Dear Editor:

As usual, the developers had union workers at city hall to support tax break on three properties in JC, two in downtown which is already overbuilt. In the past, developers demanded tax abatements because interest rates were in the double digits, now interest rates are near zero percentage and they still demand abatements. To sweeten the pot, the developers and public officials have linked affordable housing with abatements to make it more palatable.

Our public officials like to ignore the rising Board of Education tax rates due to more children coming into the school system from tax abated development. Affordable housing gives no relief to the already over taxed homeowner and it pay no money to the Board of Education. It is now time that all buildings that have tax breaks pay an extra assessment that goes to the Board of Education. Since 2005, the Board of Education taxes have increased an extra $38 million and will continue to increase each year.

On the same night as these three abatements were granted, it was also the city?s budget hearing. While public officials like to be generous with our tax dollars with developers, the reality is the city or really taxpayers are responsible for $59 million compensated absences liability for retiring employees in the future, it must pay close to $60 million in debt service this year, and have projected $158 million in future projects.

Before the city bails out a developer or worry about future jobs for construction workers, it better get its financial house in order, if not then JC faces the same fate as Stockton, California which declared bankruptcy and slashed many services to its residents and is considering stopping health benefits to retired employees.

Abatements are the reason the JC cannot gets its finances in order because abatements do not add to the ratable base which is presently $5.7 billion. If properties were not abated then $2.4 billion would be added to the ratable base. It is simple math the higher the ratable base, the lower the taxes, or in JC case, the lower the ratable base the higher the taxes.

Yvonne Balcer


Read more: Hudson Reporter - Abatements are to blame

This is misleading scare tactic, under the state takover over no mayor or councilman can interfere with the running of the board of ed. The takeover started under the McCann administration but was finalized under Cucci administration. Mayor Cucci sued to keep the board of ed under local control and lost. If any mayor could do this it would have been Schundler. Schundler had Doria in the assembly introduce the charter school legislation. The state closed several charter schools in JC including CREATE started by Councilman Lipski.

I think it is wrong that Abdul Malik was not invited to Pat O'Melia mayoral forum at the Lowes. Someone made a comment to me, that if Fulop and Healy were to die before the election, then Malik and Walker are the only candidates. I personally wished both Fulop and Healy a long life. Considering JC has had 20 or more candidates running for mayor in the past, I think Pat O'Melia could handle just 4, he did hold a debate 4 years ago and invited all 5 mayoral candidates then. While Malik is stating he was not invited due to his religion, I believe he was not invited because he doesn't have the "big bucks" associated with his campaign. This means anyone who runs for office as an independent will not be invited to a mayoral debate. I am hosting a Ward C debate and have invited everyone by mail. I also plan to placing the debate on line. I believe everyone should be heard in a debate which is different from an interview by a host with one or two candidates.

In the 1970s up to the early 1990s various ethnic group would approach city hall officials about renaming various streets. A classic example Jackson Avenue to Martin Luther King Drive, the irony the Jackson Brothers were Africian American merchants but the people who lived there thought it was name after Andrew Jackson. Then Hispanics who lived downtown got Henderson Street, named to Marin Blvd, the street was formerly named in honored of the Henerson Brothers who had a pottery factory. Also one of the brothers was mayor of JC. In the "me too" fashion Filipinos asked that part of Grove Street should be renamed Manila. Also Italians renamed Railroad Avenue Christopher Columbus Street. People became upset and now the city uses "also known as," because the history is being changed. As for the other question, will there be a part 11, the answer is yes. Unfortunately, some of books were destroyed in Sandy. So the research will take a little longer.

Since the previous writer talks about the old house, I have a picture of it in my history of JC.
https://vimeo.com/26250602

To jtjcview - I recently read an article of a nurse who was force to participate in an abortion, it was a late term abortion (22 weeks) and the staff was shorthanded. She said no then the hospital threaten her with the loss of her job. She was required to count the twisted mangles arms and legs of the fetus to make sure all parts was out of the woman. The nurse filed a lawsuit because she is still suffering nightmares from seeing the twisted legs and arms from the fetus. Abortion is acceptable because the public does not see it and we use fancy terms as woman's right to choose. I am a baby boomer, and I am glad abortion was illegal when I was born. At least, a doctor could have done some serious jail time. Everyone who was born after abortion became legal have survived from being aborted. I suggest you ponder that because you could have been the victim that nurse saw.

The size of most municipalities, the exception Jersey City and Newark, is less than 50,000 residents. And I am speaking in urban areas. Rural areas, which are many may have 2,000 residents or less. That means the state is giving state dollars to municipalities that is duplicated 566 times instead of 21 times, the number of counties. At one point, before there was a Jersey City, you had Hudson County, Van Vorst, Paulus Hook, Harimus, Greenville, these areas merged into Jersey City. Even Bayonne considered joining Jersey City but decided to become an independent city.

