Did you know that little girls just looooove gas pipelines? They must - otherwise, why would Spectra Energy put litte girl clip-art on a mailing for their cleverly-named "Yes Gas Pipeline" effort? The mailing itself is fairly hilarious - I mean, if your slogan is "Yes Gas Pipeline," shouldn't you include at least one reason why your pipeline would be good for Jersey City, as opposed to defensive vagueries that basically translate to, "PIPELINE GOOD"?
As I wrote in a recent diary, citizens and officials in Jersey City are staunchly opposed to the construction of this pipeline by Spectra Energy, and sensibly so - it carries tremendous risk and zero reward. We are talking about potential explosions reaching schools and hospitals; toxic leaks; negative impact on property values and prospects for future development; and much more - all so NYC can get their gas on. So a postcard with a picture of a little girl doesn't really answer any of the pressing questions about this pipeline, its safety, and why Jersey City should welcome Spectra Energy with open arms.
But perhaps the real questions are: Why won't Governor Christie intervene; and why isn't he even acknowledging the effort being made to stop the project? The No Gas Pipeline effort, Sierra Club, and Mayor Jeremiah Healy have all come out to say that they don't want this thing to be built, with both Healy and NGP filing for intervenor status with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. But none of that matters, because the only person who can change the game right now is Governor Christie. He has been asked by Healy, the Sierra Club, and many concerned citizens to file as an intervenor with FERC by the January 26 deadline; but on this issue - perhaps for the first time ever - Chris Christie has been as silent as a mouse pissing on a piece of cotton.
Strangely, Governor Christie saw fit to stop a similar pipeline 15 MILES OFF SHORE between Asbury Park and Perth Amboy, but for some reason Jersey City hasn't seen that level of interest. Or any level of interest. Crickets. Why won't Governor Christie step in to help the people of one of his state's second-largest city, even when they are lined up for blocks, asking for his help?
Erg ... the Gasland screening in my earlier promoting comment was last month, not tonight. My bad - 100% my bad - not KendalJames' fault. - promoted by Rosi
On September 9, a natural gas pipeline in San Bruno, CA exploded, killing 8 people and injuring at least 60, some critically. According to the NTSB, an electrical problem caused the explosion. There were 47 pipeline incidents in the U.S. last year that caused serious injury or death. So in Jersey City, they're trying to stop a pipeline.
If you go to the activist website NoGasPipeline.org you get the picture right away - noted shady energy outfit Spectra Energy wants to run a 30" pipe - identical to the one that exploded in San Bruno - straight through Jersey City and into Manhattan. You could say that New York gets the gas and New Jersey gets nothing, but that's not true - with the pipeline, Jersey City would assume a permanent dark cloud of grave danger and potential catastrophe; not to mention a blast radius that includes numerous schools, churches, homes and playgrounds, two hospitals, a chemical storage company and multiple redevelopment sites. ("Jersey City - come for the cheap real estate, stay for the slow poisoning and threat of fiery annihilation?")
The activists behind No Gas Pipeline and their supporters do have some help in trying to keep this awfulness out of Jersey City, including Mayor Jeremiah Healy and his '12 competition, councilman Steven Fulop (the earliest public supporter of the anti-pipeline effort), the NJ DEP, The Sierra Club and others. So if no one wants the pipeline built, why can't they stop it or get it rerouted? Because in order for that to happen, Governor Christie must formally file for Intervenor status with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission - the body that (almost always) approves of these kinds of projects. (Funny thing - Spectra Energy board member Nora Brownell was Commissioner of FERC under Bush-Cheney. Weird!) Just last week, Christie filed to intervene in the construction of a pipeline between Asbury Park and Middlesex County. "I will not subject our state's shore and economy to the environmental risks that are inseparable from such a project," said Christie of the pipeline that would be located 16 miles offshore. Yet he has yet to indicate any opposition Spectra's plan for a pipe right through one of New Jersey's most densely populated and economically vibrant areas.
Spectra Energy had agreed to come speak at a No Gas Pipeline-sponsored community forum scheduled to take place last week, but they bailed and instead decided to put up their own website, called YesGasPipeline.org. Despite such clever maneuvering, Spectra isn't actually interested in persuading the people of Jersey City that this dangerous, toxic pipeline is a good idea. They don't have to, because eminent domain and Governor Christie's inaction will see them through.
Postscript: It's worth noting that this pipeline will carry "fracked" gas, originating in the now-infamous Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania. "Fracking" - or hydraulic fracturing - is Halliburton's proprietary process for extracting natural gas from underground. Byproducts of fracking include poisoned water supplies, dire environmental damage, and very sick people. (Have you seen the clips of people who can light their tap water on fire? That's a result of fracking, and it's most certainly not good.) The recent Sundance-winning documentary Gasland is currently the best resource available for learning about fracking.
