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Nice to read that LGBT civil rights is of "low importance". As I see it, the local level is where these issues should be vetted. By the way, the venue for this was a LGBT event, exactly the place where a potential candidate's record on LGBT issues should be vetted. If Schundler has a horrible record on these issues, it's certainly something the voters need to know. Really, straight people need to understand that these issues are important and not just "wedge issues" Really, get clue!!

One might hope that after fingerprinting, referencing, background checking, etc. legal gun owners, the state would have the resources to look into those who cleared all the hurdles and are buying a lot of guns. They already have the data to know who are buying a large number of guns so why don't they just investigate those folks. That would seem to be a much better approach than punishing, for example, the collector who buys a lot of guns at an estate sale.

It's yet another way for politicians to grandstand and claim to do something about crime while doing nothing. Nevermind how what they should be doing is enacting a "shall issue" carry license law.

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seriously... this is the type of backwards logic that gets guys like bush elected 'because he has good christian values / ideals". i really hope the voters in JC don't get swayed by issues that are smaller in relative importance than other issues like crime, taxes, etc.

Yes, Healy's incompetent bloated government may be for sale to the highest bidder and expert only at making tax dollars vanish, but let's focus the election on social wedge issues that a Mayor really has very little power about.

Let the games begin....

Fulop, still undeclared, begins putting together a ticket

http://politicker.com/fulop-still-und ... s-putting-together-ticket
By Matt Friedman

Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop hasn?t announced his candidacy for mayor next year, but he?s already begun cobbling together a slate.

Former Hudson County Sheriff Joseph Cassidy today announced that he will join a slate headed by the 31-year-old Fulop in next year?s election. Cassidy, 67, plans to run as a council candidate along with James Carroll, who hopes to run in Ward H.

Jersey City has nine council seats ? six from different wards and three at-large. Cassidy has not yet determined whether he will run for an at-large seat or for the Ward A spot currently occupied by Michael Sottolano.

Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop hasn?t announced his candidacy for mayor next year, but he?s already begun cobbling together a slate.

Former Hudson County Sheriff Joseph Cassidy today announced that he will join a slate headed by the 31-year-old Fulop in next year?s election. Cassidy, 67, plans to run as a council candidate along with James Carroll, who hopes to run in Ward H.

Jersey City has nine council seats ? six from different wards and three at-large. Cassidy has not yet determined whether he will run for an at-large seat or for the Ward A spot currently occupied by Michael Sottolano.

Cassidy served as sheriff between 1994 and 2007. Last year, he ran for reelection on ticket headed up by Union City Mayor Brian Stack, who fielded his own slate of county-wide candidates in a spat with the ruling Hudson County Democratic Organization. He lost to HCDO-backed Juan Perez by less than two points.

"For many years, I've seen what it's like to be on the other end of dealing with politicians both on the municipal level and the county level," said Cassidy in a press release. "I've watched as the Hudson County political machine dictated policy and hiring practices ? even in Jersey City. And unfortunately, that kind of practice is not always what's best for the residents and taxpayers.

Fulop said that Cassidy is a well-known figure in Jersey City, and will improve his prospective ticket?s visibility, especially in Wards A, C and D.

?I am honored to be preparing to be on a ticket with him. His long-term experience dealing with the public, the budgeting process and with the safety of the people of Jersey City makes him an ideal candidate to be on the ticket,? said Fulop.

Healy ally rips into Schundler's gay rights record

http://politicker.com/healy-ally-rips-schundlers-gay-rights-record
By Matt Friedman

Prospective mayoral candidate Bret Schundler?s conservative record was raised last night in one of the first attacks of the developing Jersey City mayoral race.

At a rally touting the establishment of a task force to fight crime against Jersey City?s LGBT community last night, Walt Boraczek, founder of the Hudson Diversity Action Council and an ally of Mayor Jerramiah Healy, ripped into Schundler?s record on gay rights, both as mayor and as a gubernatorial candidate, calling him ?homophobic.?

Schundler, who was mayor from 1992 until 2001, is considering running for mayor again. The city holds non-partisan elections, and Schundler was initially narrowly elected in a crowded field of candidates. He went on to form alliances with key Democrats on the council to hold the seat. Last night?s rally was a clear indication that Schundler?s rivals will use his conservative record against him in this Democrat dominated city, should he choose to run again.

