- The Barclays wrapped up yesterday: The large Jersey City Police Department contingent at the tournament was not paid for by the city, but by the tournament itself. Meanwhile, a man who leased a Garfield Avenue property and opened a parking lot with shuttle bus service to and from the tournament says the PGA and local and state authorities have targeted him as a nuisance. The Insider reminds us that the city approved a nice tax abatement for Liberty National?s clubhouse in June (we?ve got specifics here), after the club?s chairman, his son, and their wives donated $50,000 to Mayor Healy and his running mates. And Barclays says the tournament will likely return to Jersey City sometime in the next five years.

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/ ... -morning-news-roundup-37/

For $50,000, school children were robbed of much needed tax revenue out of selfishness and greed.

Follow the $$, on green and in election
by Political Insider/The Jersey Journal
Saturday August 29, 2009, 12:10 AM


Journal File Photo

Corporate skyboxes dot the Liberty National Golf Club course for The Barclays tournament but the place to be is in the clubhouse. Check out the video tour of the club that includes the 19th hole.
Jersey City is justifiably proud of the mentions it has received when golf fanatics around the world watch on TV The Barclays PGA tournament from the picturesque Liberty National Golf Club.

Most human beings have not seen the interior of what is described as the club's $30 million (must be more) clubhouse. Mayor Jerramiah Healy must have seen it. After all, Liberty National did receive a five-year tax abatement for the 19th hole hangout, designed to look like the Sydney Opera House, in June from the City Council.

Touring Liberty National golf course

It is also interesting to see that the founders of Liberty National are not just interested in good golf but also in "below" par government. Or is that "under" par?

Political InsiderBoston resident Paul Fireman, former Reebok CEO and chairman, and his son Daniel, a Manhattan resident, thought so highly of the Healy administration that they and their wives donated a total of $50,000 to the mayor and his running mates.

Paul and Phyllis Firemen handed over their $25,000 contribution on April 30 of this year. Daniel and his wife Penelope forked over their 25 grand on May 8 -- about a month before the tax
abatement vote.

Five years doesn't seem like much, but if you work it out, the abatement savings will definitely be at least more than $1 million -- more than what was spent on Belgian stones used for the golf cart paths.

How is that Lincoln High School golf team progressing? At least this year, the team got to step on Liberty National grass.

SOME INSIDER NOTES

-- Who is the Hudson County Democratic Organization backing in the November mayoral election in Hoboken? It looks like the county Dem leaders will not take sides and just sit back and watch what transpires. The HCDO doesn't have to play the lottery (hint for insiders) for a winner because they have a Mata Hari in place to keep an eye on the backrooms.

The concern is with the 2011 races, when Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise comes up for re-election. For DeGise, it is time to woo the "S" squad -- Mayors Nick Sacco of North Bergen, Mark Smith of Bayonne and Brian Stack of Union City. Mayors decide who sits as county executive.

The "S" squad should look for future invitations for breakfast and lunch with Tom.

-- At last Sunday's Puerto Rican parade in Jersey City, U.S. Rep. Albio Sires was walking with Gov. Jon Corzine and other Hudson area politicians when he made a reference to an election campaign TV ad. It was the one that has a black background and a shot of Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie with one of former President Bush. The ad goes on to say: "Shared values. Same results."

Sires said: "I think that's a stupid ad. Why would Christie have himself shown with Bush?"
Corzine had to explain it to Sires. It's not Christie's ad.

-- Also at the parade, state Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham walked closely with Corzine, who really worked the crowd, moving from curb to curb and shaking hands to the point his Guayabera shirt was soaked through.

Reaching the end, everyone said good-bye, but Cunningham didn't leave. Christie, who was toward the back of the parade arrived and the state senator greeted him and took some photos with the GOP candidate. Party affiliation cannot divide the two old friends.

-- Stack held a $500-a-ticket fundraising event on Thursday evening at the Bicycle Club in Englewood Cliffs. The big surprise was when West New York Mayor Sal Vega walked into the place. Even Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner didn't show.

-- Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith's family is worried. The mayor is still singing and dancing with joy.

COMMENTS (2)Post a comment
Posted by 4getme2 on 08/29/09 at 10:07PM
HOW MUCH DOES JERSEY CITY RECEIVE FROM THIS EVENT?

HOW MUCH DOES JERSEY CITY EXPEND FOR THIS EVENT?

CAN SOMEONE FROM BARKLEY'S, THE PGA, JERSEY CITY OR FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY ANSWER THIS QUESTION????????


