I'm happy to announce two great endorsements today! The first is from Sue Mack, who ran in the 2011 special election and is known for her work on the Board of Education. The second is in the Jersey Journal today. Here's the excerpt from the Jersey Journal article:

WARD C

Every City Council needs someone who thinks of their constituents as good neighbors and who can seriously claim no affiliation with any political group.

For these reasons, Ward C voters should elect Hilltop Neighborhood Association activist and retired city police officer Richard Boggiano.
While the entire episode of incumbent Councilwoman Nidia Lopez' residency, Florida or Jersey City, has been settled, voters should still be displeased. Her record can be simplified by looking at the state of Journal Square.

There is not enough experience or background to suggest that candidates Adela Rohena or Janet Chevres deserve seats on the City Council.

Hello everyone,

My campaign is looking for volunteers for next Tuesday. If you are able and willing you can send in your info at this link and someone from my campaign staff will contact you:

http://jcboggiano.com/contact

Even if you can only spare a couple of hours out of your day please think about coming out!

Thanks and remember to vote May 14!

Good piece here on the impact of independents on the election next week. This is definitely the best election for independents in a long time.

Here's the part of the article relevant to Ward C:

As early as March, the Fulop and Healy campaigns acknowledged that retired city Police Officer Richard Boggiano might put pressure on Ward C City Councilwoman Nidia Lopez, who is running for her second term.

Lopez is running with Fulop. Boggiano, who is president of the Hilltop Neighborhood Association, is running on his own and is not affiliated with a mayoral candidate. Healy?s candidate in Ward C is Janet Chevres. The Ward C field also includes Adela Rohena, who is running with mayoral candidate Jerry Walker.

?We?ve done two mailers already and there?s a third one going out next week,? Boggiano said last week.

While Fulop has had a heavy presence in Ward C mailboxes, only recently have his mailers included Lopez. Boggiano, in contrast, has relied on low-cost fliers to help raise his visibility throughout the ward.

Volunteers for Boggiano and Lopez have been out walking the streets in full force over the last several weekends, stumping for votes.

?We?d like to win this on the first ballot,? said Boggiano, who ran unsuccessfully for an at-large council seat in 2011. ?If it goes to a runoff, it goes to a runoff. But I think we can win on the first ballot.?

Full article:

http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/fu ... #cb_post_comment_22467336

I had a new volunteer join my campaign last night. He moved to Jersey City a few months ago and has been robbed twice at gunpoint since he got here. He decided to volunteer after the most recent of the two experiences.

Jersey City has a crime problem. If you step back it's amazing how desensitized to crime so many people have become. In other words, they accept fear as a fact of life (don't venture out at night, never leave anything in their car, don't bother reporting crimes, etc).

This costs us. Big time. Good people move from the city, especially when they have a family that they fear for. It's a very complex problem with no simple solution, but intelligent management of our schools, police department, and city government could go such a long way to improve the situation.

No change will happen if you do not vote on May 14th. Please ask your friends, family, and neighbors to vote on election day. Tell them now so it's no surprise 12 days from now.

Being an independent suits me well as I really only care about doing what's best for my neighbors. I'd much rather take my chances as an independent than be beholden to anyone else any day of the week. It's safe to say that isn't really a surprise to any of the mayoral candidates in this race.

This election:

-I have raised more money
-I have had more time to campaign
-I have lessons learned and campaign infrastructure from our campaign 18 months ago
-I'm fighting on my home turf (Ward C)
-My money goes pretty far thanks to the great work being done by team of volunteers. No I won't be running TV ads, but that isn't what wins a race like this.

I lost in the citywide race in 2011's special election, but I won Ward C by a healthy margin. This isn't a special election, I'm up against some well funded competition, and I'll never rule out old fashioned Hudson County election rigging, but I still really like my chances on May 14th.

Hello everyone, I'm happy to announce some endorsements I received this week.

The first comes from leaders of Jersey City's Egyptian, Indian, and Pakistani communities. I've gotten to know each of these leaders over the last 10 years through West Point's Winning the Peace program, where I still volunteer my time (most recently last week). In addition to teaching future military leaders about foreign cultures, the program has brought a very diverse set of ethnic communities together and made Jersey City stronger as a result.

The second comes from former Acting Mayor and Ward C Councilman Joe Rakowski. Joe took over after Gerry McCann was indicted 20 years ago. He knows as well as anyone what centuries of corruption and patronage have done to this city.

