Bayonne resident says persistence, special cake led to Davis unblocking people on FB

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Bayonne resident Peter Franco went to a local bakery in order to personally present Mayor Jimmy Davis with a cake asking him to “unblock” him, along with other residents, from some of the city’s official social media feeds.

Last week, Franco told us in an interview that he and his fellow residents were asking questions on the city’s social media feeds about the frequency and duration of the city’s tax abatements to developers to help fund redevelopment in the Peninsula City.

However, they weren’t receiving any feedback or responses, eventually realizing they had been blocked from the official Facebook pages of the mayor and the city.

“I’ve been trying to get the attention of our elected officials for quite some time. I think it’s a disservice because as an elected official, you should be open to criticism, but it [commenting on Facebook] also creates a dialogue for the rest of the residents,” Franco argued.

“No one person has a monopoly on all good ideas. I think it’s important for us to try to question things and add insight and, I’m not the smartest, and I don’t assume the council is the smartest; we should be open to other ideas.”

After a couple of months’ worth of submitting questions related to abatements and development, he claims that he was ultimately blocked from the Mayor’s official Facebook Page because the Mayor was censuring his and residents’ questions.

“So, they blocked me and other people, it all seemed related … we had questions about the abatements and the developers and their money.”

In what he called a show of goodwill to the mayor and other officials, Franco delivered a cake to City Hall to personally present it to Davis. It said “please unblock the people!” As luck would have it, Davis was not in his office at that time.

“I wasn’t able to see him, but it seems that it was effective because by the time I got home I was unblocked from the Mayor’s Page, but I’m still blocked from the City of Bayonne’s official Page. [However], according to the law director, they’re going to work on that tomorrow so that anyone who was blocked will be unblocked,” said Franco.

As he has argued many times in the past, Franco said this administration needs to be more open to hearing new voices when large-scale developments continue to be improved.

We asked him that if he isn’t happy with the current development process, what kind of development would he like to see in the city.

“I think that sustainability is important, and I would like to see keeping some of the older structure buildings and maybe just revamping them, sort of like how we did with the Silk Lofts on Avenue E,” Franco started.

“My other issue though, really, is that when it comes to abatements there doesn’t seem to be a standard. For example, the Council just approved a 25-year tax break for a 1,100-unit apartment complex, but then they also approved a 20-year tax break for a complex with 76 units. So the parameters make you wonder if we’re giving away too much, and then you have to wonder [because] the developers are really the ones funding the council and the mayor.”

Bayonne Corporation Council Jay Coffey told Franco and another resident who spoke up from the podium, that he directed the city last summer that anyone who was blocked should be unblocked.

“If people are still blocked, tomorrow I’m going to making sure that they’re unblocked, unless I can determine that they used vulgarities.”

He figuratively threw up his arms to say that he’s no longer interested in monitoring the comments people make on social media platforms.

“Even then, I think I’m going to direct [the city] to open it up because it’s just not worth the time to sit there and look through all these comments. If people want to act like idiots, they have the constitutional right to act like idiots.”


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19 COMMENTS

  1. Peter Franco making an offering .
    Peter have you ever made peace with the family in Texas. Yes we know all about your pedophile conviction and being dishonorably discharged from the Army. I see you rant about your training , but you fail to mention about your disservice, and being dishonorably discharged from the ARMY.
    Go away your bullying and tactics are falling on deaf ears .

  2. That’s appalling that you would respond like that .That kind of response tells all of us you haven’t come to terms with your pedophile conviction and being dishonorable discharged from the Army.

  3. The irony that “the real deal” talks behind a fake profile. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

  4. And I love it when people who didn’t have the cojones to enlist and serve our country think they can talk shit about someone else’s service. Oh you would’ve served but……What was it asthma? A bone spur? Flatulents? What a f-ing loser.

  5. The only thing more appalling than the way this story was written is the coward with the fake profile who claims to speak the whole truth. Jimmy Davis was acting like an idiot when he blocked real people for speaking the truth, even though he didn’t have any constitutional right to do so. Fakers – by definition – are idiots because they don’t value their opinions enough to own them, so why should anyone else care about them? I’m glad the mayor was finally pressured into doing the lawful thing. Now we can turn our attention to eliminating his bully goon-squad of fake profiles on social media…#BeBestTeamDavis.

  6. No that’s the message to you . We know the real deal about your past . Your pedophile conviction your DD214 Dishonorable Discharged from the US Army . As a retired wind dummy. I find it appalling you call yourself Army . You can talk all your rhetoric but please don’t refer to the Army .

  7. Wrong again. Please show me paperwork that suggests I’m dishonorably discharged for what you alleged?

    You’re not a vet. Veterans are fearless. You have no balls. You wouldn’t have made it thru MEPS. You’re a gutless coward that hides behind a pseudonym and serves his political master.

  8. You’re the one saying you’re the real deal. My dear friend and I are asking you to put that paperwork where your mouth is, and then explain how you got it.

  9. You two are a comedy team. It’s public record . Have your friend Peter recall Fort Hood Texas.
    August 14, 2008 arrested
    Booking Id#209603
    Bell County Sheriffs Department
    Fort Hood
    Does that jar your memory Peter should I continue ……………..
    Who’s going to backtrack now Peter?

  10. How disappointing. More deflection and misinformation. Please continue by showing us the records you’ve collected. You say you know the real deal, so now all you have to do is convince us…a pair of comedians who know the truth.

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