Prospective mayoral candidate Bret Schundler?s conservative record was raised last night in one of the first attacks of the developing Jersey City mayoral race.

At a rally touting the establishment of a task force to fight crime against Jersey City?s LGBT community last night, Walt Boraczek, founder of the Hudson Diversity Action Council and an ally of Mayor Jerramiah Healy, ripped into Schundler?s record on gay rights, both as mayor and as a gubernatorial candidate, calling him ?homophobic.?

Schundler, who was mayor from 1992 until 2001, is considering running for mayor again. The city holds non-partisan elections, and Schundler was initially narrowly elected in a crowded field of candidates. He went on to form alliances with key Democrats on the council to hold the seat. Last night?s rally was a clear indication that Schundler?s rivals will use his conservative record against him in this Democrat dominated city, should he choose to run again.
Before introducing Healy to speak at the rally, Boraczek stressed the importance of having an administration in City Hall that is friendly to gay causes. And although he didn?t live in Jersey City in 2001, Boraczek said that the gay community had to fight Schundler to hold its first Pride Festival.

?The first Jersey City Pride festival was actually a fight with City Hall,? Boraczek told the two dozen member crowd. ?There was a mayor in office named Bret Schundler who was actually one of the most homophobic mayors we?ve seen in recent history in Jersey City, who flat out denied the festival. Denied permits, denied everything.?

Schundler ran to the right of most other Republicans in his two gubernatorial bids in 2001 and 2005. During those races, he opposed adding sexual orientation to civil rights laws, adoption by gay couples and recognizing domestic partnerships for gay state employees. A questionnaire he filled out for the Christian Coalition in 2001 put him on record as opposing teaching in public schools that ?homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle.?

?This man then went on to run (for governor) opposing same sex marriage, and said to me personally that he believed same sex couples were unfit to raise children. This is the kind of homophobia we must guard against, and if you believe it or not this guy thinks he wants to run for mayor again,? said Boraczek, who then led attendees in a chant of ?Hell no!?

The rally was also attended by Jersey City Councilman Steve Lipski.

Other prospective mayoral candidates include State Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham, Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop, former Assemblyman Lou Manzo and current Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith.

Schundler could not immediately be reached for comment.
New Jersey

Moving in, out in Hudson County

Thursday, July 17, 2008
By LYSA CHEN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Hudson County is shrinking, according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau recently.

Although New Jersey as a whole has increased in population by 3.2 percent since April 2000, Hudson County's population has fallen by 1.8 percent.
Populations in East Newark, Kearny and Weehawken fell the most: 8.5 percent, 7.9 percent and 7.8 percent, respectively. Officials in East Newark, Kearny and Weehawken did not return calls.

Only Hoboken, West New York and Jersey City, of the county's 12 municipalities, saw population growth. Jersey City grew just under 1 percent, West New York grew 1.4 percent and Hoboken grew 5.1 percent.

The Census Bureau estimated July populations from the years 2000 to 2007 and included April 2000 data from the most recent official census. The next official census will occur in 2010.

Hoboken Mayor David Roberts said he was not surprised Hoboken has grown the most in Hudson County, but was surprised the estimates were not higher.

The steady growth in Hoboken's population is noticeable just by observing the streets and neighborhoods, Roberts said, attributing the population boom to the city's proximity to New York, the mass transit system and array of community events.

Jersey City, too, has benefited from its easy access to Manhattan, Mayor Jerramiah Healy said. An extensive public transportation system sets Jersey City apart from other towns and cities in the state and country, where residents must spend more time and money commuting in cars, he said.

Healy added that Jersey City and the rest of Hudson County have traditionally attracted immigrants.

"But what happens is either the parents themselves or the first generation, they save a few dollars, and then bang - they move out," he said. "That's what has happened to our county, but at least in Jersey City that is starting to reverse."

Some lose a little aid, then get back more

Joe Albright
Jersey Journal
Thursday, July 17, 2008

Hudson County's 12 towns suffered a $8,832,854 loss in state aid to municipalities in the just-adopted budget. But that's not as bad as it sounds.

