mrrogers wrote:
Sometimes you just have to call them out even if you can't win.
The councilmen are gnashing their teeth over having to vote on this because they know their on the wrong side of the issue.

I can't wait to see the lame excuses they come up with for voting no.Bill Gaughan who is the biggest offender will probably
fein outrage and indignation at even being questioned on his
ethical behavior.Meanwhile he has two jobs and two cars one of which he lets his family use,plus he has family on the payroll.

brewster wrote:
Quote:

JSQ wrote:
I don't know too much about local politics.

Clearly this it the case. Perhaps you should consider this before commenting on the merits of a popular local political figure. And if you can't figure out why the Downtown JC councilman is often discussed on Downtown JCList, I can't help you.

GrovePath wrote:
Fulop: Let's tighten our ethics rules
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

On the same day Gov. Jon Corzine signed a law banning dual office-holding for state legislators, Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop yesterday announced he's seeking to up the ante locally by making it against ethics rules to hold both a county and city post.

That proposal - one of a plethora of standards Fulop wants the city's Ethical Standard Board to adopt - would apply to five of his colleagues on the nine-member City Council.

Another provision barring employees working for a "city-linked autonomous agency" from serving on the council would knock a sixth colleague, Ward B Councilwoman Mary Spinello, out of the box. Spinello is a supervisor at the Jersey City Incinerator Authority.

Not shy about highlighting what he considers conflicts of interests among his fellow council members, Fulop said he planned to have his resolution introduced at next week's City Council meeting.

Having had a pay-to-play bill swatted down by a 6-2-1 vote in January, Fulop, a Citigroup trader, knows he's in for a fight. But it's worth it, he said.

"I'm committed and I'm fairly certain we'll have this accomplished by the end of my first term (May, 2009)," Fulop said during an editorial board meeting at The Jersey Journal. "This would be the strictest standards in the state."

Council members Viola Richardson, Bill Gaughan, Peter Brennan, Willie Flood and Mariano Vega all hold county jobs.

For his colleagues, the ban would kick in when they next run for re-election, Fulop said.

And "one salary, one pension" on the council isn't the only goal. Fulop wants stricter rules preventing the personal use of city cars, the hiring of relatives, and city officials becoming lobbyists when they leave office.

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and at least two of Fulop's colleagues weren't impressed.

"The nine members of the Jersey City municipal council work on a part-time basis and make less than $30,000 a year," said Healy. "This requires they work an additional job."

Gaughan, who doubles as chief of staff for Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise, called Fulop "a guy who wants to run for mayor, grandstanding by way of the City Council," and pointed out the late Jersey City mayor Glenn D. Cunningham failed in court when he tried to bar Gaughan from the council for exactly the same issues Fulop is raising.

Fulop denied he plans to run for mayor.

Gaughan acknowledged he drives a city car and uses it occasionally for personal use. But he said he reports part of the value of the automobile as income on his income taxes.

City Council President Mariano Vega, the county's director of parks, engineering and planning, said Fulop was "barking up a dead tree," adding holding two posts helps him see "how one position complements another."

So, naturally, I should be shielded from his propaganda as much as I am protecting myself from restaurants' advertising.

My favcouncilman? I am less worried about an individual councilman than I am about an individual cop, or than about what is happening in Belgium. I don't know too much about local politics.

The second reason is that I don't have the right to vote.

JSQ wrote:
I don't know too much about local politics.

sinik wrote:


Maybe they don't have any useful experience or qualifications that would allow them to do any other kind of job.

brewster wrote:
Quote:

JSQ wrote:
As usually, I am proud of Fulop too. So somebody passes a law and he says he would do something like that or even tougher, except he has almost no power. That is news!
.. and of course he is planning to become a governor or US senator or similar, you can't spend that much only to become JC mayor...

You say little that's positive, ever. You relentlessly bash Councilman Fulop's repeated efforts to show voters how we can have a responsible government without conflicts of interest.

JSQ, why don't you tell us who's YOUR personal favorite JC councilperson and why. Spare no details please about what they've done or tried to do for JC.

mrrogers wrote:
He left out the part about them not having to show up for the other job.People don't realize that a mayor from North Bergen can have more influence over our council then we do.How?

lets say north bergen wants to hook into our sewer system
(which they have) and lets say they only want to pay 8 million
for but its really worth 25 million.Since the mayor of North Bergen is Running the County Govt.He can put Pressure on our
councilmen to get this scheme approved.He holds their paychecks in his hand.Six of the nine are on the county payroll.

bolew wrote:
"The nine members of the Jersey City municipal council work on a part-time basis and make less than $30,000 a year," said Healy. "This requires they work an additional job."

Um, so I guess it's impossible that the other job be a non-governmental one? Perish the thought!

JSQ wrote:
As usually, I am proud of Fulop too. So somebody passes a law and he says he would do something like that or even tougher, except he has almost no power. That is news!
.. and of course he is planning to become a governor or US senator or similar, you can't spend that much only to become JC mayor...

callie1i wrote:
[quote]

Steve has felt this way at least since his campaign for councilman so to call this "grandstanding" for a potential mayoral run is nothing but hot air coming from people scared of losing their cushy positions (and their votes against this proposal won't be "transparent", either!)

City Council President Mariano Vega, the county's director of parks, engineering and planning, said Fulop was "barking up a dead tree," adding holding two posts helps him see "how one position complements another."