Current Show - Meet 4 of the 11 candidates running for the JC Board of Ed...... The election is Tuesday, April 17th. The polls are open from 2Pm to 9PM...
Meet Jenny Garcia, Jenny Campbell, Gerald McCann and the incumbent Angel Valentin. Judge for yourself... It's a sad lot we have to choose from and it was painfully obvious during the show. Jerry McCann was by far the most knowledgeable and could discuss the finances which is a huge issue.
The budget went from $184.5 Million in 1989 with 27,727 students at a cost of $6,652/student. At that time the JC taxpayers paid 40% of the budget.
The proposed 2007 budget is $633 million for 29,683 public students, 3,313 charter school students, and 5,590 employees.... My math comes up with $20,208/public school student. Charter schools spend less.... The JC taxpayers pay about 18% of the budget but there's real pressure to have Trenton cut aid which they have. The suburbs are squawking over the massive spending spree over the years with not much to show for it all...The number of teachers, aides as well as administrators is high. The OT is insane...
The show has been revised with updated financial info and that version will be streaming off the website soon, http://www.talkingpolitics.net. 36 other shows are also streaming.

Show Schedules:
Jersey City - Comcast's public access Channel 51

Mondays at 9:30 PM
Wednesdays at 8:30 PM
Thursdays at 7:30 PM

Hoboken, North Bergen, Weehawken and Union City - Cablevision's public access Channel 19-
Thursdays at 9:30 PM
Saturdays at 8 PM

Current Show - Downtown/Newport JC Traffic / Transit Study ........
This is a 29 minute show of a 3+ hour public meeting held on March 1st. This was the 3rd public meeting with Vollmer Associates and the city's Planning Department. Once again the Jersey Avenue highway extension was a hot issue. The next public meeting is scheduled for April 25th when the consultants will present their final recommendations.
If the wrong options are selected, this "Circulation Study" could have a devastating impact on downtown traffic, air quality, pedestrian and mass transit safety as more cars are routed through our neighborhoods. Many of these will be commuter cars and suburbanites who fail to use mass transit and see our neighborhoods as another BQE to the waterfront or Holland Tunnel. This show is streaming off our website, http://www.talkingpolitics.net as are 35 other shows.

Show Schedules:
Jersey City - Comcast's public access Channel 51

Mondays at 9:30 PM
Wednesdays at 8:30 PM
Thursdays at 7:30 PM

Hoboken, North Bergen, Weehawken and Union City - Cablevision's public access Channel 19-
Thursdays at 9:30 PM
Saturdays at 8 PM

Current Show - Hudson County's Count of the Homeless on January 25th. Meet some of the folks involved with helping the homeless whether through the County or private shelters.
Come with us as Bob DuVal, TP's camera man, Tom Harrigan from PERC, a private emergency shelter, and I meet some of the homeless who live under the viaduct in Union City. Hear their stories. Get the insights on one of three private emergency shelters in HC as I talk to the Director of PERC in Union City. Many of those living in these shelters are the working poor, the minimum wage earners.

This show, and 34 others, are streaming off our website.

Show Schedules:
Jersey City - Comcast's public access Channel 51 -

Mondays at 9:30 PM
Wednesdays at 8:30 PM
Thursdays at 7:30 PM

Hoboken, North Bergen, Weehawken and Union City - Cablevision's public access Channel 19-
Thursdays at 9:30 PM
Saturdays at 8 PM

Quote:

Mia caught this show a while back. I agree lots of good info. Good work.

Current Show - Liberty Humane Society Animal Shelter...
Meet the folks at the Liberty Humane Shelter, which has a contract with the City of Jersey City to manage the shelter. Hear about their expansion program which is in progress, volunteer or attend their future fundraisers.
Meet Niki Dawson, the shelter manager and find out about the workings of the animal shelter. Vivian Higgins & Diane Ormrod discuss the shelter's finances, programs and fundraising events.
This show, and 33 others, are streaming off our website.