Inappropriate? Alert us. Post a commentPosted by 4getme2 on 08/30/09 at 12:31PM
I'm not a fan of the Jersey Journal, but this is a great story. Congratulations Agustin!!!!!!!

http://www.nj.com/hudson/voices/index ... reen_and_in_ele.html#more

Pulled from: http://www.politickernj.com/matt-frie ... mayoral-candidates-debate April 2, 2009 - 9:46pm News In Jersey City, all five mayoral candidates debate By Matt Friedman, PolitickerNJ.com Reporter Among the most contentious topics of were tax abatements, in which developers make payments to the city for a set period of time in lieu of paying regular taxes. The four non-incumbents complained of abuse of that system, which they said left regular taxpayers bearing a greater burden. Healy said that the abatements were ?demonized,? and that, unlike regularly-taxed properties, the abated projects? money all goes to the city. If there weren?t abatements, Healy argued, the city would not have experienced the building boom of the last 20-plus years. ?Tax abatements are the most misunderstood program out there,? he said. Levin, however, countered that the city was issuing abatements on property that developers do not have to be encouraged to build on. He said he feared that the city could face an enormous tax increase like neighboring West New York and Hoboken. ?They?re negotiated behind closed doors, the public doesn?t participate, there are no established criteria, and there?s always a deal involved with a giveback or favor,? he said. ?We?ve actually given tax abatements for 30 and 40 years. My children will be older than I am.? Dan, sir, your fears were right on.

I'll pay Jerry H. $5 to kick me in the throat. I can write a check.
In all seriousness, I don't have deep pockets.

If you look to the defendants right pocket, just below his contriving coniving snicker, there seems to possibly be the envelope stuffed with some of the procedes provided by CW through JC Official 1. Don't know whether to laugh or cry. Maybe he stopped by on the way home from his meeting the CW? Nice.

?I think there is a culture in the state which, if it does not promote corruption, certainly tolerates it,? said Bob Ingle, a veteran reporter and co-author of The Sopranos State , a book that chronicles New Jersey's seamy political past. ?In Indiana, if you hold two public jobs it's a felony. In New Jersey if you hold two public jobs, you're a slacker.?

Media has also been an issue. New Jersey lacks its own network television affiliate, and relies instead on broadcasters from nearby Philadelphia and New York, neither of which spend much time covering the state's political scene. Local newspapers, meanwhile, have made considerable cutbacks and lack the resources to hold politicians accountable.

?One of the more valuable checks on government officials really has very little ability now to provide any kind of investigative work,? said Brigid Harrison, a professor of political science at New Jersey's Montclair State University.

In my opinion:
Jersey Journal had to know this was happening and probably provided the propaganda articles necessary to perpetuate these horrific alleged crimes.

Defendant HARVEY SMITH confirmed that what the CW needed the property "clean" for housing and schools. The CW agreed with defendant HARVEY SMITH and said that the development the CW proposed sought "the most restricted use," unlike commercial development. The CW said that the CW would not "build on a CEA property, I want NFA [referring to a No Further Action Letter]."

Harvey takes a stand (More adequete - Takes a Fall)



Jersey City mayoral candidate Harvey Smith stands across the street from the PPG Industries chromium-tainted 16-acre site along Garfield Avenue. Smith and about 50 community members and activists showed up outside the site Saturday afternoon to protest for 'environment justice' claiming PPG industries proposed cleanup plans are not enough, March 28, 2009. -- CONNER JAY / THE JERSEY JOURNAL

Thanks for your support and good looking out troop.



On or about May 6, 2009, JC Official 1, the Consultant and the CW met at a steakhouse in Weehawken, New Jersey. During this meeting, JC Official 1 asked the CW about the progress of anticipated real estate development projects. As to Garfield Avenue, the CW told JC Official 1 that ?I had my guys speak to the sellers on the Garfield Avenue, the DEP thing, and the DEP actually looked at the application, and they?re coming out, they said May 20, I have it down, I?ll tell you what . . . they said May 22nd. They?re doing a site inspection ? everything?s okay, then they sign off. You know, I asked [defendant HARVEY SMITH], but I don?t need him for that, so.? JC Official 1 said, ?Okay, good.? With respect to the $5,000 cash payment provided to defendant GREENE to be passed to defendant HARVEY SMITH in exchange for defendant HARVEY SMITH?S official action, JC Official 1 told the Consultant and the CW, ?I converted it. I

6 gave [defendant HARVEY SMITH] money orders.? JC Official 1 and the Consultant laughed. The CW asked, ?Money orders for five grand? . . . you just have to put different names I guess on it.? JC Official 1 replied, ?With money orders, you don?t have to put any names on it.?

