"Takes shots" at Healy = subtle drinking reference.

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OOps. Gotta correct the correction. My mistake in thinking the JJ wouldn't print so blanant an opinion as if it were a fact. You were quoting the Journal after all. I was wrong to think otherwise. Sorry Bryhove.

It is if you are not on the "team" and it's grandstanding to take on a legitimate issue, but not if you are wasting money on ridiculous gun ordinances and walking a woman into court to sue a tiny, non-profit animal rescue organization just to protect the really person at fault, one of your own.

Do i sound bitter?

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GP, i apologize for any misunderstanding, but I do not see the second part in the JJ article, online. Perhaps it was only in the print addition, but I did not remember seeing it there. Did i miss something? Probably...

This is why I was suprised that the second part of the byline was added. It seems very nasty. Wow, I really have a hard time with the JJ.

GP i am really grateful for you posting the news.

Althea

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I think the editorial page of the Journal (including the local columns; I'm not sure whether they're really "editorial page" or "op ed") seems to be very anti-Fulop and was also anti-Glenn Cunningham. It's hilarious to see Earl Morgan pretend as if he ever had a drop of respect for Cunningham.

What's sad about that is that the Newhouses (the people who own the company that owns the Journal) are members of a great family who probably would love to see Jersey City become a clean, prosperous, well-educated, newspaper-reading community. When the editorial page of the Journal sides with the corrupt people and the sticks-in-the-mud, maybe they're helping the ad people sell one more display ad to Del Forno today, but they're advancing the date when the Journal will become a weekly supplement to the Star-Ledger. If, on the other hand, the Jersey Journal really courted downtown residents, and helped us understand where we live and what we can do to make this city a better, stronger, happier place to live for all of its residents, and it really supported reform efforts, then Jersey City would be by far the strongest economic force in the state, and the Jersey Journal would have a much stronger position in the Advance Publications family.

This does it for Healy, you can now run Hitler or Stalin against him and either one will garner more voes than Healy. Way to go Jerry! Keep going to those ball games and continue to neglect the city. Who the heck is your advisor? He should be fired. The words Nero, Fiddle, Rome, Burn, mean anything to you?

You have to give Chief 'fat-ass' Comey credit - he does go to a number of community meetings, but I don't understand why Mayor 'fat-ass' Healy doesn't give Chief fat-ass money to spead on recruiting and training.

Chief fat-ass makes it quite clear he needs more officers - siht, I'd be happy with bdlaw running around out there.

Hey Mayor fat-ass, don't be a siht-head and hand over some money!

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Oh. Glad you're there to correct me, BINKY!

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Actually, I think you're quoting Grovepath. As stated earlier in the thread, that wasn't the JJ title. No mention of "pot shots" in the article.
You didn't read it, I guess - just quoted it.

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Hey - I'm just quoting the papers.

Interesting.

So legitimate criticism of public figures is now "potshots".

OK.

There was another glaring no-show : the Guardian Angels.

Maybe we should take "potshots" at them too.

Residents question police in the Heights
Over 150 attend public safety rally and discuss Civilian Review Board

Ricardo Kaulessar -- Hudson Reporter -- 03/09

Over 150 people were in attendance at a church on Bowers Street in Jersey City Heights on Wednesday night to ask questions of Jersey City Police Chief Thomas Comey and other top police brass.

It was officially advertised by community groups in that neighborhood as a "citywide public safety rally" with the slogan "High Taxes, High Crime. Where's the Protection?"

Various community groups based in the Heights section of the city and nearby sections helped organize the rally to deal with two key issues - the operation of the Jersey City Police Department, and the proposed creation of a Jersey City Civilian Review Board to oversee how police carry out their duties.

However, there was a glaring no-show among the invited guests - Mayor Jerramiah Healy.

It was announced before the meeting began that Healy had opted instead to attend a championship basketball game between Jersey City high school powerhouse St. Anthony and St. Patrick's of Elizabeth (which St. Anthony's lost). Healy received in absentia criticism from various residents about his choice.

Also in attendance included several City Council members, Hudson County Freeholder Jeffrey Dublin, and Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio.

Chief on police efforts

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Comey said Wednesday night that he "had no problem bearing responsibility" for the problem of crime in the city, and he could address the issue without the mayor being present.

Comey opened the meeting by pointing out that Jersey City, which he sees as the fastest-growing city in the state, has "400 less police officers" than in Newark. Jersey City has 897 police officers currently on the force.

But he said despite that limitation, crime is on the decrease.

