Hoboken Housing Authority Chair Dave Mello, a former two-term councilman-at-large, has endorsed the “Independently Together” team for the three at-large seats up for grabs in the non-partisan November 2nd municipal elections.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“To be a councilperson at large in Hoboken means to serve our entire 60,000 strong community. This effort can’t be sidetracked by concerns about how a mayor will react, politically, to your every move,” Mello said in an email blast this morning.
“This is why I’m so hopeful for a ticket that answers to nobody but us – the people of Hoboken. It’s not the job of a council person to be contrary for the sake of being contrary, but they should also never be hyper-focused on a mayor’s every wish. I’m confident Cheryl Fallick, Sheila Brennan, and Paul Presinzano are the right people to put Hoboken first.”
Mello was elected as part of former Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s ticket in 2009 and was then re-elected in 2013.
After Zimmer announced she wasn’t running and backed then-Councilman-at-Large Ravi Bhalla (who ran alongside Mello in 20019 and 2013) in 2017, Mello ended up running with County Commissioner, then freeholder, Anthony Romano (D-5) and came up short in a crowded field.
To that end, he wasn’t shy in voicing his disdain for Bhalla before concluding his written endorsement.
“My concern with Mayor Bhalla, who I know well, is he often seems more driven by personal career ambitions than by serving Hoboken – a deep concern at those times when his interests come in direct conflict with Hoboken’s,” Mello stated.
“An elected official’s personal interests should never win out in these scenarios. Therefore, I implore my neighbors to resist supporting council people who will not stand up for Hoboken first, Hoboken always, and Hoboken only.”
Early voting is available at Hoboken City Hall through Halloween.
I respected Dave for most (but not all) of his council tenure, and for his time at HHA. Sorry to hear he carries such a chip on his shoulder towards the mayor, HCV ever refers to it a “distain” here. Not a good look.
Disdain is the natural outcome the more you know about Ravi and his crooked cronies.
This is why your side is losing so badly. You can’t just have a normal adult conversation, it’s always “shims” and crooked cronies. You aren’t swaying anyone because you’re so OTT.
You want to have an adult conversation about the inside job Ravi Terror Flier? I can assure you Ravi dreads it. So does his crooked team.
but why do you care if he dreads it. you can’t stand him. you don’t have to spare his feelings. prove he did it.
No, it’s not that I can’t stand Ravi. He did an overall good job on the City Council. However, the sword of Damocles swings overhead with the hand of justice for the hate crime against the Mile Square City. You know it, I know it and soon the people of Hoboken are going to know it.
no i don’t know it. but you are obviously convinced you know it. so how specifically do you know it? why aren’t you offering proof if you have proof of a “hate crime.”
Does the US Navy tell the Chinese Communist Party? Ok, well before Joe Biden was installed into office. No buts, there’s plenty of evidence of the 2017 hate crime. You know it, I know it and soon the people of Hoboken are going to know it.
Who in City Hall doesn’t know? Who in the mayor’s office?
you’re really pathetic. not because of these endless deflections where you try to suggest you know everything but demonstrate that you don’t know anything every.single.time. no, the pathetic part is that you don’t recognize that everyone sees you as the sad punchline in a dumb joke. no one even wants your support because your “support” damages any cause you go near. rambling paranoid unfocused word salad imagining it is an endorsement and making the supposed “beneficiary” die of embarrassment.
tell that to the navy.
Dave Mello is a fat faced, Bar failing, loser who has 0 credibility in Hoboken despite his desperate attempts to stay relevant.
He doesnt care about anything other than himself and his weird ponytail. He is a disgrace to Hoboken and does not care about anyone in the HHA other than if he can continue to be chair
Mello needs Tiff and Jen’s votes to be reappointed to the HHA next year. So this endorsement isn’t really a surprise. Just confirmation that Mello thinks Tiff and Jen won’t support him, despite all the excellent work he’s done on the HHA, unless he endorses their obviously not independent “team.” Sadly he’s probably right. At the end of the day nobody on the City Council is more “transactional” that those two.
As the IT slate endorsements continue to roll out, they may want to consider rebranding themselves as the “Bitterly Together” slate. Let’s take a look as the endorsements: #FourthPlaceJen; Tiffanie “I serve to ‘get’ the Administration, not the community; Dave Mello “I ran with Stick because Ravi knew I was a loser”; Peter Cunningham (not even worth an insult here); Perry Belfiore “I back convicted felons” and for good measure, let’s pepper in a rando resident. Clearly this team is surrounded by some great influencers that hold tremendously credible weight in the community.
And while we’re at it, let’s look at the use of “together.” Are they? I received a mailer that strictly focused on Paul Presinzano. I guess as the saying goes, “There’s not ‘I’ in team but there is a ‘ME.'”
The person who sounds embittered here is you Johnny Cat. Besides, Ravi backed Pupie Raia the biggest living felon in Hoboken calling him an “asset to the community.” Did Ravi not know about Pupie’s mail-in ballot fraud machine? He testified about it in Hudson County Court in 2014.
