If Healy worked as hard at being Mayor as he does to get elected he would probably be a very good Mayor. If only he put this type of effort in to crime and tax issues, Jersey City would become a great city. We could only ask that he do a good job, what a shame, after he was elected last time neglected the citizens of Jersey City and he wants to be re-elected, which he probably will as he seems to be buying the election.

During most every mayoral candidate debate/forum, Mr. Levin has repeatedly pointed to the troubled PPG site and the present-tense (and long-range) concerns of the residents on Garflield and Randolph Avenues, and how the Healy administration is trying to fast-track a settlement that absolves the toxic polluter from future claims, rather than protecting the health and well-being of its citizens. Case in point: the City's Environmental Commission is defunct. For Mr. Levin, re-establsihing that important body (with GRACO adn ICO members aboard) would be a priority, giving citizens a direct voice in whether any proposed remediation plan is satisfactory for the community.

PPG's Market Cap = 7.1 Billion They are being let off the hook by a shady agreement while they continue to make people (children) in Jersey City sick. Current admin has lots of cash. Congratulations. No one in any of the debates even mentions this thing. Truly unbelievable. In NJ, a Contaminant More Toxic Than Thought by Bob Hennelly

I'm surprised it was only 3 mil. with all the greasy handshakes made while Healy is in charge, the businesses and individuals that were on the receiving end of favors and the never ending employment deals with friends and family need to dig deep if they don't want to be caught / exposed if he's not re-elected !

Of course this is pure speculation, but I'll be happy to put money on it.

Dan still gets my vote, so long as he introduces a 'proper' ethical standards charter and committee for Cityhall.

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I'm still not seeing how you are arriving at 5 years. The "Healy 09" committee account was established April 17, 2007- so all the money listed as "cummulative to date" has been raised during this committee's incarnation (since then). Minus the $620,000 transfered from another account.

Sure you can start fundraising whenever you want, as long as you declare, but this committee has only been in existence two years. Do you have different info?

Cuba,
you are correct - it IS a "common sense political strategy,"... and one that the Dems have only mastered recently... my point again being... there's no reason to bash Healy for being able to raise money for his campaign.

It's a two party system, by and large. You suggested that raising money is a "Democratic" strategy and not a universal, time-honored, common sense political strategy, and then you coyly feign non-partisan objectivity afterward.

Talk about nice try.

uhh... Cuba, i didn't say anything about Repubs... i'm just talking about the Dems fiscal abilities this time around...


nice try though!

Yeah, because Republicans hate money and never raise any. And they certainly haven't ever had a historical campaign money advantage in the last half century.

How long will the sore loserism last? (Not complaining, I think it's hysterical.)

it's nothing more than Democratic strategy... Obama campaigned longer, raised and spent more money on the Presidency than anyone else in the history of the country (around $650 million i think), so why should Healy be any different?

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My post is for accuracy purposes only. And any candidate wanting to seek office can start holding fundraisers whenever they want. If Joe Smith wants to be Mayor in 2013 he could start fundraising today. They Election laws require disclosure once you start taking donations.

As far as the reports go start with the very first one and you will see that:
Each new report cycle you see: (required by law) in Table 1 line 9 "add funds transferred from prior campaign and you will also see on the far right hand column "Cumulative to date".

The 3.1 million raised and the monies spent to date is over a 5 year period.

The totals sited in the article include just money raised for the current election. ELEC reporting requires candidates to disclose how much money they raise and spend during each election cycle; that means, from the date when the candidate account was opened up until the election. Reports are filed quarterly, as well as 29 days before an election, 11 days before, and 20 days after.

Healy opened his "Healy 09" account on April 17th, 2007, so he's actively been raising money for this year's election for over two years now. Funny how that works.

During this time he's taken in $2,471,490 in donations and transfered $620,000 from another campaign account (money "left over"- I haven't checked exactly from where [if someone finds out please post]), leading to the total of $3,091,355 for this election.

So, this does not include any of the money raised or spent for his past run- just under $1,000,000 for the mayoral race of 2005.

If we're counting, Healy has spent about $4,091,000 trying to get elected.

I don't mean to sound banal; these numbers make me more than a little sick.

The story reads like he has spent and raised all of this money on this current election. If I'm not mistaken these figures that the reporter uses as "to-date" cover the current as well as the prior two Mayoral elections.

I have not looked at all of his reports, but quick glance this "three million" is the total for Healy for Mayor since the account was created back in 2004. This would include the money raised and spent on the 2004 special election, the 2005 regular election and now the 2009 election.

I don't think it's shocking that a sitting Mayor of Jersey city raises 3 million over a 5 year period.

Looks like Healy is buying himself an election.

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On a per capita basis of city population, since NYC is roughly 32 times JC, Healy has significantly outspent Bloomberg! ($3m X 32=$96m)

We have the best government money can buy, unfortunately not all of wish it were continuously for sale.

I'm sure the "Delivering Change We Can See" had something to do with all the "contributions".

