Bhalla, Fisher feud escalates over Hoboken meeting to back Stack for HCDO chair

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The feud between Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla and 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, the chair of the local Democratic committee, has escalated over an upcoming meeting to back state Senator (D-33)/Union City Mayor Brian Stack as the next Democratic county chair.

Various Hoboken officials celebrating 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher being elected the chair of the local Democratic party on June 12th, 2017. From left to right: HDC 1st Vice Chair Phil Cohen, 5th Ward Councilman Peter Cunningham, Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro (D-33), then-Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Fisher, then-Chief of Staff Vijay Chaudhuri , then-Councilman Ravi Bhalla and then-Councilman Dave Mello.
Various Hoboken officials celebrating 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher being elected the chair of the local Democratic party on June 12th, 2017. From left to right: HDC 1st Vice Chair Phil Cohen, 5th Ward Councilman Peter Cunningham, Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro (D-33), then-Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Fisher, then-Chief of Staff Vijay Chaudhuri , then-Councilman Ravi Bhalla and then-Councilman Dave Mello.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“At the meeting this coming Monday, both Senator Stack and I will offer remarks regarding both the County Reorganization meeting on June 12, 2018. I also want to remind everyone on this email chain how much time and resources Senator Stack placed into ensuring a victorious election cycle for your Committeeperson campaigns in June 2017,” Bhalla wrote in an email to Democratic committee members Monday morning.

” … It’s critically important for us not to forget this support, and offer our assistance to Senator Stack at this critical juncture of the County’s future leadership.”

The meeting, which is not a formal gathering of the HDC, is an invite-only affair at Carpe Diem on Monday evening.

Bhalla embracing Stack as the next chairman of the Hudson County Democratic Organization is no surprise, given that he was quick to join Stack and Mayor Steven Fulop in calling for a new county executive to replace four-term incumbent Tom DeGise.

Stack was expected to waltz into the role without any opposition, but now that U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-8) and state Senator (D-32) Nick Sacco are supporting DeGise’s re-election, whether or not the HCDO chair election is uncontested remains up in the air.

While the email seemed like a fairly standard, enthusiastic call to rally local Democrats around Stack, Bhalla apparently excluded Fisher and 17 other members of the HDC, according to an email from the councilwoman sent out yesterday morning.

“I wish I could say that I am surprised that Mayor Bhalla decided to be so disrespectful to the entire committee and me by excluding 17 of our fellow committee members and myself from meeting with Senator Stack. But I am not. Nor am I ok with it,” Fisher wrote.

“Notwithstanding what he tries to brand himself as, actions speaks much louder than words and Mayor Bhalla’s history of being divisive and selectively excluding people speaks for itself. I could be wrong, but I imagine that this is not the will of Senator Stack, especially in the face of his upcoming election.”

Fisher also noted that she has a sit down meeting scheduled with Stack for later this week (she won’t be attending Monday’s affair) and plans on brining up that “Bhalla has let his own local politics get in the way.”

Adding more fuel to the fire, the other five members of the HDC executive committee: 1st Vice Chair Phil Cohen (who also chaired Bhalla’s mayoral transition team), 2nd VC Nora DeBenedetto, 3rd VC Mitch Fagen, Treasurer Paul Kuehn, Recording Secretary Rachel Hodes and Corresponding Secretary LaTrenda Ross let Fisher have it in a joint email.

“While we, as members of the Executive Committee, have been trying to organize, we are severely limited in our ability to advance the goals of the Committee. Indeed, Tiffanie’s obstructionism runs much deeper than her refusal to call Committee meetings,” they wrote in an email sent from Cohen’s address late last night.

“For example, (1) Tiffanie is unresponsive to inquiries, requests, and offers of help from Executive Board members; (2) Tiffanie has refused to share even the contact information for all Committee members; (3) Tiffanie has refused to initiate the process for making necessary changes to the by-laws, despite requests from Executive Members and Committee Members; and (4) Tiffanie has been unhelpful, and frequently uncooperative, with Executive Board members who have tried to do the work of the Committee.”

The email also said that Fisher’s remarks about the mayor did not reflect the views of the executive committee, nor were they consulted, adding that any committee members left off the email chain were contacted or in the process of being contacted about Monday’s meeting.

