We used to walk to Journal Square from Downtown. When I was a kid, the Square had three movie theaters, any number of restaurants and several record stores where you could spend an entire Saturday, noon to past sundown. The Loews Theater holds a special place in my heart, as you know, and my first real date, which began in the theater’s balcony, ended at the exotic Canton Restaurant, off Sip Ave. Six teenagers and maybe $20 among us. Read More…
Not satisfied with a meager 300 (estimated) people who showed up for the last city council meeting, the forces of reform are gathering for another round of rallies aimed at stopping this pending municipal tax hike. (They’re calling it a tax revolt.) Once again, JCList.com is the hub for the latest thread of outrage. There’s even an on-line petition (I wanna say something about it probably not being worth the paper it’s written on …) calling on Governor Chris Christie to do something or other to save their homes, etc. Read More…
NJ.com’s Brian Donohue is a veteran of Jersey reporting (Jersey Journal, Star Ledger). He’s covered everything from the last great Hudson County scandal (Where have you gone, Bobby J.?) to “I am a gay American.” He’s been at the Ledger for some time now and hosts “Ledger Live” on NJ.com. He finally found a way to work me into the damn show today. Here’s some idle diner chit-chat about the latest Hudson County scandal and the video evidence that is as hot as, well, pepper.
There’s a moment at the end of one of the FBI tapes released last week when FBI informant Solomon Dwek tells Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy that he had donated $10,000 and would be donating another $10,000 in campaign funds to the Healy reelection effort. If you look closely, the mayor leans back and reacts with what looks like a pained grimace.
It’s hard to interpret the mayor’s body language. Sometimes he can look like he’s smiling when he’s really angry at something, yet he can also look really perturbed when he’s just talking about the weather. So, it would be difficult to say with certainty that Healy knew Dwek was suggesting something illegal there. The mayor’s most recent explanation (through a spokesperson) that the $10K was going to be split among nine candidates and would have therefore been legal strikes me as an explanation he might’ve given way back in July. Read More…
Would (could?) Fulop lead a city-wide recall? (BCB photo)
When Council President Peter Brennan warned the crowd at last night’s city council meeting (threatened, is more like it) that he would clear the room if they didn’t behave, I knew it was gonna be one of those nights. A crowd eager to explode groaned a collective groan. Democracy at work in Jersey City.
It’s great that the council chamber was full of people, many having just gotten their tax bills indicating something like a 30% tax increase. It’s hard to get people to come out for anything more than a tax hike or indictments, so this kind of participation, (numerically, anyway) is impressive. Props must go to JCList.com, which seemed to be the virtual rallying post for the angry. The site was abuzz with talk about the demonstration before, during and after the meeting. You can check out the thread here. (Fun!) Read More…
(from left) Mayor Healy, Police Direcor Samuel Jefferson, Police Chief Tom Comey
You wouldn’t mistake ‘em for a well-oiled major metropolitan press operation – whose idea was it to hold a press conference in the lobby, while residents had to walk around it to pay their tax bills, etc.? – but Mayor Jerramiah Healy’s communications operation went on the offensive this week after their big announcement on crime reduction went largely ignored by local media. (FYI to Communications Director Stan Eason et. al.: more than a few of us never got the first press release.)
The mayor didn’t call anyone out specifically, but his beef is always with the Jersey Journal. Despite ample evidence to suggest that more and more of us are getting their news elsewhere, Hizzoner and others continue to think that “if it ain’t in the paper, it didn’t happen.” None the less, there were five or so camera crews and a few radio and newspaper people there to hear the message first hand.
It was long and sometimes tedious, but if you really wanna know what was said, take a listen here.
(The operation of heavy machinery while listening is contraindicated.)
If you’ve been noticing more Census 2010 TV ads over the last week, you’re witnessing the beginning of an all-out media blitz by the Census Bureau to get us all to “mail it back.” How big an all-out media blitz? Try $340 million. (Finally economic stimulus for the media!)
So, when Reverend Miguel Rivera of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy & Christian Leaders, starts calling for undocumented immigrants to boycott the 2010 census, the establishment and its “stakeholders” are aghast. Suicide, they say. If you’re interested, here’s a piece I did for WBGO on the debate. If that doesn’t open for you, try looking here.
Jury selection is almost complete and the next Hudson County corruption trial is set to begin. Excuse me if I don’t look up from my bowl of oatmeal. I haven’t really paid that much attention to the corruption thingie of late. Unless you get a mayor of a city with more than 100,000 residents or a U.S. Senator, I’m just not interested any more. Deputy mayors picking up envelopes for a mayor’s election campaign? Yawn. Seen it. Inspectors shaking down contractors for $5,000 and a lawn job? Been done. That’s like trying to find an apple in a bag of kiwis. (One day, some smart prosecutor is gonna parlay these short putts into a political career…)
That’s not to say that I feel anything positive towards the corrupt, allegedly and otherwise. I know that in the context of the real money-laundering business that goes on around election time, $30,000 ain’t much, but when you’re a freelance journalist trying to get your hustle on, $30,000 is, like, two years of health insurance. So, bite me, loser. I hope you all get 20 years. Read More…
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