need to recognize the efforts of Toni Tomarrazzo and Donna Antonucci. They are probably going to be upset with me for singling them out, but the time and effort they have thus far put into the PILOTs of the City has been invaluable. And despite the unfortunate negative spin by some members of the community, they may have saved hundreds of affordable housing units in Hoboken from going to market, with a continued effort which will no doubt result in the City moving more towards taxing equality with these properties. More to come on this front as it will be a very hot subject over the next couple of weeks/months.
As usual, please let me know your thoughts...and pass this along to your friends with an interest.
Thanks, Peter Cunningham 5th Ward
On the budget front, there have been quite a few retirements and cut backs in services. Some of which you may have seen. For instance, we have the Hospitality Association responsible for their own recycling on weekends and holidays which will save the city $380,000 per year by the City eliminating the service. To set the record straight, Russo is taking exclusive claim for this measure when it was me and Rubin Ramos that suggested and honed the legislation then convinced other members that this was the most appropriate way to go. Russo actually supported the Administration's idea to charge the restaurants and bars for the pick-up based on some crazy formula. The legislation is finally in effect.
We also received new this week that the cross town bus service has been eliminate. This will be effective February 1st, with an annual savings of approximately $260,000.
I am trying to get our dysfunctional finance committee to meet this week with the Administration regarding status updates with the Audit...where there is expected to be numerous findings costing the city lots of $$$; the 1009 budget and 1010 budget process...where additional cuts can be considered and implemented to realize annual savings; meet the new Finance Director...Nick Tresante, from Highland Park. The Donahue firm of Bayonne (formerly the outsourced finance department) is finally gone, and should have been gone a long long time ago.
It is important to recognize that while this tax increase has been very painful for all of us at the most inopportune time, if it were not for the appointment of the Fiscal Monitor, whether we like it or not, we would not have an independent apolitical auditing firm reviewing operations, firing of our Finance Department or cut/layoffs like we now have today...and that's goes with out saying $10 million in over expenditures in one fiscal year. But we all know we have much more to accomplish, but it's a start.
A couple of other things and I'll let you go.
Special Counsel for Labor Negotiations RFQ has been issued. I am confident that we will hire a firm that will be fair to all parties. More to come on that front as our collective bargaining agreements are a major part of our budget.
And finally we need to recognize the efforts of Toni Tomarrazzo and Donna Antonucci. They are probably going to be upset with me for singling them out, but the time and effort they have thus far put into the PILOTs of the City has been invaluable. And despite the unfortunate negative spin by some members of the community, they may have saved hundreds of affordable housing units in Hoboken from going to market, with a continued effort which will no doubt result in the City moving more towards taxing equality with these properties. More to come on this front as it will be a very hot subject over the next couple of weeks/months.
As usual, please let me know your thoughts...and pass this along to your friends with an interest.
Thanks, Peter Cunningham 5th Ward
Tags: Cunningham, Peter, budget, city, hall, update
Views: 0
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brian R. on -
The typos in this email make it hard to follow at times, why not give things a quick review before posting? I felt like I went back in time 1000 years after I figured out what the 1009 and 1010 budget references were (hint: not some special type of budget document)
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Permalink Reply by Brian R. on
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FAP said:You read internet postings on you found that letter hard to follow?
Now I can't follow what you're saying. So, not sure what you're trying to get across, but if it's criticizing my comment I think it might be better to just take it for what it's worth. Sometimes a quick review of what you're typing / posting can make things much easier to follow. That's all. Seems like it could have helped in the case of your reply also.
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Permalink Reply by FAP on -
It's funny because I was in a rush and made a typo.
I meant to say: You read Internet postings AND you found that letter hard to follow?
There were two year typos and one case issue. It's not like this guy has a publicist or a staff to run things through. Yeah he could have taken time to fix them and he probably should have but they really didn't make the letter hard to follow.
And seriously if you had trouble reading his letter you're going to hate "teh Internets". :)
BTW anyone else thing the eagles are playing horribly right now?
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Permalink Reply by Kurt Gardiner on
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I received the letter and published it here as is. Yes, there are typos but the nit picking misses the point. There were people who have stated that they wanted more info from Judy Tripodi and since she is not available directly I will get that from my Councilman Peter Cunningham. I didn't have time to correct the spelling mistakes but have offered to do so in the future for him. Problem is, I am a math, not a english major but I can use spell check. He'll have to take what he can get. Ha ha.
Lets keep the focus on the real issues at hand and not some silly typos. The City has bigger issues than grammar, unless of course you are talking about the Hoboken High School and their abysmal SAT scores.