I've dedicated my life to fighting waste, cutting red tape, and improving quality of life in Jersey City. I raised my kids here and have lived in the same house for over 30 years. Additionally, I've helped thousands of people over the years and have never asked for a "favor" in return.

If you'd like to read any of the pieces in the paper on the endorsements, here are the links:

http://www.nj.com/hudson/voices/index.ssf/2013/04/post_88.html

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/ ... -candidate-rich-boggiano/

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... y_election_2013_midd.html

I wanted to clarify a misperception and say that I am not anti-development. I just want intelligent development.

Right now, development in Jersey City happens as if each project were on an island. There's often little consideration for the impact that a project will have on local roads, traffic, sewers, emergency services, etc. Rather than recognize and work with developers to correct these negative side effects, our leaders look the other way. This is more or less the default setting unless local neighborhood groups make enough noise and force the issue.

Thank you very much for your kind words Shadrack! What a wonderful thing to wake up and read today after seeing so many friends and neighbors at our fundraiser last night. Thank you!

Semper Fi

Hi Oneskirt:

Your criticism is valid. In the future I will add meaningful commentary if I post anything from the paper. At the same time, if you have any questions about any specific issues, either citywide or Ward C in general I am happy to answer them.

I would also like to refer you to the interaction I had with everyone on this forum during the 2011 special election. It paints a much clearer picture of me because of all of the back and forth:

http://jclist.com/modules/newbb/viewt ... =280209&keywords=boggiano

My experience on JC List is that most people on here are 1) skeptical of newcomers and 2) hostile to any perceived manipulation of this forum. For that reason, most candidates just stay away to avoid confrontation. In the past I have taken a different approach and found it worthwhile and enjoyable. If you take a look at the link above I think you'll get a good sense of that.

Jersey City election 2013: Syed drops out of Ward C council race

By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal
on March 26, 2013 at 12:14 PM

One of the five candidates running for the Jersey City Ward C City Council seat has dropped out of the race, citing an upcoming work conflict.

Imtiaz Syed, who ran unsuccessfully for an at-large seat in a 2011 special election, thanks his supporters in an email he sent to local media outlets.

?I have been actively involved in the issues and challenges facing Jersey City for the last four decades, and will continue to do so in (the) future,? Syed writes.

Syed is a former chair of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency board. In the 2011 race, he came in eighth out of 17 candidates.
This year?s race in Ward C, which encompasses Journal Square, finds incumbent Councilwoman Nidia Lopez battling former Jersey City police detective Rich Boggiano; business analyst Janet Chevres; and activist Adela Rohena.

Lopez is running on the council slate of mayoral hopeful Councilman Steve Fulop, while Chevres is running with Mayor Jerramiah Healy and Rohena with Jerry Walker.

His decision not to run in this year?s city race is potentially good news for Boggiano, who is now the only candidate in the race running independent of a mayoral ticket. Boggiano, who heads the Hilltop Neighborhood Association, made a strong showing in the 2011 special election, coming in sixth despite a late entry into the race.

The election is May 14. The mayoralty and all nine council seats are up for grabs.

Neighbors:

My campaign is holding a fundraiser this Wednesday night from 6-9pm at Reflections on Newark Ave.

Location:
Reflections
646 Newark Ave
Jersey City, NJ
(3 blocks from the Journal Square Path)
Donation: $50

Thank you and I hope to see you there.

Ballot positions were drawn today. I'd like to ask everyone in Ward C to vote Boggiano Column 5C on May 14th!

I will post a copy of the full ballot in a day or two once it's published by city hall.

I wanted to post my interview with Hudson County TV here:

http://hudsoncountytv.com/news/rich-b ... rges-of-police-brutality/

I also wanted to take the opportunity to address one of the comments to the interview listed below by one of my opponents:

1. She says that she received a visit from "special investigators" after lodging a complaint on behalf of her constituents. I find it hard to believe that two police officers would risk their careers trying to intimidate a sitting city councilwoman who was also elected on the ticket of the current mayor. Furthermore, if she really did believe that the intent of the visit was police sponsored intimidation then what did she do about it? Did she file a formal complaint? Speak with the police chief or mayor? If a city councilwoman won't take on something that she clearly believes is wrong then what hope do her constituents have?