Five Hudson municipalities will pick up extra state funding because of four letters: REAP.

Guttenberg, North Bergen, Union City, Weehawken and West New York receive Regional Efficiency Aid Program money for consolidating their fire services.

However, Jersey City suffered the biggest aid reduction in the county: $3,733,769, from $83,087,524 to $79,353,755.

East Newark had the lowest aid cut: $102,210, from $806,515 to $704,305; but gained $250,000 in another aid program on July 11.

Guttenberg took a $146,120 reduction from $1,079,887 to $933,167, but gained $280,960 under REAP.

North Bergen slipped $616,389, from $9,503,484 to $8,837,095, but gained $1,292,751 under REAP.

Union City lost $1,155,692, moving down the municipal aid ladder from $19,215,495 to $18,059,803, but gained $1,692,194 from REAP.

Weehawken dropped $237,891, from $3,167,928 to $2,930,037, but reaped $387,615 for consolidating fire services.

West New York sank $643,867, from $8,787,355 to $8,143,488, but picked up $1,135,968 in REAP money.

Aid to Bayonne was down $791,496, from $11,650,691 to $10,859,195; and Harrison went down $368,390, from $10,199,594 to $9,831,204.

Hoboken, lost $908,843, from $16,031,088 to $15,122,245; while aid to Kearny dropped $791,153, from $22,414,065 to $21,622, 912.

The Corzine administration contends $560 million in increased school aid will help offset the $162 million municipal aid reduction, but the State League of Municipalities says residents can look forward to higher property taxes, public employee layoffs, or reduced services. Take your pick.

New Jersey's largest city on pace to see a 10-year low in homicides thanks to new policies

Newsweek
By DAVID PORTER
Associated Press Writer | AP
Jul 17, 2008

(NEWARK, N.J.) Garry McCarthy had barely settled into his new job as Newark's police director in the fall of 2006 when he came face to face with the twin scourges of violence and apathy that plagued New Jersey's largest city.

Two drug dealers had waged a running gun battle through a crowded city neighborhood, firing dozens of shots from an AK-47 and a .45-caliber revolver and eventually killing each other.

Yet when McCarthy arrived at the scene he was less troubled by the cold-blooded nature of the crime than by the reaction it produced.

"The response I got from the officers and the community was, 'What do you expect? It's Newark,'" McCarthy said recently. "I said, 'What do I expect? Where's your outrage?' I started pounding that on our bosses here: Don't accept it for what it is, but accept that you can change it."

More than two years later, changes have occurred in Newark, a city defined in recent years by a homicide rate that spiked 80 percent from 2000 to 2006.

Halfway through Mayor Cory A. Booker's first term, homicides in 2008 are within reach of the 10-year low of 59, set in 2000. It's a vindication of sorts for the 39-year-old Booker, who rode into town on an anti-crime platform and immediately made some enemies by hiring McCarthy, an outsider, to run the police department.

Click to see rest of article...
http://www.newsweek.com/id/146680

Repairs to shut lanes of Marin Blvd.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Jersey City workers spotted a 4-foot-deep sinkhole beneath the blacktop of Marin Boulevard and will begin excavating to stop it from continuing to undermine the road, officials said.

When the sinkhole located near Sixth Street was discovered, workers lowered a robotic camera into a nearby manhole to take a look and spray painted lines on the blacktop and the words "Dig here."

One lane in each direction of Marin Boulevard was closed while workers were at the scene and will likely remain closed when jackhammers start tearing up the roadway.

MICHAELANGELO CONTE

I should have added to the original post that I haven't yet addressed this with the JCPA.

As you know, anything out the of the norm with them requires an in-person visit if you want any sort of results (and even that's a stretch), and it also requires about 30-minutes of breathing exercises beforehand to keep you calm in the face of incompetence.

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Yes. Like every other agency of this city, the parking authority is incompetent, so obviously they didn't think through the permit situation.

I was at the Secaucus inspection lanes this morning. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wondered why this issue never came to bear, and indeed it finally has???

According to the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission, one?s windshield is to be free and clear of everything, with the exception of the inspection sticker. Yes, they still overlook PBA placards and official things like that, but they?re now cracking down on the JCPA parking stickers (and Hoboken?s and others).

