Letter to the Editor: HHA Commissioner Eduardo Gonzalez
The commissioner on last week' contentious Hoboken Housing Authority meeting.
To the editor:
Last week was a controversial Hoboken Housing Authority Board meeting to say the least. Since August, the HHA, under a new Chairman, has been reticent to select new legal counsel for the Board. Then, this week, the Board learned that the Chairman has been conducting a selection process for a new Counsel in secret, private meetings with little consideration for process or transparency. In fact, there is a good chance that the Chairman's selection process violated the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) guidelines for an ethical procurement process. The result of the Chairman’s "backroom" process? The selection of a politically connected law firm that submitted the highest bid as the HHA's new legal counsel.
At the Board meeting on February 7th, the Chairman was unable to enunciate any tangible or meritorious reason for his selection. In fact, when pressed on the decision he was unable to identify any ranking or scoring system used to make the selection. All we learned about why the Chairman selected this particular law firm is that it was the firm that they were “most comfortable with.” Coincidently, the law firm selected has been ranked one of the top 10 pay-to-play firms in the state based on a review of state campaign finance reports by a reputable news source. Is this what the Chairman and the Mayor consider reform?
In contrast, the HHA’s management, the group HUD empowered to make such selections, chose the lowest bidder with little available record of pay to play. Hoboken deserves better than “politics as usual” and the same old one-sided, spoil system mentality that the current Administration has implemented to reward supporters and punish those who question its cronyism. Rather than meeting behind closed doors to select politically connected law firms, Hoboken deserves real and honest debate on proposals that will govern affordable housing in this City and affect the City At-Large.
To his immense credit, HHA Commissioner Greg Lincoln chose not to support the Chairman's well-connected, and expensive selection. Commissioner Lincoln demonstrated true political courage by placing the interests of Hoboken and its taxpayers above the personal, political agenda of the Chairman and the Administration.
The HHA was once a place where folks worked together on solutions that made sense for working families. Now, under new leadership, it’s the same partisan gridlock we see in City Hall. The common taxpayer isn’t going to let anyone select a high bidder on what someone just so happens “to be comfortable with” and neither are the HHA Board Commissioners. Real, responsible leaders leave their “comfort zone” and do what’s best and most ethical for constituents and it’s time that the Chairman follow Commissioner Lincoln's example and put the interests of Hoboken's above the personal and political agenda of the Administration.
Sincerely,
Eduardo Gonzalez
HHA Commissioner
DaHorsey, SmartyJones of MSV
12:08 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Eduardo with respect, do you think you can turn an attorney contract into a lifetime appointment for Charles Daglian?
The procedure you used to hold two votes to appoint Daglian is very much in question and that's not an allegation on what was discussed or not elsewhere; it came in a public meeting open to scrutiny.
Mr. Daglian never answered the question if there had been communication with the HHA on his resubmitted bids that magically keep coming in just low enough to be the lowest bidder.
Coincidence?
MSV has the most thorough coverage on the widening problems coming out of the HHA with video supporting the stories:
http://hobokenhorse.com
Jimmy Bazz
5:10 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
As always Da Horsey ,speaks the truth. Eduardo is another life long taker,Take take. Give some day. Learn the true meaning of humble. Tks horsey..Jimmy bazz
HudsonStreet
12:20 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The relationship between Mr. Carmelo Garcia and Mr. Charles Daglian in my opinion gives the distinct appearance of impropriety.
,
The relationship along with ED Garcia's unusual and very generous contract that has been recently made public. should be referred for investigated by HUD, the NJ BAR by HHA Board.
The fact that Mr Gonzalez's letter is full of clearly political rhetoric to help Mr. Garcia agenda then ask others to put politics aside is laughable.
demosthenes
1:03 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Eduardo - you describe the process used by the board as a "backroom" process through "secret private meetings." Can you explain the process used by Mr. Garcia to choose Mr. Daglian? What are the names of the individuals involved in Mr. Garcia's process, who chose them and what is their relationship to the HHA and Mr. Garcia? Was the selection "process" held in public or in "secret" in a "backroom" such as Mr. Garcia's office?
Since you object to "secret processes" I expect you'll provide that information promptly so the transparency and propriety of the two "processes" can be compared.
Also please list the campaign contributions made to Hoboken politicians that you imply were made by the firm the Board wanted so that we can understand whether the pay to play reference is a real issue or a hypocritical contrivance.
Ojo Rojo
1:23 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Speaking of highest bid, how did we get such a well compensated director? Oh yeah, our low bid lawyer negotiated that grossly overpaid contract for a guy who makes too much money, has over 8 weeks vacation & sick time and also gets time of for taxpayer paid trips to vacation hotspots for conferences. On top of that, he doesn't seem to do a terribly good job of cost containment when approving contracts based on the nearly $400K he spent on elevator floors that probably could have been replaced for 1/10th the cost.
This isn't about politics. This is about running the HHA efficiently and as far as I am concerned, the current lawyer, the current auditor and the current executive director have all dropped the ball on that. And Commissioner Gonzalez, if you sir would take a real look at what is going on at the HHA and stop playing politics yourself, you'd see that too!
demosthenes
8:12 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
The guy gets 21 "sick" days 21 "vacation days and 2 personal days. That 44 paid days off a year - almost 9 weeks. And that doesn't even count all the "working" vacation he gets under the provision that allows him to hop from conference to conference.
Only time you get a deal like that is if you write your own contract which of course is exactly what happened. I'd love to get this Daglian guy on the stand to testify about exactly how it was that this contract came to pass.
recallbethmason
8:12 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013
mr gonzalez, suffice it to say, we are now ALL WATCHING YOU!!! most of us knew nothing about the HHA but your actions wreak of something you are trying to hide? maybe we are all wrong but then your actions are strange to say the least. most hoboken residents question what you have doing or hiding and on a going forward basis you can expect every dollar spent will be questioned.
FAP
11:22 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
I have to thank Carmelo Garcia and Charlie Daglian they have gotten a lot of people to focus on the Hoboken Housing Authority. Who knows where this interest could lead.
puzzledone
5:09 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Mr. Gonzalez, can you comment on the fines announced for the HHA for the failure of fire safety systems? Is it your opinion that buildings without fire safety are best for the residents of this town? Given that this is a repeated issue that Mr. Garcia has been unable to solve, what different steps do you propose for the critical safety of residents?