Just another 'fly in the ointment', that takes money away from many to be used by an individual.

That sort of money would pay for 1 qualified teacher for a year and teach a classroom of kids.

People like McCann should be forced to have their own form of insurance against litigation.

I agree. Did Jenny Garcia pay the legal fees on her behalf? What if the tables were turned and it was Jenny fighting for her legal fees that would most certainly devastate her and her family. What if it were Jenny up against the heavily funded teachers' union?

This is in no way a defense of McCann. Point the finger at McCann and say, "HA HAH." However, I wouldn't automatically dismiss the action he is taking.

The legal system isn't set up to award or punish based on character. Although it is tempting to wish it was that way sometimes.

Althea

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Step back and make this a generic situation rather than one charged with McCann's history.

Making a school board candidate, often a lay citizen, liable for tens of thousands of dollars in legal bill if a well funded group challenges their election, can make a an effective intimidation barrier to people entering such races if they are not backed by another well heeled group. Thus we again resign ourselves to the politics of money, corporations and corruption. This is not at all a judgement of Jenny, but a reason not to set precedent due to disliking one character.

The onslaught that Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer in Hoboken is under from the well funded real estate puppet Campos is another example of how to sink someone with legal bills. but it will call for Dawn to raise tens of thousands more to stay in the game, which starts to resemble high stakes poker.

One more way that our democracy is sold to the highest bidder, whether at the national or the local retail level.

Cheap?

He's a convicted Felon. No he's not cheap, he's a criminal.

A criminal, on the Board of Education. Only in Hudson County.

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The man is chronically cheap. Couldn't bear to pay his taxes and look where that got him. Now this. His cheapness is sure to be his downfall. Rather amusing actually.

I agree on the self f'ing.

Is this position paid? Typical JC pol sticking the taxpayer with the bill.

WTF?

Someone should tell him to go F himself.

Defeating challenge ran up $56G in bills
McCANN WANTS BOE TO PAY HIS LAWYER

Thursday, July 26, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Having prevailed when his Board of Education election victory was challenged in court, former Jersey City Mayor Gerald McCann now wants taxpayers to pick up his legal tab.

The grand total: $56,000.

In April, McCann eked out a 21-vote victory over fourth-place finisher Jenny Garcia. But Garcia - who was backed by Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise and the teachers union - didn't go quietly.

She challenged the election in court on the grounds McCann "coerced" nearly 300 "incompetent or otherwise elderly and ill" residents at four nursing homes to vote for him using absentee ballots.

But McCann put up a ferocious defense that included attacking the teachers union for allegedly failing to file accurate campaign disclosure statements with the state. Garcia dropped the lawsuit on June 22.

But the bills didn't go away.

According to an itemized list of expenses McCann submitted to the Board of Education, his attorney, Mark Curtis of Jersey City, charged him $49,695 for roughly seven weeks of work.

Bills from Arnold Williams, his private investigator, totaled $6,765. A former Jersey City employee, Williams ran and lost in the school board race.

McCann, a self-employed real estate consultant, says he's paid $5,000 of his legal bills.

Pointing to state law that "indemnifies" board members "in the course of the performance of his duties as a member of a board of education," McCann is arguing the board should pay his legal bills since he was a sworn member when Garcia filed her lawsuit.

Superintendent of Schools Charles T. Epps Jr. said yesterday he has to research the issue. The board's attorney, Charlotte Kilter, said the issue would be taken up by the legal affairs subcommittee of the school board, most likely in September.

McCann wants all the board members who've run with the backing of the teachers union to recuse themselves from discussing this issue since the union's activities emerged as a central part of his defense.

"His position is ridiculous," responded Sue Mack, a board member with ties to the union. "It's impugns the integrity of the individual board members."