Brian Robinson said:The typos in this email make it hard to follow at times, why not give things a quick review before posting? I felt like I went back in time 1000 years after I figured out what the 1009 and 1010 budget references were (hint: not some special type of budget document)
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Permalink Reply by Brian R. on
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My comments were constructive. You're both making this a personal issue about my and other's ability to follow typos to determine how they relate to the content of your message, my and other's ability to focus on "real" issues, and whether or not I'm a capable user of the internet. I think I even caught some reference to me being able to read. Take a breath and try not to take things too personally.
Kurt Gardiner said:I received the letter and published it here as is. Yes, there are typos but the nit picking misses the point. There were people who have stated that they wanted more info from Judy Tripodi and since she is not available directly I will get that from my Councilman Peter Cunningham. I didn't have time to correct the spelling mistakes but have offered to do so in the future for him. Problem is, I am a math, not a english major but I can use spell check. He'll have to take what he can get. Ha ha.
Lets keep the focus on the real issues at hand and not some silly typos. The City has bigger issues than grammar, unless of course you are talking about the Hoboken High School and their abysmal SAT scores.
Brian Robinson said:The typos in this email make it hard to follow at times, why not give things a quick review before posting? I felt like I went back in time 1000 years after I figured out what the 1009 and 1010 budget references were (hint: not some special type of budget document)
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Permalink Reply by georgia on
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I think we have to focus on how to vote all these nuckleheads out of the office - I was told by an oldtimer of Hoboken that the Michael Russo like politicians are scaring all the people from the pilots that they will lose their apts if they don't vote for them. So they make them come out and vote. That's exactly how we lose. How about organizing ourselves and attempt to get them out?
I just registered today so I could vote them all out. The current politicians are a disgrace.
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Permalink Reply by Kurt Gardiner on
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Brian- I am glad you pointed out the typos and aggree that his message should have been proof read. Believe me, I did not take it personally as I am not the writer of the letter. I asked him if is was ok to forward and he said go ahead. The point is at least someone on city council gave us an update on what is going on. I would like to see this come from Judy Tripodi directly but I also understand she is busy. If other council people send me emails I will forward as well.
I did see a few things that needed to be corrected but if I edit the content the message is no longer Peter Cunningham's but partially mine and I want to avoid that trap.I am glad you and 600 others are on this site to organize against the machine. Welcome aboard. Sorry if I came accross too strong, it was not intended.
Brian Robinson said:My comments were constructive. You're both making this a personal issue about my and other's ability to follow typos to determine how they relate to the content of your message, my and other's ability to focus on "real" issues, and whether or not I'm a capable user of the internet. I think I even caught some reference to me being able to read. Take a breath and try not to take things too personally.
Kurt Gardiner said:I received the letter and published it here as is. Yes, there are typos but the nit picking misses the point. There were people who have stated that they wanted more info from Judy Tripodi and since she is not available directly I will get that from my Councilman Peter Cunningham. I didn't have time to correct the spelling mistakes but have offered to do so in the future for him. Problem is, I am a math, not a english major but I can use spell check. He'll have to take what he can get. Ha ha.
Lets keep the focus on the real issues at hand and not some silly typos. The City has bigger issues than grammar, unless of course you are talking about the Hoboken High School and their abysmal SAT scores.
Brian Robinson said:The typos in this email make it hard to follow at times, why not give things a quick review before posting? I felt like I went back in time 1000 years after I figured out what the 1009 and 1010 budget references were (hint: not some special type of budget document)
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Permalink Reply by FAP on
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This scare tactic is not unusual. When Dawn Zimmer ran for 4th ward council the people in the projects were told that she wanted to tear down their homes and throw them all out. Oddly some were also told that her supporters would be given condos.
Sometimes it seems that fear of newer residents is all the old guard runs on.
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Permalink Reply by Pat on
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The letter is fine. Give him a break. He is married with two kids. He should not have to babysit these jerks in City Hall and worry about spelling or grammer.
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Permalink Reply by georgia on
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I would not trust Dawn Zimmer either - she is part of the small elitist group; also she does not bother to answer to letters that we, as alarmed citizens did send to all the city council, to ask questions.
None of these current politicians have any merit.
They should all go!
FAP said:This scare tactic is not unusual. When Dawn Zimmer ran for 4th ward council the people in the projects were told that she wanted to tear down their homes and throw them all out. Oddly some were also told that her supporters would be given condos.
Sometimes it seems that fear of newer residents is all the old guard runs on.
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