Thanks for helping me win re-election: Boggiano

Thank you to all the people who braved the cold and rain to vote in the Dec. 5 runoff election! My campaign was heavily outspent, and I was up against someone aligned with the mayor's political machine, but 60 percent of Ward C voters chose to cast their ballot for me.

This is a couple of strong statements from voters. First, let me state the obvious from Nov. 7: it's pretty clear they like the mayor. I like him, too. Even though we often disagree, we both want what's best for the city. I look forward to working with him in the next four years.

Second, it's equally clear voters want checks and balances on the City Council, which is why I turned down the mayor's offer to run on his ticket. It would have been an easier path to re-election, but I value my independence too much. My biggest donors are family members, not developers. My biggest supporters are volunteers, not a political machine. The only people I answer to are the voters of Jersey City, not a political boss.

I could not have won this election without the blood, sweat and tears of the volunteers who came out everyday since we started campaigning last April. It rained for both the Nov. 7 and Dec. 5 elections, and when paid workers abandoned their posts outside polling sites, my team held their ground and never quit. They showed up to my victory party soaking wet, shivering and exhausted, but wearing smiles of satisfaction from a job well done. You know who you are, and I could not have done it without you.

The next four years will bring a transformation to Journal Square. Rest assured, I will do my best to fight for what I believe is right. I believe in affordability, clean government and working to improve quality of life for area residents. For all the developers out there, if you come to me asking for something, be prepared to tell me what you're going to do for the community. If you're a good neighbor, I'll be your best friend. If not, and you're just looking to make a quick buck on the backs of everyday people, I'll be a thorn in your side for years to come.

Rich Boggiano, Ward C councilman

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

Jersey City councilman's re-election victory a family affair

By Terrence T. McDonald tmcdonald@jjournal.com
The Jersey Journal

JERSEY CITY -- If you're looking to beat the political machine, just call the Boggianos.

The three adult children of recently re-elected Councilman Rich Boggiano have helped engineer four election victories for their father, first-ballot and runoff wins this year and in 2013, all against the well-funded political machine of Mayor Steve Fulop.

So how did a speech therapist and two guys who developed an early-education app become master political operatives? Much of the credit, they say, belongs to their dad.

A retired police detective and longtime activist in the Hilltop neighborhood, Boggiano, 74, has spent 40 years building up good will among residents of Ward C, and that has translated into his recent electoral success, his youngest son, Chris, told The Jersey Journal. Boggiano's team had as many as 60 supporters working on get-out-the-vote efforts yesterday, most of them unpaid but "passionate" about getting his dad re-elected, he said.

Voters, Chris said, know his father is "uncorruptable."

"There's no amount of money that can corrupt him," he said. "He wants nothing. He wears my old high school sweaters."

Boggiano won re-election to a second term in yesterday's runoff against Fulop ally John Hanussak. Boggiano won 60 percent of the 2,936 votes cast, to Hanussak's 40 percent. He won about the same votes as he did four years ago, when he unseated Fulop ally Nidia Lopez.

It's not clear how much Fulop's team devoted to Hanussak's campaign specifically, but Boggiano had a massive financial disadvantage. In the days before Election Day, Fulop's council team had $350,000 at its disposal. Boggiano had $30,000.

Even the Fulop machine's efforts to help Hanussak by stockpiling mail-in votes before polls opened yesterday didn't work: Boggiano won mail-ins two-to-one over Hanussak.

Chris said he and his brother, Jon, were the "foot soldiers" on the campaign answering to the "general," their sister, Katrina. The brothers handled "back office" matters, often on plane trips to and from their North Carolina home, while Katrina was the ground game expert, he said.

The councilman, who will begin his second term on Jan. 1, also cited Katrina's assistance when asked to explain yesterday's victory.

"My daughter could run a presidential campaign," he said.

Boggiano is known locally for his often ornery personality. A joke flier hanging in the council office includes his picture and a "warning" to keep away from him because "he is considered loud and dangerous."

"People know he's rough around the edges but he's a genuine person," Chris said.

Gerry McCann, a city code enforcement official and former councilman and mayor, credited Boggiano's lengthy tenure of local activism and a dedication to constituent services that did not stop even as people were voting yesterday.

"In the middle of the election he calls me up about a problem in his ward," he said.

A political operative and ally of Fulop, McCann said he knows of only one way to conquer Boggiano at the polls.

