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Vega, Colon.... seems this guy can only get a political job when someone else goes to jail....

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He's a multi-TOOL.

Friggin political hack token appointment.

Why, again, isn't Healy in jail?

From the JJ:

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So this will make 3 city/county jobs this guy has.

Am I correct that this makes him the first "triple dipper"?

Interesting pick. Second time he's been appointed to an elected position. (Never elected.)

Former Freeholder Velasquez nominated by Jersey City mayor to replace councilman who pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges

Published: Monday, September 27, 2010, 7:18 PM Updated: Monday, September 27, 2010, 8:44 PM
The Jersey Journal The Jersey Journal

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy has nominated Velasquez to replace Marian Vega who resigned his at-large seat just before pleading guilty in federal court two weeks ago to accepting bribes.
Jersey City Council President Peter Brennan announced tonight at a City Council caucus that former Hudson County Freeholder Radames "Ray" Velasquez has been nominated by Mayor Jerramiah Healy as the person to take the at-large seat vacated by the resignation of Mariano Vega who pleaded guilty two weeks ago to federal corruption charges.

Velasquez, an attorney, served less than a term as a freeholder and decided to not run in the 2005 election. when he was leaving office, he announced that he is HIV-positive.


Velasquez was appointed to a freeholder seat vacated by the resignation in 2003 by seven-term Freeholder Nidia Davila-Colon of Jersey City who was convicted in federal court for her role in a 1999 bribery scheme invlving disgraced county executive Robert Janiszewski.

Vega resigned just before pleading guilty federal Court in Newark on sept. 14 to accepting $20,000 in bribes and agreeing to accept another $10,000 in July 2009 from an FBI informant.

The City Council seat became a political football after word got out that Healy was considering naming Vega's city aide, Hilario Nunez, a city school teacher. The problem was that members of the Puerto Rican community were upset because Nunez is a Dominican and the post has been held the past few terms by a Puerto Rican. Velasquez is Puerto Rican.

Brennan said the nomination is expected to be added to the agenda of Wednesday's council session.

+1

Says it all beautifully. The comments are worth a look too.

JJ Editorial Link....

With a recall effort to oust him he doesn't need that community up in arms against him.

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Not to rain on your parade (no pun intended) but he's not our Councilman until the City Council votes for him in and is sworn in.

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Truth? Guess he had to cave in to the Puerto Ricans afterall huh?

The Mayor has selected Omar Perez, his Aide and Former Aide to City Council President Mariano Vega to be Vega's replacement. Here is his bio
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/omar-perez/4/906/275

Introducing your new Council Man!!!
http://yfrog.com/jyomarperezj

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I think it's a safe assumption that no one "they" pick is going to have "our" interests in mind.

My impression in talking to him over the phone was that he sounded like an intern. Pleasant guy to talk to but he did not sound impressive. I feel like he is the type of person who could do a good job if he was allowed to think independently but I think he is already controlled by the machine.

ffs Healy. We're not idiots.

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If he's such a great guy tell us about him. The only thing I've been able to ascertain is that he's Vega's neighbor and Mariano got him the job in the Mayor's Office. I've been in Downtown for 30 years now and no one not even my Latino friends know who this guy is. So please share.

Omar is a great guy. I hope this rumor is true.

I met Omar Perez before the pipeline meeting. He seemed like a nice kid who was afraid to buck the machine. Sounded like he had already been brainwashed.

Seems like the only prerequisite is to be Hispanic.

Was having a bite to eat at the Hard Grove when we overheard two Hispanic men talking about Healy choosing some guy named Omar Perez. Seems like he's a Healy Aide. I personally never heard of him. Has anyone here? I'm sure like Nonez he'll just be a rubber stamp.

How can you believe anything Mayor Healy says. He is a LIAR!!!!

He said in an article May 1, 2009:
A property tax increase simply isn?t in the cards. He says his administration has ?restrained spending while seeking new sources of reoccurring revenue,? specifically a parking lot tax and a hotel tax, which together bring in close to $10 million per year. HEALY LIED

He tells us crime is down, yes a shooting practically everyday - Another LIE

Healy promised police on the beat..Where are they? LIE

Healy LIED about Vega.

Open and Honest Government. We are yet to see - LIE

He shoved David Donnelly down our throats through appointing him, without given the residents an option and he will do the same with Vega's replacement.

Healy mentions he will replace with the best qualified, how can that happen when Healy himself is not qualified or competent as our Mayor!

Healy & Co. already have a replacement picked. Any rhetoric from Healy is him just blowing smoke.

If Healy is serious about getting the 'best qualified', then he should use a recruitment agency and he is void of any input or control of the process.

I'll bet there is some sort of 'under the table' - 'closed door' deal on who gets the nod for the role and we will not know for a few months that it was a case of nepotism, until someone from the inside lets the cat out of the bag.

Jersey City mayor says he's looking for 'best qualified' to replace disgraced councilman

Updated: Tuesday, September 21, 2010, 9:08 PM
Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy said a number of people have stepped up to replace City Councilman Mariano Vega who resigned this month before pleading guilty to federal corruption charges.

Healy said he plans to nominate "the individual who I feel is best qualified for the job" and he hopes the council will quickly fill the vacancy.

Several residents at a recent City Council meeting asked for a formal process to replace Vega, who resigned Sept. 14, days after the deadline to force the city to hold a special election to fill the seat.

The residents noted that Vega signed the plea agreement on July 20, but continued to occupy office and vote on city matters until he quit last week.

Several people have expressed interest in Vega's seat including Dan Levin, 2009 mayor candidate and founder of One Jersey City; 2009 Ward C candidate Adela Rohena; Jersey City Peace Movement President Erik-Anders Nilsson; and former Ward E Councilman Junior Maldonado.

Sources say Vega's former council aide, Hilario "Larry" Nunez, a teacher at Snyder High School, is the favored replacement.

Healy said he is looking for someone who knows the city.

"The best candidate will be someone with a solid educational background, a family person who understands the daily challenges our families are facing during these tough times, and someone who has already demonstrated an interest in civics and government," he said.

Vega has declined to comment, but his attorney Peter Willis said the timing of his resignation was not tied to the election deadline.

Willis said Vega's daughter recently married and that was the main reason he waited to resign and plead guilty to taking bribes from a government informant.

Ward E Councilman Steven Fulop blasted Vega's delayed resignation.

"The resignation after the deadline was both to secure an existing rubber stamp and guarantee them a new improved rubber stamp," Fulop said. "No matter what excuse they make the facts are the facts."

Healy sees nothing suspicious about when Vega relinquished office.

"A plea negotiation and any understanding among an accused person, his or her attorney, and a prosecutor means nothing until acted upon by entering a guilty plea before a judge in open court, which didn't happen in Mariano Vega's case until last week," Healy said.