Jersey City officials were told about emergency lights on councilman's vehicle before DWI arrest

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Quote:

Monroe wrote:
Quote:

Yvonne wrote:
Chico is a commissioner at the JCIA.

Do all JCIA commissioners get free city cars? With flashing lights?

He just became a commissioner this month. He's had possession of the ~~stolen~~ "borrowed" car for months!

Posted on: 2015/3/17 1:02

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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THE JERSEY CITY INCINERATOR AUTHORITY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

Chairwoman Maureen Hulings
Vice Chairman P. Terrell Flood
Commissioners Alexander A. Habib
Roger Hejazi
Kevin T. Lyons
Michael J. Malloy
Khemraj "Chico" Ramchal
Chief Executive Officer Oren K. Dabney Sr.
Mayor Honorable Steven M. Fulop

Posted on: 2015/3/17 1:02

Monroe

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Quote:

Yvonne wrote:
Chico is a commissioner at the JCIA.

Do all JCIA commissioners get free city cars? With flashing lights?

Posted on: 2015/3/17 1:00

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Quote:

Yvonne wrote:
Chico is a commissioner at the JCIA.

???

Posted on: 2015/3/17 0:59

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Monroe wrote:
He gets to borrow a city car because he's having problems with his personal car? Is that available to every JC employee, or only Fulop supporters?

What do you mean JC employee? Chico is NOT a JC employee. There is an apparent violation of the law by Dabney and Chico. Dabney gave the car to a resident (Chico) who accepted use of the car even though he knew had no right to it. In NJ a conviction for violating Section 2C:21-15 - Misapplication of entrusted property and property of government or financial institution carries a 3-5 year prison sentence.

Dabney and Chico need to resign or be dismissed. immeadiately. What are we going to learn about the "loose cannon" from the newspapers next? that he is taking bribes? impersonating police officers? making more false statements to the police? bought his middle school diploma online?

Posted on: 2015/3/17 0:57

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Chico is a commissioner at the JCIA.

Posted on: 2015/3/17 0:55

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Right after the Mayor was sworn in he said that any employee/councilperson that takes out a city car and doesn't sign it back in will be charged with theft

According to the new policy, any employee who needs a city-issued car for work must sign it out at the beginning of a work day and return it by the end. Any city car that leaves Jersey City without prior approval will be considered theft of property.

Fulop also urges the city?s autonomous agencies to adopt a similar policy.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... les_mayor-elect_says.html

Chico skirts this rule by "borrowing" a car from the JCIA (for 3+ months!)... even though he isn't an employee of the agency. Can anyone spell "misappropriation?" I think I learned the spelling as F-E-L-O-N-Y.

Posted on: 2015/3/17 0:36

dtjcview

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Can we call 911 for our trash collection?

Posted on: 2015/3/17 0:23

jerseymom

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Stringer wrote:
Jersey City officials were told about emergency lights on councilman's vehicle before DWI arrest
By Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal The Jersey Journal
March 16, 2015 at 7:14 PM
JERSEY CITY -- Top city officials were told one year ago that Councilman Khemraj "Chico" Ramchal had unauthorized emergency lights and a siren in his city car, according to an email obtained by The Jersey Journal.
The officials, including Public Safety Director James Shea, received the email on March 14, 2014, exactly one year before Saturday's three-car collision that led to Ramchal's arrest on a DWI charge. A witness told police that at the time of the accident Ramchal had red-and-blue emergency lights activated on his vehicle, a different one than the one cited in the 2014 email.
Sources tell The Jersey Journal that Ramchal routinely used the emergency lights on the car he was driving Saturday, a 2013 Ford SUV, while using it for personal business.
Read more: http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... d_about_emergency_li.html

From the same article: (OUCH & who is leaking these emails?) "In a separate email, from about one week before, Councilman-at-large Daniel Rivera voices objections to city officials removing emergency lights from his own city vehicle, citing the cost to taxpayers. In the email, sent t Mayor Steve Fulop and other city officials, Rivera refers to a "loose cannon" fellow council member who has a similar vehicle. Rivera did not comment when asked who he meant by "loose cannon.""

Posted on: 2015/3/17 0:17

Monroe

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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He gets to borrow a city car because he's having problems with his personal car? Is that available to every JC employee, or only Fulop supporters?

Posted on: 2015/3/16 23:53

Stringer

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Jersey City officials were told about emergency lights on councilman's vehicle before DWI arrest

By Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal The Jersey Journal
March 16, 2015 at 7:14 PM

JERSEY CITY -- Top city officials were told one year ago that Councilman Khemraj "Chico" Ramchal had unauthorized emergency lights and a siren in his city car, according to an email obtained by The Jersey Journal.

The officials, including Public Safety Director James Shea, received the email on March 14, 2014, exactly one year before Saturday's three-car collision that led to Ramchal's arrest on a DWI charge. A witness told police that at the time of the accident Ramchal had red-and-blue emergency lights activated on his vehicle, a different one than the one cited in the 2014 email.

Sources tell The Jersey Journal that Ramchal routinely used the emergency lights on the car he was driving Saturday, a 2013 Ford SUV, while using it for personal business.

