I'm not sure it's the right precinct for where this happened, but you could try calling the non-emergency number of the precinct house I believe to be closest to where this happened, 201-547-5408. Alternatively, try going straight to the precinct house in person and file a report that way, the East District precinct is at 207 7th Street. They are open 24/7, far as I know.

Also - I have no idea if this website will do you any good, but try submitting a report about what happened on the website www.licenseplategenie.com - just look up the license plate number on the website and then type in what happened.

Good luck!

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Let's not forget the FLAGRANT violations of city noise ordinances with the Healy van blasting away well into the night. The sign on the fence should be no surprise whatsoever. The man has no shame, and considering how above the law he considers himself and his cronies already, these things are a featherweight.

I'm really hoping someone else wins on May 12th, but as it is, all of us in the anti-Healy camps only have ourselves to blame, because there are four different people running against him and all it does is spread the opposition votes around. Even if a significant number of votes are taken away from Healy, it is hard for one of the four other candidates can get enough votes to overtake him when they are divied up among them. At least two of the candidates should have dropped out a long time ago so the others would have a fighting chance. As to which ones should have quit, I'm not going to get into that, I don't want to create more debate here and there's not much time left anyway. But I do know who I'll be voting for and it will not be Healy.

Kudos to Steven Fulop from me too. I'm so glad I live in his ward and I think I'd be long moved out of J.C. if I didn't. He seems to be the only one on city council who gives a damn and works hard, and it seems the other city council members practically resent him for that. Imagine that - somebody actually doing their job on the city council, and doing it well!

Now if only he had enough clout to run for mayor and unseat that current joke of a mayor we have who has somehow raised, in campaign funds, about 25 times what the job actually pays annually. Obama spent far less than McCain and he won - can't we replicate the same miracle in Jersey City?

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Oh good luck on that one. While Mr. Fulop's office is usually pretty responsive to my emails and/or phone calls and has been helpful to me, I have placed a few calls and emails (both them and their aides) to the at-large members on certain issues and specific things they've voted in favor of and against, and I've gotten zero response. I guess they figure that because they aren't tied to any particular ward in the city and don't have to worry about satisfying a particular group of constituents, it really doesn't matter to them - people will pay far more attention to what the councilmember in their ward does than the at-large members. Vega and Flood have really managed to annoy me on a lot of things but they have nothing to say for themselves, at all (the animal control commission ordinance comes to mind with Vega). They just don't seem to care - its just an extra $40,000 a year for them to show up at meetings a few times a month and maybe play a hand in writing a city ordinance. What the people of Jersey City want/need is of no concern to them.

Healy is one to talk about tarnished reputations. There's no need for Manzo to try and tarnish Healy's reputation... he's so good at doing it all by himself, every time he enters a bar.

Don't forget Willie Flood - $40,000 on the city council and $108,000 as Hudson County Register. (both publicly funded jobs)

This double dipping they allow in New Jersey is why this state has consistently ranked among the top ten most corrupt states in the union by various news sources.

Steve Fulop, about the only person on city council with an iota of sense, tried to introduce a bill about this but it quickly got voted down, probably because the majority of people on the council are double dippers themselves.

This is the city we live in, people. Sometimes I can't believe it myself.

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Did that... did you see #2 in my post? I usually don't like to post phone numbers that are not government ones. In any case, that number routes you to the Hudson County Democratic Organization... either Campaign Healy decided to change the number on the website or re-route the phones, why I don't know.

A few points to make here...

1.We all know that contacting JC Police about this is a useless effort... they all are under the mayor anyway.

Perhaps contacting the county or state police about it is a possibility? Ultimately, policing what the municipalities do falls under the state. The closest field office of the New Jersey State Police is in Newark I believe, on Halsey Street, phone (973) 504-6570.

2.For the record, I tried calling the Healy campaign about this. The phone number they have on their website now is for the Hudson County Democratic Organization. I tried pressing the extension for Craig Guy, executive director, which routes you to his voice mail, but it doesn't let you leave a message. After hearing the voice mail announcement telling you to leave a message, there's no beep or anything, just a computer voice that says "good bye" and it hangs up on you.

3."TV On Wheels" the same poster here that says they've helped "good" politicians like Willie Flood (ha! that's a good one all right) is in fact the very name of the business that owns this van. Maybe it is worth contacting them directly, letting them know how we feel and informing them of the local laws.

Is it any surprise, that Healy is once again acting above the law? Compared to his other controversies, this one is a feather weight.

I have no children and hence do not pay too much attention to the Jersey City schools, but I do vote in every election, and I do feel that a good school system is important to attracting residents with children to Jersey City and helping to keep my property value intact.

