Interview with Mayor Malloy

Ok, I'll start out with my selfish question about BYOB:

"BYOB would create a lot of confusion" Is he kidding? This is the best answer he can come up with? How does every other municipality handle it, including NYC? Or are they just less confused? Stop with the nonsense. It isn't confusion, it is the "lobbying" by bar owners - plain and simple. This city wants to pretend it would like to be like Hoboken but then fails at every chance.

Jude

I'M STILL SITTING HERE TRYING TO FIGURE THAT OUT AS WELL. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW CONFUSING THIS COULD BE. THEN AGAIN, IT SEEMS LIKE ANYTHING PUT IN FRONT OF THE CITY LEADERS IS CONFUSING. THERE ARE MANY VAGUE ANSWERS THAT I'LL ADDRESS LATER THIS WEEK.

NEIL, YOU ASKED SOME VERY GOOD QUESTIONS BUT I DO FEEL THAT YOU COULD HAVE ASKED SOME FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS TO SOME ANSWERS HE GAVE YOU. WHEN WAS THIS INTERVIEW DONE? IS THIS THE ORDER IN WHICH THE QUESTIONS WERE ASKED? IS THERE MORE TO THIS INTERVIEW THAT WILL BE POSTED LATER?



SEEMS LIKE THE MAYOR DIDN'T QUITE ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS. HE WAS VERY EVASIVE WITH HIS ANSWERS OR JUST PLAINLY FAILED TO ANSWER. SUCH AS, WHAT TOOK PLACE WITH HIS VISIT TO WASHINGTON. IS HE TRYING TO SAY HE WENT ALL THE WAY TO D.C. JUST TO ASK THE ARMY TO AGREE TO COMMUNICATE MORE.

Greenie, the answers weren't vague. They were very measured political responses; nothing more, nothing less.

And Jude, I agree with you on the issue of BYOB. The city can create a license that allows BYOB with said license being posted in full view to eliminate any confusion. The PD can always send in ‘customers’ to see if the place is selling liquor without a license.

Really, how much affect will BYOB have on those establishments that already have a liquor license?

Bear in mind that my last interview with Tony was done via telephone, which is why I had the audio and I could be more interactive. In order to get more politicians to take part in these interviews I have provided multiple ways for them to take part: in person, over the phone & via email. In this instance the Mayor chose to answer my questions via email. I sent the questions to him last week and he sent the replies to me yesterday. I coordinated this effort through Joe Ryan.

I agree with Stan that some of the questions are answered in a political manner. But I do not think that would have changed in person or over the phone.

re: BYOB Is Mayor Malloy saying our police are easily confused?

MOTBY question " During the Doria administration... City would get the money it needed." I read and reread the response and can't come up with a logical reason defending this procedure. The BLRA had their own funds and didn't need anything from Bayonne. Is there a law precluding Bayonne from floating those bonds specifically for Bayonne? Would that have been illegal? Had the council rejected this plan ( which I feel would have been the wise decision)what would the consequences have been? Higher taxes? Layoffs? Who advised the council to approve this maneuver? Was Doria so shrewd 3 years ago, to intentionaly place us in such deep debt that eventually the BLRA would feel compelled to sell to the PA to have the money to do the swap? Was this his long range plan?

Anyone out there with excellent writing skills? We need a script for a movie and once we produce it we can use the proceeds to balance the budget.

I don't think an interview via e-mail is the way to do an interview. Neil I think your questions where great. However the answers where not spontaneous, they where carefully politically thought out. He really gave no answers to a lot of questions that you had asked him. Had it been an interview in person or on the telephone you could have asked him to clarify things.

I think his answer about the BYOB is ridiculous. Most cities allow it and most people simply bring a nice bottle of wine to share with their meal. As far as his other answers go they where way to vague. When you asked him about his trip to Washington he barely answered it and then said the communication was between the BLRA and the Army. I believe he took the easy way out by answering via e-mail. His interview left me with more questions then answers.

Greenie, the answers weren’t vague. They were very measured political responses; nothing more, nothing less.

OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD I WILL AGRRE AND ALSO DISAGREE. LET'S START WITH THIS "The Advocate: What has taken place in your meetings with the Army?
Mayor Malloy: At the meeting I attended in Washington, each side presented its case in the presence of Congressman Albio Sires. Both sides agreed to communicate more. The BLRA has continued its own discussions with the Army." NOW LET'S START WITH THE MAYORS RESPONSE, "Both sides agreed to communicate more." I THINK WE, AS TAXPAYERS, WE ALREADY KNEW THAT THAT WOULD BE THE OUTCOME. THE QUESTION WAS, "What has taken place in your meetings with the Army?" I DO NOT SEE WHERE NEILS QUESTION SAYS "WHAT IS YOUR (MR. MAYOR) FINAL CONCLUSION" THE CORRECT ANSWER WOULD HAVE INCLUDED, WHAT WAS DISCUSSED, WHAT THE DIFFERENCES WERE, AND WHAT BOTH SIDES WOULD ATTEMP TO DO TO RESOLVE THE DIFFERENCES.

HERE'S ANOTHER, "Do you believe it is in the city’s best interest to have Cliff Doll appointed the Executive Director of the BLRA? Would the city not benefit more from someone who is outside the process of politics in Bayonne? ..............HERE IS THE MAYORS RESPONSE "The choice of the next BLRA Executive Director is in the hands of the BLRA board. There are reportedly fifteen finalists for that job, not one person. It would be inappropriate for me to stomp on the BLRA’s personnel process, which they are only partway through doing. When the BLRA personnel committee is ready to make a final recommendation, I would appreciate the courtesy of a meeting to learn about their choice. However, it would be unfair of me in the meantime to impose any choice or veto on them. I trust the BLRA personnel committee to do its job."..................FIRST OFF....IT IS A YES OR NO QUESTION. PERHAPS YES OR NO WITH AN EXPLANATION. NO WHERE IN THE MAYORS ANSWER DO I SEE A YES OR NO OR YES OR NO WITH AN EXPLANATION. WHAT I DO SEE IS A VAGUE ANSWER AT BEST. ........BUT WHAT I DO SEE IN THE ANSWER IS, THE MAYOR ADMITTING THAT HE (THE MAYOR) ACTUALLY DOES CALL THE SHOTS AT THE BLRA. TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT HIS ANSWER. HE SAYS, " However, it would be unfair of me in the meantime to impose any choice or veto on them. I trust the BLRA personnel committee to do its job". THE KEY PHRASE IN THAT SENTENSE IS "unfair of me in the meantime to impose any choice or veto on them".....IN OTHER WORDS, THE BLRA MAKES A SUGGESTION TO THE MAYOR AND HE CAN "V.E.T.O." IT. YET, IF YOU READ THE INTERVIEW, ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASSION, HE MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THEY (THE B.L.R.A) ACT AS IT'S OWN AND HE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

ALSO, AS IT SEEMS, ALL PROPERTY WITHIN THE CITY THAT IS IN NEED OF REDEVELOPEMENT SUDDENLY FALLS UNDER THE BLRA. ...............WHY?.....AND........IS THE CITY OR BLRA (USING FUNDS FROM THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT OF CREATING THE BLRA) TO DEVELOPE LAND IN OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY TO DEPLETE THE FUNDS FROM THE BLRA/ARMY AGREEMENT SO AS TO NOT GIVE THE ARMY WHAT WOULD BE RIGHTFULLY THEIRS? HAS THE BLRA USELESSLY HIRED SOMEONE (KIST) SO AS TO SPEND MONEY THAT EVENTUALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN PAID TO THE ARMY BECAUSE THE CITY (DORIA/MALLOY) AND BLRA DIDN'T WANT TO SHARE WHAT LITTLE MONIES THEY ACTUALLY DID GENERATE FROM THE BASE. REMEMBER....AS LONG AS THEY SPEND IT THE ARMY CAN'T TAKE IT.

All in all its great to see that citizens are getting involved and politicians are listening.

Cleaning house and tying all these "independent" entities like the BLRA, BPA, etc back to some type of accountability to the elected government HAS to take place. That accountability seems to have been intentionally engineered OUT so that the prior administrations had control but no legal accountability.

There are two ways to achieve that. Make some of these key commissions either elected OR retie accountability for these boards and commissions directly back to the Mayor and counsel who the taxpayers DO elect.

Doria was slick, savvy but with a questionable amount of scruples. All his appointments suffer that same branding.

Until such time as the MOT is turned over to us we have to live with the BLRA. It's in the agreements with the ARMY. If you shut down the BLRA the base reverts back to the Military.