Posted on: 2015/3/16 23:43

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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I am glad the newspaper updated the story. Like many, I thought this was a county car but it is a JCIA car. Fulop stated he was taking cars away from the councilpeople. I know he did that with Boggiano. So, Fulop gets around this by giving Chico a JCIA car.

Posted on: 2015/3/16 23:17

Vigilante

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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You can attend social functions and refrain from drinking alcohol. He's an embarrassment.

Posted on: 2015/3/16 22:55

fat-ass-bike

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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told The Jersey Journal in an email that he has made an appointment to see a counselor "with regards to why I made such (a) huge error in judgment on the night of the accident.""I take full responsibility for this incident, which I regret very deeply," he said in a statement issued by a spokesman. "I also want to thank all of the people who have contacted me and expressed their support and friendship. I have learned a valuable lesson and will never allow anything like this to happen again."

Who are the idiots that expressed support ?
He has learned a valuable lesson ? Does Chico believe he is a child. At 39 years of age he is still making monumental mistakes that can cause death to others via his selfish acts ... what idiot in the world thinks drink driving is ok?

This idiot is responsible for the management and direction of this city and is still learning one should not drink and drive.

DUMP HIS SORRY ASS FULOP, HE HAS BROUGHT DISREPUTE TO THE OFFICE OF COUNCILLOR, TO THIS CITY AND THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED HIM

Posted on: 2015/3/16 22:38

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fat-ass-bike

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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told The Jersey Journal in an email that he has made an appointment to see a counselor "with regards to why I made such (a) huge error in judgment on the night of the accident.""I take full responsibility for this incident, which I regret very deeply," he said in a statement issued by a spokesman. "I also want to thank all of the people who have contacted me and expressed their support and friendship. I have learned a valuable lesson and will never allow anything like this to happen again."

Posted on: 2015/3/16 22:38

My humor is for the silent blue collar majority - If my posts offend, slander or you deem inappropriate and seek deletion, contact the webmaster for jurisdiction.

Stringer

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Jersey City councilman facing DWI charge apologizes, says he will seek counseling

By Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal The Jersey Journal
March 16, 2015 at 5:06 PM

JERSEY CITY - Councilman Khemraj "Chico" Ramchal told The Jersey Journal today he plans to seek counseling in the aftermath of his drunken driving arrest on Saturday, and is apologizing for his behavior that night.

Ramchal, 39, told The Jersey Journal in an email that he has made an appointment to see a counselor "with regards to why I made such (a) huge error in judgment on the night of the accident."

"I take full responsibility for this incident, which I regret very deeply," he said in a statement issued by a spokesman. "I also want to thank all of the people who have contacted me and expressed their support and friendship. I have learned a valuable lesson and will never allow anything like this to happen again."

Posted on: 2015/3/16 21:58

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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jerseymom wrote:
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myself hope he does get arrested and put in jail for breaking the law.

He was arrested and charged with DWI. He will not see jail time. His license will be suspended, he will pay a hefty fine, his insurance will skyrocket, and he may (not likely) serve probation. It's his first offense.

I remember seeing numerous cases of DWI being adjudicated down the shore, and people on their second offense did not serve any jail time if no one had been hurt. They paid massive fines and their licenses were suspended for six months, but no jail time. Three strikes and you're out (whether or not your DWI incident harmed anyone).

Posted on: 2015/3/16 21:06

jerseymom

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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myself hope he does get arrested and put in jail for breaking the law.

He was arrested and charged with DWI. He will not see jail time. His license will be suspended, he will pay a hefty fine, his insurance will skyrocket, and he may (not likely) serve probation. It's his first offense.

What's pending is any internal disciplinary action taken due to his use of a city owned vehicle in an impaired state while operating emergency lights for a non-emergency situation. He has already proffered a mia culpa, is obtaining "counseling" and, given his status in JC politics, will go back to his life as usual. It will only be dug up again during the next election cycle.

I know of a local man who had an accident - killed his little niece who was in the same car - he blew a .8. He has to live with that for the rest of his life. He got three years and is currently serving his time in prison while his kids grow up without their father. To say he's a broken man is an understatement.

I certainly hope during his "counseling" session that the councilman realizes how very fortunate he is that he didn't kill someone.

Perhaps the bigger story here which OneSkirt alluded to is the alcohol culture in politics in Hudson County. How you cannot attend a fundraiser or event without seeing someone staggering about in an altered state. Maybe even during work hours, and in the very buildings that are funded by our tax dollars.

Posted on: 2015/3/16 20:30

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Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Fuck this guy, he's the same asshole who fought to get his nickname on the ballots. Was he embarrassed of his ethnic name?

Posted on: 2015/3/16 20:21

Consumed

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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thats a cop out. those excuses dont work for the rest of us.

they do it because they know they will have an easier time getting out of it than we do.

i myself hope he does get arrested and put in jail for breaking the law. i have nothing against him personally but i do realize he is an idiot and shouldn't have a career in politics

seems to me this guy was over hyped from the start. makes bad decisions. bad choices of "things we should care about" and just bad over all. Fulop needs to send this clown packing as well.

and they still havnt told us why was he in a hurry that he needed to have his sirens and lights on (wich is a waste of money to begin with to give to a councilman)

all clowns

Posted on: 2015/3/16 20:05

Censorship is for pussies!!!!