"The way to beat Rich Boggiano is to run someone like Rich Boggiano," he said.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

Full article: http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... ction_victory_a_fami.html

Thank you to everyone who came out and voted today.

Jersey City runoff results a mixed bag for Fulop

In a statement from Boggiano's campaign that is missing much of the councilman's customary brusqueness, he said, "Today the people of Ward C showed that they wanted a strong independent on the City Council. I look forward to working with the mayor and plan to keep fighting for affordability, clean government and basic quality-of-life improvements throughout the city. "

Full article: http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... ng_mixed_bag_for_ful.html

Reminder to come out and vote tomorrow.

Here?s where you can find your polling site if you don?t know it:

https://voter.njsvrs.com/PublicAccess/ ... ?USERPROCESS=PollingPlace

Boggiano: Thanks for your votes

I want to thank all of the voters from Ward C and the greater Journal Square area who braved the cold and rain to come out to vote on Nov. 7. With your help, I was able to secure the largest number of votes and substantially more than my second closest competitor.

Since the race had four candidates dividing up the vote, we did not cross the 50 percent threshold to avoid a runoff race. So, I'm asking everyone to brave the cold once again and come out for the runoff election on Dec. 5. While we had a great showing in the first election, we can't take anything for granted the second time around.

I've lived on Magnolia Avenue for nearly 40 years, and while Jersey City is rapidly changing, the issues people care about haven't. I plan to keep fighting for the next four years to improve quality of life for everyday people in the city, advocate for transparency in the city government and work to keep the Journal Square area affordable. The people who have waited decades for the Square to revitalize shouldn't be pushed out now that the area is transforming.

I was the first council candidate in 70 years to win without running on a mayoral ticket. As was the case four years ago, I chose to run independent again this time. It's a much harder path to victory, but the benefit of running a low budget campaign staffed entirely with volunteers is that I'm only beholden to my conscience and the residents of my ward, not campaign donors or political bosses.

I look forward to working with Mayor Fulop over the next four years to continue making Jersey City an even greater place to live. Please come out and vote on Tuesday, Dec. 5 so we can turn that long held dream into a reality.

Rich Boggiano, Jersey City Councilman for Ward C

Link to letter: http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... is_for_the_environme.html

Boggiano can unite people

The recent municipal election in Jersey City has given the current administration a clear mandate to govern for the next four years. Without doubt, the 2017 election represented a significant vote of confidence (by the people) for the incumbent's administration. A decisive win at the polls, however, should not equate to the mayor being given carte blanche. A partisan council negates a fundamental principle of government; specifically, checks and balances.

Run-off elections for seats on the city's council will take place on Dec. 5. We firmly believe that Richard Boggiano, Councilman, Ward C, should be (re-) elected to another four-year term.

Richard Boggiano is a trusted, independent voice on the city's council who is fully capable of uniting all the people. Rich is the "Voice of the People!" He is a 40-year resident of Jersey City. "Ritchie" has worked arduously for the benefit -- and betterment -- of Jersey City. He has served out city as a police officer for 37 years. He has demonstrated his deep-rooted, civic minded spirit as President of the Hilltop Neighborhood Association. And, readers, he continues to serve our city as an endearing, independent voice on our city's council.

Richie only has one interest, and that is to serve the people of our fine city. Rich Boggiano has proven himself to be a superb representative on the city's council. Truthfully speaking, we need Ritchie's sagacious, independent voice to continue -- to endure -- within the council's chamber.

Richard Boggiano is the right person to get the job done. Why not give him another four years?

Albert Cupo and John Di Genio, Jersey City

Link to letter: http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... un-off_election_elec.html

This is one Rich Boggiano's sons posting from his account.

First, thanks for the actually constructive criticism.

Second, I'm clearly biased, but the odds are super high he'll win his runoff race. Fulop won ~77% of the popular vote and his entire ticket gets to ride that wave, but his candidate in Ward C only got ~27% of the vote to my father's ~44%. Without Fulop and two other council candidates on the ballot in December it won't be very hard to get over 50%.

Third, and to address your actual point on negativity: Most of what he does as a councilman is stuff that doesn't happen at council meetings. As one of the more noteworthy examples, he and Fulop have worked together in their opposition to the Robinhood Project on Sip Ave.

He has high standards and wants nothing but the best for the city. For example, he supported bicycles long before there were bike lanes in JC, but I've seen enough people cycling unsafely (wrong way down 1 way street, not stopping at stop signs, cutting off cars, etc) to appreciate his concerns about their impact on overall traffic safety, especially in a city with little traffic enforcement to begin with.

