Jerry Healy's greatest fear is the educated voter or as he calls them, "Interlopers." Let's show him and his cronies that they can't rely on another rubber-stamp vote where nepotism and greed is their only ally.

Make no mistake voters, for decades this city has been using back-door deals, nepotism and double-dipping relatives to fuel re-election campaigns. It's essentially the only avenue Jerry has to get re-elected and while these are nifty tricks to help bring people to the pols, albeit for the wrong reasons, there is a new and informed Jersey City voter who sees through it.

All the corruption that Jersey City recently went through under Jerry's watch, more and more new renters and home owners who care about the schools they are sending their children too and the horrible crime stats alone should snuff out this old way of playing Jersey City politics.

Much to Healy's chagrin, Jersey City is getting smarter and the smart vote is for Steven Fulop.

From what I can find the only reason Obama rubber stamped Jerry is because Jerry is for gun control.

Don't respond to WeBelongHere! 2 posts and they are only trying to instigate the posters here who have legit concerns about the direction our city is heading in.

My best guess is that WeBelongHere is a city employee that will be kicked to the curb once Fulop is in. Their name says it all.

Fulop, when you are sworn in as Mayor, please trim all the fat especially the double dipping fat!

Fulop for Mayor!

Brewster - Healy has Cunningham and that will help Healy's cause with the black vote so I think Walker having had a long standing presence in BL will take away some black votes from Healy. I have heard this theory from others and it may just do the trick.

Perhaps it's practice for the Free-Hand World Championships?

One thing is for certain having Walker in this race is a huge + for Fulop. When Fulop wins he better send Mr. Walker a nice bottle of Dom.

Fulop for Mayor 2013!

Stop replying to this idiot. He or she is only on JC List to instigate and derail things. Nothing more. So obvious.

It only took me a few years to see huge issues all over this city and you have been here your whole life and are happy with the direction we are headed??!! Talk about ignorant complacency.

Do us all a favor and stop posting total BS.

Just look at all the unimaginable tax abatements his admin has given, crime issues, failing schools, horrible roads, high property taxes, bad use of green space, pay for play, nepotism, corruption, worthless building dept, etc, etc. I could go on and on and on........

It's time for a change - our city deserves better!

Vote Fulop!

Cheezsnak - You are fooling no one here. You just signed up and all your posts are bashing Fulop. I have been posting since 8/05 about all sorts of topics/issues.

I have lived here for nearly a decade and we need a change from what this current admin and the ones before Healy bumbled into town did to this city.

The status-quo should be a huge, resounding NO.

Vote Fulop!

+1 Pamrapo for those insightful views

Why Healy, Morrill (his PR Spin Machine) and the rest of his handlers would want to keep this in the news so areas that may not be as pro-Fulop are now re-hashing all these embarrassing and dispicable corruption charges is a mystery to me.

Healy may not have been charged but his proximity to such a wide sweep of HIS administration is the reason I was pretty surprised he ran again.

Fulop's team must be all smiles

Let's not forget that Healy's new Deputy Mayor (his old one is still in prison) Mr. Raj Mukharji replaced felon, Lori Serrano at the JCHA.

Another interesting side note to all of this: Mr. Mukharji contributed $2500 to Healy's campaign for mayor in 2009. Completely legal but it sure all ties together real neat doesn't it?

Speaking of corruption.....As this very important election draws closer, I encourage all of you to really soak in the contents and nuances of Jersey City's very own FBI sting video and ask yourself wouldn't a sitting mayor who is supposedly of sound moral character tell Dwek that his administration does not accept bribes? After all, the entire conversation is about Dwek trying to pay his way to the "top of the list." The 1:30 mark is loaded with money talk and Dwek even mentions a 10K payment to Jack (I assume Jack Straw) which Healy than says we will put to good use, etc.

I have always maintained this is politically risky so only time will tell. One thing is for certain, it will make for good political theater in the coming weeks.

Ward E has roughly 40K residents many who have never even heard of this forum and will simply vote the incumbent and his slate. Perhaps that is what Dan is banking on because it's obvious his ploy has rubbed many of you the wrong way.

