bravo.

i do hope that you cc'ed this item to the jersey journal, the mayor and the city council!

A deal worked out by the Healy Administration and billionaire owner Lloyd Goldman contained the following: the creation of a special "residential zone" within the so-called Powerhouse Arts District, using spot zoning (a type of zoning that Mr. Goldman lamented in one of his lawsuits against the City). It will now entitle him to build whatever he wants on the 110 and 111 sites. The Healy administration rescinded (or gave up on trying to enforce) the 78 million dollars in fines that had accumulated on the 111 property presumably in exchange for Mr. Goldman dropping his 100 million dollar paper lawsuit. Mr. Goldman also paid the City the sum of 1.2 million dollars as a sop earmarked for the Jersey City Museum and the Loew's Theater.



World-renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaus recently made public his design for the 111 site. My initial reaction was that it's a welcome change from the uninspired corporate detritus now littering the downtown landscape. However, upon reflection it's 2nd rate Koolhaus. The design does not live up to the inspired architecture Mr. Koolhaus is noted for - especially his design for the Seattle Library, a masterpiece of contemporary architecture. I urge Mr. Koolhaus to go back to the drawing board and give it another go.


Recently, Mayor Healy presented a check for $330,000 in settlement money to the Jersey City Museum. While both the Museum and the Loew's Theater are worthy entities deserving of funding, accepting money from a source that evicted and brutalized the artist's community at 111 is tantamount to accepting Blood Money. It reminds me of an incident in the aftermath of 9/11 when an Arab prince gave Mayor Giuliani a check for 10 million dollars. A deluge of criticism erupted for accepting this kind of money from that kind of source. Mayor Giuliani returned the check. Memo to the Museum and the Loew's: what are you waiting for?

Mindful of "sour grapes", I can't help but think of what could have been. The 111 Artists Community had plans for the building that would have preserved it as affordable live/work studios with community outreach programs like guest artists-in-residence and art classes for local children and adults. We and our professional advisers were fully aware of the monetary and human costs involved in such a huge undertaking. We worked furiously to try to make it happen while fighting eviction daily, but were undermined when the Healy Administration turned its back on us. Doomed, we were eventually evicted, our hopes and plans demolished.

The City, and especially this administration, needs to ask itself if development promulgated in such a manner is truly healthy, with its primary goal of enriching the few. Untrammeled development driven by "Narcissistic Capitalism" will ultimately erode a city rather than enrich it. Development is "food" and should nurture accordingly. You are what you build.


William Rodwell
Former artist-in-residence

Quote:

It does seem as if people like Healy, Lipski and Troy act as if they're paid to show that Fulop is the only honest, intelligent politician Jersey City.

Quote:

I can understand why people want to build cheap new two-families.

What I don't understand is why the city planning department doesn't go find an architect and come up with an alternative design/siding combo that would be just as cheap but look a lot better.

Whenever a builder came in and wanted to build the hideous version, the city could hand the builders the less ugly design and offer some kind of incentive (10 parking tickets free? 50 percent off on payoffs to various public officials?) if they use the pretty design.

Example: even if the builders used the exact same design but with white "brick" instead of pink "brick" that would help some.

If the builders totally gave up on trying to make a "brick rowhouse" and went for a really contemporary, glass-with-corrugated-steel kind of look, that would probably help even more.

Quote:

I should add that he always goes out of his way to work with my schedule and has even parked my car back in my driveway, but I am only three blocks from him.

He also gives me a wide variety of advice, such as knowing when and what time of extended warranties to buy, etc., etc. I just can't say enough about how much I trust this mechanic.

I am not sure that Maplewood would have the architectural standards you are looking for. They have plenty of vinyl clad houses with vinyl clad windows. The only thing they have going for them is a Whole Foods. Whoopee.
I also wish that those GOBPBM's were outlawed, but I guess I am willing to stick around long enough to see it happen.

The letter came accross as bitter and resentful. As someone else said earlier, it's supringsing a senior figure would put his name to such an embarassing diatribe.

Robin.

Quote:

OOps. Gotta correct the correction. My mistake in thinking the JJ wouldn't print so blanant an opinion as if it were a fact. You were quoting the Journal after all. I was wrong to think otherwise. Sorry Bryhove.

donut eaters anonymous meeting musta' been cancelled

Just cooked up a batch of Green Curry Chicken Soup.

It's yummy.