As you know, if one has slightly darker rear windows (not tinted, which are illegal), the folks on Central Avenue tell you not to place the sticker in the back, but rather on the windshield above the inspection sticker.

Motor Vehicle is now knocking people down on inspection for having the parking sticker on the windshield (which, quite frankly, is legitimate). Ideally, I suppose you could take the sticker off before hitting the inspection lanes and then put it right back on after you pass, but those stickers don?t come off neatly (and rarely in one piece), and they also don?t re-stick very well.

If indeed you do take the sticker off before hitting the inspection lanes (rendering it unusable in the process), you will inevitably get humped another $15.00 by the JCPA for a new one, which is bullsh*t.

And in truth, you?re breaking the law by continuing to put the sticker back on the windshield --- and conceivably could be cited for it (if stopped for another violation or if perhaps passing through a small municipality, where they have nothing better to do than to enforce such things).

One of the inspection folks mentioned it to me just as I entered the lanes, so I ducked out with sticker unscathed ---- but I still ultimately need an inspection! I figured I better have a plan in place first before I head back.

I?m sure there are several who will soon be in this position too ---- and it inevitably is a procedural problem that needs to be remedied by JCPA and other municipalities? parking authorities.

Any thoughts?

I think of ALL the Puerto Ricans, Yessenia Correa IMO (if she would have persued politics) could have been the Luis Munoz Marin.

She just dissapeared after Schundler's term if you remember she became his spokesperson, a job she handled fairly well.

Alas, she was a Republican not a Dem.

You also want politicians who will NOT keep their heads in the sand...and tackle head on the REAL issues of the city W O going the corruptive way or totally ignoring the obvious.. the corruption, injustices, lack of services, needs of a community.

I didn't see that from the Cunningham adm. or any other adm.

Schundler maybe, a small effort.

He also failed to monitor some of the people under him.

Greg Corrado, for instance, was accused of sexual harrasment by an asst. Director. She was given a settlement but in the settlement, she had to resign.

This was never covered in the Journal.

Schundler kept him on as part of his team.

I have noticed though that Healy is truly giving it his all despite some flaws...

I agree, the Journal should be covering on other's.

Now, what corruption is Viola part of?

.... "Damn," said Jimmy "The Mathematician" Strawman, admitting he was now certifiably deterred from engaging in the illegal business by the prospect of a gun-rationing law: "Applications for purchase-permits, application fees, the ID verification standards, NCIS check, agent investigation fees, 3-month waiting period for purchase-permits, PLUS, sales tax? I was cool with all the other hoops I had to jump through, and now, when I thought it'd be smooth sailing, a "1-gun-a-month" rule? How am I going to make a profit, and have money left over to cut a check to Ms. Cunningham's 'Always So Very Much About The Children' campaign before November?"

.... "SCOOOOOOOOOOTER!" said Superintendent Chalmers.

1 djcview...


So... you've been drinking the water too? Yes, I agree your grammar is as bad as your creativity and choice of words.

You couldn't do better then this? And your phyche is even worse... now, now, we all know what happens to you when you forget to take your meds...go take your meds now.

And after that, we will then allow you to come back in when you have composed yourself.

Seems like MOMMY failed to teach you how to play nice on discussions...threads...

Constructive criticism is alive and well...

And.. who cares?... that YOU...

for fifteen years worked with neurologists, neurogeneticists, neurophysiologists, neuropathologists and any other kind of neurology physician-scientist you can think of.

Now WE all know what YOU really are...

My boyfriend got a permit last week to park his car in one of the JCPA municipal lots (the one downtown on Newark Ave. by the BoA). He had his car parked there last Wednesday night with his permit correctly displayed on his back windshield. Thursday morning he noticed he had received a ticket.

He called the parking authority numerous times & ended up taking a half day today go and to talk to them in person. They gave him something in writing saying that the ticket was issued in error (THEIR error).

However, they STILL want him to go to court (Aug. 8th) to get the ticket cleared. This will require him taking off another half day, which he can't really afford to do. It doesn't seem right that he should have to go to court, because they arbitrarily wrote him a ticket. How often is this going to happen?