You may be right MND but this forum is but a small microcosm of the residents who comprise all of the wards in this giant city, including Dans. Also, remember in 2010 he tried running as an independent and didn't fair to well.

Let your dim light shine LimpiarElSucio!

Dan was one of the few who actually led efforts to get the city council to adopt the Contractor and Redevelopment Pay-to-Play Reform ordinance. Get your facts in order before you espouse such misguided nonsense......

You can't deny or turn a blind eye to history and facts. Honestly, to think because Dan is now aligned with Healy to help Dan get a seat on the council ( a risk but his best shot in my opinion) he has to completely re-illustrate and vocalize each of his positions at every council meeting is not only ridiculous but won't happen due to time constraints.

Attend one of his Coffee Chats if you have concerns and misgivings.

Friday ? March 29

9 A.M. to 10 A.M.
La Conguita
351 Grove St.

H-Parker,

You are really surprised that an unknown (generally speaking) candidate has decided to align himself with an incumbent politician (who is seen as unsavory in some circles) for political gain?

This "plan" has been used since the 6th Century BC for Christ's sake! Check Athens Greece for it's source.

The naysayers will never (even for a second) accept that this type of political maneuvering is normal during an election cycle. So, for that, I won't be able to get anything across too them.

For those of you who are not confused and seemingly tortured by Dan's somewhat deceptive plan, just remember that before he decided to join Healy's slate he asked many of his friends and supporters about this decision and except for two people the rest were positive and knew it was a good opportunity. These people know Dan, I would reckon most of the posters on this forum do not.

InsideStraight,

This isn't rocket science! With Dan on Healy's ticket he will get votes simply because a lot of voters will vote the entire Healy slate. It's as simple as that. Dan has zero influence and popularity in many of the wards so it's purely an uphill battle for him on his own. Remember, he didn't fair very well in the at-large City Council seat election in 2010. I think that took some wind out of his sails and made him think that more drastic measures were needed to help insure a decent shot. Fair play to him.

He's been quiet because he does not need to say a thing really - Dan is simply buying his time, knowing he will get a lot of the DT vote (the ones who know he is not morally bankrupt) and votes in the Healy hot spots of the Heights and Journal Square.

Time will tell but I still think it was his best move.

JSleeze,

Sure it's a gamble but at the end of the day Dan wants a seat in that hallowed hall and yes that could very well be with Healy still at the helm. However, Dan will have that all important seat. I firmly believe having him on our city council even if Healy is reelected is a good thing. To think Dan won't have some influence and power if elected is ridiculous.

Call it a dubious tactic, immoral, contemptible or political gamesmanship but this is very common in every election cycle nationwide. Why is that so hard to comprehend?

For Christ sakes! We are talking Hudson County politics here! This is not a happy, friendly game where everyone is Mr. Frickin Rogers. Lying down with dogs is an understatement.

Quit feeling so let down by Dan when he only wants to have his message heard. Without aligning himself with Healy he will remain silent.

Let's also not forget that Dan has also agreed with many things Healy has proposed over the years.....as has Fulop.

Vote Dan for Ward E and vote Fulop for Mayor

MightyOz,

There are a number of suitable political sayings I could throw in here to try and make sense of Dan's decision but "politics makes odd bedfellows" seems the most appropriate.

Surely you realize Dan has little crony capital in this town. Sure, he has some friends in parts of DT but without Healy, his backers and access to campaign funds he is dead in the water.

It's comical that a lot of these posters think Dan has lost his moral compass in being on Healy's ticket. This is not some new form of political maneuvering. It happens all time in cities all over this nation. Many who don't know the landscape immediately react like you and think the person has lost their minds.

Look, these guys are grown-ups and like Republicans and Democrats crossing the isle to work on an issue or bill together that is all that Dan is doing. In a sense he is sacrificing some initial fallout to get a spot at the party. Once he's got that seat he will distant himself from the toxicity that is Mayor Healy.

Getting back on topic......

Don't foget a vote for Dan does not mean you are voting for the ENTIRE Healy platform. In other words, you can vote Fulop for Mayor (the only sane selection) and vote Dan for Ward E. Really not all that hard to figure out.