Sources with knowledge of the situation said that Cohen would jump at the chance to replace Fisher, who helped run 6th Ward Councilwoman Jen Giattino’s mayoral campaign as HDC chair, a measure Bhalla would certainly support.

However, the logistics of how to oust Fisher, who was elected in June with the support of Bhalla, then-Mayor Dawn Zimmer and many others, as chair are complicated and would likely take several months, sources said.

In a follow up, Fisher apologized for not consulting the executive committee first before criticizing Bhalla and added she remains committed to making the HDC successful.

“I have tried to be supportive of everyone’s ideas. I have hosted all of our meetings. I did research and provided background on the state congressional races. And have worked collaboratively with members preparing for our event, and providing content via email and social media. And I, like others, contributed to our agendas and our topics we discussed,” she responded.

“I hope that there is in fact a way for us to work together. And I also hope that there is a way to work with Mayor Bhalla. I hope too that you demand from Mayor Bhalla the same that you are demanding from me – to work together collaboratively. I remain committed to making this effort.”

She also admitted that while a formal meeting has not been called since her election because “we were all absorbed in our local elections,” further stating that she is unaware of any inquiries that she has ignored or rejected, but would be open to discussing any scenarios where someone felt slighted.


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30 COMMENTS

  1. It’s thrilling that I Ravi Cammarano hold no seat on the Hoboken Dem Committee but so many embrace my unifying message of two jobs, insider law firm deals (for me) and my agenda. We’re going to destroy anyone who isn’t down with corruption in Hoboken! You can count on me as your mayor Ravi Cammarano!

  2. I am shocked… SHOCKED… that a Democratic Committee Chair who moonlit as de facto campaign manager for a Republican mayoral candidate was deemed irrelevant.

    • Look another Ravi Robot shows up but isn’t exactly quoting the rules on Hoboken non-partisan municipal elections. Is it because corruption matters most? Yes, shocked, truly shocking.

      So how do you defend that swarmy second law firm job for Ravi? Tell us Ravi Robot, because none of you even try to defend that scandal.

  3. Suprised Stack would want an endorsement from a politico which has has consistently chosen to not stant behind. DeGise is the only one has has completed significant infrastructure projects. Just so no to conflicts of interest in state and local roles. Stack can not serve effectively as Senator and County Exec.

  4. So now that Fisher is aware has she called for a full committee meeting so that ideas can be aired and votes can be taken or has she so far decided it’s not important for the committee to meet?

    • You mean the plan for trying to make a few small changes so the Ravi Robots can then pull off a coup and end the chair’s term?

      Yeah, that didn’t work out. Idiots!

  5. Tiffanie Fisher’s 2nd Ward Council Term Expires Dec. 31, 2019

    Hoboken residents are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to replace her.

    • So the insider-crooks can do more insider deals in Hoboken with her out of the way? Hey look, Ravi will suddenly work with Republicans for the green moolah. Boy, that’s transparent.

  6. “However, the logistics of how to oust Fisher, who was elected in June with the support of Bhalla, then-Mayor Dawn Zimmer and many others, as chair are complicated and would likely take several months, sources said.”

    Probably not, the mechanism to remove the chair exists and is straight forward in Roberts Rules, I’m sure Mike Lenz has explained it to Tiffanie. Fisher probably fears an airing of her inaction and actions as Chair and possible vote of no confidence so has refused to call a meeting where members can vote. A shame, cowardice is no substitute for leadership.

    • This has nothing to do with the actions of the HDC which has done more than it has more than a decade thanks to its chair, Tiffanie Fisher. The ruse by Jason Freeman’s girlfriend Rachel Hodes asking for a full meeting to make a few “little changes” updating the bylaws was smoked out as an obvious Ravi Robot plot. Who told her to try that stupid stunt?

      Gee, I wonder if it was planned out in the mayor’s office with her boyfriend?
      Boy, these people are stupid.

      • “boy these people are stupid!”. You can say that again! Of course it’s often hard to tell the difference between stupid and crazy. The 2017 losers and their supporters on these blogs seem like a bit of both.

        Perhaps that’s why they lost to a guy who was supposed to be “unelectable.” Maybe at the end if the day being really stupid and supported by total psychos is what really makes a candidate “unelectable.”

        • Well look LindaStan, everyone hopes your transition surgery worked out and you don’t have any regrets.

