LETTER: Bhalla a superior choice to Giattino in Hoboken mayor’s race

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In a letter to the editor, Hoboken resident Dan Drobnis lists several reasons why he believes Councilman-at-Large Ravi Bhalla is a superior mayoral candidate to Council President Jen Giattino. Ravi Bhalla

Dear Editor,
If you are deciding between Ravi Bhalla and Jen Giattino, there are some clear differences between the two that should be closely examined before you make a choice.

First, Ravi’s focused and professional campaign has raised nearly double the amount raised by Jen. Perhaps even more important is that Ravi has received more contributions from actual Hoboken residents than any other candidate.

Between the two, Ravi is the best positioned to win as an at-large Councilman who has represented the entire City, not just one Ward.

Third, Ravi has a bachelors and advanced degrees – he graduated from UC Berkley, received a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics, and received a law degree from Tulane.

Serving as mayor is not the same as serving on the council. The mayor is the chief executive officer of a complex city government. While it may not be the deciding factor, a reasonable voter should examine the educational background of any candidate.

In this category, Ravi has the significant advantage.

Fourth, Ravi enjoys the enthusiastic endorsement of the wildly popular current mayor, Dawn Zimmer. Mayor Zimmer’s robust support for Ravi is a valuable asset that has mobilized her supporters.

More importantly, Mayor Zimmer has worked with both Ravi and Jen for many years. Based on that experience, Mayor Zimmer determined Ravi is eminently more qualified and better suited than Jen to be the next mayor.

Considering Mayor Zimmer knows better than anyone else what it takes to do the job successfully, her endorsement is significant.

Fifth, Jen has two years left to serve out her term as councilperson. If she wins this election, she would be abandoning her seat on the council to serve in higher office.

This is important to note because a few of Jen’s supporters have accused Ravi of being “ambitious.”

Unlike Jen, however, Ravi is not abandoning his current position. Rather, his term as councilman expires this January. In other words, Jen is willing to abandon her current position to serve in higher office.

Sixth, Hoboken’s municipal elections are non-partisan. However, the political ideology of political candidates still matters. The political philosophy of an individual seeking office informs their decisions and is an indicator of their policies.

Jen is a Republican, Ravi is a Democrat. Jen has been a delegate for at least one Republican presidential nominee and has attended the Republican National Convention
several times.

Jen also selected as a running mate a man who is not only a conservative Republican, but
a public supporter of Donald Trump and his oppressive agenda.

Ravi has been a civil rights attorney championing progressive values. Ravi is also the only mayoral candidate to have a selected all progressives as his running mates. It is patently unreasonable to ignore this stark contrast.

Of course, if you agree with the political ideology of the Republican party, Jen and
her running mates may be your choice. If, on the other hand, you reject what the Republican party stands for, Ravi and his team should be your choice.

These are real and significant differences. I urge all residents to carefully consider what distinguishes Ravi from Jen. I’m supporting Ravi and his team, Councilman Jim Doyle, Emily Jabbour, and John Allen,and I encourage you to do these same.

Thanks for your kind consideration.

Dan Drobnis

Hoboken Resident


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35 COMMENTS

  1. Giattino’s lack of a formal education has been a well kept secret for years. Unlike all 5 of the other candidates, I’ve heard Giattino does not have a college degree. Maybe that matters. Maybe it doesn’t. But aren’t the voters entitled to know?

    Along the same lines, what does Mike DeFusco actually do for a living? He’s said he manages a department with a large budget and lots of people. Is that true? I’ve heard he does not manage a department at all – that at best his work experience is wildly exaggerated. He has said he would take a large pay cut to be mayor. I’ve heard that is untrue.

    You wouldn’t hire a low level employee without knowing whether they had a college degree or what their work experience really was. But we’re supposed to hire the leader of our city without knowing this stuff.

    Something is very wrong with that.

    • Defusco works for CBS in marketing and owns a brownstone- but you knew that.
      Giatinno was the 1st female at Goldman to work on the trading floor- but you knew that

      Dawn Zimmer was a hobbyist photographer and an intern at edleman for a few months and took ID photos for new employees in the HR dept.

      Ravi has such a great education, why does he need political connections to get a job at the Seton Hall Law / Jersey Democrats and contract rich FPSF law firm?

      Ravi is shady
      Ravi cant be trusted
      Ravi is taking foreign money – foreign to NJ

      Ravi is a rat

  2. Three questions: 1./ why create further community divisiveness (than has already been solidified by Team Zimmer)? 2./why not follow the Mayoral rules of succession and the votes of fellow sitting Councilpersons? 3./ Why has Brian Stack not endorsed Bhalla, when he was willing to endorse Zimmer?