Bloomberg spent $77 Million!
Obama rasied $389,423,102 -- almost half a Billion!

At the School #4 debate, Healy denied he raised $3 million, he said he raised only $1 million.
Yvonne

Political Insider: Healy's $3M campaign to be re-elected mayor of Jersey City

by The Jersey Journal
Saturday April 25, 2009

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy has raised more than $3 million for his re-election campaign and has already spent $2.7 million, according to today's Political Insider, who pores over election records.

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy has raised more than $3 million for his re-election campaign, and has already spent some $2.7 million, according to today's Jersey Journal Political Insider column.

The warchests of the four other candidates for the city's highest office pale in comparison to the incumbent's.

By comparison, Healy's 2006 ELEC filing, after winning the 2005 mayoral race, showed he raised nearly $1 million for an election against former Councilwoman Melissa Holloway, who had no money, the Insider notes.

A good portion of that money is in the present war chest, he says.

As for the other candidates this time around:

Louis Manzo, a former assemblyman, has yet to file this month, but sources told the Insider he may have anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000, probably closer to the former.

Assemblyman Harvey Smith has about $70,000, but that does not include a Thursday night fund-raiser at UNICO.

Downtown activist Dan Levin and police Detective Phillip G. Webb have raised about $17,000 -- combined.

So what's your take? Is becoming mayor of Jersey City worth $3 million?

=============

Healy's $3.1M - it's enough unless there's a runoff

Political Insider
Jersey Journal
Saturday, April 25, 2009

L et's discuss my favorite subject, Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy. After all, the mayor calls me his "admirer." He might like this one, because I once again state the obvious about how he is the runaway favorite to win in May 12.

Readers - except for all those smarter than anyone else in the room or message boards people - should know why.

At the heart of it is what people who can never win an election call machine politics.

In Healy's case, his party, the local and county Democrats, has the institutional voters, city and county workers who live in the city and are required to cast their ballots for Healy in this nonpartisan contest. Also, there must have been enough potholders and free food given to senior citizens to influence that sector.

What opponent has a chance against that onslaught? It is the power of incumbency and his status as chairman of the Hudson County Democratic Organization.

And then there is the money.

If you have not heard, the Tuesday state ELEC report on campaign fundraising and expenditures has Healy on top by a wee bit. Rounded out, call him the $3.1 million mayor. This is how much he has raised - to date. He's spent about $2.7 million. Let me repeat those numbers - had $3.1 million, spent $2.7 million.

This is quite a lot of "asparagus" video ads, mailers, whole commuter bus ads, consultant monies and more.

Every vendor that has worked or expects to contract with the city and believes in this administration, from engineers, lawyers and architects to realtors, political action committees and the state governor's association donated to Healy's campaign.

Healy's 2006 ELEC filing, after winning the 2005 mayoral race, showed he raised nearly $1 million for an election against a candidate, former Councilwoman Melissa Holloway, who had no money. A good portion of that money is in the present war chest. Granted he also ran against rival Louis Manzo in an earlier run for interim mayor following the 2004 untimely death of Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham.

Understand that a campaign begins with the incumbent sending out the word that possible donors are not to give to rival candidates. What's the point of even mentioning the money raised by other candidates, but here we go.

Manzo, a former assemblyman, has yet to file this month. Sources say he may have anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000, probably closer to the former. He has obviously been nursing his money and is just starting to spend for mailers and ads. Not so surprisingly, Manzo seems to have gone back to having the biggest say on running the campaign, instead of letting others do it.

Assemblyman Harvey Smith has about $70,000, but that does not include a Thursday night fund-raiser at UNICO. Downtown activist Dan Levin and police Detective Phillip G. Webb have raised about a total of about $17,000, and they probably don't have a penny left.

With such a disparity in money, the joke is that if there are up to 30,000 city residents expected to vote, the Healy Team had enough money to hire every voter as a campaign worker and hand them each $100. Their only job would be to cast a ballot for the incumbent.

Still, the Healy Team thinks of every possible scenario, and one that worries them is the black community which knows this administration has long ago jumped the shark. They could vote their discontent with how they have been ignored for years and how their streets have become the stage for violence and crime that only seems to be getting worse.

Should he carry Ward F, and possibly Ward A, than those residents know they live in paradise - or soon will. The Heights and Downtown must be jealous.

This is why Team Healy just did a poll that basically does not involve how the mayor will fare head to head with his opponents. One of the questions in the survey asks the people interviewed what they think of state Sen. Sandra Cunningham.

Cunningham endorsed Healy, and they want to know if this blessing resonates in the city's black community. The city's African American population is key to whether the mayor wins on a first ballot or is (gasp) forced into a runoff. They could choose to cast their votes for anyone but Healy, say Manzo or one of the two black candidates, Smith or Webb.

Once in a (gasp) runoff, anything could embarrassingly happen - up to a point.

This is why city Healy sources say the mayor should have $700,000 in reserve should the election go into extra innings.

Yeah, but money can't buy you love.