Want some? I'll give it to you... a week from tomorrow!

DON'T YOU SHAKE THOSE THINGS AT ME!

Quote:

It is if you are not on the "team" and it's grandstanding to take on a legitimate issue, but not if you are wasting money on ridiculous gun ordinances and walking a woman into court to sue a tiny, non-profit animal rescue organization just to protect the really person at fault, one of your own.

Do i sound bitter?

Quote:

GP, i apologize for any misunderstanding, but I do not see the second part in the JJ article, online. Perhaps it was only in the print addition, but I did not remember seeing it there. Did i miss something? Probably...

This is why I was suprised that the second part of the byline was added. It seems very nasty. Wow, I really have a hard time with the JJ.

GP i am really grateful for you posting the news.

Althea

Quote:

I really like Rich at SUmmit Auto up on Pavonia Ave. This auto mechanic is at the corner of Pavonia and Chestnut, a block away from Dickinson HS, just up the hill on Newark, west of the Turnpike over pass.

Althea

Quote:

I think the editorial page of the Journal (including the local columns; I'm not sure whether they're really "editorial page" or "op ed") seems to be very anti-Fulop and was also anti-Glenn Cunningham. It's hilarious to see Earl Morgan pretend as if he ever had a drop of respect for Cunningham.

What's sad about that is that the Newhouses (the people who own the company that owns the Journal) are members of a great family who probably would love to see Jersey City become a clean, prosperous, well-educated, newspaper-reading community. When the editorial page of the Journal sides with the corrupt people and the sticks-in-the-mud, maybe they're helping the ad people sell one more display ad to Del Forno today, but they're advancing the date when the Journal will become a weekly supplement to the Star-Ledger. If, on the other hand, the Jersey Journal really courted downtown residents, and helped us understand where we live and what we can do to make this city a better, stronger, happier place to live for all of its residents, and it really supported reform efforts, then Jersey City would be by far the strongest economic force in the state, and the Jersey Journal would have a much stronger position in the Advance Publications family.

Quote:

I saw Fulop speak to a community group recently, and I was really impressed by what to me seemed to be his fairly impressive, detailed understanding of how the game is played in Jersey City. He's not running into trouble because he's an innocent who thinks that everyone around him is full of sweetness and light, and he seems to have very specific, plausible ideas about what buttons community groups have to press to get things done.

Fulop's attitude seemed to be that the best way to deal with corrupt politicians is not to deal with them, and instead to get new people in.

My naive, nonpolitical instinct would be to try to figure out if even really awful, corrupt politicians have some goals in common with the rest of us.

Example: LeFrak and Goldman may not want to pay for Jersey City to fight crime or improve its schools, but I'm sure they'd like Jersey City to fight crime and improve its schools. If the corrupt politicians here are puppets of LeFrak, Goldman, etc., is there some way to cut out the middleman and go to LeFrak and Goldman and the other puppetmasters and cut a deal that would help Jersey City without hurting the puppetmasters?

But maybe Fulop is avoiding that approach because anyone who tries to dicker with the puppetmasters ends up becoming one of marionettes.

Those "garage-on-bottom pink-brick monstrosities" are so fugly, I can't stand it! I wish those GOBPBMs were outlawed! It breaks my heart that the city can't see the rich history and the benefit to trying to hold on to the unique character of the neighborhoods of JC. Because of this lack of historical preservation, I know this city is not for me. When I make enough money to move to Millburn/Maplewood, I will - even with the taxes. Sorry JC - you have so much potential!

Quote:

Depends on how you define accomplishment. If by successfully getting a major bill passed by "playing ball" old school style: no. If by shining a bright light on the slime, corruption, and self interest that pervades our gov't and showing not everyone is as jaded as our officeholders and that it doesn't HAVE to be the way it's been, I'd say yes.

Is he perfect and the third coming (after Obama), no. But he's the only JC politician I've met who hasn't depressed me, and my wife believes he got upper Coles repaved in response to her emails, that's an accomplishment.

Machine cogs like Troy hating Fulop is like roaches hating light, it shows them for what they are.

Hello all!

Just a reminder that our next meeting with the Police will be on Monday, March 12th at 7pm at Grace Van Vorst Church, located on Erie Street and 2nd Street. Please enter through the red doors on 2nd Street.

We will have a guest speaker, Oren Dabney of the Jersey City Incinerator Authority.