It's always something in Jersey City. The latest dust up is over a selection by the Mayor to serve on a City Authority. Councilman Steve Fulop criticized the pick made by Mayor Jeremiah Healy to put ex Mayor Gerald McCann to a position at the Incinerator Authority:
"The idea that the City would hire a convicted felon to its payroll during the same time period that key members of the administration are being tried in Federal court is incomprehensible," said Fulop. McCann was Mayor from 1981 to 1985 and again from 1989 to 1992, when he was terminated from office following his criminal conviction.
Fulop wants to withhold funding from the authority until Healy removes McCann from the position and that prompted this response:
"I'm totally going to sue him. I'm going to make sure that every single nickel that he gets to run a campaign against anybody will be my nickel," said McCann. "...I'll have him in court for years. And since he's doing it as a political candidate, I will sue his campaign fund."
The trial of former Jersey Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini got under way this week and along with the testimony of Solomon Dwek, the prosecution showed videos he took while working under cover for the FBI.
Black-and-white recordings shot by a tiny hidden camera depict meetings at Hudson County diners and a luncheonette where the informant, Solomon Dwek, tries to arrange a bribe to the deputy mayor, Leona Beldini, in exchange for help securing approvals for a 750-unit condominium building he claimed to be developing. Jurors watched their first clips in federal court in Newark
The defense may want the whole tapes shown so that they can argue there is some kind of context to the conversations and statements as the pieces don't always make their client look very good:Dwek does most of the talking on the tapes and makes clear what he is offering. Beldini's attorneys will no doubt try to spin it that JC Political Consultants Jack Shaw and Edward Cheatam are the ones that were playing the game:
Authorities say Dwek funneled the bribes to Beldini through Shaw and Cheatam, who converted them into donations for Healy's campaign. Beldini, Healy's campaign treasurer, never took money directly from Dwek. But on prosecutors' videos, it appears she may have known who was actually donating.
Cheatam has plead guilty and is going to testify against Beldini, while Shaw was found dead of a valium overdose just after his arrest last summer. Beldini seems to make it clear that everyone, including the Mayor knows what is going on. And Healy himself is all over the tapes as Dwek talks to him about giving money and what it will get him:
As Healy got up to leave, Dwek followed him and said he had donated $10,000 to his campaign previously and that he would give Shaw another $10,000 that day.
"Dave, thank you so much," Healy says - using the Dwek's phony name - as the video records him. He tells Dwek he wants to keep working with him.
"It's good for the city, it's good for everybody," Healy says.
Healy hasn't been charged with anything and maintains he has done nothing wrong. Beldini is charged with taking $20,000 in bribes from Dwek and faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted. The Jersey City Independent has a familiar face at Blue Jersey, JRB covering the trial as well.
Maher Khalil, a former official with the Jersey City Zoning Board of Adjustment, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Newark to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion. The 39-year-old Mr. Khalil was the first public official to plead guilty in the case.
He admitted he accepted more than $70,000 in bribes from Solomon Dwek, a government cooperating witness posing as a developer, in return for setting up meetings with other officials who would help Mr. Dwek with zoning changes and approvals.
Mr. Khalil acknowledged converting some of the bribes into campaign donations for Jersey City Council President Mariano Vega Jr.
Later Wednesday, Guy Catrillo admitted in U.S. District Court that he accepted bribes from Mr. Dwek. Mr. Catrillo was an aide to Jersey City's planning and zoning boards and was a community-relations specialist in Mayor Jerramiah Healy's office.
Mr. Catrillo was accused of attempted extortion for taking $15,000 from Mr. Dwek in exchange for introducing Mr. Dwek to other officials and promising to expedite development approvals.
Following the guilty pleas, their suspension turned into a termination by Mayor Healy. Along with the guilty pleas, prosecutors were granted an extension for two more officials:
Meanwhile, Judge Linaris granted prosecutors another month to prepare for trial against two other Jersey City officials indicted in connection with July's corruption sweep.
Leona Beldini, a deputy mayor, and Edward Cheatam, a former city Housing Authority commissioner, had been scheduled to begin trial Oct. 26 on charges of conspiring to commit extortion.
But Linares granted prosecutors' request for more time yesterday, saying the case involved hundreds of hours of recorded conversations.
Beldini's attorney, Brian J. Neary, objected to the extension, saying the 74-year-old is too old to wait for her day in court.
Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy confirmed tonight that FBI agents paid a visit to his Bradley Beach home in August and to City Hall today.
Healy said he couldn't discuss the visits further because investigations connected to July's massive corruption sweep are ongoing. But according to sources, six to eight agents visited the City Hall offices of the business administrator, tax assessor, tax collector and city clerk today.
It should be noted that Healy still says he did nothing wrong, but it one has to question why you would have these visits from your friends at the FBI. With all of this news, the Ledger Live took a historical walking tour down Jersey City corruption memory lane:
Who knows if this is history repeating itself, but it still looks like there is more of the story to come.
The day before 44 people were arrested across the state on various charges, Jersey City Mayor Jeremiah Healy received his own special visitors according to the Jersey Journal:
The FBI paid a visit to Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy one day before the July 23 FBI corruption sweep in which 44 people were arrested, Jennifer Morrill, the mayor's spokeswoman, confirmed today.