Is there any way he can get out of the court appearance? Has anyone here ever got a permit for the municipal lot? It's okay if this is a one time thing, but he doesn't have time for it to be a normal occurence.

Are there any other inexpensive off-street parking options downtown or in Journal Square? Or does anyone know of a private space available for rent in someone's driveway? This lot is SO much cheaper than the private lots, and I'm thinking I know why.

Just wanted to make sure everyone was aware of this & any tips would be appreciated!!

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Or Newark's white Bret Schundler. If Obama gets in he may have more in common with Louisiana republican governor Bobby Jindal or become the next Arthur Ashe of the White House.

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I think the real story here is that, if you go into the offices of the Jersey Journal with a mind reader who can read everyone's minds, the old-time editors and reporters there think they do a wonderful job of covering politics. They think their political reporters are their ace reporters.

The reality is that, given that the Jersey Journal is a small daily with limited resources, the general assignment/police beat coverage is terrific and the arts and human interest features coverage is fine.

But the coverage of education, business and politics is truly abysmal.

I think the coverage of education and business is so bad because the beats are probably not really assigned to any specific reporter, or they're assigned to interns or new reporters who don't get much informed guidance from their editors.

But the political coverage is wretched because the reporters are lazy, unimaginative hacks who don't know how to do anything other than write up a city council meeting, an indictment or idle gossip. The results end up being reasonably entertaining, anyway, because Jersey City is a fascinating city, but other Newhouse papers do this sort of thing a lot better. Why not bring someone in from the Star-Ledger to do a seminar or something?

Some examples of how weak the coverage is:

- The Jersey Journal never really does much of a profile of anyone in politics here, except mayoral candidates. Because it doesn't really tell us who these politicians are and flesh them out as "characters," the hard news stories they do about these folks have no context.

The editors and 25-year veteran reporters know who Viola Richardson really is, but I really don't. To me, she's a just a name. I think she occasionally half-way sides with Fulop, and that's great, but I don't know what that means.

- Reporters in most cities spend a lot of time covering the top people in the planning department and other administrative departments.

When I use the Jersey Journal archive search engine, I see that the Journal has been mentioning the city planner, Robert Cotter, an average of about once a month, but I didn't know the Journal had ever mentioned Cotter till I used the Journal search engine. I don't think the Journal covers that guy or other city administrators very well.

- The Journal doesn't do much to cover community leaders who aren't already running for office, and it doesn't do much to profile, or even briefly describe, candidates in elections such as school board elections. Essentially, if you're not on the council, you aren't a huge developer, and you aren't Louis Manzo, the Journal has no interest in you.

Since 2001, Shelley Skinner has been working hard to try to improve the Jersey City public schools for several years, but the Jersey Journal mentioned her in substantive articles only 3 times before she announced she was running for ofice.

Althea Bernheim has never been mentioned except in one caption.

Mahaley Stewart Bowles, who's the only person I know who's organized parents well enough to actually bring about concrete changes in the regular Jersey City zone schools, has appeared a few times as the signer of letters to the editor, but the Jersey Journal reporters have only mentioned her 3 times.

Karen Westman, who went to heroic efforts to start and run Waterfront Montessori, a private school with an enormous waiting list, has never been mentioned in an article that the Jersey Journal actually reported. (Her name shows up in one single a tiny announcement that appeared when the school started up.)

Ben Wilson, a JCPD community relations person who runs eye-opening gang awareness seminars, could have been on Torres's list of up and coming young African American community leaders. But, of course, Torres wouldn't know about the guy. Op-ed authors have mentioned the guy, and a Jersey City resident who participated in a "person on the street" survey story mentioned Ben Wilson, but Jersey Journal reporters have only mentioned Wilson's involvement in catching a criminal once, and the only other time they've mentioned him in a story that they've actually reported (as opposed to a routine event notice) is when the guy's son (!!) got arrested and tried for gang violence.

I think the Jersey Journal has mentioned JCList's Dan Falcon in 16 or 17 separate articles, but, keep in mind that the guy has a really highly trafficked Web site. He has a lot of potential influence, but he's only getting into the Jersey Journal about two or three times per year.