So most of his grievances are about poor execution, most often from a combination of incompetence and corruption. This is why he and Fulop get along fine in real life - they both know the other wants the best for JC - even if they also often disagree on the details of execution.

I'm sure you'd rather have a rubber stamp who follows orders and does as they're told, but my father will be the person who speaks his conscience on every issue that comes up. He's done it for a long time before he joined the city council, and most voters respect him for his integrity even if they don't agree with his stance on every issue.

I'm sorry you don't value that. I'm sure you'd rather see a world where Fulop controls all 9 council seats. Then there'd be no more corruption, the city would run perfectly, and there'd be free housing for everyone.

His list of accomplishments was impressive enough to have Steve Fulop think he was the best candidate for Ward C by about 10 miles, so there's that.

Fun fact: Mayor Fulop asked my father multiple times to run on his ticket. He offered money. He contacted my brothers and I to try to persuade my father to join him. He had his people do the same.

My life would have been easier if my father had said yes, but he would rather take the harder path and stay independent who only answers to his conscience. If only we had more politicians who cared more about their integrity than their chances of getting re-elected.

Here's a few:

- Securing a commitment for space for a supermarket in the new tower going up in JSQ. There's smaller streetscape demands he's made that no other council member would have made but will help the overall area.
- Affordable housing funding for seniors and veterans.
- Finding replacement housing for ~40 terrified undocumented immigrants after their building burned down.
- Stopping the RobinHood development on Sip Ave. If you give that project an exception to the rule, you may as well throw the whole JSQ 2060 redevelopment plan out the window because every other developer will sue on the grounds that they deserve fair treatment. If you want luxury skyscrapers next to single family homes, then don't vote for him.
- Reestablishing the street cleaning budget from $300K to $1.2m this year.
- Updating the city's noise ordinance.
- I have no idea how many constituents he's helped with quality of life issues, but it's a huge number, and why so many people are loyal to him. He gets calls from people in other wards all the time that he helps with noise issues, police issues, public works issues, etc.
- He stopped a very corrupt ambulance contract from happening. I'm sure it was just a coincidence that the huge donation to Fulop's PAC happened just before he wanted to switch over the 100 year contract.
- He's continued running the Winning the Peace Program where West Point cadets are immersed into the local Arabic, Indian, Pakistani, and African American communities.
- Got Ward C a disproportionate amount of Park's funding after years of neglect. Pershing Field's restoration is the most obvious result of this.
- Steered tax abatements to where they are actually beneficial (encouraging development in neglected parts of the city) and fighting them in areas where they're no longer necessary (downtown).

Jim I share your (sudden) strong concern for NJ election law, and I'm happy to see you apply the same standards to all candidates, even the one you're shilling for.

Journal Square is most definitely a better place than it was 4 years ago. There's many people who deserve credit for the ongoing transformation, and my father is absolutely one of them. He may not be part of the polished elite that you prefer, but it's nice to know there's at least one person in Jersey City that can't be bought by anyone, especially developers.

This is his daughter posting from his account this evening.

With 7 rubber stamps out of 9 council members, you can imagine why it's hard to push through legislation. Fulop was in the same position when he was first elected. Knowing that, my father's been a voice for transparency on the council in a "loyal opposition" kind of way while working on everyday issues like traffic, development, and very basic good government kind of stuff that Jersey City has traditionally struggled with.

Put another way, the city won't be a better place if Fulop were re-elected controlling 9 of 9 rubber stamps who do as they're told.

In support of my dad, Rich Bogginao, for Ward C

I am writing to ask for your support for my father, Richard Boggiano, for Ward C Councilman in the upcoming election on November 7.

Many people have asked why my father is running for re-election in Ward C. The short answer is - he loves Jersey City. It really is as simple as that. My father loves the city that he has lived in for over 40 years. He loves the city that he raised a family in. And he loves the city that he established his career as a Police Officer in.

Even after 4 years as a councilman, my father does not consider himself to be a politician and the reality is, he's not - at least not in your typical sense. Those who have met him often comment on how real he is. He tells you exactly what he thinks at all times, without all the smooth talking and pretense we have come to expect with politicians.

