Quote:

Sheesh, that didn't take long.

But, I am sure there is a reasonable explanation. Why would the Van Vorst Community Association have their collective knickers in a twist over several thousand more people flooding into Liberty Harbor North. They are prolly just complaining about nothing. Never mind about this, Dan.

And, I also don't understand why people would be upset that Healy campaign contributors get to flip properties at taxpayer expense. Buncha whiners.

Don't worry about this one either. This is how it will work in the new (old) JC.

Otis, I know Dan and I know Jersey City politics, and this stinks.

I like Dan and I think he has sincerely tried to help improve things downtown. Dan has shown up for a lot of things that I agree with him on.

But, I will not be supporting him.

Although Dan is a BIG step up from the last person Healy backed for Ward E (Guy Catrillo), we do not need any more Healy associates in city hall.

This is a very cynical ploy by Healy to divide downtown and I am sad that Dan agreed to play along (but truly, actions speak louder than words). I understand that Dan wants to continue to help improve Jersey City. I hope this will continue to be as an un-elected community organizer.

The Healy team is counting on people being disgusted with politics and not showing up at the polls. Let's prove them wrong.

Quote:

Written by someone who has not seen the film.

The children participated in the documentary by interviewing area citizens and local politicians, and were thoughtful and honest as they sought to find solutions. And, creating this film directly addressed the need of giving the kids "something to do."

Unlike well-to-do neighborhoods where there is soccer practice to go to, dance and music lessons, and activities of all kinds, there is much less of this sort of thing in Greenville. Where other areas have after-school programs, places to play and things to do, in Greenville it is challenge just to get home from school without getting into trouble -- much less have any fun.

So, yes, the statement "there's nothing for kids to do" is an honest sentiment of Greenville children, whether you like it or not.

My impression is that they want a better life for themselves, but are up against some serious issues that they didn't create, like crime, poverty, and plenty of adults who should be setting a better example.

In fact, after the screening, one child took local community parents to task for not being strict enough in keeping kids off of the corners, littering, and showing respect (there was an audible gasp in the crowd as this young girl spoke truth).

The documentary traced the changes to Jackson Avenue (now MLK Blvd) over many decades. Not always a pretty picture, but ultimately hopeful and life affirming.

But, you would know better.

NY Times - Opinionator


"I thought I would love walking home from work, but instead I missed that breath of fresh river air I used to catch coming out of the PATH station in Jersey City at the end of the day, the sense that the city was, at last, at arm?s length. I cried at night, missing our bed. I cried in a bodega, missing our Korean grocer. I went to a different restaurant every night, and waited an hour for a table, and left unsatisfied.

My 31st birthday was coming, and with it, the expiration date on my New York driver?s license. But, exhausted by the city and the effort it took to feel at home there, I kept putting off getting a new one. Finally, one Saturday morning in September, I got on the PATH train and rode it into New Jersey, out past Grove Street, where he still had our apartment, and was waiting for me with the patience you possess when you know where you?re from and where you belong. I stayed on the train all the way to Journal Square, and there I got in line at the D.M.V."

As Colleen put it... it is time to stop feeding the troll (as tempting as it may be, and I am as guilty of this as anyone).

So, let him blather away and let's just ignore him. This is sure to drive him crazy.

-M

Some of us have been around a long time, and we have seen many a dirty trick used before. So this is not original (and is borderline boring). And, we have seen "new" people show up all the time to stir things up.

Any reasonable person knows that all the violations have happened under the Healy regime. We have seen Healy's buddies locked up by the truck load. No amount of buffoon-like posts can change this fact.

And, because people can see through the simple (dare I say "child like") transparent lies and slimy tactics, every shoddy underhanded trick is actually helping to bring about change.

So -- good work and keep it up!

Dan cleared it up for me: He is talking to the Healy folks, but their ticket has not yet been officially announced.

So, he is being upfront in saying that he is talking with Healy. Guessing the announcment of the ticket will happen sometime in December.