          Maybe unelectable is only a 32% mistake. Stupid is as stupid does mounting transparently bad coup attempts.

          Did you have any hand in that stupidity? Fess up, all your gal pals wanna know.

  7. The Hoboken Democratic Committee looks like a completely useless organization. What has it done for the Democratic Party other than some fairly bland Facebook posts? What was the point of having local Democrats vote for district committee-persons if there are no meetings of the committee (except one meeting in half a year), or even just the Executive Committee? The fact that committee members might have something to say that is contrary to the wishes of the Chair is not a good reason to suspend having the committee meet.

  8. “She also admitted that while a formal meeting has not been called since her election because “we were all absorbed in our local elections,”

    So Fisher admits that she abdicated her responsibilities as HDP chair because she was too busy trying to elect a republican as mayor of Hoboken.

    Over 4 months have passed since that local election. What’s her excuse been for the past 4 months? What she has been absorbed in since then except her local political machinations?

    • Instead of whining LindaStan, just tell us what role you had in screwing up the coup. Why did you put that dirty job in the hands of poor Rachel? She’s so green, she’s almost as green as the poor lawyer in the Hoboken Law Dept. told to sign off on that woeful legal analysis on board appointments.

      Why do you abuse these women Lindastan? You and Ravi treat them like cannon fodder.

      • All this discussion about the Hoboken Democratic party is distracting us from the real issue at hand. Who will emerge as the leader of the “real men of Hoboken?”

          • OK, so we know that this “LindaStan will not emerge as the leader of the real men of Hoboken. That is not surprising since it’s not a really manly name. I’ll bet this person wouldn’t even be manly enough to be considered for memberhip, and certainly would never be a serious candidate for leadership of the group.

            But who will the leader be and how is he chosen? Does each member of the group get a single vote no matter how manly they are or are the votes weighted by their overall manliness?

            I’ve heard the leaders of the group have to give up their jobs and take a vow if celibacy so they can focus full time on being manly. Is that true or is it just a myth perpetrated by less manly people jealous of the manliness of the real men of Hoboken.

        • So Ravi lies and takes what looks to me like a no show job and Linda Poo defends it while attacking Tiffany’s job and spying on people’s LinkedIn resumes

        • Why is Stan looking at his enemies linked in pages ?
          Either he needs a job, helping fabricating a resume for his wife or he’s helping Sybil do more personal assaults on their enemies and their target list

          It’s Mason Days all over again

  9. Linda Lou really likes to attack manliness
    Seems a lot like veiled homophobia
    Guess that’s why he likes to colude with Sybil
    He’s Lane to Sybil’s Perry

    • @theroleof… I assume your comment was meant for me rather than for @LindaLou since I have been expressing my admiration for the manliness of the group Sybilitis referred to as “the real men if Hoboken.” I would question the obvious manliness of anybody manly enough to be a member of such a manly group.

      I realize that if you are not a member of the real men of Hoboken you might take my admiration for the members as somehow denigrating your own manliness. If so – please accept my apology. While their manliness is certainly extraordinary, ordinary men can be special in other less manly ways.

      • Toys “R” Us may be closing but Contracts”R” Us is opening branches all over New Jersey
        Come in today and get your ravi Robot! Midnight Madness Sale at Contracts “R” Us! Take the elevator to the 2nd floor of city hall!
        Get a free stuffed Linda Lou doll with every purchase

        Supplies are limited but the patronage and wheeling is not!

  10. Oh how interesting that Linda Lou is still so obsessed with everyone who knows the behind the scenes truth on recent settlements and their costly origins.
    Why would LindaLou need to look up the LinkedIn profiles of volunteer board members. Creepy or a deeper seedier plan in the works, like contacting employers or trying to hurt someone’s right to earn a living?
    The days of Hudson County retribution are back in the post reform period of Hoboken politics.

    Unless perhaps Linda was just trying to help his wife fabricate a resume so she can chase climate changing rainbows and plastic trash bags blowing in bike lanes?

    Maybe Linda can simply look up resume writing 101 here :https://resumebuild.com/resume-builder?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3Mbp3-Lx2QIVA1mGCh1xuwAvEAAYAyAAEgJunPD_BwE

    This time lets hope he does a better job than with climate change than he did at Lawyering 101

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