ProdigalSon

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Quote:

Christine wrote:
Question:

Why does a councilman have a vehicle with emergency lights and sirens?!

Am I missing something here in their job description?

I agree didn't they make a big stink 2 years ago about reducing the number of cars that pol's and employees had access to? And wasn't there some fancy software that tracked all this crap? Someone should look into this a little more.

Posted on: 2015/3/16 17:44

OneSkirt

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Vigilante wrote:
The real question is the chicken or egg one. Do we constantly elect booze-hounds or do these fools become booze-hounds after sitting on the council for a few months? Either way he should be booted as it's obvious that his decision making skills are terrible. Also, can someone please show the council-members how to download the Uber app?

FWIW, and in no way is this meant to condone drinking and driving - these elected officials are constantly bombared by/need to attend parties and fundraisers. Its part of the job description. There's booze at most, if not all of these events.

Again, not any kind of excuse. Just giving some context into how their schedules are allotted. There is a lot of pressure/understanding that they will attend many/most of these types events, often many in one evening.

Posted on: 2015/3/16 17:02

Christine

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Question:

Why does a councilman have a vehicle with emergency lights and sirens?!

Am I missing something here in their job description?

Posted on: 2015/3/16 16:09

Vigilante

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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The real question is the chicken or egg one. Do we constantly elect booze-hounds or do these fools become booze-hounds after sitting on the council for a few months? Either way he should be booted as it's obvious that his decision making skills are terrible. Also, can someone please show the council-members how to download the Uber app?

Posted on: 2015/3/16 14:37

JCMan8

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Quote:

caj11 wrote:
Quote:

HeightsBrat wrote:
Quote:

caj11 wrote:
Quote:

Yvonne wrote:
Years ago, Mariano Vega had an accident with a county car. It happened in upstate NY. It never made the local papers. The county just replaced the car.

Did Mariano have to pay for the damages? Did insurance cover at least some of it?

Presumably, if he was in upstate New York, he wasn't on official business.

Mariano had a place in upstate New York & it was not unusual for friends to be invited up for ski weekends. As for the insurance, the City is self insured, the County may very well be also.

Incidents like Chico's were commonplace only difference is that they were covered up.

It's one thing if the accident was out of state, that's easier to cover. Steve Lipski was arrested for drunk driving in Pennsylvania and he almost avoided it from getting in the papers here. But it's kind of hard to cover up an accident like this that occurred right in Jersey City.

I have a feeling that there are plenty of accidents, and worse, right here in Jersey City that routinely get covered up.

I think what did this guy in was smashing into a NYPD sergeant.

Posted on: 2015/3/16 13:32

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Quote:

HeightsBrat wrote:
Quote:

caj11 wrote:
Quote:

Yvonne wrote:
Years ago, Mariano Vega had an accident with a county car. It happened in upstate NY. It never made the local papers. The county just replaced the car.

Did Mariano have to pay for the damages? Did insurance cover at least some of it?

Presumably, if he was in upstate New York, he wasn't on official business.

Mariano had a place in upstate New York & it was not unusual for friends to be invited up for ski weekends. As for the insurance, the City is self insured, the County may very well be also.

Incidents like Chico's were commonplace only difference is that they were covered up.

It's one thing if the accident was out of state, that's easier to cover. Steve Lipski was arrested for drunk driving in Pennsylvania and he almost avoided it from getting in the papers here. But it's kind of hard to cover up an accident like this that occurred right in Jersey City.

Posted on: 2015/3/16 12:21

HeightsBrat

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Quote:

caj11 wrote:
Quote:

Yvonne wrote:
Years ago, Mariano Vega had an accident with a county car. It happened in upstate NY. It never made the local papers. The county just replaced the car.

Did Mariano have to pay for the damages? Did insurance cover at least some of it?

Presumably, if he was in upstate New York, he wasn't on official business.

Mariano had a place in upstate New York & it was not unusual for friends to be invited up for ski weekends. As for the insurance, the City is self insured, the County may very well be also.

Incidents like Chico's were commonplace only difference is that they were covered up. They crucified Sandra Cunningham for what was clearly a set-up several years back & she was not involved in any accident.

Posted on: 2015/3/16 11:22

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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Yvonne wrote:
I don't know those details, but I understand it was a serious accident. Vega has or had a property in upstate NY. This was more than 10 years ago. If Vega was not caught in the Big Rid sting, he would have run for mayor. So I doubt the county would ask him to pay.

It's good to hear about this Yvonne, but what does his running for mayor or being caught in that FBI sting have to do with his liability for the car?

Posted on: 2015/3/16 5:13

Re: JC councilman charged with drunken driving after three-car collision

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I don't know those details, but I understand it was a serious accident. Vega has or had a property in upstate NY. This was more than 10 years ago. If Vega was not caught in the Big Rid sting, he would have run for mayor. So I doubt the county would ask him to pay.

Posted on: 2015/3/16 3:36