In contrast, the Journal seems to be on track to mention Healy about 600 times per year, Lipski about 150 times per year, Fulop about 100 times per year and Viola Richardson about 70 times per year. (I'm estimating because the basic Journal archive cuts off the results after finding 50 matches.)

Conclusion: the politics reporters at the Jersey Journal talk to the same obvious suspects again and again and, especially when writing about politics, make no effort whatsoever to talk to anyone new.

So, it's open for debate whether Torres's original column was racist or just ignorant, but I think it seems likely that Torres doesn't know enough about anyone outside the Hudson County Democratic Organization machine or its periphery to write a good article about up and coming community leaders without doing quite a bit of reporting. I'm sure he could call up 10 smart people and come up with a decent list, but there's no way he could produce a list like that off the top of his head.

And he may be annoyed at the machine hacks in City Hall, but he needs to understand that he works for a paper with a machine hack approach to covering City Hall.

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It's at least as refined as labeling anyone who doesn't share your (hysterical) view of Fulop as "JC's white Obama" to be a member of the HCDO payroll...

Quote:...the fine art of debate, JC-stylee

I think they *are* suing out of state dealers.

Quote:If you read the article (did you read the article?) they're finding a lot of guns involved in crimes bought locally, in other words people in the business of buying for others who aren't able to (unless you just think they're lying about the numbers).

THAT'S who the bill focuses on (jeez louise).



What's the waste of money? The conditioning and electricity in the state house as they signed the bill? Because this sounds like sound legislation to me - I even think the limit of 12 per year is still ridiculous - personal protection? Who's buying even 4 guns a year for personal protection?


oh yeah. the nuts are.

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nutty gun thing... okay I'm with you there... but the point is the "nutty people" who follow the law aren't holding up the 7-11...

the focus of the bill should be crime... this bill is a waste of money.

If one really wants to stem gun violence, New Jersey should sue Virgina, Georgia, and Pennsylvania each time a handgun is linked to sales in those states. Likewise, families and victims of gun violence should sue those states whose laws make it easy to buy in bulk and sell to criminal elements in New Jersey.

New Jersey is focusing on its own citizens who follow strict guidelines.

Quote:how is it demonizing you to limit you to 12 per year? what, you need 13? I don't get this nutty gun thing.

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wow. you two are a-holes. that's as much eloquence as i can muster.

Quote: I don't think she comes even close to saying that, she would prefer to not call it anything - that there be *no* accountability, for fear of being labeled racist: it's a great cover.


Ironically, I took the article to be looking for *more* black leaders, *more* blacks in power - not less. The rub for the Floods/Cunninghams/Richardsons/Tabilis of the JC is that what they're talking about is a *cleaner* black leadership.

I also wish we had cleaner *white* leadership in JC (the only difference being that it happens that there *is* a white Obama on the JC scene, so we'll see...)


p.s. and could it be maybe the paper's paying more attention to black leadership than Filipino leadership only in proportion to the relative sizes of the populations in JC?

New Jersey demonizes legal handgun owners who go through some of the most stringent background checks that include fingerprinting, photographs, and in some communities, letters from neighbors to "confirm" one's good character.

Legal handgun owners are not robbing the local liquor store... repeat offenders are, but let's waste time and money on a bill that won't do squat.

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I am no fan of Ms. Richardson, but her point that editorials unfairly focus on the perception of "leadership" or "lack of it" in the black community in Jersey City has some merit.

When an African-American politician is caught with his or her hand in the cookie jar, it is a lack of leadership while other groups' leaders are labeled as corrupt or unethical. The second largest community in Jersey City are Latinos, but the JJ isn't asking where is the new Jos? Luis Alberto Mu?oz Mar?n for the Puerto Rican community after Judge Wanda Molina's scandal?

Mayor Booker and Obama are honorable politicians (whether you agree with them or not) who "happen to be African-American."

Ms. Richardson seems to ask the JJ editorial board and its readership to call it what it is ... corruption and cronyism.

Quote:+1, that post sounds like it's coming from a Hudson Democratic machine operative

...because even if Schundler's motivations are cynical, no-way, no-how would Healy *ever* get behind these initiatives....

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Who say's you can't do both. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing). And one for Sal, and one for Billy, and one for me, and you ain't gettin any Stymie..."I knows it"