This realness - paired with his love for Jersey City - is why my father is a great councilman. Over the past 4 years, he has spoken out about anything he felt wasn't in the best interest of the residents of Jersey city. He has fought to provide checks and balances on a city council that residents have come to expect serve mainly the mayor's interests and not those of the people of Jersey city. He has fought for the everyday, quality of life issues that often get ignored as development continues to expand in our city. My father has truly become a voice for the residents of Jersey City.

As I look to start my own family in Jersey City, I am grateful that we have someone like my father on our city council looking out for our best interests and fighting to ensure that our voices are heard.

On November 7th, I proudly ask you to vote 5C for Jersey City's Independent Voice, Richard Boggiano, for Ward C Councilman.

Katrina Boggiano, Jersey City

Link to letter (4th one down): http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... board_candidates_pro.html

City Hall Annex costing taxpayers letter by Mia Scanga

Excerpt

I downloaded that meeting from YouTube. As expected, it passed 7 to 2 with only Councilman Yun and Boggiano using their heads. This Council has way too many rubber stamps!

Full letter here: http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... ates_issues_election.html

Ward C council hopefuls, in their own words By Terrence T. McDonald

The Jersey Journal sat down with [Ward C Candidates] to discuss issues facing the ward and Jersey City. Here are their remarks. The interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.

With all the new development coming to Journal Square, what measures do you see yourself introducing or supporting to keep Ward C affordable for longtime residents and seniors?

Boggiano: Yesterday, in fact, I just spoke to one of the major developers and I asked him if possible, if they don't accept any funds, to please (do so), even if they do, I want to see some affordable housing for the people of Jersey City.

The Jersey Journal: So the idea is to pressure or convince developers to build?

Boggiano: Convince them. We have to take care of the people in this city. People need a place to live. Two of my neighbors just moved out. Too unaffordable, they couldn't afford the education, the taxes. They're leaving.

---

Do you think the city should stop awarding long-term abatements in Journal Square? If not, what would the developer have to give to the city to be awarded one?

Boggiano: I think the maximum if they give us everything back in the neighborhood, give us some higher quality stores, etc. -- I say 20 years is the maximum. I wish they'd go for 15 or 10 but I doubt that's going to happen.

Full article: http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index ... ncil_hopefuls_in_the.html

Four vie for Journal Square council seat amid real estate boom by Terrence McDonald

Rich Boggiano, who lives on Magnolia Avenue, is known as the occasionally grumpy, self-described straight shooter who is often attacking Fulop?s major initiatives (Boggiano defeated Fulop?s Ward C candidate in 2013).

Boggiano runs hot and cold on real-estate development in Ward C, cheering when developers build on long-dormant lots like the old pasta factory on Baldwin Avenue but booing when high-density housing is proposed for neighborhoods of one- and two-family homes.

He told The Jersey Journal he hopes the new Journal Square high-rises bring higher quality businesses to the area.

There are no affordable units planned for the new Journal Square towers (the area's redevelopment plan does not require affordable housing). Asked what legislation he would sponsor to make rents in the area manageable for less affluent residents, Boggiano did not suggest any resolutions or ordinances but instead said he would try to convince developers to construct units and set them aside as affordable housing.

?I just spoke to one of the major developers and I asked him, if possible, if they don?t accept any funds to please, and even if they do, I want to see some affordable housing for the people of Jersey City,? he said.

Boggiano has been labeled an obstructionist by the mayor's allies. He said he sees himself as a "fighter" for residents.

"If I don?t like something I go after them," he said.

Asked if he thought his opponents would also fight for residents, he said, "Nope."

Full article here: http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... i.html#incart_river_index

Excerpt from Terrence McDonald's article Fulop allies stress independence amid 'rubber stamp' claims (link to full text at bottom):

Boggiano, 74, who is also seeking a second term in the nonpartisan municipal contest, has touted his independence from the mayor on the campaign trail (Fulop ally Council President Rolando Lavarro has called Boggiano and Yun obstructionists). Most of the council members, Boggiano said, "do what they're told."

"The problem here with the city is you have a 'yes' council," Boggiano said. "If we have more independence on the council we may be able to get things done. That's the key, get more independent people that don't just say yes."

-----

When The Jersey Journal first asked to talk to Hanussak about his candidacy, he said Fulop's campaign told him he could not be interviewed. This reporter mentioned that to Fulop, who said his campaign had no objections to the interview. Hanussak subsequently agreed to meet with The Jersey Journal.

Asked during that interview how voters could trust he would vote in their best interests if he needed Fulop's express permission to be interviewed by a reporter, Hanussak struggled to answer.