I usually vote for the endorsements of the JCEA. Right thing to do or not, I don't know but it's difficult to research all the candidates for school board and there is little press coverage on any of them. This time, there is nothing on the JCEA's website endorsing any candidate(s). So - who to vote for? You tell me, JC List!

And please, serious replies only. Give me a name(s), and why that name(s), if you feel like saying so. The usual B.S. that so commonly pops up here will serve no purpose.

Dozens of dead animals dumped illegally in North Bergen
by Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk Sunday April 12, 2009, 12:24 PM

Officials in North Bergen are investigating the illegal dumping of dozens of dead animals in the Hudson County township according to a report in the Jersey Journal.

Humane Society Manager Denton Infield told the Jersey Journal that he believes someone from a neighboring township is dumping the dogs, cats, goats, and sheep to avoid paying fees.

Infield said the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services is investigating the matter.

Or, how about turning part of it into a community center, call it the Powerhouse Community Center, just like in that short-lived PBS show from 1982 that was called "Powerhouse" ? It was a show about a woman had turned her father's old gym into a community center and called it just that. The show had a cast that was the perfect tossed salad of ethnicities (black, white, hispanic & jewish I think), they were the kids who regularly hung out at the center. The show had a good storyline, with each episode dealing with a lot of different social and nutritional issues, and sometimes the kids would become amateur detectives when they had to solve some sort of mystery about something occuring at or concerning the community center.

Anybody remember that show? It was great!

Sorry if anyone else finds this boring, I just had to post this when I saw the word "Powerhouse" !

So was anyone at the city council meeting and did they hear anyone speak about this? Did the council members, particularly Mariano Vega, have anything to say for themselves?

Sometimes I get thei impression that Vega tries to rule that council with an iron fist (maybe I'm wrong, haven't heard enough from him), but both my phone and email messages urging him to put the animal control matter on the agenda went unanswered (I would have sent a letter but didn't think it would get there in time for the meeting).

I would have liked to go, but was working late that night.

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Notice that these embarassments are not anything that Manzo did to himself, unlike Healy. They were done by adults who happened to be related to him. Healy on the other hand, made the conscious choice for himself to drink too much on more than one occasion and it had its dire consequences. He also made the conscious choice to have his cousin transferred to the JCPD who in turn made the conscious choice to wind up committing a DWI that cost the life of a young child.

Manzo, on the other hand, had no control over one brother choosing to committ insider trading and another brother attacking somebody with a tire iron.

I am not a supporter of Manzo, still not sure who I will vote for next month, tonight's debate had little influence but I have eliminated Healy from my choices for certain. Good riddance to Jerry - you reap what you sow.

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First caj11, I would like to say you have written what at least in my mind is a valid argument contrary to the position I had taken in post #4 . My argument to you is, regardless of whether people think what the Mayor is selling BS really isn\'t the point. Rather than pass by a candidate or one of his workers with not so much as acknowledging them is just wrong. Why not stop and talk, ask a question, tell them how you feel, just be courteous? I will not argue that the Mayor likes to have a libation now and again, and maybe he indulges more than I myself would prefer him to. But, a large majority of us have indulged more than we should have, probably on more than one occasion. As long as this does not affect the job he is doing for Jersey City and is done on his own time it is his business. You mention what happened on his front stoop in 2004; Well it was very well publicized then and as we know he was elected by a majority vote AFTER this incident, and this is now old news and in the past. As for the Mayors conviction in Bradley Beach, I cannot stand here without being a hypocrit and say I\'m happy that this happened, nor will I represent on this board that he was somehow the victim of overzealous police, which I\'m certain many of my detractors on this board would expect me to say. the Mayor went through the criminal justice system and the matter was decided by the same system which you and I and everyone else is accountable to and I accept it and so should he. But it is wrong to criticize the Mayor for exhausting every right which he is entitled to within our system, such as the right to appeal and the right to litigate the matter in Civil Court. You further wrote: \"My opinion, based on the events reported in the media, is that he is not fit for office. That my friend is the democratic process.\" Well that is not the opinion of Hudson County Assignment Judge Gallipolli and the New Jersey Appeals Court who has just thrown out a lawsuit by former Sherriff Joe Cassidy who sought to have the Mayor disqualified from running for office as not being fit, Sherriff Cassidy\'s suit was thrown out by BOTH courts, and the voters will now decide on May 12. And that my friend is the judicial process. My point is, regardless of who you may be voting for courtesy should be extended to all candidates.[/quote]

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Apparently I screwed up the quoting mechanism when I posted this and I can't figure out how to fix it. Everything about that dotted line is DanielJ's words, everything below it are mine (except of course, where I've quote him).

