'Lack of jobs' march takes issue to City Hall
Friday, August 31, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Cranes, skyscrapers, scaffolds are everywhere in Downtown Jersey City.

Yet local residents can't find work, according to a band of about 15 protesters who yesterday hoofed it more than 2 miles to City Hall from a seniors center on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to dramatize their point.

"You have these developments going on and no jobs," said Trena Hill, the key organizer of yesterday's march. "People need to wake up and see what's going on."

Hill is particularly peeved about the city's recently enacted "apprentice" program, which encourages large developments to hire at least 20 percent of its workforce from Jersey City residents. According to Hill, people without valid driver's licenses and those with criminal records are being rejected from the program.

That's not true, said city spokesman Stan H. Eason, noting 22 people have already signed on board.

"We are categorically accepting all applications," Eason said. "We already have people that had problems with their driver's license and we have already assisted them."

As for persons with criminal records, Eason said, "We've sought people from those circumstances, because we believe in second-chance opportunities. No one has been rejected."

Dan Levin, head of the community group CivicJC.org, participated in the march. Levin said his group supported a "pay-to-play" bill sponsored by Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop because the public is now "overwhelmed" by the "financing" developers give local political campaigns. The bill was voted down.

Toting signs that included "Show Us The Jobs" and "Developers Dictate Policy," the group chanted "Vote Them Out" at several points during its City Hall rally, referring to local elected officials.