Quote:

McCabe is trying to get the ambulance contract from JCMC. He or his cohorts at CarePoint Hospital, recently called the most expensive hospital in the country, were Fulop campaign donors. No doubt Fulop is thinking of fundraising for his campaign for governor.

Fulop has been aggressively trying to switch the ambulance contract from JCMC to McCabe. The reason this is a huge problem is McCabe ambulances are out of network for ALL insurances, and costs run into several thousand dollars. There also is the chance they will redirect patients to CarePoint hospitals, again among the most expensive in the country.

This move absolutely reeks of corruption. It's as if Fulop is doing everything he can to sell out JC residents to his donors. Your quoted language is absurd, and it's insulting Fulop thinks people are stupid enough to believe it.

everyone quick to dismiss any potential conflict of interest.

"They added that McCabe recuses himself on where grants and other funds are directed. In other words, just because McCabe helps run things, doesn?t mean he exerts or has power over anything"

I admittedly dont know much about how all this works but that statements just strikes me as a huge contradiction

Political Insider: Activist shakes up freeholder meeting by questioning OEM appointee's business ties

By Agustin C. Torres | The Jersey Journal
September 13, 2014 at 6:35 AM

On Thursday evening, the Hudson County Freeholders approved a resolution reappointing Mickey McCabe, owner of a Bayonne-based ambulance service, as the county Office of Emergency Management's (OEM) deputy coordinator of medical services for a three-year term, starting immediately.

It seemed like it would be cut and dry, until the public was allowed to speak on items on the meeting agenda. Jersey City activist April Kuzas started asking questions that created a bit of tension in the room. Kuzas was ? let?s say ? more than suggesting that, in his new county position, McCabe has influence in the issuing of grants while running a private ambulance service. Business Administrator Abe Antun and several freeholders said that McCabe is not paid by the county and that he serves as a volunteer. They added that McCabe recuses himself on where grants and other funds are directed. In other words, just because McCabe helps run things, doesn?t mean he exerts or has power over anything.

Kuzas, somewhat dubious of this response, then asked about how McCabe can be in charge of a large OEM bus, a converted commercial bus that is one big ambulance capable of carrying 18 to 20 people. The city resident questioned why McCabe was allowed to have his name on the side of the bus, along with the OEM logo and Hudson County seal. At first, some of the freeholders sounded surprised and then asked for proof. She showed a website with a picture of the bus and logos.

Seated in the audience, McCabe was asked to respond. He said that the bus was one of about 11 federally funded buses issued statewide. For any OEM to obtain one, it had to be responsible for garaging, maintaining, providing insurance, and fueling ($600 per full tank) the vehicle. McCabe said the vehicle was offered to any of the local emergency agencies in the county. Freeholders accepted the argument that the ?McCabe Ambulance? logo is on the bus to identify who is in charge of maintaining the vehicle.

McCabe said, that earlier that day, the bus ? assigned to the Jersey City Fire Department ? was used to transport 28 childcare center children who accidently drank water with some bleach in it to the Jersey City Medical Center. He also noted other times the bus was used. McCabe said it was utilized during a blizzard and, with the help of other OEM buses from nearby counties, to transport patients from a Hoboken hospital that was threatened with flooding by Superstorm Sandy.

?What other benefits does a private company get, that his company gets, by being the deputy coordinator?? Kuzas asked the freeholders. Hoboken Freeholder Anthony Romano said it involves the federal government and not the county. McCabe said it all involves a network of emergency services, not just in the county, but statewide. ?It?s a brotherhood,? he added.

Not satisfied, after the meeting, Kuzas said she should learn more about McCabe?s role with the county and his influence with OPRA requests.

Obviously, the real concern here for her, and some of her fellow Jersey City activists, is the possibility of the nonprofit Jersey City Medical Center losing a contract bid to provide Jersey City with ambulance services to CarePoint Health/McCabe, a for-profit partnership which the activists must believe includes the Jersey Devil.

BRUCE ALMIGHTY

This week, Jersey City businessman and activist Bruce Alston held a press conference announcing his intention to run for Democratic Assemblyman Charles Mainor?s 31st District seat in the June primary. Alston tried to contain his usual Elmer Gantry high octane approach to public speaking, but halfway through his spiel, you could see him put it into fourth gear.
jjxalston0913.jpgView full sizeBruce Alston announces he's running for an Assembly seat.Courtesy of the Alston campaign

Alston described his announcement as an attempt to combine community with public service. He said that while African-Americans help a black man be elected president of the United States, Alston added, ?We have still not been able to ignite change in urban America.?

He insists that his election to the Legislature will mean promoting an agenda that will provide hope for residents of both Bayonne and Jersey City.

I assume the specifics will come later.

Assemblyman Jeff Dublin did not seem overly impressed by Alston's entrance into the assembly race. While acknowledging that he expects a large number of candidates ? even saying he wouldn?t be surprised to see Team Walker founder and past collegiate and St. Anthony High School hoop star Jerry Walker take a jump shot at the seat ? but Dublin denies that he has joined the rush. I do expect him to announce it down the road.

Sen. Sandra Cunningham, right now, appears to support Mainor but the assemblyman is lucky to have survived this long. It stops for him. I can't see Fulop backing him. The problem is that the mayor has yet to decide on just who will represent the city. The groveling may commence.

Are there any future effective political leaders of the city?s African-American community? There are openings.

http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2 ... intees_business_ties.html