After a 10-second pause, he said, "How the heck do I answer that?" After another 10 seconds, he said, "It's a lot ... " before trailing off.

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

Boggiano a stand-out non-politician

The world of Jersey City politics is renowned world over. This is not for its admirable traits. The popular impression is that of a Political Machine Boss-led system where the dead still vote.

The standout non-politician is Councilman Rich Boggiano. Richie will question and fight anything he and his constituents feel will adversely affect his ward. His service to the people of Jersey City is well known. He served as a policeman, detective and academy instructor for the Jersey City Police Department. The Hilltop Block Association knows Richie as president who brings their concerns to the City and follows through to make sure they are addressed.

Richie began the "Winning the Peace" program. This nationally-recognized program brings West Point cadets and cadre to Jersey City to meet with members of our various ethnic communities to foster an atmosphere of understanding within all groups involved.

As Ward C Councilman, Richie has fought for his ward. He fought uncontrolled development, unbridled road construction and unresponsive city agencies. He answers his phone, listens to callers and gets back to them with an answer! What refreshing behaviour from a "politician." Richie is a non-politician and my councilman.

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

10 things Trump should see when he visits Jersey City

#2 Lady Liberty

Trump has no doubt been to the Statue of Liberty before, but if he takes a trip again, this time with Jersey City Councilman Rich Boggiano, he may be convinced that Liberty Island is in New Jersey, not New York. Boggiano has long championed the notion that the statue is in Jersey City -- the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987 refused to weigh in -- so maybe Boggiano can convince Trump to get the federal government to endorse the idea.

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

Jersey City Ward C debate to be aired live Sept. 26

By Ron Zeitlinger
The Jersey Journal
Four people vying for the Jersey City Ward C city council seat will participate in a debate on Sept. 26 that will be televised live on Jersey City Comcast Ch. 190 and on the internet by Hudson Media Group.

The debate is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and will feature incumbent Councilman Richard Boggiano and challengers Janet...

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... e_aired_live_sept_26.html

The letter (below) was published in the Jersey Journal this past weekend at this link:http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... d_about_the_candid_1.html

Journal Square is Reborn

As a young police officer in a riot at Hamilton Park in the 1970s, my patrol car was smashed by cinder blocks thrown at me from the roof of a brownstone. The city was looking for anyone willing to take possessions of that brownstone and others like it for $1. No one wanted them.

Under mayors Tony Cucci and Jerry McCann, the rebirth of downtown began in the 1980s. It's transformed into one of the most desirable places to live on the planet. Those same brownstones are now worth millions of dollars apiece.

Journal Square was once the thriving heart of Jersey City. I've been fighting for its rebirth since I moved to my current house on Magnolia Ave in 1980. I raised my kids here at a time when others were leaving. I've been a populist voice for vulnerable residents, clean government, and honest redevelopment the entire time. My neighbors may not always agree with my position on a given issue, but no one ever questions my integrity or love for Jersey City.

I've had the privilege of serving as Ward C's councilman during a rebirth where I have seen more change in the last 4 years than the past 40. I encourage new construction in line with the Journal Square Redevelopment Plan while holding developers accountable so they don't make a profit at the expense of current or future residents. I've been fighting to bring a supermarket to Journal Square, clean up our streets, and make our community generally more livable for singles, families, and seniors.


Journal Square and the heights will continue to be transformed in the next four years. I am excited to see what the future holds, and plan to continue fighting for everyday people as it unfolds. Thank you for your support!

Rich Boggiano, Councilman, Ward C, Jersey City

If you've ever read the Jersey Journal, it's clear my father isn't afraid to speak his mind. One of the perks of not having gubernatorial ambitions is that he's liberated to say what he believes.

Maybe that'll cost him the hipster vote, but 30+ years of history suggests it's pretty popular with people who care about issues such as litter, potholes, functioning public services, and government accountability.

On me answering on this forum for my father, he's very accessible. Give him a call anytime at 988-1164. Elected officials can't be everywhere all the time. Mayor Fulop has a spokesperson with a $110,000 a year salary, for instance. In my father's instance, my mother, sister, brother, and cousins all volunteer our time and help out where we can.