Show Schedules:
Jersey City - Comcast's public access Channel 51 -

Mondays at 9:30 PM
Wednesdays at 8:30 PM
Thursdays at 7:30 PM

Hoboken, North Bergen, Weehawken and Union City - Cablevision's public access Channel 19-
Thursdays at 9:30 PM
Saturdays at 8 PM

Current Show - former Hoboken resident- Human Shield In Iraq ............ Meet Judith Karpova, former Hoboken resident, and her attorney, Michael Sussman, discuss Judith's experience as a Human Shield in Iraq in Feb 2003, prior to the start of the war.....
Judith, with hundreds of others from dozens of countries, travelled to Iraq to protest the war and be Human Shields. Hear about her experience and her current legal problems with the US Treasury/ State Department. Meet Michael Sussman, a prominent Harvard trained civil rights & constitutional law attorney. This case may be headed to the US Supreme Court.
This show, and 32 others, are streaming off our website.

Show Schedules:
Jersey City - Comcast's public access Channel 51 -
Mondays at 9:30 PM
Wednesdays at 8:30 PM
Thursdays at 7:30 PM

Hoboken, North Bergen, Weehawken and Union City - Cablevision's public access Channel 19-
Thursdays at 9:30 PM
Saturdays at 8 PM

Current Show - the How to Guide to the JC Municipal Court -
Meet Chief Judge Wanda Molina and Rebecca Mason, the JC Court Director...
33,000 traffic tickets are issued each month and you can be sure most come from the Downtown / Waterfront area!
Find out how to contest your traffic ticket and how to reschedule your appearance date to a convenient time & date
Find out how to negotiate points in a moving violation,i.e. speeding, running lights....
If you're a tenant, find out about Housing Court and how it works. Lots of valuable info regarding the various courts. This show will be streaming off our website soon.

Show Schedules:
Jersey City - Comcast's public access Channel 51 -
Mondays at 9:30 PM
Wednesdays at 8:30 PM
Thursdays at 7:30 PM

Hoboken, North Bergen, Weehawken and Union City - Cablevision's public access Channel 19-
Thursdays at 9:30 PM
Saturdays at 8 PM

Our latest show: PJP land fill controversy: ballfields vs warehouse.... If you missed the 8/10th meeting between the Lincoln Park / Communipaw Ave area residents & the Mayor with AMB, the developers, watch this show. It's streaming off our website, Talking Politics. Hear for yourself what everyone has to say...
This show broadcasts thru Sept 18th in Jersey City.
Show Schedules:
Jersey City - Comcast's public access Channel 51 -
Mondays at 9:30pm
Wednesdays at 8:30pm
Thursdays at 7:30pm

Our current show broadcasting thru August 28th in Jersey City is ....
Conversations with Hoboken residents regarding the city's take-over of St Mary's Hospital, now Hoboken Medical Center. Interesting stats from one of the guests. Will this be another noose around the Hoboken taxpayers' neck? Decide for yourself.....

Show Schedules:
Jersey City - Comcast's public access Channel 51 -
Mondays at 9:30pm
Wednesdays at 8:30pm
Thursdays at 7:30pm

In the Hoboken network through August 20th: Find out about the Guardian Angels and the work of neighborhood watch groups. Then listen and meet some of the Latin Kings members who live in DT JC... The converastion got somewhat absurd but Bob DuVal & I are still alive to tell about it!

The last third of the show features the 6/28th JC CCouncil vote to unlock the gates to Reservoir 3.. Check out the Jersey City Reservoir Preservation Alliance's (JCRPA) website listing for future events at the reservoir. The city had padlocked the gates to stop the JCRPA from conducting tours, fishing and other passive activities there but now they're back...

The show is streaming off our website.
JC Guardian Angels + Reservoir 3 update

Hoboken, North Bergen, Weehawken and Union City - Cablevision's public access Channel 19-
Thursdays at 9:30pm
Saturdays at 8pm

37 of our shows stream off our Talking Politics website.
High speed internet access required to view.

Check out some of our recently broadcasted shows....

Mia Scanga
Exec Producer
TalkingPolitics@comcast.net

This last one was actually pretty interesting. Made me want to reach through my monitor and smack that retard from the Latin Kings.

