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Assuming you were responding to me:

1. I wasn't talking smack, so relax.

2. I don't disagree with you overall but i don't think that just riding on the hope and dream of change is enough. I'd like to continue to see progress made in Fulop's current ward. That's just me, but I do have a vote. And I want to be able to vote for someone I believe in, not just a less-sucky-option than the current administration.

3. I don't think the literal and figurative "cleaning up" are mutually exclusive.

4. I still think it's woefully ironic that there was a shooting just 4 blocks away from Fulop's fundraiser.

5. Stop settling for so little.

Well stated, AmyJCNJ. I could not agree with you more. Thanks.

There is only so much one councilman can do. Healy and his stooges just have much more power over the big picture. Maybe if we had someone as hard working as Steve in the seat things would really turn around. We need young, smart, fresh thinking people like him in office.
Has anyone seen the movie about Cory Booker trying to fight the Newark machine? I think it's very similar to what's going on in this town. Cory finally shook things up and things in Newark are changing, the crime rate is down.
Fight the power Steve!
As for downtown dealing with it's own issues... if he gets elected there will be a lot of shake up in city hall and chance for new "clean" candidates to fill open positions. Change does begin at home and it has to come from all of us, not just one city council rep chasing down all the different administrative offices. I've been in Jersey City for 13 years now and I know it can be really discouraging to deal with the city sometimes. When Steve showed I up I became more inspired and hopeful for our future. He's the only person I know that follows up with personal emails. Have you ever received a personal email from Healy or any of his people? So let's can the smack talk and try to focus on what we can all do to help clean up our own streets and help our government help us.

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I don't disagree. But change begins at home, as they say.

I'd like to see attention paid to the crack park on Wayne and the lack of garbage cans throughout the ward, just as two very topical examples.

The proper functioning, staffing and review of the police department is a citywide issue.

While there's a shoot out on Wayne Street, just blocks away.

Such lovely irony.

I am a Fulop supporter but we've got a long way to go cleaning up even the most obvious issues in our own ward before Team Fulop starts tackling the bigger city issues.

Fulop says he wants to be mayor, not an at-large council member

by Agustin C. Torres/The Jersey Journal
Tuesday September 15, 2009, 8:01 PM


Jersey City Downtown Councilman Steven Fulop entered the Zeppelin Hall Biergarten and Restaurant this evening at Liberty Harbor North for his $20 a head fundraising event and explained that he only has Mayor Jerramiah Healy's seat targeted, should Healy have to resign.

Yesterday, Fulop noted that there may be up to three elected positions up for grabs in near elections. Besides Healy's, there are the ones held by At Large Councilman Mariano Vega and Councilwoman Nidia Lopez. Vega is one of the 44 arrested in July in a massive corruption and money laundering investigation. Lopez is facing a lawsuit that challenges the results of the May Ward C race because she allegedly did not meet residency requirements.

Fulop said he would like to take part in an early election and that at minimum, one of three should become available. At the moment, Vega's seat is the most likely to come up for grabs since he faces a federal trial.

Today, the councilman said he was just elected to represent the Ward E residents and he does not want to give anyone the impression that he is abandoning them.

"In the end, an at-large is still only one vote," Fulop said. He would support a candidate. He would also support someone for Ward C, should Lopez have to resign.

The prize has always been becoming mayor. Healy has not been charged with any wrongdoing, but he is named in the federal complaints as "JC Official 4," and the mayor has acknowledged that he is that unnamed person.

"It could happen, you never know," said Fulop of Healy leaving office, "and I want to be prepared for such a possibility."

The biergarten is part of that plan by helping the councilman raise some campaign funds.