On "natives" versus "outsiders" debate, he only cares about what he believes to be best for Jersey City. Sometimes newcomers have great ideas, and sometimes those ideas are well intended but naive or impractical. National and international politics rarely apply at the local level, but if there's anything the Brexit, Donald Trump, and Bernie Sanders all have in common, it's that there's a large number of people who are tired of elites rigging the system and dismissing the concerns of common people. If it helps, my father voted for Bernie Sanders.

The issue with red light cameras was that the system didn't work, unless the goal was to suck in money rather than public safety. The system flashed people who had done nothing wrong, increased the number of rear-end accidents, and amounted to a money-making racket. A good idea poorly implemented is a bad idea.

On parking lots near city hall, Jersey City is notorious for selling off city property at below-market rates. It's possible to be pro-redevelopment while still opposing the simple waste that functions as a shadow tax increase on everyone else in the city.

Bike lanes - He's always been supportive of bikes. He does have concerns around the safety and practicality issues arising from shoddy implementation. Example: I've seen plenty of Citi Bikes riding the wrong way down one way streets, creating a safety hazard that is completely unenforced. Likewise for bikes on sidewalks.

Restaurants and Retail - He's been working to get a Trader Joes or Whole Foods included in one of the large developments being planned for Journal Square, which has been devoid of quality retail for decades. If Journal Square ends up like Newport, with monolithic buildings and low quality street scape, then the overall rehab of the area will have failed to live up to its potential.

Public Transit - One of the first things he started working on after getting elected was a bus route to run through the back side of JSQ through Ward B. That's not sexy, but it would make a huge difference to a chunk of the city (outside his ward) that has zero nearby access and is almost always neglected compared to other parts of the city.

His vision is to improve quality of life and get the basics right - paved streets, filled potholes, synced traffic lights, traffic enforcement, cleaned up litter, having mailboxes actually available throughout the city, etc.

This is one of Rich Boggiano's sons responding on behalf of my father from his account. I'll be up front and lay out what you get, and don't get, with him as a politician.

What you get:
1. Integrity. He'll tell you what he actually believes, and he has never used any of his influence to benefit himself. He'll never get arrested in an FBI sting operation because he's happy to drive a beat up old car, live in the same house he's lived in for decades, and isn't selling his soul to get elected to the next higher office.
2. Accessibility. People call him all the time with actual problems, and he gets them fixed. He's been doing this my entire life, long before he was elected, and I don't expect he'll ever stop. His cell phone number is 988-1164. Give him a call next time you have a problem and he'll help you. He helps people from every ward after their council members don't respond to them. Decades of helping individual people is reason he was elected after being outspent by Mayor Fulop 10 to 1.
3. Focus on quality of life. He cares about trash, potholes, traffic enforcement, etc.
4. No higher ambition. I have no idea what office, if any, he'll run for in 2017. He only cares about Jersey City and has zero aspirations for any higher office. Steve Fulop is really sharp, but he's been running for governor for the past 3 years, which has some obvious downsides.
5. Hard work. Technically, being on the city council is a part time job. He is the only councilperson in the city who shows up to City Hall everyday. When he's not there, he's working anyway.
6. Service. He's lived a life of service. He enlisted in the Marines at 17 to serve his country. He loved serving as a police officer for ~37 years and only retired because he hit the mandatory retirement age. He's been a community activist my entire life via the Hilltop Neighborhood Association. He's now serving on the city council. He's not going to stop helping people regardless of his political future.

What you don't get:
1. A technologist. He's not tech savvy. Anyone with a 70 year old parent can relate.
2. Political correctness. Sorry, but he's going to tell you what he's thinking. That may offend you, but he's authentic. Ironically, I fully expect an elitist response to this post from one or more people who consider politically correctness credentials impeccable.
3. A lap dog. This may blow your mind, but after knowing my father for years, Steve Fulop wanted him to run on his ticket he ran for mayor. He chose to run as an independent candidate instead despite a far more challenging path to victory because he didn't want to be beholden to a political boss. He's served as the city council's conscience for the past three years because of that decision.

On the signs, I have no idea who put them up. It wasn't him. He's got a fan somewhere that's been putting signs like that up for years.

I can't say thank you enough to all of the people who helped make tonight happen. If nothing else, I promise to spend the next four years trying to bring honesty and common sense back to city government. I look forward to working with Steve and the rest of our newly elected council to make that happen.

jsqfunk - Give me a call and we can discuss the situation. I'm assuming you already have my phone number, but if not let me know.

Who's ready to win an election?

Come out and vote today! You'll see "Rich Boggiano" is in Column 3B.