Revolting
Posted Under: Culture, Jersey City, Personal, Politics
Public Protests Tax Increases in Jersey City from Speak NJ on Vimeo.
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.
Activism is great, but it’s hard work keeping it up. (Something Dan Levin keeps reminding me.) Sometimes, though, the activists forget what they’re activating about and just end up speechifying to their fellow activists in the crowd. So, for next Wednesday’s city council meeting, (if you don’t mind my asking) can we please have some more of the reasoned speeches, which were somewhat lacking, from what I saw on these videos. If all you wanna do is tell the city council how stupid, corrupt, lazy, incompetent and ugly they are, you’re not really breaking any new ground. I think they already know how you feel. Chanting “No new taxes” is not a real suggestion. Why shout them down when they’re trying to make their point? Let them speak, too.
Public speakers may want to show up with a list of programs, departments, initiatives or personnel they would like to see cut from the budget. That’s more useful than saying “we’re fed up with the lot of you!” Like I said, I think they already know this. I’m not saying that your hearts aren’t in the right place, but when even your dear Councilman Steve Fulop gets shouted down, you end up looking more like a rabid mob and less like an empowered electorate.
See you Wednesday?
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Reader Comments
You know David, I picked up this flyer at city hall at the last rally, it said that BA Brian OReilly has three jobs $154, $8, and $19! Free city car and ga$ to Howell everyday.
Maybe all city salaries should be capped at $60 before city layoffs begin, all city cars and gas canceled,and all city directors who live more than 60 minutes from Jersey City face an additional salary cut.
Ok. I could see a discussion forming over some of that.
OReilly’s gas and car should be taken away.
This troupe at City Hall is atrocious. I know some people that work for the city. They told me that some kind of an order went out letting the high salary people cash out and retire. Then they’re gonna be hired back to get another job. The people getting this insider deal are all employees of this guy O’Reilly. One is the lady who ran the city budget and the other is O’Reilly’s assistant. Anybody know who I’m talking about? I don’t know their names.
How can some people cash out pensions and get hired again when my friend who’s on poverty pay might lose his job? And how did Gerry McCann get hired when my friend could lose his job?
Who’s doing the GD hiring at City Hall? They have all these city boards and commissions. How about a Human Resourses board with members of the public on it so we can weed out the nepotism?
Dig Dave Dig.
Love the irony. “from what I saw on these videos” Nice.
Once again you insult a mob of well meaning folks for the vagueness of their message while staying completely ambiguous yourself. At least they showed up.
I stopped going to these “rallies” because they’re as politically motivated as the people they’re supposed to be protesting against. It’s all about getting elected, and getting big contracts for your friends. The same holds true for whoever the next mayor is.
Why should my property taxes pay for Jersey City BA Brian O’Reilly’s free car & ga$$ to Howell everyday???
Isn’t that fiscally irresponsible?
O’Reilly should have his car & gas taken away.
sam. I think we got the point.
I agree, we need more content; I don’t know what the Governor can do but he can involve with the Jersey City residents for a conversation; Where is the Republican party in Jersey City? This is an opportunity to do something for them to the residents; It just opens another platform to talk with the Governor; Assume, residents come up with more content, do you think they will implement it; if so, they don’t have to spend $200k to get elected for a council seat that pays $30k per annum; or millions of dollars to get paid $120k job as mayor; nothing has happened in poor jersey city, west of jersey ave… split the city into TWO; we need a surgery now, no more band-aids !!!
The Republican party is obsolete in Jersey City. All their officials are bought and paid for by the HCDO.
Hudson County Republican Chairman Jose Arango is paid over $95,000 on Healy’s payroll, Jersey City Republican Chairman Russ Maffei is paid over $65,000 on Healy’s payroll, Republican Executive Director Carl Czaplicki makes over $120,000 on Healy’s payroll. Czaplicki is also employed by Hudson County Schools, Passaic Valley Sewerage Authority and is named as an official in the federal corruption complaint of defendant Joe Cardwell.
The Republican Party of Hudson County makes donations of Republican funds to Democratic officials, presumably to keep these patronage jobs. This explains Chrisie’s poor turnout in Hudson County. Christie will not work with these clowns.
The revolt needs to continue on Jersey City’s budget. This is a local matter involving waste of local dollars by our local officials. The city budget needs tight and close scrutiny by members of the public.
Patronage continues to be an underlying factor of tax increases. Fulop is on the right track questioning the hiring of former Mayor Jerry McCann at the Incinerator Authority. They keep raising our taxes but they haven’t stopped hiring and paying new hacks. Patronage is the root of the problem. Get to the root and kick them out.
Arango $95,000 + Czaplicki $120,000 = 2010 property tax increase. Someone please cap their salaries and take away their free cars & gas before they piss away the entire city.