Jersey City committee ends effort to recall Mayor Healy

Thursday, February 24, 2011
By TERRENCE T. McDONALD - JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The effort to recall Mayor Jerramiah Healy is officially dead.

The citizen committee that started the recall attempt in September had until Tuesday to file enough signatures to trigger a recall election, and it did not do so, according to the City Clerk's Office.

No spokesman for the committee could be reached for comment, but earlier this month committee member Raiz Wahid said the process was "difficult" to accomplish for a small group of volunteers.

The committee had 160 days to collect the signatures of 30,067 registered voters, which is 25 percent of the city's total. As of Feb. 11, the committee had only about 10,000 signatures, Wahid said.

"We felt that the recall was very much premature in that an election had just been held and the electorate spoke loudly and clearly, with our gaining 54 percent of the vote in a field of five candidates," Healy said yesterday in a statement.

"From the information I have received, the petitions fell drastically short of the requirement and those that were collected were not submitted," the mayor added.

"Additionally, I am happy that unlike other elected officials who have a recall mounted against them, there was no organized effort to fight this and that my focus remained squarely on the business of governing the city."

A separate recall attempt, this one directed at Council President Peter Brennan, has until Monday to collect its required signatures.

We started Blogging today !!!

http://recallteamhealy.blogspot.com/

Aren't there two of these threads?

Yet Healy, in response to a question from the jersey city reporter, said I would be better to consider a Hispanic for the seat because of the large Hispanic population in the city.

Page: 16, 9/26, The Jersey City Reporter

MAYOR HEALY REFUSES TO COMMENT ON THE PROCESS TO ELECT VEGA's REPLACEMENT...

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/ ... ons-about-process-linger/

84.87 % MUNICIPAL TAX INCREASE IN LAST FIVE YEARS?

TEAM HEALY MUNICIPAL TAX INCREASE (per thousand dollars of assessment) :

Year 2005
$19.30

Year 2006
$23.73

Year 2007
$25.47

Year 2008
$25.39

Year 2009
$28.58

Year 2010
$35.68


We now NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS !!!
CALLS have increased, considerably today !!!

SURE .. there is a pool, there is enough talent in the city; you might not want to know them or they might not have money as of now; any one will do a better job than Mayor Healy !!! He has already set a low bar !!! 33% tax increase so far this year and $80 million budget hole, it did NOT happen over night...

Please forgive me if this has been discussed somewhere else in depth but....

Let's say the recall is successful for Healy. Who is the candidate that everyone would like to see as the next mayor? There does not seem to be a great pool to pick from.

TOTALLY 33% TAX INCREASE, this YEAR !!!

TEAM HEALY got us all GOOD !!!

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... ty_council_adopts_97.html

"The 10 percent increase is only on the municipal portion. The City Council doesn't control the school or county taxes."

- Melissa Hayes/The Jersey Journal

Quote:

jcrecall wrote:
TODAY SEPT 25th SATURday, YOU can sign MAYOR HEALY RECALL PETITION at the following locations:

Time... 11:00am to 1:00pm
Location... WESTSIDE AVE

Time... 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location... Danforth/Ocean Ave


ALSO, We have CIRCULATORS all over the city, in case, you want some one to meet and collect the signature, please call or email us:

Phone: (201) 855 4606
eMail: jcrecall@yahoo.com


Thanks


dtjcview WROTE:


I have some general empathy for a recall, but realistically do you think you/we can achieve anything? I didnt see anyone at two major JC events today - the Irish festival at exchange place and the bbq at Hamilton park. Is this real, grassroots? Irish need not apply?

Just asking....

http://jclist.com/modules/newbb/viewt ... id=253324#forumpost253324

PETITION to RECALL COUNCIL PRESIDENT is approved and available for circulations...

We need CIRCULATORS ..

Phone: (201) 855 4606
eMail: jcrecall@yahoo.com

>>> ** RECALL VIOLA RICHARDSON ** <<<< http://www.nj.com/hudson/voices/index ... ls_help_no_one_journ.html Selfish pols help no one This is reference to opinion. You people hit the nail right on the head. The only thing is the few council persons who need to be dragged out too. Prime example this kid got shot on MLK drive. No one comes out when they see people get shot. They all need to be withdrawn because they're all a bunch of bums. It's sad. Thank god we still have The Jersey Journal to help us understand what's going on. You can't do everything, but you're doing a good job on this. You need to recall Richardson. They don't do anything for anyone. Those kids needed money to go to California (PAL girls track team), did you think they would step up to the plate and help those kids? They don't help anyone. They don't give a darn, they just want to get their paycheck and that's it. Your opinion is marvelous. I pray for The Jersey Journal every day. RACHEL GREEN JERSEY CITY

Recall effort begins
Residents collect signatures to oust mayor; council members are next

http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/fu ... ce=lead_story_left_column

Jersey City residents leading an effort to recall Mayor Jerramiah Healy and several members of the City Council officially launched the effort on Wednesday with an announcement in front of City Hall.

