Grist for the Mill: Hoboken on the precipice

The State of the Mile Square City is bad. We can thank Ravi Bhalla, the never-ending self-promoting mayor who didn't care a whit about Hoboken other than using it for chits, whips, and back door deals promoting out-of-scale big development deals and his piggy bank.

Years ago, prior to his consideration for running for mayor, a question on a local issue was presented. Ravi's response was insightful. "Who cares, we won't be around then," he quipped. Never expecting to be on the Hoboken City Council long, Ravi attempted to escape Hoboken and immediately ran for NJ Assembly in a doomed bid. The mentality about getting out of dodge spoke volumes.

Telling. 

Who has learned most about how to feign cynical Ravi-style Hoboken governance as a result? Emily Jabbour, Ravi's erstwhile rubber-stamp who combines the same duplicity with her campaign about nothing (other than her growing list of pet projects with more major tax increases and bicycle lanes). 


Emily Jabbour, erstwhile Ravibot with Ravi Bhalla, a terrible mayor.

Bike lanes are great where appropriate. Pushing to spend millions more to tear up Washington St. to put in bike lanes doesn't work. Been there, done that. Worse, the automated ticketing system is a business killer on Washington Street. Of course Emily Jabbour is on board with that questionable if not altogether illicit action. The City Council authorized a trial for data collection in a study not for automated ticketing on Hoboken's biggest business district. 

An effort to stop the illicit parking ticketing on Washington Street failed with council members Paul Presinzano and Tiffanie Fisher's resolution coming up short. It's another example of the terrible, untimely loss of Councilwoman Jen Giattino who would never stomach such executive abuse. 

With Emily Jabbour and Joe Quintero performing their usual rubber-stamping for Ravi Bhalla, people are facing $150 tickets on Washington Street for simply allowing a family member to get out of vehicle for a medical appointment. 

As if the massive tax increases Jabbour, Quintero and Ravi Bhalla have inflicted on Hoboken residents isn't enough. The financial liabilities Hoboken has incurred under these reckless spendthrift officials will put the next mayor and city council into a horrible fiscal jam. 

Dini Ajmani has correctly noted the financial burden but has failed to tell the public she backed all of it to the hilt with big contributions in the thousands of dollars to Ravi, Emily and Joe Quintero. Emily received $500 from Dini Ajmani only last year when she suffered an eight-year bout of Ravibot financial blindness.

Then there's Michael Russo who is spending a small fortune of Big Developer monies handed to his campaign while telling Hoboken residents they are the kindest, most caring people he's ever known. Hoboken's king of the grift has a way with words. Well, there's certainly a history there. 

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Grist for the Mill is the Hoboken 2025 Election rumor column. Got a tasty carrot? Drop an email to smartyjones@me.com. 

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