"People don't see the good work we do." ... riiiiight.

Guardian Angels + Reservoir 3 "gates opened"
Meet the Guardian Angels in Jersey City with an unexpected visit by the Latin Kings... It's an interesting conversation ...
Part 2 is the 6/28th vote by the JC City Council in favor of finally opening the gates to Reservoir 3. The activists won!

Show Schedules:
Jersey City - Comcast's public access Channel 51 -
Mondays at 9:30 PM
Wednesdays at 8:30 PM
Thursdays at 7:30 PM

Hoboken, North Bergen, Weehawken and Union City - Cablevision's public access Channel 19-
Thursdays at 9:30 PM
Saturdays at 8 PM
Bob Duval interviews various Hoboken residents regarding the city taking over St Mary's Hospital. see our website Talking Politics on various St Mary's articles that you may have missed...

****************************************
Find out about the Guardian Angels and the work of neighborhood watch groups. Then listen and meet some of the Latin Kings members who live on Wayne Street... The converastion got somewhat absurd but Bob DuVal & I are still alive to tell about it!

Check out the Jersey City Reservoir Preservation Alliance's (JCRPA) website listing for future events at the reservoir. The city had padlocked the gates to stop the JCRPA from conducting tours, fishing and other passive activities there but now they're back...

The show is streaming off our website.
JC Guardian Angels + Reservoir 3 update

37 shows stream off our site.....

Mia Scanga
Executive Producer

Our current show broadcasting thru June 8th....

Conversations with Bill DeRosa and Tony Cucci, reelected commissioners of the JC Board of Ed.... We discuss lots of issues: the cut in state aid and the resulting increase in our property taxes to come, the Stop & Shop vs school controversy in the Heights, the Early Childhood Development Centers for the 3 & 4 year olds and the Supv of Schools Charlie Epps "Londongate" controversy......

This show is streaming off our website......

Show Schedules:
Jersey City - Comcast's public access Channel 51 -
Mondays at 9:30pm
Wednesdays at 8:30pm
Thursdays at 7:30pm

Hoboken, North Bergen, Weehawken and Union City - Cablevision's public access Channel 19-
Thursdays at 9:30pm
Saturdays at 8pm

35of our shows stream off our Talking Politics website.
High speed internet access required to view.

Check out some of our recently broadcasted shows....

Mia Scanga
Exec Producer
TalkingPolitics@comcast.net

Controversy over the closing of St Mary's Hospital in Hoboken

Interview with Abbie Jacobs, M.D., Director of Family Medicine. Dr. Jacobs says that Bon Secours is willing to give the hospital to UMDNJ at no cost. In addition, there're interviews with politicians and locals at the rally to save St. Mary's Hospital.

This show started Wednesday, April 19th in Jersey City and broadcasts through May 8th...

Show Schedules:
Jersey City - Comcast's public access Channel 51 -
Mondays at 9:30pm
Wednesdays at 8:30pm
Thursdays at 7:30pm

Hoboken, North Bergen, Weehawken and Union City - Cablevision's public access Channel 19-
Thursdays at 9:30pm
Saturdays at 8pm

It'll stream off the web soon.
33 of our shows stream off our Talking Politics website. High speed internet access required to view.

Check out some of our recently broadcasted shows....

Mia Scanga
Exec Producer
TalkingPolitics@comcast.net

Latest show which will air thru 4/19th:

Appellate court's decision reversing the lower court's decision favoring the Lefrak Organization's defamation lawsuit against a Newport tenant, Eleanor Capogrosso. This is followed by a discussion of NJ legislation needed against SLAPP (defamation) lawsuits. Guests: Eleanor Capogrosso & Assemblyman Lou Manzo.

Eleanor discusses her battle for heat in her apt at the Easthampton and the denial of due process by the Hudson County courts..... She represented herself, pro se, in the Appellate decision & they ruled in her favor & wrote a 20 page opinion which is published! Major win for her and all tenants in NJ.

