What is the line between a legitimate promotion of city programs and the conspicuous, publicly paid for, touting of political candidates?

Last week, a glossy flyer that was mailed out to Hoboken homes approached that line, and according to many, crossed it.

On Tuesday, in most city mailboxes, there was a new, high-quality glossy flyer titled the "Hoboken News," which was billed as "News from Hoboken City Hall, the Police Department, and the Board of Education." Gracing the cover is a 3.5 by 4.5-inch picture of Mayor David Roberts, with a headline that reads "Mayor David Roberts reactivates city's community policing 'cop on the beat' program."

The return address on the glossy flyer was the "Hoboken Board of Education." This was quite a shock for Board of Education President Frank Raia, who happens to be running for mayor in the May 10 election against Roberts. Raia said he saw the flyer for the first time in his mailbox.

Raia called this a "political stunt" and said that the "mailing has nothing to do with education or the schools." The only mention of the schools is that on the bottom of the back page is a small story about "Cops in the schools."

The timing of the flyer was also has drawn suspicions, considering that the Board of Education election will be held on Tuesday, and the mayoral is May 10.

The source of the flyers

So where did this come from, and who paid for it?

The postage permit on the upper right hand corner, where a stamp would be placed, reads "Non-profit org...Permit No. 83." According to Raia, permit 83 is registered to the Board of Education. On the left side, it says, "Hoboken Board of Education, 1115 Clinton Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030."

Hours after first seeing the flyer, Raia sent a letter to the letter to the U.S. Attorney, the New Jersey attorney general, and Hudson County prosecutor asking for an investigation into how a Board of Education postage permit ended up on this flyer.

The explanation

As it turned out, the flyer was generated by and paid for out of the budget of the "Municipal Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse," which is a multi-governmental drug and alcohol prevention education agency funded by the state. Money for the program comes from fines from individuals convicted of drug offenses.

The guidelines for the program state that the organization's main responsibility is "organizing and coordinating effort involving schools, law enforcement, business groups and other community organizations for the purpose of reducing alcoholism and drug abuse."

Who wrote the flyer?

The flyer was written by Meadowlands Associates, a one-man public relations firm of Anthony Amabile, who has a contract to oversee the Hoboken's Municipal Drug Alliance program. But Amabile is a well-known county political consultant. He also holds a $36,000 contract with the city to handle public relations for the Police Department, Parking Utility, and for the city's 150th Anniversary celebration.

Amabile has a reputation for his aggressive style during controversial campaigns. During former Mayor Anthony Russo's administration from 1993 to 2001, Amabile was Russo's political consultant for all of his campaigns since 1993. During that period, he also earned hundreds of thousands of dollars through city contracts. The council minority, lead by mayoral candidate Carol Marsh, contended last July that Amabile's contract was a way of keeping him from working for another candidate during the election. Marsh's ally, Councilman Tony Soares, who is up for re-election, at the time said that by hiring Amabile to the city's payrolls, Roberts was essentiality "buying [Amabile's] favorable report."

But Amabile said Thursday that the flyer was paid for out of the $40,000 budget for the Municipal Drug Alliance. He said that "absolutely no school funds" were used in the production or distribution of the flyer, and that the Board of Education's postage permit was used because it was cheaper to use them for a bulk mailing. He added that the school district has already been reimbursed, a fact confirmed by a reliable source within the Board of Education.

Amabile added that one of the objectives of the Drug Alliance is to work with the schools and Police Department for public outreach.

"There's a section on the flyer dealing with cops and schools," Amabile said.

Roberts' administration did recently announce a new program whereby residents can call their local neighborhood patrolman. The center of the flyer shows the names and faces of each police officer assigned to each district.

Amabile added that Superintendent of Schools Patrick Gagliardi approved the use of the Board of Education's bulk mailing permit.

Gagliardi said Friday that, in an effort to cooperate with the Municipal Drug Alliance, which is supposed to be a non-political state-sponsored organization, he gave the OK for Amabile to use the district's bulk mailing number. "We approved the use of the bulk rate permit," Gagliardi said Friday morning. "Our intent was to save the Drug Alliance some money for the greater good of the community."

But he added that the Municipal Alliance is not associated with the Board of Education (although two teaches sit on the board), and did not see the flyer or approve the editorial content before it was sent.

Not political, said Amabile

Amabile also said that every member of the City Council is listed on the flyer, not just Roberts' council members.

Amabile also refuted the fact that this is free campaign literature for Roberts.

"If there is any advantage, it's only an advantage of incumbency," Amabile said.

Amabile said the whole controversy is a non-issue. "Frank [Raia] has to be lacking in municipal issues in this political campaign," Amabile said, "because if he had any real issues he would never have to bring this up." He added that if Raia "were a real leader," he would have "checked his facts before making such wild and inaccurate accusations."

On Wednesday, Roberts said that after having had a discussion with Amabile, "From what I've been told, everything has been properly handled as it relates to the mailing. He added that Raia is "just trying to find an issue to get some free press."

No affixed funding sources

But there are certainly some lingering questions. For instance, why, if this was paid for by monies from the Municipal Drug Alliance, doesn't it just say that that on the flyer?

According to the Municipal Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse program guideline for the 2005-2007 grant term, "any materials developed for distribution, publication or advertisement using [Municipal Drug Alliance] funds must contain a statement acknowledging the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction (GCADA) as the funding source. All source material shall have affixed or imprinted the official GCADA seal."

Even one of Roberts' allies on the School Board questioned the timing, and the motivation behind the flyer. Jack Raslowsky, who is running of school board with Roberts' support, said the timing, just a week before the school board election, is reason for concern.

"It certainly has the appearance of being a publication from the board about non-board business," Raslowsky said. "The content and the timing certainly raise questions, especially considering we as a board are trying to stay above the political fray. This mailing definitely calls that into question."

Additionally, not long ago, Superintendent Gagliardi said that one of the school board candidates, Theresa Minutillo, could not hold a "Senior Prep Day" volunteer event right before the election, because it would give her a political advantage. However, it seems that this piece went out with a Board of Education return address and included council candidates.

The Romano situation

But there is more. On the flyer's back page is profile and picture of Capt. Anthony Romano, who is heading the Community Policing Program. Romano is also running as an independent candidate for the Board of Education. But Romano is running an independent, and against the mayor's Board of Education candidates, so how is this political?

Some note that on www.Politicsandpayoffs.com, a political website that is widely believed by political insiders to be operated by Amabile, there is a ringing endorsement of Romano for the Board of Education. "Because of [Romano's] personality and popularity, there could be a huge upset in the making," speculates the web site. Amabile has denied any association with the site, which has long been the source of juicy area political gossip. And Amabile said one shouldn't read too much into Romano's inclusion on the flyer. The flyer is about community policing, and Romano commands the Community Policing Program, so it's perfectly reasonable and logical for him to be included.

While that may make sense, there is the Minutillo case.

When Minutillo was told not to run senior prep day before the election, Gagliardi said, "What I did tell her was that I was appreciative of her efforts, but I walk a fine line about people who are candidates for any election getting an unfair advantage. I said, 'Let's do it in April right after the election, and I'll help you as much as I can.' "

But now, Romano, who is running, has a full color picture, with a biography, on a flyer that has a Board of Education return address and is billed as "News from the Board of Education."

"How is this a level playing field?" Minutillo asked. "If you ask me, this looks a lot like a political endorsement."