The way I see it this is merely a smoke screen on Dan's part where he gets needed capaign funds and exposure in exchange for a few downtown know-it-alls hell-bent on smearing his good name and reputation. Not a bad trade really when their silly tactic only spreads a few blocks in this heavily diversified city.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer and nothing more.

Remember folks, if Dan does get in he will distant himself from Healy faster than sh*t through a goose.

Anyone have any news on the person who tried to take thier life by jumping off of a balcony in one of the older housing complexes near Columbus and Washington around 1:30PM yesterday? A collegue said that cops were all over the place and someone in the crowd mentioned what had happened. Surprised there isn't any news on this.......

You are not alone fikonj. As a parent I really can't believe what is in the music our kids listen to, the violent video games they play and what is shown on TV and in movies. When I was kid-free I didn't give this much thought but if there are parents out there who let their kids watch shows like Supernatural I can't believe it's doing them much good.

In fact, just this morning, I was flipping thought the channels and actually paused a 2009 episode of Supernatural to show my wife. The episode was about "our idols turning on us." In this masterpiece Paris Hilton (the real one and one helluva an idol) tries to kill one of the characters and is seen punching him in the face as the tustle on the ground near some logs. However, as she is about to finish him off another male character grabs a nearby axe and reapeatedly chops at Paris's neck until her head rolls away. Complete with closeup of neck tissue and dripping blood. Then they cut to Paris lying headless in a pool of blood then pan up to the hacker, who's face is covered in blood, turns to his friend and says with a grin, "Dude you just got wailed on by Paris Hilton!"

Yes, it's campy and riduculous but over time this helps further decensitize our youth to violence. Remember, this wasn't after 9PM this was before 10AM when kids could get a hold of the remote. Imagine this going down even 20 years ago?

I am not a card carrying member of the "Parents Television Council" but certainly this is another area that needs attention.

Is it really any surprise that one of the Columbine killers actually named his gun after a Doom character?

MDM, all good points. However, I will still stand by my assertion that if a person has a pipe or gun my chances are better with a guy swinging a pipe.

All kidding aside, removing the gun equation like it is in the UK, Japan or Australia in my lifetime is not likley but we need to at least consider a gradual decline or it will only get worse. We really need to discuss ways to ween ourselves from our obsession with firearms. None of us need assault rifles or huge caliber pistols.

In general I have used the United Nations Global Study on Homicides from 2011 for my information. A few more stats from thier findings below.....

http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-a ... _on_homicide_2011_web.pdf

"The homicide rate in the Americas is, at 15.6 per 100,000, more than double the world average, while, at 17.4 per 100,000, Africa has the highest rate among all regions, although it also has the largest uncertainty range due to large discrepancies between criminal justice and public health data. Asia falls between 2.4 and 4.3 per 100,000, and both Europe and Oceania also fall below the global average at 3.5 per 100,000, respectively."

"Most Western and Northern European countries have long been among those with the lowest homicide rates in the world, yet, paradoxically, violent crimes and drug offences have increased in many European countries since the early 1990s. This may be partly due to changes in the lifestyles of European youths, including changes in their consumption patterns of drugs and alcohol (heavy episodic or ?binge? drinking, for, example) and the emergence of new street gangs based on ethnic minority or immigrant group affiliations. There are indications that these developments have an impact on increased street violence and hospital admissions. Such a discrepancy between violent crimes and homicide could be due, in part, to the lack of availability of firearm.

"Only 27 per cent of homicides are committed with a firearm in Western Europe as opposed to 65 per cent in Central America and 74% in the USA. In contrast, sharp objects such as knives account for a greater proportion of violent deaths in European
countries (36 per cent) than the Americas (16 per cent), while the use of any weapon accounts for 90 per cent of homicides in the Americas but for only 57 per cent of homicides in Europe."

MDM, I am not proporting to be an expert on crime stats as I get my info from the internet like most of us. However, the fact still remains that we have far more gun related homicides, suicides, crimes and accidental deaths in the US then any other civilized Western country.

Further, I will glady take my chances with someone wielding a knife or fists versus a gun any day as would any one in the UK or the world for that matter.

If anything, I hope this horrific CT shooting will open the eyes of parents who do own firemarms and who think they have seemingly normal children. If that mother would have lived imagine what she would be going though?

