Dear Editor:
On the agenda at the July 13, 2010 Hoboken council meeting was a communication from Mayor Dawn Zimmer appointing Councilman Ravi Bhalla’s brother, Amardeep Bhalla to the Hoboken Library Board.
First of all, with all the controversy surrounding Councilman Bhalla’s recent behavior, with regard to voting to renew the contract of a friend, Paul Condon, pay to play issues and virtually a myriad of suspicious activities, one would think the Councilman would shy away from the limelight, quite the contrary. He ran for the Chairmanship of the Hoboken Democratic Committee and was elected by the Zimmer majority. Councilman Bhalla is now the Vice-President of the Hoboken City Council, he was voted in unanimously, as his seat was a foregone conclusion. And now has the arrogance to have his brother appointed to the Library Board.
Councilman Bhalla could explain he knew nothing of his brother’s submitting his resume and I guess the Councilman deems the general public naïve enough to believe his claim of ignorance. After all, another claim is that it is a non-paying position, that makes it all okay. Many Board positions in this City are non-paying, but one thing they are, is appointments of influence.
Let’s take a hypothetical situation, if I had a brother appointed to a City board, it would be called NEPOTISM. My question to councilman Bhalla is “What is it called now under the banner of “reform?” It has been said the “reformers” need to go to “reform school.”
Remember the Zimmer Campaign ads “Change That Works,” Yes, change that works just for them, they left that part out. Remember the cries, elect us we will be different. Remember the promises, I’ll point out one “TRANSPARENCY.” Yes, Dawn and Company you’re transparent alright, I can see right thru all of you.
How could a Mayor let a Councilman put her in a position to be criticized and jeopardize the integrity of her administration? How in turn could Mayor Zimmer have no problem appointing the brother of a Councilmember? If you have heard Councilman Bhalla praise Mayor Zimmer every chance he gets, then it makes sense. The ends justifies the means, in this case.
I write this letter in full knowledge and anticipation of a scathing rebuttal. Peppered with all sorts of claims against me and my tenure as a Councilperson. I have been the Independent/Minority member for the past 10 years, prior to that I was part of a majority. I enjoy the independent status, I fund my own campaigns, I get help from a few good friends and I have been elected to this position four times. I just could not let this latest display of arrogance and hypocrisy, among many, stay out of the public eye.
Theresa Costellano
First Ward Councilwoman
This woman, with her family history, is hand-wringing over nepotism with regard to a highly qualified no-cost appointment to the library board?
Hypocrisy is just too weak a word.
Try this instead. Gets good around 5:20 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-460953942838272185#
What if she actually has a point? Gosh, fancy that.
This is just another Zimmer-supporter say one thing, do another, of which there are so many now.
She gets into office and the hypocracies pile up, like so much horse poop. Instead of trying to defend them why not admit you are just more of the same. OR stop being more of the same.
Why didn't Ravi's bro show this interest in liberrrrry books beforehand?
On the surface, this has some basis for making a point. But of course it has to completely overreach. And that has all the earmarks of multiple hands, familiar hands on the letter.
As Peter Cammarano is about to be sentenced, Terry Castellano one of nine members on the City Council has yet to say a bad word about her former colleague, a convicted crook. Will she after his sentencing? Not likely. Someone pass her a hanky.
The difference in this instance. A mayoral appointment that should have been mentioned to the brother on the Council but it's not large in the scheme of a minor isolated board position.
Terry Castellano on the other hand is more obvious. Just follow the money.
It's a family trait.
You can ALWAYS come up with reasons why a relative is qualified to hold the position they are nepotistically appointed for. Everyone has some sort of background and experience.
When Castellano and her family had relatives appointed to things, she was criticized for it whether they had experience or not - as Belwether does below. So why shoulnd't the same criticism and scrutiny be applied to Bhalla?
If this wasn't nepotism, then why didn't Bhalla's brother indicate any sort of urge to help his fellow man by joining a board before his brother was elected? The Russos were involved in civic life for years.
I frankly agree with Eric that it should be evaluated on a case by case basis, but if that's not what would be done with Castellano, then it's equally fair that Bhalla and others undergo the same scrutiny.
Theresa Castellano gets it wrong again in her letter appearing in this weekend’s Reporter entitled “Nepotism is alive and well in Hoboken.” Nepotism is not simply the hiring or appointing of relatives, but rather favoritism shown for relatives with little or no regard for anything but kinship with no consideration of other candidates who might be better qualified, usually resulting in the hiring/appointing of unqualified individuals.
If I may excerpt from his letter, Amardeep Bhalla is an attorney who founded a successful non-profit organization. He has experience as a manager, fundraiser, and advocate. He taught at Columbia University. He joins Ilise Benun (marketing professional), Forde Prigot (finance), and Mairead Patterson (pursuing Masters degree in Library and Information Science) on the “new” Library Board.
Contrast this, if you will, to the appointment to the Library Board, circa 1999, of then-Mayor Anthony Russo’s son (and Michael’s brother) Nicholas, who brought with him a history of thuggish behavior and a 1996 hire to the Hoboken Police Department.
Consider also the hiring of Mayor Russo’s brother-in-law, George Destefano - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n3U_x247yQ - to the finance department and later as CFO. Consider the appointment of Russo’s wife to the Parking Authority in 1997. Consider the hiring of son Nicholas to the HPD in 1999. Consider the appointment of Michael Russo to the Zoning Board before he became a councilperson. Consider Michael’s inheritance of his father’s community organization and political machine, as well as an apartment in Church Towers. Consider the exclusive real estate listings garnered by Michele Russo, many from developments that received substantial zoning approvals and redevelopment status during her husband’s reign. From 1996 through 2001, her realtor fees totaled $1.5 million, and that’s just what was on the books. Consider Theresa Castellano serving as Councilwoman while her husband and cousins are employed by the HPD.
If mere relations without consideration of merit are enough to substantiate charges of nepotism, then Castellano should take issue with much more than than Amardeep’s appointment. More correctly, each hire/appointment should be judged on its merits, with consideration given to qualifications as well as relations. That applies to Amardeep as well as all the individuals listed above.
It's time for the likes of the Russo clan to get out of Hoboken's coffers. Get out.
Her cousin was Mayor when she voted to pass a resolution to give longevity pay to elected officials who had prior government employment, namely her cousin who was a school teacher before becoming a corrupt politician. 2 people on that vote recused themselves, several others including the them Councilman Roberts were asked to recuse themselves by Corp Council, 2 others abstained. The measure passed 1 - 0 with Castellano's vote that gave thousands of dollars to her cousin. Helen Hersh filed an ethics complaint that prevailed and Russo had to give the money back. Thx Helen. It's unclear if Russo has paid that money back in it's entirety yet.
George DeStephano was the CFO who calculated the 'cost benefit' of taking Church Towers off of it's PILOT. George is related to her through marriage. The math was so ridiculously wrong. Tripodi was infuriated when she realized she had been duped. It did not stop Castellano from voting on the resolution to extend the CT PILOT even though 3 first level blood cousins live in the building.
She also saw nothing wrong with voting on the Police MOUs even though her husband is a Police detective and she has other relatives on the police force (or at least were - Nick Russo was allowed to retire with a full pension after being on the police force for only 10 years. How did that happen? How does this family get away over and over with crimes against society?
Theresa Castellano lacks judgement and is no position to criticize nepotism.