Since we're so focused on Healy here, perhaps this thread should be merged with that other one where it is discussed that he is way ahead in the polls (please let those polls be wrong). Its clear you are associated with his campaign or are a friend of his, and I\'m not going to sway you on my opinion of Healy. But, I must refute at least some of what you\'ve said...

1.\"I will not argue that the Mayor likes to have a libation now and again, and maybe he indulges more than I myself would prefer him to. But, a large majority of us have indulged more than we should have, probably on more than one occasion. As long as this does not affect the job he is doing for Jersey City and is done on his own time it is his business. \"

As a mayor of the second-largest city in New Jersey (or any city in this state), he is subject to a higher standard of behavior than the general population. You want to be a leader, demonstrate leadership abilities. Getting drunk in public, even on your own time, is evidence of a poor leader. And yes, it does affect his job - have you seen how dysfunctional our city government is? My experiences with the Office of Construction Code Official, the Parking Authority, the Finance Office, the filth on the sidewalks, the increased crime and the higher property taxes are all evidence of that. The phones barely get answered at so many city departments, or they go into voicemail that never gets returned. Some city employees do a great job (office of Historic Preservation is an example), but morale is clearly low among city employees, and you can\'t say Healy has nothing to do with this.

2.\"But it is wrong to criticize the Mayor for exhausting every right which he is entitled to within our system, such as the right to appeal and the right to litigate the matter in Civil Court.\"

Going to civil court was absolutely his right. But if he was already convicted in the criminal system, what was his civil suit motivated by other than revenge against people who were simply doing their job?

What would a verdict in his favor in the civil court achieve if the criminal court had decided against him?

Extra $$ in his pocket?

Civil courts cannot force anyone to give an apology, especially when it was for doing something that was part of their job as a police officer, having arrested someone on charges that were proven in a court of law. What would you have to say if this had happened to one of the other Mayoral candidates?

3.\"Judge Gallipolli and the New Jersey Appeals Court who has just thrown out a lawsuit by former Sherriff Joe Cassidy who sought to have the Mayor disqualified from running for office as not being fit, Sherriff Cassidy\'s suit was thrown out by BOTH courts, and the voters will now decide on May 12.\"

The Judge made his decision, presumably interpreted the law correctly, and Healy has every right to finish out his term. That was the judicial process. But doesn\'t mean I agree with what the Judge decided. Judges have to make tough decisions every day and there\'s no way they can please everyone in their interpretations of the law.

4.\"My point is, regardless of who you may be voting for courtesy should be extended to all candidates.\"

What courtesy exactly do you want? He has every right to run for mayor again, he got his signatures but I simply feel that there is no way he could convince me he is worthy of my vote, because actions speak louder than words and he should not waste his time with me. But if I walk by a table with someone campaigning for Healy, I'll acknowledge their existence, pick up a brochure and go about my business. Does that make you happy?

Furthermore, I don't think he, his aides or campaign staff really care whether they have my ear or not. I have numerous emails and made phone calls to city hall on various issues and have heard absolutely zero response. I have written emails to the Healy campaign and heard zero response. I have called the Team Healy campaign office and not once does the phone get picked up there (unlike campaign offices of other candidates, where somebody is often there to to talk to you). I could leave a message, but what\'s the point? All I\'m going to get is a volunteer with a pre-programmed script saying the same things about Healy that you\'ve said on this message board. If I'm not a real estate developer who can donate large sums of money to the campaign, my voice simply falls on deaf ears.

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That isn't their attitude, it is their opinion of Healy. I don't know or care if you work for Healy's campaign or not but can you blame them for thinking what he sells is BS? It would appear that he has some kind of alcohol problem (I am only saying that it would it would appear), as evidenced by what happened in 2004 on his own front stoop and the events of 2006 in Bradley Beach. Not only was he proven guilty of obstruction of justice, a conviction that was upheld on appeal, he had the nerve to sue Bradley Beach and the two police officers for simply DOING THEIR JOB (thankfully that lawsuit was thrown out but the officers still had to take time out of their day to deal with it and it cost Bradley Beach some of its own resources). Suppose Healy was in the same situation in Jersey City. Would he sue the Jersey City police officers for doing their job, that are part of a department that he is technically the head of?

My OPINION (and only my opinion), based on the events reported in the media, is that he is not fit for office. That, my friend, is the democratic process.