2. I firmly believe that community relations are the answer to so much of the distrust between the police department and different ethnic communities in the city. Villainizing the police may feel good, but it doesn't do much to solve our problems. It's also no secret that Jersey City can be a very dangerous place: In my early years as a patrolman I was on the losing end of a number of fights and was nearly killed during riots near Hamilton Park in the 70's when thugs were throwing cinder blocks off the roof of buildings smashing my patrol car as I was trapped inside. We have come a long way since those days, but crime is still too high in Jersey City and community relations needs to be part of the answer. As one quick example, in 2004 with the 9/11 attacks were still very fresh in everyone's memory, I started a program bringing West Point cadets to Jersey City to interact with a number of ethnic communities (Arab, Muslim, Coptic, Indian, Pakistani, Jewish, African American, etc). The program has been a huge success and gave the police department a reason to interact with local ethnic leaders. Groups who were once terrified of the police and suspicious of each other are now good friends. Still, Jersey City is a big city and we need to do so much more.

I know that coming on this particular forum and 1) disagreeing with someone on Steve Fulop's ticket and 2) defending the police department isn't likely to get a great reception, but know this: I believe Jersey City is a great city and we should live up to our name. We need to encourage police officers to stay here once they start families rather than flee to the suburbs because they can't afford to send their kids to private school and fear what will happen if they send them through the public school system. The same goes for teachers, fireman, and too many other public servants.

Boggiano Likes His Chances in Ward C Council Race

With just about two months until May?s election, only two of the five Ward C Council candidates are certified, meaning they received the required 195 signatures to appear on the ballot. One of those candidates is incumbent Ward C Councilwoman Nidia Lopez. In office since 2009, Lopez has joined mayoral candidate Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop?s ticket, which to date has raised more money than Mayor Jerramiah Healy. The other certified candidate, as it turns out, is not Healy?s Ward C candidate, Janet Chevres (None of Healy?s slate is certified yet).

Rather, it?s independent candidate and retired police detective Rich Boggiano, the long-time president of the Hilltop Neighborhood Association. A two-time candidate (Boggiano briefly considered running in 2009 before opting out), Boggiano first announced his candidacy in September of 2012 but only just started campaigning in earnest recently after hearing potential candidate slate-suitors and planning strategy.

Still, the two months of campaigning that remain this time around is twice as long as he campaigned in 2011?s special election for two of the city?s At-Large seats. Back then Boggiano?s decision was as last minute as candidacies get? thirty days and $15,000 in campaign expenditures later, Boggiano finished a respectable sixth place out of a field of seventeen. Boggiano?s 2,643 votes may have been 900 shy of At-Large Councilman Rolando Lavarro, the second-place finisher, but he also ran an abbreviated campaign and wasn?t bracketed with At-Large Councilwoman Viola Richardson, the highest vote-getter in that election. (On the strength of that showing Richardson was rumored to be considering a run for mayor; instead, she opted to join Healy?s ticket.)

But as confident as Boggiano is ? ?I?ve never run from a fight,? he says, ?just ask anyone in the Hilltop Neighborhood Association,? ? he knows Jersey City politics are never pretty.

?I?ve put up a slew of campaign signs and they?ve all disappeared,? he said. Though Boggiano refrained from making outright accusations, he has some strong suspicions.

?If it is who we think it is,? says his campaign manager Tom DeLuco, a local realtor, ?we?ll find them.? That?s because Boggiano?s team of volunteers have been hitting the streets hard, handing out campaign literature and meeting people, as has the candidate himself.

?That?s the way to win campaigns,? says DeLuco, ?you go out there and meet people.? Though this is only his second time managing a campaign (the first was Boggiano?s run in 2011), DeLuco says this is easier than managing a real estate business. The substance is the same: hit the streets, knock on doors, shake hands and ?sell your product.? With real estate that?s work, but ?with Boggiano, it?s easy,? he says, even while shying away from calling him a product. ?People know Richie, and they like him,? he says.


Yet the challenge looms: Fulop has money and volunteers, Healy has the name and experience, and neither is supporting Boggiano.

?It?s about how you use resources,? argues DeLuco, not the amount of resources at your disposal. ?It?s about who will make contact with the people who will vote for you, the campaign is not necessarily connected to the amount of money raised.?