Led by John Lynch, Martha Larkins, and Riaz Wahid, who formed the committee to recall Healy, the residents said they started collecting signatures beginning Monday. Their petition effort was the first one approved by the City Clerk Robert Byrne.

Now they have until Feb. 22 to collect signatures to force a recall of Healy, who was reelected in the May 2009 municipal election.

A recall enables voters to remove an elected official from office through a petition drive which, if successful, forces a new election, in this case in November 2011. For each public official targeted, a separate petition must be signed by 25 percent of voters, either city wide or in a specific ward, who were registered in the last general election, which was November 2009.
_____________

?We are here today to make a difference here in Jersey City.? ? Kim Snyder
________

It is not an easy or quick process. In Jersey City a minimum of 30,000 signatures would have to be validated by the city clerk to force the recall election of Healy and a councilpersons-at-large because that is a citywide seat. Those 30,000 signatures, equaling 25 percent of voters registered to vote citywide, would have to be collected within 160 days of the date of the approval of the petition to recall.

For ward council members facing a recall, it would require a minimum of 25 percent of voters from that ward who were registered to vote in the November 2009 general election.

By law, the petition drive cannot begin until one year after the elected official?s term commenced. The plan is to force the recall of the council members who ran on Healy?s ticket in last year?s municipal election: Michael Sottolano, Nidia Lopez, Bill Gaughan, Peter Brennan, Willie Flood and Viola Richardson. Mariano Vega was once also considered a target, but he resigned from his council seat and pleaded guilty to corruption charges this week (see our other cover story).

Councilmen Steven Fulop, who did not run on the Healy ticket, and David Donnelly, who was appointed to the seat vacated by Team Healy candidate Phil Kenny after he resigned and pleaded guilty to corruption charges last year, are not targets of the recall effort.

They want change

Some people who earlier this year started expressing dissatisfaction with the way the city is governed at council meetings were standing outside City Hall on Grove Street, a somewhat disorganized group wearing t-shirts that read ?Recall Team Healy.?

Among them was local resident Kim Snyder.

?We are here today to make a difference here in Jersey City,? Snyder said. ?There has been tremendous crime, taxes have gone up, and people have had enough.?

Esther Wintner, sans t-shirt, was one of the first people who raised her voice about the city?s problems back in January. Now running in the November Ward B special election to fill the remainder of former councilman Phil Kenny?s term, Wintner emphasized the importance of the recall movement and people standing with her.

?We stand together united, one Jersey City united, to put an end to this government and give the city back to the people,? Wintner said.

But is their enthusiasm enough to carry out the recall of any Jersey City official? If successful, it would be the first in the city?s history, according to city clerk Byrne.

Various political observers have noted that a recall effort could easily fail due to apathy. In the May 2009 municipal election, a little more than 30,000 out of a potential 120,000 registered voters actually voted. Healy amassed more than half of those 30,000 votes to win reelection.

So far, the council members seemed unconcerned about the recall effort targeting them. One of them was Viola Richardson, who represents Ward F, covering most of the city?s Bergen-Lafayette section.

?I am not about to give them life by worrying or concerning myself about what they are going to do,? Richardson said. ?I am going to continue to be focused on doing my job and serving my constituents.?

City Councilman Michael Sottolano said he was ?not worried? and said ?what will be, will be.?

Do you think a recall of Mayor Jerramiah Healy and/or the City Council will be successful?

If you do or don?t, and you?d like to take our reader poll on this topic, visit our website at www.hudsonreporter.com.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.

Read more: Hudson Reporter - Recall effort begins Residents collect signatures to oust mayor council members are next

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/ ... rive-against-mayor-healy/



At a press conference timed to coincide with Wednesday?s City Council meeting, a group of about a dozen Jersey City residents announced the official start of their effort to recall Mayor Jerramiah Healy. Wearing T-shirts emblazoned with a logo resembling a ?Do Not Enter? road sign that read, ?Recall Team Healy,? the group emphasized Healy?s associations with disgraced Jersey City pols in their remarks to the press.

Recall committee member John Lynch ticked off the names of some Jersey City officials and political candidates who were caught up in last July?s explosive federal corruption sting: former deputy mayor Leona Beldini, former Ward B councilman Phil Kenny, 2009 Ward E council candidate Guy Catrillo and former At-Large councilman Mariano Vega, who resigned his seat Monday and pleaded guilty to a federal corruption charge on Tuesday.