Okay, so I already know where my city council votes are going, but can anyone provide insight on the mayoral candidates? The only one I know anything about is Healy, and I don't care to vote for him (I don't need to tick off a list of reasons why; there are many that I'm sure many people on this website know about). Can anyone provide insightful information on Daniel Levin, Louis M. Manzo and L. Harvey Smith?

While I'm sure these people have plenty of skeletons in their closets, I can't imagine anybody worse than Healy. Manzo is a former assemblyman, correct?

If anyone cares, I sent a lengthy letter to Mr. Koster about all the problems associated with the Liberty Science Center I uncovered just by looking at their tax returns (tax returns for mid-sized and larger non-profits are generally available at www.guidestar.org) and simply by looking at the prices they charge for admission, parking and IMAX back in December. I re-stated many of the things I have stated on this thread, including a top-heavy administration with numerous six-figure salaries, none of whom will be laid off while lower paid and part-time workers without benefits are laid off; fees paid to an expensive law firm in Morristown and a Big 4 accounting firm (both typically used by Fortune 500 corporations, while for the LSC, local law and accounting firms would do just fine), excessive travel expenses for something that is a one-building entity, etc, all of which make me feel that the Liberty Science Center is mismanaged and undeserving of the $2.5 million bailout, especially given that not many Jersey City residents have full-time jobs there and LSC's problems should fall on the backs of the state and federal governments, not us local residents. I cc'd this letter to several members of the city council, Mayor Healy and the LSC's own public relations staff.

More than two months later, I received a fairly toothless response from them addressing none of the specific issues in my letter, essentially saying that they are trying to cut back on expenses and are seeking new funds from all levels of government. I would be more than happy to scan a copy of the letter here, as well as the letter that I originally wrote to them, if that is possible and someone with more tech savvy than me would explain how to do that.

Bottom line is though, they now have our local tax money from the local JC residents, they are not a government agency and thus don't have to answer to anyone, and I'm guessing therefore they have no reason to care what I think, and they don't.

Have fun lining your pockets with that $2.5 million of our tax money, Mr. Koster & company! Don't worry about using it wisely or paring down your expenses, because you don't care what us local taxpayers think.

Surprise f---ing surprise, Lipski in the news again, and not for a good reason. I wonder if anyone will bring this up on the JCSchools Yahoo discussion group. Even though Lipski has said he will not run for city council again, he doesn't deserve to continue running a publicly-funded school with our tax dollars. You reap what you sowe Mr. Lipski.

I only wish the weekly Jersey City Reporter would go out of business. It is worse than the Jersey Journal, just a bunch of classified ads and stories nobody cares about.

Next to the Kohls circulars, it's the most annoying piece of junk mail that gets dropped off by my condo building every week. Nobody reads them, they pile up there and get all wet and soggy, making a mess.

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So the man got lucky... auto theft is a felony, regardless of the value of the car. Do you think he could of had the charge downgraded if he wasn't in the position he was in?

Furthermore, it's one thing if he just forgot to return the car, but I find it quite scummy that he wasn't even paying the rental bill. That's just appalling. Let's not forget about the problems he had with the NAACP, failing to file the appropriate financial forms.

Are you a friend of this idiot or something? He gets paid over $100,000 to cut ribbons. Why do we need three deputy mayors and what exactly do they do?

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My thoughts exactly too. Seems like Hoboken should kick in the majority of the costs for this. But of course, given our incompetent public officials who spend much of their time in bar-related fights with the police in Bradley Beach or urinating in public, that's probably not the case.

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Yes I know. Isn't a wonderful? I wonder if he will take a second six-figure salary for operating that charter school, which would be better paying than his council seat, or if he will give his wife a job there like he did with the first school. Our tax dollars hard at work.

I really hope the state dept. of education thinks about his prior behaviour when they are considering the application for this charter school.

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I can provide details to #2 - he rented a car from Avis sometime last year and then never returned it for months on end (well past the contracted rental period). That is auto theft - you cannot say there was no element of intent -how do you forget that you rented a car?

In any case, regarding Lipski, I'm glad he finally decided not to run again, but he still doesn't deserve his councilmember salary for the last five months of his term. And I think that he is not fit to run a high school, as I believe his behavior constitutes a rather poor example for the students.

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Okay, it's a loan alright, at 0% interest. What a great rate in today's climate! Furthermore, if the museum happens to miss a payment, what happens? Does Jersey City get a lien on the building?

Finally, while the LSC has drastically cut staff to conserve funds, which staff did they cut? Were any of the seven vice presidents with there six-figure salaries let go?

None of these questions, Sammy, are rhetorical in nature. I would like to know the answers, especially to the last question. The answers will tell me and many others if LSC is truly putting its money where its mouth is, whether they are actually worthy of the $2.5 million or not.