"I can tell you outright as a police agency, we are bucking the national trend," said Comey. "We are going down, and perhaps it is perception, in all major elements of crime."

Comey said the police department recovered 32 percent more handguns in 2006 than in 2005. After the meeting, Police Capt. Hugh Donaghue showed statistics put together for district commanders that showed precipitous decreases in domestic burglaries and rape.

Comey also cited his efforts in making the police more proactive and working more closely with the community.

"When I became chief, I said I had to do two things - I had to improve the quality of life and decrease crime, they go hand and hand - and I had to narrow the gap with the community," said Comey. "We have now become throughout this city a major influence in every block association we can get into."

Comey added, "But apparently that message, if you are all here, isn't strong enough."

Community wants answers

But that is not always enough. Last year, 47-year old Fidelina Claros was murdered inside the G&P Deli that she owned on the corner of Ferry Street and Webster Avenue in the Heights. That unsolved murder along with other violent incidents across the city played a role in bringing about the rally.

At Wednesday's meeting, several audience members, some of whom represented block associations, were chosen ahead of time by the organizers of the rally to pose questions to the city's police.

Vincent McNamara of the Heights Hope Neighborhood Association inquired as to why there is overtime spent on current police personnel when the money can be spent on hiring new police officers.

Police Director Samuel Jefferson said he would love to see "1,150 cops" like when he joined the police force over 30 years ago. He also encouraged those in attendance to help the police in hiring more officers by contacting state and federal legislators.

"We need some letter writing from all of you people out there that we need more policing so that the tax [rate] won't go up here," said Jefferson.

George Semier, who resides a few blocks from the Abundant Joy Community Church, cited occasions where there were kids in a group hanging out late on his block and he saw various police cars passing by without the cars telling them to disperse.

"We understand that they may have other things to do, but if they are not racing somewhere with sirens on, does it really take that much energy to stop their patrol car, roll down the window, and interact with the community, and say 'Hey what are you guys doing, go home?' " asked Semier.

Comey defended that by saying how a police car passing by kids on Semier's block may be going to a more active crime area of the city, and that the police would have to know from the community "if it is not acceptable" that kids hang out on a specific block.

That soon led to a contentious dialogue between the two men that continued outside the church after the meeting.

Comey also promised Semier he would personally look into the matter of police not being responsive to complaints from Semier's neighborhood.

Rosalyn Browne of the Communipaw Avenue Block Association asked several questions including one about the creation of the civilian review board.

Comey responded, "I would like you to cite me, if you can one instance where [review board] worked... we have found from law enforcement that you are creating another political bureaucracy."

Other issues raised by the chosen speakers pertained to police officers including the chiefs staying in their positions for a sufficient period of time, getting more closed circuit security cameras in the city, the training of police operators, and taking politics out of the police force.

Feeling 'disrespected'

Heights resident Ann Marie Castrovinci, a recent homeowner, said she was hoping to see "more resolution" at the meeting as far as whom the community can go to for helping them deal with crime.

"I commend the police in the North District in that they respond immediately to any 911 calls, but there is still concern about walking home at night," said Castrovinci.

Castrovinci said she felt "disrespected" by Healy not showing up.

"There are working people who came to this meeting looking for answers from him, some of whom voted for him," said Castrovinci.

City spokesperson Stan Eason defended the mayor's decision to attend the St. Anthony's basketball game, saying the lead organizer of the rally, Michael Yun, president of the Central Avenue Special Improvement District (S.I.D.), knew well in advance that the mayor would not attend.

The meeting was originally scheduled for Feb. 20 but that was when Mayor Healy held his State of the City Address, so it was rescheduled by the rally's organizers to Wednesday's date.

"This rally was an orchestrated ambush," said Eason. "It was out and out deception and [Yun] knew that the mayor would not be attending."

Eason also scolded Yun for not mentioning during the meeting that there were four members of the Mayor's Action Bureau on hand to address any complaints that would have been pointed toward Healy.

He complained that Yun had an "agenda" to make Healy look bad.

The Jersey City Pride Committee, an organization chaired by Yun and other business owners and residents in the Heights, struck back at Eason's comments in an e-mail.

"After having rescheduled the rally from its original date of Feb. 20, the mayor's office confirmed his attendance to the rally scheduled for March 7," said the e-mail. "Like everyone else in the room, Yun did NOT realize the mayor would be absent until Chief Comey made an announcement five minutes after the meeting was scheduled to start."

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com

Althea

As I have said before -- I like Fulop! The title was just taken from the first sentence of the Journal -- did you read the article? The tone is not my bias.