Also, in our efforts to unite more members with each other according to area, this month will focus Bright Street Area.

On March 15th will be the JCPD Community Policing Consortium. If you are interested in attending to meet with the JCPD and other Jersey City Area residents concerned about crime, please reply to this email.

We have signs translated in Spanish that I would like to share at the JCPD Community Policing Consortium. Can anyone make colored copies for me? Please reply to this email.

Thanks!
Pam

--
This email was brought to you by the Downtown Jersey City Watch (downtownjcwatch@gmail.com). "We watch out for each other."

Please send in any information about suspicious events or crimes to this address.

Quote:

Being the 10th today, does the JC Reporter have horse racing results for the 11th too!

This does it for Healy, you can now run Hitler or Stalin against him and either one will garner more voes than Healy. Way to go Jerry! Keep going to those ball games and continue to neglect the city. Who the heck is your advisor? He should be fired. The words Nero, Fiddle, Rome, Burn, mean anything to you?

Not in Fulop's defense so much as in criticism of Bobby Troy- don't forget the old saying about "he who is without sin."

Check out the letter in March 11th JC Reporter from Robert Troy (retired chief, JCPD) concerning Fulop. Sorry, it is not on line yet.

Despite his adopting a tone that a third grader would be embarrassed to sign his name to, Troy's accusation that Fulop has accomplished nothing is, in my opinion, pretty close to accurate.

You have to give Chief 'fat-ass' Comey credit - he does go to a number of community meetings, but I don't understand why Mayor 'fat-ass' Healy doesn't give Chief fat-ass money to spead on recruiting and training.

Chief fat-ass makes it quite clear he needs more officers - siht, I'd be happy with bdlaw running around out there.

Hey Mayor fat-ass, don't be a siht-head and hand over some money!

Quote:

Oh. Glad you're there to correct me, BINKY!

What about deducting 50% of his pay for 2 days each week?

Nasty cold for a week or possible asthma for life. They should be sued!

Quote:

Some good tips for the Councilperson-at-large to say to the Judge about her son, who got caught with drugs!

This was the article about children's medicines - see below.
Thank-you for the post about 'Avent' Althea. I like how the English newspapers forgot to include 'Avent' on that list I saw. (Avent is made in England)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cocktail of additives found in child medicines

Dan Bell
Saturday March 10, 2007
The Guardian

Children's medicines contain a cocktail of additives which are banned in food and drink aimed at under-threes, says a report out today from the Food Commission.
Dyes, preservatives, and sweeteners were found in cough syrups, paracetamol tablets and teething gels. One product contained eight E numbers.

The campaign group looked at 41 medicines for children under three. Only one, Superdrug children's dry cough syrup, was totally free of colourings and preservatives. Some of the additives can lead to asthma or act as mild laxatives, and most are banned from food and drink for under-threes, even though they are allowed in medicines aimed at young children.

Across the medicines analysed, there were four synthetic colourings or azo dyes, 10 preservatives, and six sweeteners. Some 31 out of 41 products contained preservatives, the most common being benzoates - E numbers E210 to E219; reactions can include skin rashes or wheezing. Only some of the medicines displayed warnings of additives' possible side effects.
Buttercup infant cough syrup had two E number dyes, while Calpol paracetamol, Anbesol teething gel, Sudafed children's syrup, and Superdrug children's chesty cough syrup, contained one azo dye apiece. Tixylix night cough syrup, sold for children over one year old, contained both benzoate and sulphite preservatives. Some medicines contained sweeteners sorbitol, maltitol and xylitol, which can have a laxative effect in high doses.

A Food Commission spokesman, Ian Tokelove, said additives were usually listed in the fine print inside the product packs. "If you are a concerned parent, you are often not going to know what is in medicine until you get it home."

The commission is lobbying the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to ensure child medicines are additive-free. The agency said drug manufacturers were required to justify any additives before getting a licence to market a product; some needed preservatives to maintain their shelf-life.

"Many also have a very unpleasant taste, and require sweeteners and other flavours to help ensure palatability, especially for children," it said. "Some people, including children, have to take multiple medicines and easy identification by colour and other means helps ensure they take the right medicine at the right time."

The report said natural colourings were an alternative to synthetic azo dyes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:

Actually, I think you're quoting Grovepath. As stated earlier in the thread, that wasn't the JJ title. No mention of "pot shots" in the article.
You didn't read it, I guess - just quoted it.