?Healy has surrounded himself with nothing but ? corruption,? Lynch said.

The official committee to recall Mayor Healy consists of three city residents: Lynch, Martha Larkins and Riaz Wahid. But the attempt to recall Healy is part of an ambitious effort being mounted against several city elected officials.

According to Lynch, there are also committees in place to recall council president Peter Brennan, Ward A councilman Michael Sottolano and Ward C councilwoman Nidia Lopez. Lynch added that committees to recall At-Large councilwoman Willie Flood, Ward D councilman Bill Gaughan and Ward F councilwoman Viola Richardson are ?finalizing? the paperwork required for their formation. A committee to recall former At-Large councilman Mariano Vega was rendered moot this week after Vega?s resignation.

City clerk Robert Byrne approved the Healy recall petitions on Monday. Lynch says the group has already collected ?close to 1,000 signatures? in the last two days. The group must collect signatures from a total of 30,067 registered voters by February 22 of next year. If they do so, an election will be held in which voters will indicate whether they think the mayor should be removed from office.

Larkins said today that the group has ?dozens of people? supporting the effort by collecting signatures, and she appealed to the public to get involved by contacting the recall committee. Lynch later added that representatives of the recall group ?will be appearing at festivals and events? to collect signatures and recruit volunteers.

Along with the petition they are circulating, the recallers are required by state law to include a statement from Mayor Healy in his own defense. In his statement, Healy lists his accomplishments while in office, including offsetting property tax increases with furloughs, a hiring freeze and layoffs, cleanup of toxic sites and the paving of ?70 miles of pothole-ridden streets.?

?I respectfully request ? you don?t sign this petition, but rather let me finish the job to which I was elected by a strong majority,? Healy writes.

Other than the statement, the Healy administration has not commented on the recall effort.

Quote:

Why?

JERSEY CITY DESK - THANK YOU, will see you at the press conference today at 6pm 280 Grove (bring your bike) !!!

http://jerseycitydesk.blogspot.com/


WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2010

Time to reclaim Jersey City from the crooks, the sleazy business dealers and the incompetent
First of all Johnny would like to thank the two citizens who suggested he run for Mayor via the email yesterday. You gave Johnny a good laugh. Though the idea is appealing on some levels Johnny seriously doubts the people here want a transplant to run JC. They want someone with more than two years around town.

Now, as for reclamation, there will be a rally/ recall Mayor Healy petition signature collection event tonight before the 6 pm city council meeting at city hall on Grove St. One of the leaders of the petition drive, John Lynch, told the Jersey Journal "We?re moving forward and we?re excited, It got approved yesterday by Mr. Byrne and we hit the ground running.? The group must collect the signatures of 30,067 registered voters by Feb. 22, 2011.

Now collecting those signatures won't be easy, in fact expect Healy's people to put up fierce resistance, they need him in charge to keep the gravy train running. Expect Healy supporters to sign as many petitions as possible trying to void them, no doubt they'll enlist those not registered to vote to sign and invalidate the petitions that way. We wouldn't be surprised to hear public signature gatherings rousted by Jersey City's finest at the behest of the powers that be. Again, this will not be easy but nothing worthwhile is.

If you would like to help take back the city from the forces of corruption the contact info is as follows:
Phone: (201) 855 4605
eMail: jcrecall@yahoo.com

Anyone in Ward D (Jersey City Heights) want to sign on as a recall committee person? We need two more to rid the city of Gaughan.

Wake up residents of Jersey City!!! You have been given second chance through the recall to get rid of Mayor Healy and his team...Support the recall. Be at City Hall tomorrow ready to sign the petition.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... begins_collecting_si.html


Committee begins collecting signatures to recall Jersey City mayor

A group of citizens attempting to recall Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy has begun the task of collecting more than 30,000 signatures.
City Clerk Robert Byrne approved the recall committee?s petitions yesterday and the group immediately began seeking signatures.

?We?re moving forward and we?re excited,? committee member John Lynch said. ?It got approved yesterday by Mr. Byrne and we hit the ground running.?

The group must collect the signatures of 30,067 registered voters by Feb. 22, 2011. If the group is successful, there would be an election asking voters whether or not they want to remove the mayor from office.

Committee member Martha Larkins said the group hopes to collect 25 percent more signatures than required.

The group will officially kick-off the petition drive at City Hall tomorrow prior to the 6 p.m. City Council meeting.

Riaz Wahid, a community activist and recall committee member, described the recall as a chance for residents to speak out.

