Around midnight last night, Fourth Ward supervisor Linda Mussmann posted this apology to Mayor Kamal Johnson on her Facebook page.
This account, which has the mayor telling Board of Supervisors chair Matt Murell and Austerlitz supervisor Rob Lagonia that the City has no plans for 11 Warren Street because the City does not own it, is almost as damning as the report that he had approved what the County was planning. It shows his lack of vision for Hudson or understanding of how this plan would negatively impact any effort to reconnect with the waterfront--one of the goals of the now stalled Hudson Connects project. In an ideal world, the mayor of Hudson would have spoken up for his city. He would have told Murell and Lagonia that what they were planning was a terrible idea, rallied the Hudson supervisors to oppose it, and let the public know what was afoot, but none of that happened.
Gossips takes issue with this statement made by Mussmann, in particular the part I have italicized: ". . . however the Mayor clearly had little to say about any of this nor did the people of Hudson." Thanks to what seems to have been a well-orchestrated effort to keep the purchase of 11 Warren Street under the radar, no members of the public knew about this plan until Matt Murell announced it in a press release on August 11, and no public input was sought until January 24, when the plan was presented as a fait accompli but members of the public spoke out against it anyway.
The people of Hudson continue to speak out against this wrongheaded and wasteful plan. You can add your voice to the chorus of protest by signing the petition created by the 11 Warren Street Action Group. That petition can be accessed here.
COPYRIGHT 2024 CAROLE OSTERINK
Not even telling Claire Cousin that a major building in her ward was being sold to the county makes the mayor look, at best, lazy.
ReplyDeleteA less complacent mayor would have maybe alerted every elected Hudson official and then call a townhall meeting with the public invited.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMussmann may not have been clear with the details before rushing to post, but to me this is just semantics. No one thought the mayor had authority over the sale. But what's the difference between doing nothing and tacit approval? What seems to remain is that the mayor and supervisors knew about this and did nothing to stop it or raise the alarm. Now, after facing backlash, they are passing the blame like a hot potato. All of them have failed Hudson. An election just passed and they'll hope you forget. Claire Cousin will be on this year's assembly primary ballot, and your first opportunity to vote against this lack of vision.
ReplyDeleteSince you few people have all the answers for everything, how come we do not see your name on the ballots?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI don't think anyone thinks they have the answers for everything but we certainly wouldn't do worse damage than current "leadership" is doing.
DeleteI've started by signing the petition. It's sad that in today's world, County officials would want to move into an ugly strip mall. What happened to symbolic architectural symbols of strength like the County buildings built years ago? Shame on these County officials. This issue and controversy won't go away. Look at the continuing mess of what to do with Penn Station in New York? Think bigger City leaders!
ReplyDeleteIf Linda Mussman is so outraged or disappointed in how all this went down, including with the mayor, how come she said nothing at Wednesday's CC Full Board of Supervisors meeting? How come she and all the other Hudson supervisors supposedly against this awful deal didn't stand up and let all the other supervisors in the room and the public get an idea of how they feel and how this all went down so poorly at the County level (at least in their eyes)? Instead, Linda would rather communicate on a screen, offering no helpful information and then retract and offer apologies? Honestly, it's insulting and it's beyond lame. It's frightening.
ReplyDeleteI don't envy any of those supervisors and the work they do, the boring meetings they have to endure, the friction between county and city, etc. But, jeez, if you are going to sign up for the task, the least you can do is communicate the truth like a human being, tell your story on the public record and be a responsible adult about letting Hudson know what is really going on behind closed doors. Americans everywhere are losing faith in our democratic instutions, and in little Hudson we get fucking facebook nonsense from a supervisor trying to reach out to everyone to explain the truth that didn't turn out be the truth, apologies, blah blah blah more nonsense waste of time that is facebook. If you read facebook for the lowdown and you respond to postings, you only encourage Linda Mussman and others to continue spreading the nonsense online and convince them it is a proper way to "communicate" with the public. Don't encourage it - don't buy into it. Reject facebook for what it is -- unhelpful and damaging and no way for humans to communicate, especially ELECTED OFFICIALS (it's the preferred method for dictators, of course, so they can quickly and easily and cheaply spread their disinformation). Anyone can post any old crap on facebook, and that is the problem. Standing up in front of a room full of your peers and speaking your mind is not as easy and it requires maturity and responsibility. We are doomed when this is no longer the norm.
"And the band played on "...
ReplyDelete