What did Ravi do after that? He tried to give Pupie five more years on the only paying board in Hoboken. But you knew that.
Actually, it’s Catherine and I’d appreciate it if you used the right name when you’re trying to “get” me. Same MO as Councilwoman Fisher. And just like her, you’re failing every time. Your shtick is getting really old.
Your Ravibot insider BS is nothing but sour grapes because people put Hoboken ahead of Ravi and his agenda for total control. He can’t be trusted and he obtained the job in let’s say a very underhanded way fositing a hate crime againt Hoboken residents. Go enjoy your Johnny Cat litter and paw with that but everyone isn’t ignorant to it. The last thing I’d want to do is “get you.” I’m not a member of Hoboken Antifa. That’s a group Ravi and his crew publicly supported. Just like Ravi publicly praised Pupie and tried to twist arms to get him another five years paid on the North Hudson Sewerage Authority. Ravi knew what Pupie was doing in election fraud. That garbage has really gotten old. If the facts hurt your feelings, too bad. Your ignorance is not my problem.
You keep saying the Mayor’s team is behind the terror flyer. PROVE IT ALREADY. This is actually the garbage that’s getting really old.
@John, you’ve got to be kidding me with this. You put comments on hold for “moderation” and you keep posting this garage. There is nothing productive in these repetitive, baseless comments. Maybe as a a journalist, you should also be asking for the proof that keeps getting mentioned on your blog.
Like you said, Mello is 100% transactional. He jumped on Romano’s slate in 2017 when Bhalla turned him down, and when the window of opportunity for DeFusco’s slate slammed shut. Watching Dave woo DeFusco at council meetings was nauseating, but when the opportunity to run with him was offered Dave diddled, he was hedging his bets to run with Ravi. I can’t blame Mello for wanting to keep his HHA gig, but make no mistake the guy is not principled. Neither are the Council Bobsie Twins, so those three understand each other. The Bhalla council majority (if there is one) will judge Mello on his merits, and make his reappointment or not based on merits, not on stupid politics.
“Bitterly Together”- good one.
Re: the Paul mailer. Got one too. Paul P self funded his campaign with $8,000 so he’s spending his own money. Fallick and Brennan took out loans- $4,000 and $6,000 respectively- it’s possible that neither will spend it on a mailer or spend it at all.
Are you saying Tiff and Jenn aren’t even financing the candidates they recruited?
Wow!! These poor slobs are going to be out an awful lot of coin when this is all over thanks to those two cowards.
I heard that Councilwitch Giattino was the “match donor” when they did that desperate $1 = $2 campaign. She makes bank as a local buyer/seller real estate agent who also influences development legislation. “Again… interesting.”
So much courage here in putting together the Bitterly Together slate. Hope everyone enjoys the second Paul-only mailer that’s hitting mailboxes today!
So much insider baseball my head is spinning. I know that the Ravibot crew has been festering the entire campaign because they couldn’t attack an opposition mayoral candidate. Instead they’ve been copying the IT slate’s plans and even changing the color of their flyers to the IT colors. It’s really pathetic but, when you’ve spent almost 4 years trying to make sure that you and your ticket could just waltz right in instead of performing your duty, you don’t have a plan B.
I like that anytime there is an informed, educated comment on HCV, it’s automatically considered to be a Ravibot and paid operative. Is it so hard for you (because it’s clearly one person under different names) to fathom that the majority of people actually like the Administration and what they’ve accomplished against an uncooperative, pain in the ass council?
I suspect Tiff was the anonymous donor of the IT website, which she/they/someone neglected to report to the NJ Election Law Enforcement Commission.
Is the reporting time due? I doubt it is but hey, you Ravi ops keep doing your hate thing.
Will we be getting a Friday night Ravi Terror Flier again?
Guess he didn’t get what he wanted after all…
Dave never really acted above “Bar” when it comes to politics and loyalty. He failed it EVERY time
This failed politician and once Mayoral hopeful really should decide if he wants to serve the Housing Residents or be a politician. Hoboken Voters already told him they didn’t want him doing the latter as they place him 11th! After 8 years in office, that’s probably the worst showing by any council incumbent in local government history!
Mello should grab a mop and some bleach and clean the hallways at the HHA if he really cares.
If he doesn’t have a mop, he can use that ridiculous late middle aged pony tail he’s grown…. LOL
Poor Dave… all he ever wanted was to come in 3rd.
I was planning to vote for the IT team, but now that I see Mello is with them, F O R G E T I T !
This cant be the same person Fallick blabbed all over town that she was screamed and cursed out by over the phone?
What was Mello promised by this grown up version of a ragamuffin parade?
Was Mello promised a cushy job teaching in Hoboken, a second job somewhere in government or maybe a tutor to help him study for the Bar?
This condescending 12th place, D——bag was rejected by the voters, rejected by Zimmer, Bhalla, Giatinno and DeFusco. Why would anyone respect his opinion now?
If his endorsement was sought by the Tiff Ticket, why didn’t they want him on her last Tiff slate 4 years ago?
Poor Dave… he just wants to be loved.