?This is a historic opportunity for the citizens of Jersey City to stop this administration?s destructive actions and take back our great city,? Wahid said.
While the Healy recall committee consists of only three members, Larkins and Lynch said more than a dozen people are involved in the effort.
?It?s a big task,? Larkins said. ?It?s a very big task, but all the while we?re going to be educating people and talking about what we see as the reason for doing this.?
Chief among the reasons for the recall are recent tax hikes and what appears to be a rise in crime, including several recent shootings.
Other committees are working to recall City Council members.
?We need strong leadership now and we need more than this council has to offer,? Larkins said.

The phone number has changed:


RECALL GROUP CONTACT DETAILS:

Phone: (201) 855 - 4605
eMail: jcrecall@yahoo.com
Yahoo Group: RecallJerseyCityMayorHealy

Daniel Levin sent a message to the members of One Jersey City.

Daniel Levin September 14, 2010 at 7:00am


Subject: Vega Resigns - Ward B Special Election - Recall Healy - Tax Abatements - Ethics Reform


Councilman Mariano Vega, Jr. Resigns - http://onejerseycity.org/?page_id=873

Esther Wintner for Ward B Council Special Election - http://www.estherwintner.com/

Petition to Recall Mayor Healy Approved - email jcrecall@yahoo.com

State Issues Report on Tax Abatement Abuses - http://onejerseycity.org/?p=993

Governor Unveils Ethics Reforms - http://onejerseycity.org/?p=1002

--------------------------------

After more than a year of ignoring repeated public calls for resignation, Councilman Mariano Vega, Jr. resigned one day after the deadline that would have provided for a special election to fill the seat this November. Instead, his delay of ONE DAY allows the City Council to APPOINT his replacement who will serve for the next 14 month before a special election in November 2011.

http://onejerseycity.org/?page_id=873

--------------------------------

This November, Esther Wintner, a Jersey City working mom with a private sector financial industry background, married to a 4th generation Jersey City guy raising three children together will be running for Ward B City Council in the special election on November 2, 2010. To learn more about Esther and her campaign, please click here - http://www.estherwintner.com/

--------------------------------

A petition to recall Mayor Healy was approved on September 13th. To sign or volunteer, please contact the recall committee at jcrecall@yahoo.com.

--------------------------------

The NJ Comptroller recently issued a report raising familiar concerns about abuses and uses of municipal tax abatements.

The report talks about the distortion of municipal finances and tax stability, lack of review and compliance, subsidizing market rate residential housing whose residents use city, county and school services without fully contributing to the cost of providing these services and most important - the overall failure to generate the type of development needed; commercial and industrial that provide long term employment opportunities, living wage jobs and a stable tax base.

For more information, please click here - http://onejerseycity.org/?p=993

--------------------------------

Proposed State Ethics Reform Package includes -

- full ban on duel office holding that ends grandfathering

- ban on dual employment for state, county and local officials and employees

- comprehensive pay to play reform that includes restricting "wheeling" to be applied to all levels of government

For more information please click here - http://onejerseycity.org/?p=1011 and here - http://onejerseycity.org/?p=1002

--------------------------------

Please share this message and join the One Jersey City emailing list at the top right of this page - http://onejerseycity.org/

Vote!

*
** PRESS CONFERENCE **
*


Today, Jersey City, City Clerk Mr Robert Byrne approved the petition to recall Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T Healy.

Following are the details about the Recall committee's press conference:

When : 6:00pm, Wednesday September 15th 2010
Where: In front of City Hall, 280 Grove St, Jersey City , NJ


WE are looking for people with BIKE to go around the CITY HALL during the press conference; T-Shirts are available !!!


ALL ARE WELCOME !!!


*** WE NEED BIKE GROUP GUYS ***

JUST PM us, we'll meet and get this done... Quote:

Quote:

are people gonna be walking the beat getting signatures, or does everybody need to make an appointment to sign?

TODAY PETITION TO RECALL MAYOR HEALY IS APPROVED;

THE 160 days count starts today (9/13) to collect 36,000 signatures !!

Any one want to sign pm or send send an email to jcrecall (at) yahoo (dot) com, one of the volunteers will meet and get it done !!!

** PLEASE SUPPORT THE RECALL MOVEMENT !!! **

"We respectfully acknowledge Jerramiah Healy as our mayor, until further notice." - BRUCE ALSTON

----------------------------------------
http://www.nj.com/hudson/voices/index ... ty_superintendent_of.html
-----------------------------------------

First, let the City Council focus on our city's budget and perform the duties that they are duly elected to serve. Our councilman should leave the job of the school board members to its elected members.