  3. I have no need for anonymity and am happy to answer your questions: (1) I reject the premise of this question because it is not divisive to highlight the factual differences between candidates; (2) This is not Communist China. We do not have a politburo that chooses leaders for us. We have democratic elections; and (3) Brian Stack has prudently not endorsed anyone because this will be a close election.

    I trust that fully addresses your concerns.

  4. Jen has not been forthright about her educational nor work resume. My understanding is that she was Todd Christie’s assistant at Goldman Sachs, not a trader.

    • She interviewed w HR which describes her as a broker then a specialist. I don’t see her ever registered as a broker or advisor. There must be an explanation. Many people give vague answers but fabricating is another thing. Anyone know?

    • Republican Todd Christy gave big money to Republican Jen Giantinno for her mayoral campaign campaign.

      Today Republican Kim Guadgano said wanted to punish Hoboken by cutting ABBOTT funding for our schools which would cause a massive tax increase. Republican Jen Gianttino silent yet again.

  5. Boy MonarchGate sure doesn’t like a lot of people. In his ongoing monologue on one of the blogs he’s attacking Jim Doyle, James Sanford, anyone and everyone supporting Bhalla, who he happily supported back when Marsh was on the ticket and Zimmer’s council seat was in play.

    The best line is “be careful of endorsements they usually come with promises.”

    Indeed! Who could forget the hysterical episode outside council chambers after Lenz got appointed to the 4th Ward seat, with Soares wagging his finger at Dawn and flailing around yelling “I WAS WITH YOU FROM THE VERY BEGINNING! I WAS WITH YOU FROM THE VERY BEGINNING!”

    Or the time he was telling people he hoped Zimmer’s relationship with Richard Turner was on the rocks because it would improve his chances for the NHSA seat.

    Pitiful.

  6. As I said elsewhere: “if ravi had the slimeball campaign of the race, his people would walk around saying ‘hoboken isn’t ready for a republican mayor with only a high school education’. you’d see it in ads and on mailers.

    but they aren’t the slimeball campaign in the race. surprisingly, and sadly, that honor goes to another campaign who’s supporters make thinly veiled dog whistle comments like how the city “deserves a candidate who will represent all of hoboken” and the like.”

  7. Hit the road Jack…

    (Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.)
    (Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more.)
    What you say?
    (Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.)
    (Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more.)

    Woah Woman, oh woman, don’t treat me so mean,
    You’re the meanest old woman that I’ve ever seen.
    I guess if you said so
    I’d have to pack my things and go. (That’s right)

    (Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.)
    (Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more.)
    What you say?
    (Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.)
    (Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more.)

    Now baby, listen baby, don’t ya treat me this-a way
    Cause I’ll be back on my feet some day.
    (Don’t care if you do ’cause it’s understood)
    (you ain’t got no money you just ain’t no good.)
    Well, I guess if you say so
    I’d have to pack my things and go. (That’s right)

    (Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.)
    (Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more.)
    What you say?
    (Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.)
    (Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more.)

    Well
    (don’t you come back no more.)
    Uh, what you say?
    (don’t you come back no more.)
    I didn’t understand you
    (don’t you come back no more.)
    You can’t mean that
    (don’t you come back no more.)
    Oh, now baby, please
    (don’t you come back no more.)
    What you tryin’ to do to me?
    (don’t you come back no more.)
    Oh, don’t treat me like that
    (don’t you come back no more.)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBStOprrVq0

  8. Guess the picture of Jen Giattino working with traders on the New York Stock Exchange never happened. Wow, these Ravi people are some nasty lot.

    Any other woman seeing this done to her professional career would be denounced as sexist.

    Not the Ravi Bhalla campaign. They are urging on the attacks as they cash in the NJ Transit union connected money.

    What a disgrace.

  9. Mike DeFusco all the way!! You can all argue over these two all you want while Mike takes the office of Mayor as the Zimmer base points fingers at each other in what is an embarrassing lack of unity for Zimmer, Bhalla, and Giattino.

  10. For fuqs sake just check out my democratic youtube channels. Fuq the repulicans out there who think Joe Biden is doing a bad job. JOE BIDEN 2024 !!!

    https://www.youtube.com/@uniquegirlsfun196/
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz3Os_aWrWJ7ATr9pIgsBLw
    https://www.youtube.com/@JonathanResslerBigFat

    PS – I’ll just send them over to you again and again in case you miss it.

    Jonathan Blake Ressler
    6800 Willow Wood Dr Apt 907, Boca Raton, FL 33434-3506

    jonathon.ressler@gmail.com

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