JC inclu Newport - Channel 51 - Mondays at 9:30pm, Wednesdays at 8:30pm and Thursdays at 7:30pm

33 of our shows stream off our website.....Talking Politics


Hoboken, Union City, North Bergen & Weehawkin - Thursdays at 9:30PM and Saturdays at 8PM - Channel 19

Mia Scanga
Producer
TalkingPolitics@comcast.net

Latest Talking Politics TV show
The current Talking Politics TV show is the ?January 18th public hearing on Jersey City FYE 2006 budget.? The fiscal year ends June 30th so we?re over half way thru the year and $$$. It's interesting to listen to the "lame" explanations for 20-65% increases in departmental salary budgets for this year. More people?.. more patronage? your taxes wasted... The result so far has been a 14% tax increase, JCMUA water & sewer increases and the proposed bond refinancing that would have cost the taxpayers $139 MILLION in additional interest costs. The state's Division of Local Govt Services rejected that refinancing proposal but on Wed. approved a new refinancing that?ll cost the taxpayers $90 million in additional interest costs. It's absurd.... many of the bonds have been refinanced so many times; they've lost their tax-exempt status. This show runs thru March 13th and airs on Channel 51, Mondays at 9:30pm, Wednesdays at 8:30pm and Thursdays at 7:30pm or watch it on thw web any time, any place.

Unfortunately the audio wasn?t great at City Hall. Pasted below is my recently published letter to the editor on the city?s budget.?

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Once again the public turn-out at the city?s budget meeting was disappointing but then again in the 15+ or so years I?ve attended it?s never been scheduled for 5pm. Even the City Council President Mariano Vega didn?t make it. Wasn?t he quoted in the JJ as looking for suggestions from the public? Is the Healy administration sending a message? Too many public meetings now begin at 5pm while people are still at work!

You?ve got to have a job to pay the 14% tax increase in the February 2006 quarterly bill. At the public meeting I didn?t get the impression that the Council really scrutinized the budget. How can they raise taxes and allow salary expense increases of this magnitude. Examples of departmental salary increases include ?Mayors Action Bureau? 35%; Mayor?s Office 32%, Office of the City Clerk 16%, Dept of Recreation-Director?s office 10%, Health & Human Services 13%, Architecture 17%, Cultural Affairs 35%, Fire 9%, NIDs? 59%, Traffic & Transportation 48% etc. The response I got on the 73% increase in the Administrator?s office salaries was the addition of messengers & security guards to that budget but to the tune of almost $800,000? Distressed companies cut salaries not go hog wild like the Healy administration.

As for the revenue side, I see buildings with people living in them like 140 Bay Street, which got a tax abatement in Feb 2003 has ZERO taxes budgeted for 2006 and ZERO dollars received in 2005. They?re condos. I never got a straight answer on that. As for the parking lot tax revenue it?s going down in 2006. It?s a $5.2 million line item and the city hasn?t audited them in the last 10-15 years. The reasoning given is most are computerized and they fill out the forms! Hello it?s a cash business. Most companies are computerized but also get audited. As for tax abatements, again the city never audits them but the salary budget for ?Abatement Management? is up 10%. My years of experience with that manager are he should be replaced not get a raise. It?s scary?

Then there?s the $6 million reduction in 2006 revenue from the JC MUA that the City Council accepted while the JC MUA raises our rates annually and the city adds hundreds of new housing and commercial units but the taxpayers don?t see a dime?.

As for the bond refinancing, it appears the additional cost to the taxpayers will be about $139 MILLION! It?s the same old gimmick, push off the principle bond payments to the next administration. Many of the bonds have been refinanced so many times they?ve lost their tax exempt status.

What about that early retirement the Healy administration had? Many of the same people have been rehired on an hourly basis. Now the same people collect 2 checks! What was the savings for the taxpayers?

Gov Corzine comes into office and starts cutting positions as he faces a state budget crisis. Mayor Healy comes in and adds his patronage on top of all the prior administrations. There is no shame anymore!


Mia Scanga
www.TalkingPolitics.net

Channel 51 - Mondays at 9:30pm, Wednesdays at 8:30pm and Thursdays at 7:30pm
31 of our shows stream off our website.....