Interesting article, but the main reasons some of the other parts of JC suffer is lack of convenient transportation into Manhattan and the criminal aspect of those neighborhoods. There are many fine, hard working people in Greenville, etc. but at the end of the day, would you really want to spend a lot of money where you have to be constantly on guard.

Fulop is the Councilman for Ward E. We should evaluate his performance (and project future performance) based on what IS happening in Ward E, not on what is NOT happening in the other wards. The fact that there is more development and growth downtown than in other wards is a positive indication of what officials like Fulop do in their constituencies. If we like what is happening in Ward E, then we should expect and welcome the same in other wards if and when Fulop's constituency becomes city-wide.

In some ways, I can't particularly blame them. Downtown politicians have worked very hard for their wards on a number of issues and not so hard when other wards wanted stuff for them. Restaurant row, the embankment, tax abatements for corporate and high-rise construction, etc. A lot of the politicos from those areas aren't anything to sing about, but they've certainly got a few legit bones to pick about how money gets spent in this city.

Bruce Alston? What kind of a "leader" is he? http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... te_assembly_candidat.html

I don't think it's a coincidence that this "leadership" moment is coming at the same time the JCIA/DPW merger is being considered. Survival of the JCIA is essential to the Cunningham power base - many of the higher ranking folks in that agency are her people; all the Dabneys, Dublin, et al. Fulop is for eliminating the JCIA - which is the more efficient and cost-effective option. The more he goes after things like the JCIA, the JCPA, free health care for family, er board members who work six hours a year, abuse of city-provided cars, the louder the squawking is by those who have been benefiting.

If Fulop can prove he is not owned by the developers he will win, if he can not he will lose. Greenville, West Bergen, & Bergen Lafayette are sick of the over development of downtown areas and no development else where. I hear black folks say constantly here where are the jobs? why is there not one decent supermarket in the area? why are there no policeman in this community? People are watching here, and so far the Healy machine has ignored these areas. Fulop needs to prove to the Latinos, Blacks, & Asians he is ready to be everyone's Mayor. I just moved to this area from downtown and he is a great councilmen, This area here in Bayside is mostly African American but is attracting allot of Asians and most of the neighborhood meetings I attend people are looking for a leader who is not in bed with developers who are greedy and want to continue to over develop downtown. Ocean Ave and MLK have been neglected for 20 years. I wish him luck! But if Cunningham runs he will need more than luck.

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The key words here are for them.

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What about Healy Vs Cunningham it might not be as ugly but prove interesting.

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So true, but this is insight into a campaign that will attempt to isolate downtown and splinter racial groups. Mainor, Dublin, Richardson, and Cunningham are terrible public servants. Likewise, it is a subtle way to whisper that Fulop will ignore predominantly African American parts of the city, ahem... not that Healy and HCDO hacks have improved the quality of life outside of downtown.

Cunningham Vs. Fulop will be an ugly campaign.

Fulop Fulop Fulop!!!

Most of the black leaders mentioned in the column (Mainor, Dublin, Richardson, Cunningham,etal) are products of the corrupt political system in place in Jersey City/Hudson County. They fear Steve Fulop because the gravy train for them will end when he's elected.

Anybody but Fulop.
This seems to be the mantra among a pride of political types in Jersey City's black community who do not see a future for themselves in a world run by Downtown Councilman Steven Fulop should he become mayor after the May 2013 municipal election.
Publicly, they deny that their focus is keeping Fulop from becoming the next executive officer of the state's second-largest city. This group of black elected officials and political personalities say it is all about making certain they have a big seat at the city and county's political table "with the Nick Saccos and Brian Stacks."
"There's no leadership in Jersey City, a vacuum, so why shouldn't we have a say in the city and the county?" said Assemblyman Charles Mainor yesterday. The city election is an opportunity to show the county that they are a power.
While claiming not to be specifically against Fulop, they add there's nothing to prevent them from backing incumbent Mayor Jerramiah Healy. They claim to appreciate Healy's personality and that he treats them with respect.
"He'll look you in the eye and shake your hand coming and leaving a meeting," said one black community leader, who admits that often it's more about personalities than platforms.
Also, the more "traditional" king or queen makers, such as Bobby Jackson, the city's first black councilman at large, who died in 2008, and political operative Joe Cardwell, 71, now serving six months in federal prison and six months house arrest for accepting a $10,000 bribe, are gone. This group wants to fill the movers and shakers gap in the African-American community.
There is no name for this new group because it is still coalescing in the political nebula. Only a few discussions among individuals and pairs have occurred, including an in-the-back-of-the-room discussion between Mainor and businessman Bruce Alston at School 16 during Thursday evening's school board candidates' forum.
Names that are connected with this group, besides Mainor and Alston, include Tyrone Hodge, who is also blasphemously known as the Facebook Political Insider, School Board president Sterling Waterman, and Freeholder and Jersey City Democratic Organization leader Jeff Dublin. Some of them said there will be a future meeting "to air out any differences."
Wait a minute, you say. Didn't Mainor try to create such a group back in May 2010?
Yes, he did. The 31st Legislative District assemblyman tried to bring together a similar bunch to claim black leadership, but after one meeting, it died. Sources said the mistake then was a failure to include political rivals and some people who were looked upon as outsiders.

ASSEMBLYMAN CHARLES MAINOR
Dublin was viewed as Mainor's antagonist and Waterman was considered a Fulop loyalist. Of Dublin, Mainor said: "We have to put egos aside if we, as a group, are to be taken serious." For others, Waterman has proven to them that he is "his own man" and not Fulop's. Waterman was supported by the Downtown councilman when he ran for the school board.
There is a fear factor that pulls them together. They see Fulop's strength coming from Downtown residents who want to make changes in the city -- and plan to do it with a "their way or the highway" mentality. It is all reminiscent of Hoboken's eternal struggle of newcomers versus longtime residents.
"If you look at the school budget, there is a sense that they are almost privatizing the system," said one black official of the Downtowners. "We see them more as divisive while we want to be more inclusive."
The so-called future black leadership wants to reach out to other ethnic communities. They named Ric Ayala, head of the Puerto Rican Heritage Festival and Parade, and past council candidate Imtiaz Syed as possible liaisons.
What about other black elected officials -- who happen to be female?
They said state Sen. Sandra Cunningham is recognized as a leader. In fact, everyone who is in office is apparently "respected," including city Councilwoman Viola Richardson. They said they will probably support Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith's re-election as head of the Hudson County Democratic Organization.
The names I don't hear are people like former basketball team mates Jerry Walker of Team Walker and businessman and former school board member Terry Dehere. One more viable possibility not mentioned is Ward A resident and real estate agent Andre Richardson. It was suggested that there may be trust issues.
"It is probably more like ego issues," said one source very close to the Fulop camp who suggested this all-for-one effort will go the way of the last one because of "trust issues." He suggests the group will not last long enough to take part in the city election should they seriously think the incumbent mayor is the city's future.



Anybody but Fulup!