Cammarano will plead innocent and has no plans to resign

Progressives and market differentiation (0.00 / 0)

This is a very good opportunity for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party to step in and differentiate itself in the political marketplace.  It would be a very good moment to have a high profile event with Howard Dean on health care, perhaps something related to his book. Or perhaps an event with Ed Schultz or Thom Hartmann or Rhodes. It's a good opportunity for the progressives to be out there raising money.

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by: proud2Bliberal @ Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 17:04:29 PM UTC

Business as usual (3.00 / 1)

My apologies in advance for my spam-like post, but I've been trying to get the word out about business as usual in Hoboken for over two years.

ELEC troubles http://hoboken411.com/archives...

Insurance co's pay tribute - Federal Hill & BGIA http://hoboken411.com/archives...

Sarlos and Hoboken hospital  http://hoboken411.com/archives...

Stan's Sports http://hoboken411.com/archives...

Video: Then Councilman, now Assemblyman Ruben Ramos on bribes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

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by: hobokenmafia @ Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 17:18:32 PM UTC

Cammarano Needs To Be Kicked Out Of Office... (3.00 / 1)

....just as Blagojecvich was.

Cammarano is living either in a delusional world of massive denial in which he's desperately clinging to the vestiges of his old life and freedom or he's embarking on a calculated plan to try to stretch this out for years while he collects a salary and builds up a pension and protects the ongoing corrupt activities of others for more years on end.

Again, it may well be that this smart talented pleasant fellow truly believes that he's "innocent" and that he can brazen it out and maybe (if there's enough corrupt/blackmailed/intimidated judges around he'll be let off scott free.   Who knows?  Maybe New Jersey IS that corrupt!)

If his defense is being funded by taxpayer money it is an abomination.  And if it isn't, who is paying for it?

This is from PolitickerNJ  (emphases added)

Shell-shocked Hoboken sources pointed to Mayor Peter Cammarano's statement from last week regarding Hoboken Housing Authority Commissioner Hector Claveria, who was arrested for taking bribes.

"These are serious allegations which are currently proceeding through the judicial system," Cammarano said.

"This Administration has a clear-cut, zero tolerance policy against any violation of the public trust and I am calling for Housing Authority Commissioner Claveria to resign his position with the Hoboken Housing Authority immediately. Should he refuse to resign, I am demanding that the City Council President immediately begin proceedings for his removal pursuant to New Jersey State statute 40A:12A-17."

Talk about self serving hypocrisy.

Cammarano is an embarrassment to every law abiding citizen of Hoboken and to the Democratic party.

Cammarano has a right to the presumption of innocence and to plead not guilty and to have a fair trial.   But he doesn't have a right to keep his job under these circumstances.

On it's face the case against Cammarano is even more overwhelming than it was against Blagojevich!   Cammarano took 25 grand in CASH and made obsequious promises and commitments.

Obviously he's going to try to brazen it out and claim that he had no "criminal intent" and that no actual favors were done and that it's all just a big misunderstanding.

It's shocking to even me that every Democrat in the state hasn't yet publicly demanded Cammarano's resignation!!!

All I can say is that if the whole of the Democratic party establishment doesn't come down on Cammarano and demand that he resign, then it tells us that he must have lots and lots of dirt on lots and lots of people...and it will mean that Chris Christie will likely be our next governor because he will milk the Cammarano hypocrisy and the fact that he's being tacitly supported by the Democratic party for all that it's worth.

(Of course, Christie won't do anything about the systemic corruption if he wins.....he's part of the problem himself!)

What a mess!  

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by: Nick Lento @ Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 20:35:07 PM UTC

Denial (0.00 / 0)

Reminds me of a councilman I knew once, who despite being indicted for drugs, wound up still thinking he could be Mayor someday.  No amount of cajoling from the Dems in town could make him step down before he literally pled guilty after lying to everyone around him - but mostly to that guy he faced every day in the mirror.  

The fact that some lawyers who teach classes to newly elected officials in NJ teach them that Pay to Play isn't so bad because THEY do it, doesn't help young politicians like Cammarano learn wrong from right.  

I think the reason that so many Mayors wind up in these stings is because in NJ a Mayor has incredible power over Planning Officials.  In NJ, as Joe Doria himself, explained to me once in Atlantic City when I first met him - a council has absolutely NO ADVISE AND CONSENT role in the seating of nearly ALL members of municipal Planning Boards.  Only ONE Class 3 member of the PLanning Board is seated by the consent of the Council.

That is why I had such tremendous trouble dealing with the Tenafly Planning Board when I was the Class 3 member.  The Mayor often met with applicants privately and then pressured the Planning Board members to do things his way. After all, he appoints them too, besides being a voting member of the Board.  Most towns don't investigate whether the folks seated on the Planning Board are beholden to the Mayor in some way.  

Mayor Micheal Wildes of Englewood got in a lot of hot water last year when The Record did a story on just this topic.  Mayors are the most powerful guys when you want to swing a planning board one way or another.  The Council has practically no say in land use issues.  It's all about the Mayor.

Perhaps we should look closer into planning board appointments and making them less dependent on the whims (and indiscretions) of Mayors.

One Vote.  Yours.  It really does matter.

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by: carolh @ Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 23:01:35 PM UTC

I can see it now... (0.00 / 0)

The defense will be right out of Wayne Bryant's playbook.

It will read something like...

"The shear volume of people involved in this arrest is de facto proof that 'everyone is doing it' in New Jersey, and that being the case, why should I be held accountable."

"Where ever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Bonzai

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by: William Weber (WjcW) @ Sun Jul 26, 2009 at 00:25:03 AM UTC