Friday, July 11, 2014

Time for some traffic problems on Marin Blvd.

Recently demoted Jersey City Police Chief Robert Cowan dropped a bombshell of a trump card in his dispute with Mayor Steve Fulop, alleging in a letter to the Jersey City clerk that Fulop ordered an illegal plan "to snarl traffic outside of the Holland Tunnel the same month he announced plans to sue the Port Authority for $400 million." Reportedly Fulop wanted to back up traffic through the Holland Tunnel into New York City.

Jersey Journal reporter Terrence T. McDonald says that Cowan refused that order saying it would create chaos which left Fulop "irate":

The chief says he objected because of the plan's "illegality" and that it was ultimately canceled. A few days later, Cowan alleges, Fulop told him to conduct traffic stops instead at Old Colony Road and Port Jersey Boulevard, near the Global Container Terminal owned by the Port Authority.

That plan was ultimately carried out which left Global Terminal dealing with hours of gridlock last November 19, which led them to charge that Fulop had done this intentionally as some kind of lashing out at the Port Authroity, something corroborated up by Cowan's letter.

A real bombshell of a report, if Cowan's letter is true. City spokesperson Jennifer Morrill did not deny outright that Fulop had a hand in either plan to back up traffic saying the city "have always acted in 100 percent accordance with the law to protect Jersey City residents."

Yeah, comforting...not. Sounds a lot like Chris Christie's excuses still. Living in the land of the non-denial denial.

There is more to this fluid story including a report of a confrontation between Cowan and Fulop at a New Jersey State League of Municipalities convention in Atlantic City.

A bad week for Steve Fulop, this.

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