It is interesting you posed this question a week before Holy Week because the Gospels records Jesus? arrival into Jerusalem on a donkey as a king, the crowds spread their cloaks and palms on the ground shouting,"Hosanna to the Son of David" and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," yet the Son of God died the death of a slave on the cross.
Marriage is an institution of God, but slavery is an institution of man. Yet God uses horrible things to bring good out of evil. Today is the feast day of St. Patrick. He was captured by the Irish and made a slave. He escaped and returned to bring Christianity to the Irish. Now he is the patron saint of the Irish. St. Paul also met a runaway slave, the property of Christian, Pheliem. He told Onesimun, to return to Pheliem and wrote to Pheliem to ask for his freedom because a runaway slave is never free. Moses was instructed by God that slaves, the Israelites owned, had to be set free after a number of years.
Slavery existed because people were a commodity. I went to college when African history was starting and took a number of courses. The people who were sold were basically the conquered people of many African kings. If you check the manifest of sailing ships that transported slaves, you will find 200 males to 2 or 3 females. Simply put slavery is better than death because that is usually the fate of conquered people. Several years ago, I saw a program on an African-American professor who traced his roots back to the tribe where his ancestor lived. The descendent of the king told this professor on camera, his ancestor did a good thing because if now he is a famous professor instead of being an ordinary person here. Even Muhmani Ali, during his Rumble in the Jungle, made the comment that he was glad his ancestor ?made the boat.?
I believe God allowed slavery to exist because it allowed conquered people to live. Since Roe v Wade, over 50 million babies have died, so is slavery worse than abortion?

I have always stated we should dissolve municipal government and only have county government. Most municipalities in NJ have strong county government and a $1.00 mayors on the local level.

I do not know this reverend but I know the Gospel, if this reverend follows the gospels then he cannot ignore the passage where Jesus explains marriage:
Against this backdrop, the Pharisees asked Jesus about divorce. "The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?' And He answered and said to them, 'Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning "made them male and female," and said, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh"? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate'" (Matthew 19:3-6).
I have a lot of respect for a person who has the guts to follow the Gospel message and not the political winds.

Keep stroking the rhetoric, and you will have more Christians who live in Ward D come out to vote. Let me give you a history lesson. In 1985, McCann used cops in the public housing to suppress the black vote. When the community found out what was going out, people came out in droves to vote. When these voters were interviewed by the paper, they said it was McCann's actions that drove them to the polls, many did not plan to vote. And when they pull that lever for the reverend, they will also pull the lever for Healy. These voters gave the election to Anthony Cucci.

I am delighted that Secaucus is going after this abatement. I remember former mayor Anthony Just, Jr. speaking at the Freeholders meeting during the budget hearing years ago. He complained that Secauscus, population then 12,000 residents paid the second highest taxes to the county. He said it was not fair. Secaucus do not give abatements like JC. After, he spoke, I said why don't you sue JC. He asked me to call his office in Secaucus and the rest they say is history. The original agreement was to give the county an additional 10% in revenue. Meaning a developer who receives an abatement would pay the municipality that fee plus and additional 10% but JC appealed to their friends in the state then and it got knock down to 5%. Many reporters when writing about an abatement writes 95% goes to the city and 5% goes to the county. They have it wrong it is an extra 5% or 105%. It is ironic this payment started in Tom DeGise took over as County Executive because he voted on every abatement as councilman under Schundler and now he reaps the benefit of the extra 5%. He should send me a thank-you note. By the way, it does not apply to old abatements or affordable housing.

Everyone who has attacked this reverend, who I do not know, cannot name one thing he can do under the city code to attack gays and women as a councilperson. Please name something. Be specific! Personally, you remind me of the rhetoric of the Communist Party which talks about the evils of religion and had it outlawed for a number of years. That is scary.

I have been attending meetings for over 40 years, no councilperson has ever used his/her office to discriminate based on their religious beliefs, even if they want to, they don't have the power. The only discrimination is see in government at the local level is their tax policy. Now I stand corrected, at the last meeting, 3/13/13, I noticed the city clerk moved the next meeting to Holy Thursdays from Wednesday. Council meetings are held on Wednesdays. When questioned he said it was moved for Passover. He said Holy Thursday is not a legal holiday that is why is was moved. Someone asked him if Passover is a legal holiday but received no answer. So the budget hearing is being held on a Christian holiday. I don't think the city clerk should choose between religions in setting the calendar. Perhaps, if the reverend wins he might object to the budget being heard on a Christian religious holiday. I strongly objected and I am not running for office. The calendar is set by the city clerk with input from the council. In 40 years I have never seen a budget hearing set on a religious holiday especially since people travel during that time. Who knows, amendments to the budget might be held on Christmas.

In the confines of the Faulkner Act, what can this reverend or any reverend do that would violate his oath as councilperson? Is voting on a street closing religious? Is voting on the budget religious? Is voting on the Police contract religious? Is bonding money to repair city's streets religious? I do not live in Ward D, but honestly, I would probably vote for him because he is being attacked my members of jclist for his religious beliefs. If I feel that way, can you imagine how people in Ward D feels? I am saying this even though I know and like Connors. Connors is a fine person, but I am angry that a person is being attack for his religious belief.