I told Dan that I am happy that his voice will be part of the campaign, but that I am less-than-thrilled that it might be as part of the Healy team.

But a lot can happen in three months. So who knows how this will shake out.

Dan,

You note is not clear (to me). Are you or are you not running on the Healy ticket?

-M

It is getting dangerous to be a HCDO supporter/crony.

It is like musical chairs, and if you are the last person standing -- "go directly to JAIL, do not pass GO, do not collect $200 dollars."


Political "Hit Teams" sent to Jersey City to campaign for Healy

The list of people caught holding the bag keeps getting longer and longer. But, unfortunately, there is an even longer list of people still in place who have not been caught (yet).

The choice is simple:

Either continue with the inept, money grubbing, do nothing, corruption loving current administration.

Or, try something new. Easy, isn't it?

Some of us are not happy about the culture of corruption that has flourished under Healy. JCFREE, are you REALLY trying defend this? LOL, what a joke.

?Leona Beldini, 74, of Jersey City, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Deputy Mayor of Jersey City)

? Joseph Cardwell, 68, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with agreeing to offer bribe to public official (Longtime political consultant and a commissioner of the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority)

? Joseph Castagna, 53, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Health Officer with the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services)

? Guy Catrillo, 54, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with attempted extortion under color of official right (Recent Jersey City Ward E City Council candidate; Jersey City planning aide; member of the Mayor?s Action Bureau)

? Edward Cheatam, 61, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right & attempted extortion (Former Vice President of the Jersey City Board of Education; affirmative action officer for Hudson County, Jersey City Housing Authority commissioner)

? Maher A. Khalil, 39, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right & attempted extortion (Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services deputy director; former member of the Jersey City Zoning Board of Adjustment)

? James P. ?Jimmy? King, 67, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Former Jersey City Ward C City Council candidate; former head of the Jersey City Parking Authority)

? Lori Serrano, 37, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Former Jersey City At-Large City Council candidate; former chair of the Jersey City Housing Authority)

? Jack Shaw, 61, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Political Consultant)

? Mariano Vega, 59, of Jersey City, NJ, charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right (Jersey City Council President; director of the Hudson County Department of Parks, Engineering and Planning)

The "affordable housing" thing has nothing to do with city policy. It was the outcome of years of negotiating after 111 First Street (the mecca of the Jersey City arts scene) was demolished. At the time the building was being demolished, Healy pledged to perserve the area as a center for the arts. Of course, he did not keep his pledge. And, rather than stand up to a greedy developer, the City caved and accepted a few measly units. The original pledge was to make available affordable units for career artists who were ousted from the old building. This morphed to "affordable housing."

But this is way off topic. The thread is about a slimy comment made by a Healy surrrogate. Since the Healy camp can't refute years of rampant corruption, they will resort to anything to hold on to their multiple jobs and pensions. They don't like anyone holding up a mirror and stating the obvious.

Unfortunately, Jersey City has a sad history of allowing these clowns to stay in office. But, with a genius spokeman like Sean Connors leading the charge, perhaps this will change.

"Fixing the streets" is not a Republican or Democratic issue.

Trying to inject the Democratic convention into the local discussion is simply TROLL work. But, I see that the slime machine is getting into full gear.

Although the post was meant to slam Fulop and JCFree is doing some very nice TROLL work, it does provide an opportunity to discuss what is really important.

At the city/municipal level, government should concern itself with such items as repairing the streets and keeping them clean, dealing with crime/ keeping the streets safe, keeping taxes low, and otherwise making life for citizens as good as possible. These are not really partisan (Republican/Democrat) issues, but are straight forward "good government" issues.

Yes, Hudson County is predominantly Democrat, and yes it would be good to marshall as much good will as possible with the national Democratic organisation, but this is not critical. What is important is that at the local level we get good people elected and to rid City Hall of the crooks.

So, JCFREE, keep trolling and I will keep pointing out that many of Mayor Healy's Deputy Mayors have ended up in handcuffs and that current Deputy Mayor Kabili Tayari (who has also worn handcuffs) is a disgrace and recently proved it again, but Healy refuses to fire him and will keep him and all his buddies (including you, I suspect) on the payroll until the bitter end.