Yes, very true Brewster. When will the masses wake up a realize that thousands of deaths and suicides and tens of thousands of gun related injuries should not be the status quo?

Yes, JamesBeard, there are millions of guns here and a lot of deranged souls but why aren't the numbers similar (per capita) in other Western countries? My guess is that guns are hard to come by and therefore less murders are committed.

Here's a factoid that will amaze most Americans: There were only 3 police officers killed by firearm in England and Whales from 2001-2011. 3! For a person like me who has lived in 3 major cities and have seen dead people on the street, not to mention read and listened to the news detail thousands of murders over my lifetime that stat is simply unfathomable.

Isn't this the perfect time to come together and talk about this?

Love to hear other peoples thoughts on this.....

I have family and friends on both sides of the isle on this topic as do most people in the USA. The ones who are steadfast on their 2nd Amendment rights always say it's not the gun, it's the shooter or that if the gang related death by firearm quotient was removed our homicide by firearm stats would look like any other Western country.

The other side looks at countires like Japan, Australia and England who have a fraction of our deaths by firearm per capita. They argue that guns are not readily available there and that those countries do not have a gun culture verging on obsession like we do and therefore deaths by guns are very, very low.

No matter how you view the gun rights laws in the USA I really hope this is a watershed moment for Obama and Congress to really address the issues. All eyes are on him. We need to put everything on the table, looking at other Western, civilized countries whose gun laws are working, question the NRA and it's stangle hold on congress, really disect the 2nd amendment and ask are certain assult rifles and massive caliber hand guns really a necessity? Would stricter gun ownership laws like Japan be the way forward? We need to question how gun shows operate and how TV/movies, video games and music plays into all of this. Why are kids taking to the gun to get even or make a statement? How our schools teach kids about violence and guns, how can parents, particularly in improvished areas where guns are the norm, take action on this epedimic. The list goes on and on.....

I firmly belive this is a societal issue that needs a seismic shift in our core beliefs and thoughts towards firearms. The way the media portrays these cowardly murderers for days is simply ridiculous. The minutia that gets spat out as the days go on and on is exactly what these killers wanted as most of them have had no voice. A gun and multiple killings, especially at an elementary school, gives them that voice. The anti-hero is born again and again.

We should demand serious national debates on this. 12K firemarms death per year no matter the per capita rate is totally unacceptable.

This is from the May 7, 2011 Jersey City Independent. I can't help but wonder where all this 257K will go.

"Jersey City is set to receive $297,748 in funding from the Clean Communities grant program, a state initiative that taxes wasteful manufacturers to help pay for litter clean up and to beautify communities and roadsides. Jersey City received the second largest grant in the state out of $16 million in total grant money given.

?Cleaning up litter protects our natural resources, improves our quality of life and builds a strong sense of pride in our communities,? DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said in a statement. ?With these grants, our municipalities and counties will be able to carry out important programs that remove litter and graffiti from our neighborhoods and highways, making our communities better places to live and work.?

The grant money typically funds volunteer cleanups of public properties, adoption and enforcement of local anti-littering ordinances, beach cleanups, public information and education programs, purchases of equipment used to collect litter, purchases of litter receptacles and recycling bins, purchases of anti-litter signs, purchases of supplies to remove graffiti, and cleanups of stormwater systems that can disperse trash into streams, rivers and bays.

Jane Kozinski, Assistant Commissioner for Environmental Management, added, ?Schools, community groups, local governments and local businesses participate in the cleanups funded by these grants, boosting community spirit and civic pride.?

?This money offsets strained budgets by providing funding for volunteer cleanups, purchase of equipment related to cleanup and storm drain activities, enforcement of litter laws, and education in the schools. Clean Communities has a 20-year legacy in New Jersey as the only fully funded, statewide anti-litter program. We are grateful to Governor Chris Christie for his ongoing efforts to keep New Jersey?s communities clean,? said Clean Communities Council Executive Director Sandy Huber.

The grant money from the Clean Communities program comes from a legislated user-fee on manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors that produce litter-generating products. Disbursements to municipalities are based on the number of housing units and miles of municipally owned roadways within each municipality, according to the statement."