How to get 'reformers' to stall a hospital investigation

How does the HCDO tell 'reformers' to deal with an awkward investigation into Hoboken's hospital?

Well, it conveys the following - not as explicitly as we have done here, of course, but along these lines:

"Look, the hospital's bleeding money. We don't know how to run a hospital. Never did - never SAID we did. We needed jobs for our stooges and hangers-on, especially after the UMDNJ deal next door went sour . We got a payroll to meet, people we owe favors to. So we needed to move operations into a new storefront for awhile. Just for awhile. And we need to keep Roberts in office. We have no more respect for him than you do, that goes without saying. But he don't make waves. In fact, he does a great job of wringing his hands and acting all concerned whenever there's heat over missing money, or deals that call the wrong kind of attention to themselves. Gotta give him his due. He'll promise anything the public wants until the shitstorm of the day blows over. Which is great, keeps things running smooth. That's why we need him.

And you need him, too. You need a scapegoat for when things go wrong. He's up for that, It's what he brings to the table, and it's why he survives. It works.

Now, all you have to do is string the hospital thing out a little. Tell the papers these things take time. You can't tell them 'everything's fine', 'cause sooner or later it'll hit the fan. But you can't tell them 'you see problems' either, 'cause that will only make things worse. You just gotta learn to manage it, that's the bottom line. First, tell them you're getting up to speed. Later on, tell them you're working with the County Prosecutor. Doing a thorough job, no stone unturned, working it through the system (unlike Mason), doing things the RIGHT way like responsible elected officials, not mavericks. That'll make it sound like you really mean business. Best of all, tell them Mason is costing the taxpayer money. That way you get to be seen as looking out for the taxpayer, while Mason gets to explain to the press why she's so free with taxpayer money. Believe it or not, that really works. Trust me.

We just need to get past this election. It's Roberts' turn this time, but we'll take care of you down the road. That's how politics works. You'll move up in line, and you can always count on us when YOU need something. You have powerful, important friends now, all the way up to the Governor. And that's more than you can say for Mason. She'll get no help from the Council, the papers, or anyone else. Believe me, no one's going to stick their neck out. She's on her own. The few friends she does have, have no real juice.

And don't worry about being hung out to dry when the bill comes in for this thing. I know that's what you're worried about, but remember - we're partners here. It'll be your committee, not Mason's suit, that uncovers the news. That means you CONTROL the news, too. You'll get the credit for the 'oversight of finances', you'll be the heroes. You can even make us out to be the heavy a little bit if you need to - we're big enough to take it. There really won't be much fallout though. Most of the bill will be paid for with the sale of the property, which by the way, we'll also handle. The public doesn't really mind these property sales that much, they don't see them as coming straight out of their pocket. The rest of the losses you can attribute to the state's financial condition. Times are tough and all hat. And the state, if it has to, will blame Bush for the bad economy and not enough Fed dollars for hospitals. See, the buck can be passed all the way up. Then it disappears. It's like a Penn and Teller show.

No one's going to blame you for anything. You're the good guys, and believe me all we want to do is make sure you keep being seen that way. That's in our mutual interests. You can say that Mason was slowing your work down with her suit, and that if it wasn't for the delay, you might have saved some of the losses. And she did cause delays! I mean, that's really true, right? Really, you ARE investigating it. You're not lying. Mason was just one more thing you really didn't need to deal with. And the hospital's problems really are just circumstantial in nature. Hey, things are tough all over, everybody knows that. Who sees hard times coming? We just wanted to do the right thing, and keep a hospital and jobs here. Hell, that's a GOOD thing. Not our fault things went south. We're not responsible for what Bush does. We're just looking out for Hudson County. Really, we're the victims here, all of us. We live here, we all lose out. And that Mason - she's a free agent, a loose cannon. She's an asshole. All she did was interfere. She just doesn't fit in.

All we're saying is, we have mutual interests here. A decent investigation takes time. So TAKE time. Don't let this unproven innuendo about the hospital's supposed 'shaky finances' influence the election. That wouldn't be fair. Keep in mind, this is Roberts' last go-round. We're looking for people we can trust, people looking out for Hudson County's best interests, for the future. We want 'reform' as much as anyone. And no one wants problems. But what we don't need are grandstanders like that obnoxious Christie or that snooty Mason. Christie will be gone soon, and no way he gets to be Governor. No one's electing a Republican governor in THIS state. Never happen.

Don't get too big for your britches, and think you're going to unveil some big scandal and be a big hero. That 'name' you think you're making for yourself won't be what gets you elected. We'll take care of the elections, that's what we do. Think your 'name' will go door-to-door in the projects? Will your 'name' hand out street money? Did your 'name' win you the last school board race? Damn right it didn't. So don't try and freelance on us, big shots, there's no percentage in it. Ask Soares and Lenz. They thought they could use us, then screw us. How are they doin' now? So think about it.

When this goes down, it won't be a scandal. The hospital will be a victim of a tough economy. It'll be a well-meant plan that got screwed up by outside forces. Nobody's fault. The press will see it our way, like always. They have to do business here, too.

As for Mason, we know she's been a pain in your ass. Don't sweat it, we got your back. We've seen her type come and go. They just burn out and they disappear, and nobody remembers. Don't worry about her. Remember that woman Senator who stood up to those Monmouth guys? Gone. See, she thought all you needed was to be a 'hero'. But you gotta have friends. Funny how her support dried up right when she needed it most. Her own fault, too. That type doesn't get the Jersey way. That type just doesn't fit in.

Watch. Beth Mason will learn what Senator Karcher learned, and she'll learn it the hard way. You need to be smarter than those two. Team players, they're the ones that survive. You remember that."