April 16th, 2013
Contact: Michael Yun for Jersey City Council
Phone: (201) 222-3537

Jersey City, NJ Council ? Independent Ward D council candidate Michael Yun has announced his support for At-Large City Council candidates Councilman Rolando R. Lavarro and Sean M. Connelly in this year's election. After reviewing the platforms and public service records of both candidates, Mr. Yun feels confident that both Councilman Lavarro and Mr. Connelly will be able to solve Jersey City's immediate and long-term problems while standing strong against political pressure.

"I am supporting Councilman Lavarro and Mr. Connelly as both a council candidates and a taxpayer," said Michael Yun. " The three of us will be able to work together to take swift action and create intelligent solutions to help struggling residents' throughout the city. No matter who becomes Jersey City's mayor, I know that Councilman Lavarro, Mr. Connelly, and I will be able to improve public safety and mass transportation while putting an end to wasteful and inefficient government spending."

Over the years both Councilman Lavarro and Mr. Connelly have demonstrated public service in professional life and through community engagement. Councilman Rolando Lavarro has served on the Jersey City Council since winning a special election in 2011, has worked to grow New Jersey City University as the Assistant Director for the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs, and has worked with community groups such as the Rotary Club of Jersey City, the Jersey City Chapter of the NAACP, and the West Side Community Alliance. Sean Connelly received his law degree from Seton Hall University and served as Jersey City's Corporation Counsel for eight years, is a five-year member and former president of the Lincoln Society, and is active in the Jersey City Civic Association.

Michael Yun has worked in Jersey City as a community advocate and business owner, serving as the President of the Central Avenue Special Improvement District (CASID) and the head proprietor of Garden State News. Through his role as a community advocate, he has helped business owners around Central Avenue receive the services they need from Jersey City government and addressed citizen concerns from around Jersey City. He is active with several community groups in Jersey City Heights as well, such as the Heights Hope Neighborhood Association, the Nelson Avenue Block Association, and the Jersey City's AARP Chapter #5102. Additionally, Michael served as the Co-Chairman of "Save Christ Hospital" and helped keep the Jersey City Heights sole acute care facility open, saving hundreds of local jobs.

http://www.connelly2013.com/news/michael_yun_endorsement

I like at-large candidate Connelly's stand on sustainable transportation measures. His support of bicycle lanes will give me the confidance to continue riding on the roads of J.C. knowing that the complete streets initiative will thrive within our infrastructure.

Official Site:
http://www.connelly2013.com/

FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/Connelly2013

JCI articles mentioning Sean, including one on Council Candidate Debate:
http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/tag/sean-connelly/

Statement from Sean:

Dear Friends,
Not long ago the people of Jersey City were losing their homes to staggering taxes. Businesses fled and development ground to a halt. City Hall failed to address the bleeding and the city faced a financial, societal and political crisis. When Bret Schundler offered new ideas and leadership, I devoted my time, effort and finances to his successful campaign. We won and for the next eight years, while serving as the City?s Corporation Counsel, taxes were cut in half (including a six month tax free holiday). Businesses returned, development and redevelopment boomed and the city witnessed historic prosperity, stability and urban rebirth.
I left City Hall in 2001, but never left our city nor my passion for improving our lives here. Today however, we face tax bills which have skyrocketed by 83% over the last eight years. The city budget has more than doubled over the last eight years despite an inflation rate of only one or two percent and once again there is the prospect of our people losing their homes. Despite a gleaming waterfront, the much neglected inner city seems all but forgotten.
Whereas big corporate developers and their tenants are offered tax abatements, the local ?Mom and Pop? corner stores (along with the rest of us) are only offered higher tax bills. This leaves us all little to spend at our local stores which simply cannot compete with the big corporate tax abated businesses. As a result our local small businesses cannot hire our citizens, downsize or are forced to close. Who speaks for them?
Our once proud children?s and youth programs have all but vanished, at a time when they are in such desperate need. Then who speaks for them?
Jersey City residents remain among the unemployed despite the heralded thousands of jobs on the waterfront, who speaks for them?
Sadly, what was once a city of promise has become a city of mismanagement, fear and hopelessness with a city government disconnected from the people it has sworn to serve.
I am running for Council at Large in Jersey City because I cannot and will not sit idly by as our City regresses to a situation that I hoped was in the past. I demand that government lives within its means, control spending, lower taxes, and encourage business and job growth while maintaining vital services. Many say it cannot be done, yet we know better. We did it before and will do it again. It can and must be done and I am eager, excited and ready to do the job.
Please vote for me as Councilman at Large so that I may serve you and lead all of us to a better place.
As your Councilman at Large, I will be your voice and advocate in fighting to make government serve all of you and improve our lives here in the city we call home.

Sincerely

Sean M. Connelly