Thursday, August 20, 2009

Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini, you've just been indicted, congratuations

The first public official to be indicted in July's graft arrests is Jersey City's own Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini. She is being charged with one count of a felony for extortion. Edward Cheatam, a city housing authority commissioner was indicted a close second. Congratulations to both of you. This is just the kind of publicity a city can't buy. This will really help improve civic pride and really encourage investment perhaps even more than Mayor Healy's arrests after drinking.

Ralph J. Marra, the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey, said this about Beldini's indictment: "In exchange (for financial gain), she promised a developer official favors not available to the honest business person." Mayor Healy should know all the details about this as according to the FBI he was at two of the meetings Beldini was at.

On a side note, Mayor Healy has been having the toughest of luck with his own picks for Deputy Mayor. 3 of the 4 he has chosen recently have been arrested. Besides Leona Beldini, Ador L. Equipado was arrested and resigned in shame after trying to charge over $100 for the free service of being married at city hall and then trying to sell the newlyweds phone service, like ya do. Kabili Tayari was arrested last summer for not paying his rental car bill but got those charges dismissed. Well done mayor, seriously, a great judge of character you are.

We the people need to tear down the current power structure of city hall and start over. Steve Fulop, you shall lead us.

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