?I?m happy to be independent,? adds Boggiano, saying that although both camps approached him, he?s happy to be going it alone. While he wouldn?t divulge whether those talks got past the preliminary stage of feeling things out, he says there?s no place he?d rather be.

?I was told I?m too independent to join a slate,? he says, which is fine by him. ?I fight for the neighborhood.?

That?s why Sean Mallahey, a long-time friend and Healy supporter who says Boggiano is the right person for Ward C. ?I consider myself in touch with the community and I?ve never heard of Healy?s candidate.? (Janet Chevres is on Healy?s ticket.) While Mallahey says there are ?certain things Healy could improve on,? he thinks ?if we had some guys like Rich Boggiano? those changes would be a reality.

What?s been lacking in Ward C, says Boggiano, is a Councilperson who speaks with the people. Although he says he likes Ward C Councilwoman Nidia Lopez as a person, he can?t forgive her vote for the Robinhood Plaza settlement, which would change the zoning to permit a 42-story building among 1- and 2-story homes. (At the time of her vote, Lopez said development and jobs were too important to pass up.)

?Ward C needs proper development with people in mind,? he says. Which, interestingly, is how he and DeLuco connected. Indeed, DeLuco says he holds meetings with the community before he builds, which he describes as not only the respectful thing to do, but sometimes where a developer can get some ?good ideas.? In one meeting, Boggiano and he connected, and have been friends since since.

And with the promise ? or threat ? of a 50+ story building coming to Journal Square, a Council person who will fight to keep that development appropriate for the neighborhood is crucial, argues Boggiano. ?If I get in, I?m pro-development, but with people in mind.?

Another of Boggiano?s biggest beefs is something the entire city seemingly relates to: not enough police officers, not enough foot patrols, not enough attention to the quality of life. In fact, as a veteran of the Jersey City police department for over thirty years, Boggiano recalls the days of a 1,300 officer police force. Those days are gone, he says, because of decisions at the top that go back almost twenty years. Currently there are 802 police officers according to city documents.

Boggiano?s record, which includes both successful and unsuccessful fights, has taken the administration to task for their seemingly hands-off approach to the sale of Christ Hospital, the closing of the city?s police academy, and the threat of laying off police officers two years ago. Christ Hospital ultimately remained a not-for-profit hospital, for which Boggiano helped drum up attention, and the lay-offs were averted, but the police academy is history. ?It?s shortsighted,? he said of the decision.

If two years ago $15,000 got him a 6th place finish with almost no campaign time, DeLuco sees $25,000 as all that?s needed for the more local ? and more pro-Boggiano ? Ward C race.

?I have to tell you something,? said Boggiano. ?I?m not political, I believe in what I?m doing.?

?Too many people are playing politics or on a power trip or are doing it for their personal gain,? Boggiano says. That means ?nothing will change.?


http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/ ... ward-c-council-race/March 7, 2013

Neighbors,

I'm running for city council in Ward C and wanted to re-engage everyone on this forum as the election is only a couple of months away. If you are reading this, my intention with this post is to make sure you know that I am running and offer you an opportunity to ask me questions.

Although I did not win in the competition for one of the at-large council seats in 2011's special election, I punched well above my weight considering how little money I spent and the short duration of my campaign. In fact, I am proud to say that I won Ward C in that election as I garnered 20% more votes than the next highest contender in a field split among 17 candidates.

I've been fighting for my neighbors for well over 30 years now as President of the Hilltop Neighborhood Association. I believe in honesty, transparency, and treating other people with dignity and respect. I served for 37 years on the Jersey City Police Department - living in the city the entire time. I raised my kids here, pay taxes here, and have seen an enormous amount of change over the years. Progress has come in fits and starts, and while we have come a long way, I believe that I can best help Jersey City move forward as an elected city council member.

If you know me and would like to volunteer, I'd love to hear from you. If you don't know me, I'd love the opportunity to earn your vote.

If you'd like to visit my website:
http://jcboggiano.com/

Thank you,

Rich

This morning I read about the renewed movement to bring the Battleship New Jersey back to Jersey City. Afterward, I went and pulled out an old article that I saved from the Jersey Journal on February 3, 1999 with the title "Schundler Gives up the Ship." At the time of that article, I had contacted our senators and congressmen and tried to convince them and Mayor Schundler of the value of bringing this important piece of history to Jersey City. The response I got at the time was that the NYC mayor and congressional delegation did not want the battleship in Jersey City or Bayonne because of their fear that it would compete with the aircraft carrier Intrepid in Manhattan.