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I love the additional title to the JJ article that GP lovingly added. No bias there.

Althea

i had told a lot of people about the original date and made plans to be there with some neighbors, but then the mayor double booked. I had work commitments on wednesday so i wasn't able to attend, but its unnacceptable that he was the reason it was moved in the first place and then didn't even bother to show.

Mouse and Grovepath

I agree with you about St Anthony?s but I respectfully disagree with regard to this situation and feel strongly about it.

This meeting was not a regular community meeting by any means, it was one that was scheduled two months ago and posted on this site several times to address the crime issue and quality of life issues throughout the city. It was a group meeting of several organized communities citywide planned around the mayor's calendar.

The meeting format decided by this group was to invite all the city council to attend but it was supposed to be a dialog with the Mayor, Police Chief, and Director. This meeting was planned nearly two months ago around the mayor?s calendar but then, the Mayor?s office scheduled the State of the City address on the same day. This group then moved it to this past Wednesday evening with the commitment that the Mayor would attend (as he was obviously the focal point).

Those who frequently attend community meetings can attest to a 150 person community meeting is not common and it occurs when there is a set agenda to be discussed that is of concern.

I am not saying that the basketball game is not important but if you compare the two meetings, one meeting is a commitment the other is an option, one meeting is focused around one person?s attendance and the other meeting is not, one deals with crime the other deals with a basketball game for a successful program.

I stand by my comments about priorities.

One more point, in this article the city hall spokesman insinuates it was some type of ?ambush?. If you think about how ridiculous that comment is in earnest .. Could all these community groups in the city and the five elected officials who attended now be involved in this plot because we knew the Mayor would decide to attend the game? That is so silly and laughable that I couldn;t help but think it is the conspiracy theory worthy of another board.

Steven Fulop

If I were mayor, I woulda gone to the St. Anthony's game too.

(Faithful readers of the "Mouse" know this may be something of a first -- defending the Mayor. But, in this instance we should cut him a break. This is pure BS).

St. Anthony's basketball program is awesome and something Jersey City should rightfully be proud of. Coach Hurley is a treasure.

Too bad they got beaten.


-M

Does Michael Yun own a Chinese restuarant?

Being desensitized to crime with lower expectations to crime control, have changed in the past 5 years with the influx of new residents with different values and socioeconomic means, who have made the move and investment into the downtown area. Stupid comment from Comey I think.

Heights residents call foul on absent Healy

Friday, March 09, 2007
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A neighborhood meeting about crime in the Jersey City Heights took on a pointedly political tone, with residents and one elected official taking shots at Mayor Jerramiah Healy for skipping the gathering in favor of the St. Anthony High School basketball championship game.

"The guy needs to reassess his priorities," said Councilman Steve Fulop, who attended the meeting with county Freeholder Jeff Dublin and Councilmen Bill Gaughan, Peter Brennan and Steve Lipski.

"After a 19 percent tax increase last year, the least (Healy) can do is listen to the community's concerns. It was insulting to residents, and a slap in their faces," Fulop said.

But Stan Eason, a spokesman for Jersey City, said the mayor attends many community meetings, but not all of them. And he also noted that top law enforcement personnel - including Police Chief Tom Comey, Police Director Sam Jefferson and Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio - did attend the meeting to answer questions from the public, as did members of the Mayor's Action Bureau.

The event was organized by Heights businessman Michael Yun, who called attention to the mayor's absence by telling the crowd they would delay starting on the hope Healy would show up - even though it was widely known by then that he wasn't coming.

Numerous speakers noted Healy's absence - one woman calling it "insulting" - and some dramatized it by directing questions to Healy anyway.

Eason said Healy went to the non-Public B state basketball championship, where Jersey City's St. Anthony High lost to St. Patrick's of Elizabeth.

"It's not a question of which event was more important," Eason said. "People talk about all the ills of our youth, and here the mayor had an opportunity to support the city's youth in what is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them."

Eason also blasted the event as a "malicious . orchestrated ambush."

"The fact that the organizer (Yun) continued to intentionally mislead the audience - saying 'let's give the mayor another 15 minutes,' with the full knowledge that the mayor wasn't going to be there, and the fact that he refused to announce that four members of the Mayor's Action Bureau were there, to falsely show that the mayor had no consideration about the event, shows that he had a predetermined outset, not to gather information, but to make it an antagonistic setup."

At the meeting, Comey said statistics show incidents of most types of crime have dropped in the past six months, and residents are safer now than at any time in the past five years.