The 930 Club is a great place to see a show, I saw many there when I lived in DC.

In any case, I hope people don't forget about this come election time in a few months. This man is disgusting in more ways than one. How convenient he kept that incident in Pennsylvania out of the press. Let's not forget about him hiring his wife to work at the charter school, firing the manager that suggested he use the competitive bid process for contracts at the school, or the school purchasing furniture that ended up at his house.

Also his failing to file state-required ELEC reports for four years in a row. He really thinks he's above the law.

I feel bad for his councilmember aide that had to field hundreds of angry phone calls from constituents though. She doesn't deserve the aggravation.

What I've also noticed is that there are quite a few letters in the Jersey City Journal and other papers supporting Steve, and few against him, despite all the scorn he's getting in the various online forums. Coincidence? I think not. I'd like to know who is working at the Jersey City Journal, and if they are friends with Lipski.

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Supposedly the trustees of the school held a meeting and were going to wait and see how things turned out from a legal standpoint, the whole innocent until proven guilty philosophy. But he has essentially pled guilty and no one at the school seems to care. Now it's just the attitude of, people make mistakes, let's give him another chance. But I think the parents or trustees forcing him to resign would be difficult anyway, he did start the place after all. Still, it's a crying shame that he is making a handsome six-figure salary at the school at taxpayer expense and the school is listed as not making adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind act standards. When you have somebody with alcohol problems running the place, I guess you really can't expect much anyway.

In case anyone would like to know, I sent letters disapproving of this bailout and highlighted information of mismanagement from their publicly available tax returns to the Liberty Science Center CEO, Liberty Science Center public relations person, Mayor Healy, and the three at-large council members who voted for this (I myself can vote against these people; my councilmember, Fulop, sensibly voted against this stupid bailout).

That was over a month ago. Zero response so far.

I also cc'd the letter to Fulop but I would not want or expect a response from him as he did the right thing by voting against it.

I guess LSC's attitude is, they have the money, to hell with what I think. The at-large councilmembers and Healy probably don't care either but then I shouldn't be surprised about that, this being Jersey City.

Tax dollars hard at work! I love it...

Good job Emlyn, your job is safe for another year. Of course, despite the bailout, the same probably cannot be said for the people making less than $30,000 annually working at LSC, as many of their jobs will be cut. They can keep paying the $100,000+ people (7 VPs and Koster) there but the lower wage earners are out of luck...

This is a story that must not die. But at least he owned up to what he did and is not going to dispute the charges. Of course it is possible (let me emphasize the word "possible", I don't know for sure) he had a good attorney who negotiated the charges down somewhat. He certainly seems to have gotten off easy.

From the New Jersey Journal, January 15, 2009:

Jersey City Councilman Steve Lipski has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor assault charge accusing him of urinating from the balcony of a Washington, D.C., club onto concertgoers below in November.

Lipski, who called the Journal after leaving Virginia, said he was fined $50 and will be on probation for six months to a year, pending his attendance at alcohol and drug counseling sessions. He must also perform community service, which he said can be done in New Jersey.


Lipski said he pleaded no contest because he had blacked out from the end of the first act of the Grateful Dead tribute concert until he was put in a police car. He said his memory came back only after he was taken to a hospital.

Lipski, whose council term ends June 30, said he hasn't decided whether he will seek re-election. He said the plea won't affect his job as director of CREATE Charter School, which he founded, in Jersey City.

Lipski has said he is an alcoholic who was sober for two years before getting drunk at the concert.

Check back with Hudson County Now for updates.

I know very little about pitbulls, so I have no opinion on having them as pets and issues associated with them in public.

As usual on JCList, a thread about very serious occurence went off on a tangient and degenerated into a pointless debate.

What I'm wondering is if there have been any updates about this, does anyone know if the owner has been found, have witnesses and/or people familiar with the owner and the pit bull come forward,etc. Does anyone know any pit bull owners in the neigborhood where this occurred?

While the fact that the jogger was bitten is especially tragic, it's even more tragic that the owner of the dog left her bleeding on the street and didn't even have the courtesy to call an ambulance. Seems like the owner is a bigger threat to society than the dog itself. Should the dog be euthanized? I don't know, I didn't see the whole episode, nor do I really know what situations specifically call for a euthanization. But unless the owner turns himself in anytime soon, I hope they are charged with a serious felony and pay dearly in fines and/or jail time (if they do turn themselves in, then perhaps some mercy should be shown). Shame!

Well this should make for an interesting project, considering they couldn't sell all the units in the Trump tower and put plans for another tower on hold.