A lot has changed in the past 13 years. Has Jersey City grown up enough that our leaders no longer feel the need to bow down to the will of politicians on the other side of the Hudson River?

Jersey City has 1200 acres of precious land set aside as Liberty State Park. I've said for years that one of the best ways to help the Jersey City economy is to take advantage of the billions of dollars that over 50 million tourists spend each year in the New York metropolitan area. The park has become a tourism hub for Jersey City. We already have millions of people who visit each year en route to Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, festivals, concerts, Liberty National Golf Course, and the Liberty Science Center. Adding a national treasure like the USS New Jersey will only add to the existing tourist draw in a way that one-dimensional cities like Camden (and Bayonne) could never realistically hope to achieve.

In my opinion, the NJ congressional delegation still has little regard for Jersey City ? one of the most historic cities in the country. In 1999 I wrote in a letter to the editor, "If the battleship goes to Bayonne, it will eventually end up a rusty hulk and disgrace to everyone who has pride in the greatness of the ship." It turns out that I was correct ? except she is rusting in Camden instead. Without a reinforcing ecosystem of tourist attractions, Camden has failed to attract tourists from the smaller Philadelphia market in the decade since the ship was relocated there. Now is the time to finally give her a home that she deserves ? in Jersey City.

Who: Hilltop Neighborhood Association
What: Christ Hospital Sale
When: 7:30PM, December 12th
Where: St Joseph's Church Basement
Why: We are going to have representatives from the nurses union and the postal union at the meeting to answer questions about the pending sale of Christ Hospital and the proposed closure of the Post Office on Newark Ave.

On behalf of the residents of the Hilltop Neighborhood Association, I want to voice our strong opposition to the current handling of the Christ Hospital situation.

First and foremost, the fact that the hospital has been mismanaged does not mean that Christ Hospital doesn?t provide a vital service to the residents of Jersey City. With the closure of St Francis and Greenville hospitals, Christ Hospital is one of two remaining major medical facilities in this city. The other, the Jersey City Medical Center, has already stated that it does not have enough capacity to serve all of Jersey City by itself in the event Christ Hospital were to close.

Second, Prime Healthcare Services does not strike me as an organization with Jersey City?s best interests in mind. The for-profit Prime has been the target of several lawsuits alleging it has committed Medicare and Medicaid fraud by manipulating which patients are seen and their diagnoses to maximize their reimbursement rates from the government. Considering the employees at Christ Hospital have twice saved my life since I moved to Jersey City 40 years ago, it makes me sick to think Prime places their bottom line over the well being of their patients.

Third, Christ Hospital?s request for an expedited review of the sale from the state looks like a setup for a bait-and-switch where Prime would sell off all the hospital?s assets after a transaction closed. I have already heard that several developers are waiting in the wings to cash in on Christ Hospital?s ?prime? real estate at the top of the Palisades overlooking downtown and Manhattan.

I understand that Christ Hospital is in trouble, and a sale to a larger and more financially stable organization is one possible way out of the current situation, but I see no benefit to rushing through a transaction to an ethically dubious organization from out of state.

RICH BOGGIANO
PRESIDENT, HILLTOP NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

If you live in the five corners area and don't want the post office on Newark Ave closing you need to stop by and fill out the comment paperwork. The deadline is about two weeks away. There are a number of elderly residents in the area who walk to this post office but will have to travel to other parts of the city if this one closes. See the message below.

"To the customers of the Five Corners Station:"

The Postal Service is considering the close of the Five Corners Station for reasons stated in the accompanying proposal.

During the 60-day posting period from 09/20/2011 through 11/21/2011 you are invited to provide written comments. Comments will be be most helpful if they
offer specific opinions and information favorable or unfavorable regarding the potential effect of the proposed change on postal services and on the community.
Your comments will be carefully considered and will be incorporated into the official record, which will be made public if the proposal if finalized.

Copies of the proposal and optional comment forms are available upon request at the Five Corners Station, Journal Square Station and Hudson City Station. If you choose to use the optional comment form and need additional space, please attach additional sheets of paper.