Reports of the FBI visit to Healy was first reported in The Jersey City Reporter earlier today.
Although Morrill confirmed the visit, she said the mayor refused to disclose what was discussed, citing an ongoing investigation. Michael Drewniak, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office also refused to comment.
Oh to be a fly on the wall in the room during that conversation. Healy has already admitted that it's clear he is Jersey City Public official #4 listed in the indictment of other jersey City Officials, though he maintains he did nothing wrong.
"Based on review of the complaint, it is clear that I am Jersey City Public Official 4. I did nothing wrong at anytime. Right now we are going to continue to conduct open and honest government and are focused on moving the city forward. In fact, yesterday we solicited instructions and advice from the U.S. Attorney's Office on how to secure the offices and records of those officials who were charged and suspended," Healy said in a written statement. "We are complying with those instructions and will continue to cooperate. We will make no further statements at this time due to the ongoing nature of this investigation."
The person identified as "JC Official 3" in the federal complaint against Jersey City political consultant Joe Cardwell is Carl Czaplicki, a former chief of staff to Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy who heads up the city's Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce.
Two Jersey City sources confirmed that Czaplicki is JC Official 3, who is identified in the complaint as "an official who had responsibility for housing and economic development matters in Jersey City government." He served as Healy's chief of staff from 2004 until his promotion in 2007.
Cardwell, who is close to Czaplicki, allegedly solicited money from a cooperating witness - later identified as developer Solomon Dwek - to expedite "approvals" for a real estate project on Garfield Avenue. According to the complaint, Cardwell told the witness that JC Official Three was one of his "guys."
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will host a $1,000-per-person fundraiser at his home this month in support of the re-election campaign of Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy. That creates the possibility that Healy, the Hudson County Democratic Chairman, will back Bloomberg for re-election and not the Democratic mayoral nominee. There is no word if Healy will host a similar fundraiser for Bloomberg at his Jersey City residence.
The campaign is seeking a $23,400 commitment to serve as General Chair of the event, $10,000 for Co-Chair, $7,200 for Vice-Chair, and $2,600 for finance committee member.
$23,400 to chair a night with Mayor Healy? Anyone else thinking Cuba Gooding Jr. and Tom Cruise yelling "Show me the Money"?
Jersey City Councilman Steve Lipski, who faces charges of urinating on a crowd of people during a concert in Washington, D.C. in November, will not get a slot of Mayor Jerramiah Healy's ticket in the May municipal election. Sources say that businesswoman Nydia Rivera, the wife of former Jersey City Councilman Ben Lopez, will run on the Healy slate and challenge Lipski for the Ward C Council seat. Ward C has one of the largest Hispanic populations in Jersey City.
Sources also say that Ward B Councilwoman Mary Spinello will be replaced by Phil Kenny, who runs a powerful political operation on the city's west side. Kenny is an ally of Freeholder Bill O'Dea and former Jersey City Councilman Tom Frichone.
There had been rumors the Mayor was polling to see where things stood. I hadn't seen anything from Lipski indicating he was not planning another run before this in today's Jersey Journal:
Journal Square Councilman Steve Lipski will not be on Healy's slate, but he seems intent on running. Does this mean that New York developer Steve Hyman will help finance his candidacy? Does this mean that Lipski's former campaign guy and onetime enemy Steve Kush, of Washington, D.C. and West Virginia, will be back to run his campaign? Does this mean Lipski will file an ELECT report?
It appears Lipski's last filing was a joint report with the Healy ticket in 2005. If he decides to file and run, this may be the best way to keep him in office without tainting the mayor's slate.
"This is like the fourth wave of this resignation bull----, and that's exactly what it is,"
The rumors of this latest resignation seem to have come out of a lawsuit filed by Lou Manzo, who himself says he is considering a run for the office, seeking to remove the Mayor from his position. Healy said there is "no way in hell" he will resign and that he plans to seek re-election to the Mayor's office.
Congressman Steve Rothman, Loretta Winberg, Gordon Johnson, Jeremiah Healy and a host of regional elected officials inform and motivate a receptive audience at the Hackensack Civic Center.
Mark Alexander, who is with the Obama campaign, winds up the event with an inspiring "ask" which moves many to sign up to volunteer. Toward the end, Alexander tells an interesting and significant story of a day in the Obama campaign in South Carolina.
Steve Rothman winds up with a rousing call to action!!! Enjoy!!!
What do you do if you are a mayor and can't get the City Council to approve of you picking your buddy to head up the Department of Housing?
If you're Jeremiah Healy, Mayor of Jersey City, you pick an end run and reward your buddy by giving him a job that only requires the approval of several of your friends.
By JARRETT RENSHAW
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy's choice to head the city's powerful Redevelopment Agency has been unanimously approved by the agency's board.
The board, stacked with Healy appointees, approved Robert Antonicello Tuesday night to become executive director of the JCRA, an autonomous government agency responsible for designating developers in the city's blighted areas.