18. On or about May 14, 2009, JC Official 1, the Consultant and the CW met at a diner in Jersey City, New Jersey. After the meeting, JC Official 1 and the CW continued to talk in the parking lot outside of the diner. JC Official 1 further explained to the CW how JC Official 1 converted the $5,000 corrupt payment to defendant HARVEY SMITH to money orders: ?I gave them to my niece and told her to pick up some money orders.? 19. On or about July 16, 2009, defendant HARVEY SMITH, JC Official 1, the Consultant, and the CW met at a diner in Jersey City. Before the Consultant arrived, JC Official 1 told defendant HARVEY SMITH: "We're doing a lot of projects, Harvey, throughout the State of New Jersey, alright. We're getting ready to do two nice ones in Bayonne okay, Hoboken, Carlstadt, [the CW interjected, ?Jersey City?], Jersey City, so we're all over the place, so we feel in some ways, we need to-- but we're into it now-- you being able to help us out while you're in office and everything else, whether it's the next six months that you, or four months or whatever it is, so that's why [the CW] wanted to reach out for you and let you know some of the things that we're doing and how you might be able to help us out, okay?" Defendant HARVEY SMITH nodded yes. JC Official 1 continued, "[W]e got the one property on Garfield Avenue," and defendant HARVEY SMITH asked, What's the name of the site?" The CW responded, "The owner is Garfield Avenue Associates." Defendant HARVEY SMITH said, "So you have, um, that project [referring to Garfield Avenue]?" JC Official 1 explained that the proposed project "was on contaminated soil" but that it had been "cleaned up." The CW further explained to defendant HARVEY SMITH: "There is a CEA in place ? classification exception area ? from DEP. They cleaned up whatever that classification area was, now I'm waiting for-- unrestricted NFA, and then I'll close hopefully in the next ten days, two weeks, so that's the plan on that." Defendant HARVEY SMITH asked JC Official 1, ?So, where's the-- so how can I help [the CW] with his--" JC Official 1 told defendant HARVEY SMITH that he could "help" by ?[w]ell basically when we do get the approval to go ahead, you know, that is part of your district, and we'd just like your support on it also, okay. I mean that's a big, big plus, because we know we're going to run into some opposition on the other side from your other girlfriend?" to which Defendant HARVEY SMITH replied by asking JC Official 1 if he was referring to a certain Jersey City Councilwoman, and JC 7 Official 1 said, "Yes." JC Official 1 continued that, ?on that site [the CW] wants to put four towers of 23 stories each, so it's a big, big project. . ." The CW interjected, "780 units combined," and JC Official 1 continued on telling defendant HARVEY SMITH, "Just to let you know also we have, we have met with the mayor on it, we have met with [a State of New Jersey official] on it.? Defendant HARVEY SMITH asked, ?You haven't met with [the Jersey City Councilwoman]?? and was told that they had not. JC Official 1 went on to explain regarding the Garfield project, "We're looking to put in a mixed use. . . with a pre-school, a daycare center, [the CW interjected, "affordable housing. . . Section 8 housing], affordable housing. . . [the CW] is willing to work with the community." Defendant HARVEY SMITH was told by the CW that the CW also had "met with [Jersey City council president], and [the council president] promised [the CW] his support for the zone change and whatever else [the CW] need[ed] for the site." Defendant HARVEY SMITH asked, "And you think the only opposition is going to be from [a Jersey City Councilwoman]?" and JC Official 1 told defendant HARVEY SMITH said that he expected her to "go along with it." Defendant HARVEY SMITH was told by the CW, "Right now, the DEP is the first thing, I guess." JC Official 1 said, "Once we get past the DEP. . ." Defendant HARVEY SMITH confirmed that what the CW needed the property "clean" for housing and schools. The CW agreed with defendant HARVEY SMITH and said that the development the CW proposed sought "the most restricted use," unlike commercial development. The CW said that the CW would not "build on a CEA property, I want NFA [referring to a No Further Action Letter]."

These are merely my suspicions and opinions:
Can't wait till they release information regarding Jersey Journals complicity. They have shut down the comment section for any story related to healy cronies. That paper is pathetic. Target the Greenville's less wealthy residents like mad then protect other white collar criminals. They should change the name to the Jersey Tabloid. Just remove Journal from the title.

Corzine needs to step down. I have very strong feelings he is the ring leader. One just needs look to the NJDEP.

See how nervous he and Anne Milgram looked during the press conference they put on?

Third, Healy step aside for a new more progressive and honest Jersey City.

Fourth, all City Council members not be employed by the county or city as this creates conflicts of interest. Imagine defying your bosses orders when wearing another hat as city council member or even president?

Fifth, city workers, I believe, should not being intimidated into voting for sympathetic members to healy for the board of ed and any other electable position.

Sixth, city jobs, I beleive, should not be given out as awards for "good behavior".

Seventh, enact the recommendations put out by (I think) Newark Star Ledger Editorial Staff on abatements which includes not accepting political contributions from any developers receiving abatements. Abatements are no longer needed. Our city schools and children have suffered enough by the greed of these and probably many more alleged criminals.

Eighth, Shutdown the Jersey Journal, worse than Fox news during Bush, in my opinion. Support real journalism such as the Jersey City Independent.

Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise said in a statement. "It is a system that will make us all safer."

Nice! $750,000 emergency funds?

Really, when's the last time I ran into a terrorist from another county?!?

We certainly live terrorized on a daily basis by the likes of Reliable Recycling and PPG. Those are the real terrorists. Perhaps we should adopt a Ward-F Environmental Terror Advisory System.

Borrowing from Tom Ridge's Homeland Security:



And set it Red.