Please return the comment form to:

Allen Tanko
494 Broad Street
Newark, NJ 07102-9300

For more information you may call Allen Tanko at 973-468-7209 or write to the above address.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

I wanted to take a moment and share my thoughts about yesterday's special election, which unfortunately did not break my way.

First and foremost, I want to thank the team of volunteers who made my campaign possible. Thanks to you I exceeded everyone?s expectations, and I am eternally grateful for your efforts over the past several weeks.

While tonight's results were disappointing, I would like to put everything in perspective. I spent one third to one quarter of the money of the other leading candidates in this race, did not raise money from Hudson County's political machine, and refused to sell out to get large donations from special interests looking to buy a political lackey. With the money that I did raise, however, we were able to come within a few hundred votes of winning this election.

I also joined this race at the last minute at the urging of some residents in my neighborhood. I campaigned for a total of five weeks with about one dozen volunteers around the city with no political infrastructure to start with. We went from zero to 100 miles per hour raising money, putting up signs, attending events, and putting all of the other pieces in place for an effective campaign.

In light of the above, I am pleased with how well we did in this election. I certainly know that we surprised the political machine in this city that wrote me off from the start. I have not yet decided if I will run again in the 2013 election, but I can assure you that if I do it won't be near as much of an uphill battle for me next time around.

There is a civil war going on in Jersey City between residents who want change and those committed to the status quo with everyone else sitting on the sidelines. As was predicted all along, this election turned on low voter turnout. Roughly 5% of the city's population participated in this election with about .5% voting for the two winning candidates versus the .4% who voted for me and the other leading challengers. From that perspective, the few hundred votes separating me from a city council seat are a drop in the bucket compared to the problem of voter apathy in Jersey City. I have some ideas to fix that problem in the next election, but that is the biggest challenge facing any political outsider in this town.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Viola Richardson and Rolando Lavarro on last night's results. I truly hope that you keep the best interests of Jersey City in mind and don't succumb to Machiavellian self-interested political maneuvers that our voters have come to expect from their politicians. You have 18 short months to prove yourselves in your new positions before voters get a say in your fate. Time is short. Use it wisely.

Thank you,

Rich Boggiano
President, Hilltop Neighborhood Association

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU VOTE TODAY!!!!

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Thank you Althea! You know how much your support means to me.

Br6dR - When they "randomly" picked the candidates places on the ballot I made sure to show up to watch it take place. When they had pulled all of the names and mine still hadn't been called, I called them out on it. It turns out my name had "accidentally fallen on the floor. So, I wouldn't have even been on the ballot if I hadn't turned out to make sure my name was on there. Why would anyone be afraid of doing such things if nothing happens to them even when they get caught?

This is unrelated to the election Monday, but I wanted to post some of the pictures I've found from the ship dug up at Bay and Warren 20 years ago. I have some better pictures of the intact ship underground that I will scan next week once a friend gets them to me, but this is a pretty good illustration of our city's total disregard for our historical past.

Br6dR -

"At Large" means that the council member represents the entire city, so any Jersey City resident can vote for any at large candidate.

Also, there are two at large seats open in this race so you can can cast two votes during the election. The way the ballot is set up is intentionally confusing as it makes it appear that you can only vote for two candidates in a single bracket, but the reality is that you can vote for any two candidates even if their names aren't located next to each other on the ballot.

The county did this intentionally so they could throw away more votes and trick voters into voting for certain candidates. It's not illegal, but it's just another dirty campaign tactic for the entrenched interests in our city to stay in power.

I hope this explanation helps. I'm running in this election and I'm listed in column 13F. I chose not to bracket with anyone else running in this race so my name is listed by itself. If you'd like to read more about my candidacy you can do so on this thread:

http://jclist.com/modules/newbb/viewt ... p?topic_id=25422&forum=11

Rich Boggiano for City Council
President, Hilltop Neighborhood Association

JoyofSound - I apologize for that. I can only assume that one of our volunteers was being overzealous. If you provide me with the location of your picture I'll have someone go take it down (if one of my competitors hasn't ripped it down already).

Just so you don't think I'm a hypocrite, I've been buying land in upstate NY since I left the Marine Corps in the 1960s. I've accumulated nearly 400 acres and signed a conservation easement with the State of NY in 2004 to preserve the land in its natural form and help protect New York City's water supply.