I believe that decades past has shown that the school system can be filled with political patronage -- is this a prelude to what can be expected with future administrations.
I respect anyone's opinion on any issue, but I think there are more pressing issues than the contract of Mr. Epps that should concern any councilman, like the removal of Councilman Vega.


Mr. Epps has given much to a system that was in shambles, rocked by decades of abuse by former administrations. There is still a need for improvement in our educational system, but Mr. Epps, a man born and raised in this city, the son of one of our most respected pastors, and who many would deem a role model to youth came from our city to inherit a tough job. He needs to be given a chance to implement his agenda.
Let us not forget the board members have controlled the budget and the hiring policies. Now is a good time for the teachers union to speak out for Mr. Epps as a leader. It is time for our council to return to their respective wards and serve the constituents who elected them.
It's one mayor at a time, one ward councilman at a time. I believe we have three council-at-large representatives, but these days Ward F residents are confused by the constant presence of a certain councilman from the Downtown ward.
Viola Richardson must be just simply endorsing her check to "SF for 2013." The residents of Ward F will not be sold to the biggest promise-maker because God only knows we have been sold promises too many times.
The election is three years off and they want residents to make a choice now. I THINK NOT. We will not be given rules anymore. We will make our own rules.
We respectfully acknowledge Jerramiah Healy as our mayor, until further notice. Others had chances to run and failed to do so. Others just thought they could assume the mayor's mantle and that of the Board of Education while we're supposedly sleeping. We are wide awake.

BRUCE ALSTON
JERSEY CITY

...........

"SIGN THE PETITION" ... Frank Scalcione

http://www.nj.com/hudson/voices/index ... nothing_to_show_lett.html


I take great displeasure with Jersey City's administrative governance. I ask the residents of Jersey City: In the last five years and three months what can be said for our mayor's accomplishments?


Is not crime rampant under Mayor Healy's administration? What is Mayor Healy doing?
Personally, I am growing tired and impatient with politicians making promises and distorting facts. We need police patrols, particularly foot patrols, to ensure our community is protected and safe; it will not only help deter crime but I am certain that crime will be on a decrease.
Yet, Mayor Healy slams the door on the Police Academy, presumably because of hefty expenditure of costs to carry the building and its recruits. In reality, I believe Mr. Healy and his cronies are the ones who are uselessly depleting city monies by paying themselves excessively.
I am frankly appalled at how this administration manages itself. They dig deep into the people's pockets, and they have nothing to show for it.
Mayor Healy is obviously obsessed with himself and his cronies rather than his constituency. The wage gap between the haves and the have not's is growing, and Mayor Healy should be cognizant of this and ride the wave of change. But Healy's politics are static; I am willing to state his politics are detrimental to our communities. He has divided rather than unified our city because of greed while more people are becoming homeless, fleeing our city and closing their businesses because of continued tax hikes.
Yet, Healy has no problem giving developers tax breaks at the expense of Jersey City's hardworking taxpayers.
As a successful businessman, I am aware when times are tough and when people need some comfort you don't raise prices but give people "specials"; you cut and trim where needed without hurting the taxpayers, senior citizens or people on fixed incomes.
I ask the people of this city to please wake up and see who you elected. Don't make the same mistake twice, and sign the "petition."
FRANK SCALCIONE
JERSEY CITY

Board perks hurt taxpayers: letter

http://www.nj.com/hudson/voices/index ... s_hurt_taxpayers_let.html


While reading an article regarding the pending court case of Joe Cardwell in the July 28 edition of The Jersey Journal, I was surprised to learn that the board members of the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority, although holding unpaid positions, each receive a medical benefits package that costs Jersey City taxpayers $12,000 a year.


In these trying economic times, I find it hard to comprehend why the taxpayers of this city should be burdened with this expense.
I'm also curious to learn if all the MUA board members are provided with take-home vehicles (the bill for which - including gas - is footed by the taxpayer). As a 20-plus-year tax-paying resident of Jersey City, I, along with numerous members of the community, have struggled in these difficult times but have accepted that property tax increases are necessary in order for the city to provide vital services that citizens have come to depend on. I've taken that in stride, but I find it insulting that the taxpayers are asked by the mayor and the city council to understand why these increases are unavoidable.


How many others in the city who hold titles that are not even paid positions have these kinds of perks? I'm hoping someone can help me understand how this is fair to hard-working individuals such as myself, or at least let me know where I can sign up to become one of these board members.

I'd be more than happy to give up my $380-a-month car payment, along with my $1,200-a-year insurance premium! And why not fill up my tank for free at the city gas pump? I'm sure that many people in Jersey City would also like a free ride!


LAURIE COSTA-REGALATO
JERSEY CITY