Schundler's ran Reverend Colon for council, he never faced these questions. Neither did he preached at council meetings; however, he and the rest of Schundler's council failed to do the one important thing - introduced and passed the budget on time. Schundler was lucky that Governor Christine Todd-Whitman did not go after his council (she did go after Democratic control municipalities, who did not passed a budget on time.)

The city council job is defined by the Faulkner Act which the city adopted in 1960. The running of all departments is now the function of the mayor not the council. The main job of the council is the adoption of the budget. Several years ago, Hoboken city council which also adopted the Faulkner Act was fined by the State of NJ for not adopting the budget. The state sent in an administrator to do the job. If the council just do that job well, I would be pleased because that is the main job of the city council. Only twice has social issues come before the city council- first in 1970s when the Medical Center was part of the municipal government, the council discussed whether abortion should take place. Now, the Medical Center is not a municipal agency that point is mute. Second, in 1990s, the city council voted to allow condoms in hotels. It needed an ordinance to do that. The city council does not vote on judicial matters concerning gays or women, those things are for the courts.

Your name, JSleeze, fits you well. As an American citizen, I am exercising my right to speak at council meetings. People died in this country to give me that right. I personally think it is wrong to attack someone for his religious belief. Freedom of Religion is one of our cherish rights. In fact I remember John Paul 11 kissing the soil when he first visited the USA as pope. He talked about the beauty of religious freedom, something he did not have in Poland. In fact, he was ordained as a priest in secret. This candidate's views are similar to the Catholic Church, (exception woman's right to work. Many of the Vatican workers are woman, some are in executive positions), yet the world could not get enough information on the next pope! If conservative views are irrevelent, when why is the world all over Vatican City? JSleeze, have the courage to use your real name when you attack someone!

I went to this workshop, the deadline is April 1st. During a reval year, it is May 1st.

March 9th - Political Insider Column - Jersey Journal

-- For you taxpayers, there is a property tax appeal seminar Monday at 7 p.m. in the Pershing Field Community Center Building, 201 Central Ave., Jersey City. It is free and sponsored by a couple of local groups, including the Jersey City Political Action Committee. The lawyers who provided tips in past seminars are from the firm of McKirdy & Riski, P.A. of Morristown. Attorneys Thomas Olson, a Jersey City resident, and Cory Kestner are expected to attend.

I made a comment earlier that a lack of appointments to the courts could impact the city's budget. According to the 2013 Budget, the city's budget shows $10.7 million in projected fines. Last year, it projected $11.3 million for 2012. The projected figure is based on what was collected the previous year (2011) so the courts collected $600,000 less. Perhaps this drop happened because we have less judges. I don't think Mayor Healy considers me a supporter since I have criticized him many times in the paper, but I had no problem with him appointing judges to the court.

Another property tax appeal sponsored by Esther Wintner for all Jersey City residents. The 30 video only gave you the highlights, from the longer presentation. The deadline is April 1 if you plan to appeal.

I went to college in NYC while living in Hoboken, NJ. I had to pay out of state tuition. There were people from other countries, not American citizens, receiving in state tuition. I though that was wrong and I believe this is wrong. Tax dollars especially college dollars should first go to American citizens. If this pass, an NY state resident, an American citizen, would pay double, while the non-American resident who lives in state would get a break while attending college in NJ. Illegal residents do receive many breaks, free public education from k-12, some live in subsidize housing (there is no law requiring citizenship to live in subsidize housing, even President Obama's aunt live in public housing) and health benefits. The exception would be if an illegal resident served in the military.

The tax increase will be hidden in the reval. The city's ratable value is $5.7 billion and it will probably increase to $17 to $19 billion. The tax rate will drop from $70 plus per thousand to the $20 plus but you won't notice the rate increase because the assessment increased on property. For downtown, taxes will go up.

I did the Math, municipal taxes increased 84.87% from 2005 to 2010 under Healy. Healy is a better mayor than Schundler, but I am tired of supporting tax abatements, developers who transfer their abatements, get a reduction in their abatements, or the city bail them out with loans. The city's ratable base was higher in 1988 after reval, now in 2013 the city's value has dropped. The ratable value is related to our tax bills, so the question is why? Abatements are not ratables plus developers are successfully appealing their assessment after their abatements have expired. It is no wonder the state wrote a report in 2010 attacking JC in its use of abatements. The drop of the ratable base should have been in Healy's speech.

A residential alien cannot vote in JC or other elections.

I don't know where the link went, but here is the video of the Property Tax Appeal Workshop.

http://youtu.be/4dAxSKDj7yo

I guess you never read a JC budget, I am not going to quote you a figure because the budget should be presented soon but JC receives millions in their budget from fines. Any money raised from fines is less money raised from taxpayers. It is not just JC residents who pay fines, it is people who use our streets from other municipalities.

I will not comment on the politics but I do know our court system do not have enough judges which is an inconvenience for the public. Court cases are pushed back. Also, the courts bring in revenue through fines for the city. A lack of judges also means a lack of revenue.

I believe the conversation on JCList gave notice to this problem, the police department do not like to be under the microscope.