Zeppelin Bier Garden, perhaps?

"Dan Levin and Esther Wintner are anything but blind partisans."


JCFREE = Esther ?


Please deny it and keep this scintillating thread going.

I live uptown, but the same is happening to me. And, a local office in my neighborhood had a complete cessation of mail service for three days. The Post Office had no explanation...

Let's see if anyone else (from around the city) is experiencing issues.

I would say that overall the pro's outweigh the con's. One concern that has not been mentioned is traffic. Right at the intersection of Monty & Kennedy is a constant stream of traffic. I might be more concerned with that over other issues.

Other pro: close proximity to Lincoln Park.

I am totally comfortable walking around this area. As previously noted, use common sense and you will probably will want to avoid certain blocks, but no reason to be particularly fearful.

I should also mention the JCPD. They seem to be very active in this area (patroling, keeping the traffic/parking under control). And, having the firehouse at Bergen/Duncan also provides stability to the neighborhood.

PM me if you want specifics. Also, note to marymills: thanks for the helpful comment [NOT!]

-M

I would be inclined to A) at least wait and see who the board has actually picked, and B) give the new superintendent a week in the new job before slinging arrows (after all, Epps was allowed to run riot for 11 years).

It is easy to hide anonymously behind a keyboard and be critical. Much more difficult to actually work towards a solution.

Have you read to a child lately or done anything to help fix the schools. If not, shut yer trap.

-M

The City Council should tell Lloyd Goldman to take a hike.

Goldman is the one responsible for laying waste to the Arts district. The least the council should do is hold him to the previous agreement (which I believe was too little too late).

In the grand scheme of things, 25 affordable units won't amount to a bucket of spit. But, it is a matter of principle. By the way, they shouldn't just be 25 affordable units, but rather 25 units that are ear-marked for artists.

If Goldman doesn't want to honor his previous commitments, the City should just declare the sites abandoned, and move on.

Goldman doesn't care about Jersey City, it's citizens, and certainly not it's artists (one guess what he DOES care about).

But, let's see if the council does.

Any delay is a good delay. Liberty State Park will become Liberty State Parking Lot, when this auto bridge gets built.

Calm, quiet spots are disappearing fast.

We used to have a "great lawn" at LSP. There is now a (private) marina located on the site. Development all over LSP has been booming.

But, an updated pedestrian bridge would be nice.

Green spaces are important. Any thing we can collectively do to further delay an auto bridge is a good thing.

(Not from downtown).

Simple solution: when you see these, snap a quick photo and post here!

These shenanigans are disgusting and par for the course. Seriously, haven't we had enough? Fight the power.

JC Moms Hosts Meet And Greet With BoE Candidates Tonight

JC Moms will be hosting a Meet and Greet with all of the Board of Education candidates tonight, Tuesday, April 10th at 6:30PM at St. Matthews Church (85 Wayne Street). The candidates will be alloted 3 minutes to introduce themselves, followed by an opportunity to meet and mingle with constituents.

Come prepared by reading questionnaires completed by the candidates, which can be found as follows:

Jayson Burg
Vidya Gangadin
Amanda Khan
Gerald Lyons
Saneeta Ranade
Marilyn Roman

As a thank-you to St. Matthews for use of their space, please bring a non-perishable food item or monetary donation for the St. Matthews Food Pantry.

JC Mom would like to remind residents that Election Day is Tuesday, April 17th and polls are open from 7am to 9pm. Use ?Polling Place Search? from nj.gov to find your polling station.

JC Moms, stressing the importance of Board of Education elections, note the BoE oversees a $650 million budget (this is larger than the entire city budget), and has the power to set the policy and direction of the public school system for years to come. Unlike in recent years past, there are no incumbents running; so regardless of who you vote for, change is coming. Every vote matters.