Iraida - Yes I used to own the apartment building at 156 Summit Ave until about 15 years ago. Thank you very much for your vote and I'm glad you're doing well and still in Jersey City. Please tell everyone you know to come out and vote on November 8th. Remember that the incumbents are favored if few people turn out to vote, which is why they've been boycotting the debates since their poor showing at the first one last month.

Rich

Published: Thursday, November 03, 2011, 3:02 AM

By TERRENCE T. McDONALD
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The no-shows were the talk of last night?s forum for candidates in next week?s Jersey City special election for at-large council seats.

The at-large incumbents Kalimah Ahmad and Ray Velazquez were both absent, as was Ward F Councilwoman Viola Richardson, who is trying to grab one of the two at-large chairs on the nine-member council.

?I find it disgraceful that the two supposedly leading candidates aren?t here tonight,? said candidate Richard Boggiano, a retired police officer, to applause from the crowd at Ferris High School.

After attending one of the first of several candidate forums held this campaign season, Ahmad and Velazquez have skipped the rest. Candidate Sue Mack, a Board of Education member, said she thinks the candidates? repeated absences are telling.

?I believe that we can now say this is a strategy for the incumbents not to attend public meetings,? Mack said. ?They believe it?s a done deal.?

The two-hour forum attracted about 80 members of the public.

The winners in Tuesday?s contest will replace former council members Mariano Vega, who resigned in September 2010 after pleading guilty to corruption charges, and Willie Flood, who stepped down in February 2011, citing health concerns. Twelve of the 17 candidates in the election attended last night?s event.

The candidates didn?t stray too far from their campaign playbooks last night. Gov. Chris Christie was the target of a number of attacks, as was Mayor Jerramiah Healy.

?The biggest area where the mayor is failing is attitude and direction,? said candidate Ihor Ed Ciolko, a retired city inspector. ?We?re spending entirely too much time worrying about license plates on cars.?

Questions from the audience focused mostly on hyper-local issues, such as tax abatements, which candidates said they oppose with some exceptions.

The four candidates who were asked said they haven?t accepted campaign cash from Spectra Energy, the Houston energy giant hoping to build a natural gas pipeline through parts of Jersey City.

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... ers_of_jersey_city_c.html

MDM - I paid 8.5% of every paycheck into the Police and Fire Retirement Fund. That was matched by an equal amount from Jersey City. As of the early 1990's, the fund was projected to last over 100 years at present rates of use with over $100 billion in assets. Every governor from Christine Whitman to present, however, has raided the fund to close "one time" holes in the state budget.

Needless to say, I don't think it's fair to blame police and firefighters for the sins of past NJ politicians. To draw a private sector equivalent, imagine if the federal government decided when you were 65 that it was short on cash and to make up the amount it was suddenly going to collect taxes from all of the earnings/dividends in your 401K from the previous 40 years (on top of the tax it takes when you withdraw money). Bottom line is that I don't think it's fair to change the rules of the game while it's being played because people plan their lives around the commitments made to them in good faith at earlier periods in time.

As for your recommendation that the police switch to a 401K style system, I think it is an idea worth exploring out of fairness to police officers - if nothing else it'd be better if they were in control of their retirement money instead of the state. The Department of Defense actually just released a similar report about the 20-year retirement program for members of the military. Noting that only 17% of people who join the military stay for a full 20 years the report pointed out that 83% of veterans get zero for retirement when they serve shorter periods of time such as a typical 5-8 year enlistment. Bottom line is that a 401K with a fair contribution from an employer improves employee portability (ie. they can go work someplace else before reaching the retirement age and still have something to show for it) while also providing a reliable income during retirement years. My biggest reservation about such a switch is that police, fire, and members of the military are unique in the risks that they take with their job. For example, working midnight shifts for years at a time takes a toll on a person's body. One big reason many cops place a value on their pension is because many of their bodies are worn down after so many years on the job. Obviously, that doesn't apply to every cop, fireman, or veteran, but it makes it a little harder to draw a complete comparison with private sector jobs.

I was fortunate that I had a job I loved and was able to work until hitting the mandatory retirement age of 65. To be honest, I'd probably still be working (and not collecting a pension) if the law allowed it.

JcResident0001 -

Unfortunately I don't have any photos of the catacomb, however, I will try to have someone scan and upload the pictures of the buried ship at Bay & Warren this week and put a link on here for anyone who wants to see.

Rich