robot levin: "[poor attempt at] humor does not compute."

no, unrelated - most people in Ward F, new and old boundaries do not have a criminal record.

an altogether different issue is the difficulties people with criminal records have with re-entry into regular life including obtaining and sustaining regular employment opportunities.

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Why can't it be both a joke and a commentary on a real problem?

Downtown Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop, a candidate for mayor, today returned fire at Mayor Jerry Healy after the mayor demanded that Fulop's Ward F candidate apologize for a crack she made at a council caucus meeting about Ward F residents.

?Just because someone has made a mistake in life does not mean they should be relegated to a permanent underclass without options,? said Fulop, a jab at Healy's 2006 macing by Bradley Beach cops and subsequent conviction for obstruction of justice.

Fulop noted that the federally funded jobs program discussed at the council caucus meeting prohibits anyone with a criminal history ? even minor infractions - from applying.

?It's time for straight talk," he said, in protection mode for his Ward F candidate. ?Councilwoman Coleman?s record of serving the community for years speaks for itself,? said Fulop. ?Her statement was intended to accentuate a major flaw with this federal jobs program.

?It?s time for Mayor Healy to abandon the self-serving political rhetoric of demanding an apology and open his eyes to the fact that these programs don't help the targeted needy population, which is exactly the point Councilwoman Coleman made,? the challenger added. ?People in Jersey City who made minor mistakes need jobs to ensure they don?t return to the streets.?

The Healy campaign hit back.

?So, Steve Fulop, which is it? A 'joke' as was claimed two nights ago? Or is it now something different Fulop?s brain trust came up with two days later to try to clean up Coleman?s mess,? said Joshua Henne, Healy campaign spokesman.

The Jersey Journal reported Tuesday that Coleman joked as the council discussed a federally funded job-training program.

According to the Journal, "Keith Davis, who runs a job-training program that works with the city, told the council that applicants with a criminal history are prohibited from applying for the program."

The Journal quoted Coleman saying in response, ?So that means everybody in Ward F." She laughed after the remark, but Healy wasn't amused.

"I believe in Jersey City and am proud to run alongside a group of dedicated leaders who respect and look out for all residents," the mayor said. "Steve Fulop knows that Councilwoman Coleman's belittling comments hurt the hard-working people of Ward F and he should call on her to apologize for these insensitive remarks."



Read more at http://www.politickernj.com/63196/jer ... eman-remark#ixzz2KsbDgF2m
or sign up for a free trial of State Street Wire at http://www.politickernj.com/freetrial

In 2007, Healy was convicted in a Bradley Beach municipal court of obstruction of justice and resisting arrest resulting from a clash Healy had with police in the shore town. Today Fulop?s campaign suggested Healy himself may not be eligible for the jobs program discussed at Monday?s caucus. What ward is Healy in?

A lot of people want to focus on the police actions, but this is a case of looking inward and ask questions within these communities. The questions should be asked to fathers who leave their children and mothers who cannot discipline their kids.

It certainly was not eloquent but the message underlying it is fact. There is a disproportionate problem with crime in ward F. Unfortunately, the way the police often deal with crime in minority neighborhoods is to assume that everyone is a criminal, find a purpose to arrest everyone, and then voila, everyone actually is labeled a criminal.

Again, not eloquent, but her joke was far better than the serious statement Peter Brennan made last year in response to Councilman Lavarro's statement that 'we should strive to have less crime across the city, not just downtown.' In case anyone wasn't at the council meeting, Brennan made the racist remark that 'greenville and downtown are apples and oranges and we shouldnt try or expect to improve saftey in greenville to the level enjoyed downtown'


Another shooting happened yesterday in Ward F.

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Thats right 'cause some of her constituents are trying to earn a decent living like the ones pitching the candy bar in your avatar.

That was not very smart of Coleman.

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Well I guess the criminal records speak for themselves then. I mean can you blame the police when the tax payers are screaming for more pro-active protection. And the councilwoman's "joke" and the other councilwoman's defense doesn't actually apply due to the demographic change when the boundry lines were altered.

Its impossible to get any job, even a menial one, with a criminal record regardless of what the crime was... this is a serious issue that holds back communities that have problems with police targeting/profiling from ever progressing economically

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... n_jokes.html#incart_river
Jersey City councilwoman jokes that 'everyone' in Ward F has a criminal record.