Quote:

Good question! And here is the answer: rather than just pluck names out of a hat or dish out board seats as political favors, or cynically use the system, here is what Steve did:

* he created an autonomous committe to accept nominations of potential candidates (note: Fulop has NO SAY on the committe's decisions or nominations)

* the committee sifts through the lengthy applications to find dedicated community individuals

* the committee interviews the top candidates

* of these top candidates, the committee recommends the candidates for support (again, other than setting up the framework, Steve does not decide who the candidates will be. This is decided by the committee).

So, how does one get on the committee? Well, basically by being involved. If you are passionate about education, you can get your voice heard.

Here is a description of how this worked last year:


http://stevenfulop.com/news/steve-ful ... y-city-board-of-education

Hope this helps.

-M

Calling George Orwell...

If Healy can PROVE that FBI stats show that violent crime is down in Jersey City, I will BUY HIM A BEER.


-M

Quote:

I sometimes wonder why people even move to the city. This ain't the 'burbs and I have heard rumors that there are even television shows that portray the mean, gritty streets.

I tell ya what. I will meet you at the corner of Barrow and Jersey Avenue. You wear Kevlar, I will wear black (or, crazy me, red). You name the time. Midnight, 3 PM, whatever. ..

We will have us a nice little stroll down the street and I will introduce you to all the denizens.

Then, the next time you feel like walking down the street, you don't have to take a shortcut or be afraid. You can just walk down your street and if you recognize a regular, yell out... Hey, What Up Homie?

Exchange Place has gone from dangerous (1980's, early 90's), to boring/quiet, and now -- where people are living and socializing in the area.

From a historical perspective, the fact that people feel comfortable hanging out in Exchange Place is an improvement.

I agree that lax enforcement is a potential issue, but how about we give the bar and restaurant owners a break, and perhaps let the cops focus on real crime? It has been very tough to make a buck in the area (taxes, regulations, low foot traffic, etc).

In the grand scheme of things, this is not a big issue.

-M

This is a darn shame all around...

I just happened to stop by for some take out this weekend, and the young lady who took my order was delightful, the food was satisfying, and the experience was fine.

Yes, in the past service may have been brusk at times, but that is ancient history. I hope you, the owners of Taqueria, stay put and adopt a wait-and-see attitude. It would seem that many people like the place.

You have worked hard to build the business -- don't let a few stupid comments on a message board bring you down.

It looks like, for now, the properties are off the chopping block...

JERSEY JOURNAL

Sunday, July 17, 2011, 4:19 PM

Anxious Jersey City homeowners told their properties are being taken off eminent domain list


At a meeting at City Hall this afternoon, some 53 property owners in the McGinley Square area of Jersey City were told that their properties are coming off an eminent domain list.

The properties were placed on the list as part of the McGinley Square Redevelopment Plan, an city initiative that encompasses about four blocks, bordered roughly by Bergen Avenue on the west, Jordan Avenue on the East, Mercer Street to the north, and Storms Avenue to the south.

The plan is to create ground-floor commercial, retail, and restaurants in the area, and permit uses such as theaters and bowling alleys.

But many of the local homeowners were shocked when they received letters from the city earlier this month saying their homes might be seized by the city to bring about the makeover.

Today, many were relieved to find out their homes had been removed from the eminent domain list and the developer -- New York-based Corvus -- would have to negotiate with them individually to buy their properties.

"We don't have a problem with development itself, but we don't want to be threatened with eminent domain," said Donna Dequina, who owns a three-story building on Tuers Avenue.

Planning Director Robert Cotter ran today's meeting.

"I'm happy with the outcome (of the meeting)," said Ward E Councilman Steven Fulop, who represents some of the area. "It looks like they are going forward without a list of properties."



http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... rsey_city_homeowners.html

Holdon....

Actually, this vote showed that Sue is independent and votes based on her best judgment (at the time).

However, I think you will see that when of a majority of the BOE is comprised of individuals not beholden to the Epps administration that there will be more consensus, on a wide range of issues.

Right now, we need a team that can work together to effect change.