Saturday, December 31, 2016

Last call before 2017, the best band with the best version of the best song evah

Tradition holds once again that what Johnny considers the best version of his favorite song by his favorite band plays out the departing year. We do it this way every year and nobody's complained yet.

Ladies and Gentlemen the Rolling Stones and 'Gimme Shelter'

Go away 2016, Johnny doesn't wanna see you around here anymore. He'll kick your ass.

Getting closer to the big moment

Make sure to get your tax deductible donations in before midnight if you can kids, to that end to remind you here's a legendary artist we lost this year, David Bowie with a pretty good indicator of who got Johnny's donations, animal charities and action committees so here's 'Cat People (Putting Out Fire) getting you ready for the NEXT video and last call before 2017...

Cause she's a Brick, Houuuuuuse

You know the rest! The Commodores and the aforementioned 'Brick House'

Whiskey Bar, what a good idea tonight!

Somebody show Mr. Morrison the way (like he doesn't know it already)...

The Doors and 'Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)'

Pretty women out walking with gorillas down Johnny's street

Joe Jackson and the timeless, 'Is She Really Going Out With Him?'

Before you head out for last minute party supplies

Let Johnny and the Jackson 5 put some pep in your step. 'I Want You Back' is just the ticket.

Coming up on lunchtime, Johnny's got you covered like a lunch lady's hairnet

Lunchie munchie with Blondie and the aptly named 'Eat to the Beat'

An actual email request for this one!

Johnny has long said this blog is your as much as his if you have good ideas. Well friends Johnny was checking the emails and we actually got a REQUEST for this one. Sure it's a great song, a Johnny fave, but we're not sure if it was a dare of this has New Year's Eve party time written all over it.

Frank Zappa and 'Crew Slut' (On original vinyl)

Let's keep the tempo going with The Kingbees!

Sure, we're heading towards 2017 at breakneck speed, let's slow that down and enjoy one from way back in 1979, charted, barely in 1980 but still sounds good on a Jersey City New Year's Rocking Eve today! The Kingbees and 'My Mistake'

Kicking off another Jersey City New Year's Rocking Eve with Stereo MC's!

Let's get 'Connected' together this morning shall we?

Friday, December 30, 2016

Late night open thread

Make sure to come back tomorrow and do NOT miss our big Jersey City New Year's Rocking Eve tomorrow, dawn til midnight, nothing but awesome music. Wherever you are, make sure to dial in.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

So Jersey City, what are your New Year's Eve plans?

24 hours from now everyone will be out and about or in for the evening, perhaps at a party or two or three. Maybe you're going to a bar to see a favorite band, let us know. Johnny wants to hear where you're off to to ring in 2017. Times Square? House party? Drinks at a favorite hangout? Let us know in comments.

Quick note: No Music Series tonight

Since tomorrow is our all-day musical dance party blow-out, we're going to save the music for then. If New Year's Eve were Monday or Tuesday we'd have a Music Series BUT since it's tomorrow....

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Thursday, December 29, 2016

What are you doing here?

The fight between Johnny, Mayor Fulop and former Fulop ticket candidate Dan Levin is on Twitter tonight. Click this handy link.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

3 more days left in this awful year

As if 2016 needed a twist in being a horrid year, Debbie Reynolds, mother of Carrie Fisher passed away today. Johnny has seen people start a GoFundMe page to protect Betty White, he has seen plans to protect beloved stars for at least three more days. Even George R. R. Martin of Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones fame thinks there has been just too much death this year.

Yet, like someone said on Twitter, nobody seems a bit worried about Keith Richards.

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Late night open thread

Tonight before bed a few wonderful moments with the great Carrie Fisher. No matter her troubles or problems everyone still pulled for her. One thing Johnny noticed today; Everyone who had met her posted a picture. From fellow stars to politicians to the Nixon Library. However, most of the pictures Johnny saw were just regular people whop either had the chance or asked for a picture and Carrie Fisher seemingly always obliged.

Ms Fisher has said she wanted to go out thusly: “I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra.” You shall have it your way dear woman.
Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Jersey City Police about to embarrass the city once again

About a dozen more Jersey City police officers, with one already busted, are expected to be behind bars as early as next month in a federal investigation over no-show stand-around construction site jobs. The officers in question weren't sharing their take from the construction companies with the city of Jersey City who not only allows, one might say at this point encourage the wasting of police officers to standing around construction sites since they get a cut. Remember when Councilman Steve Fulop railed against cops doing these stand around jobs and part of his mayoral platform was actually correcting this problem? But, once Fulop became Mayor and the PD fell under his purview and realized money was being made no matter how shadily, he hasn't made a peep about it since. Even now it's his spokesperson.

This has long been one of Johnny's pet-peeves. These cops do nothing but stand around all day talking with workers, smoking cigarettes or even cigars with workers, and hitting the food trucks. Don't expect to see them always standing around the work sites though (if they even show up), much of the time they retire to their vehicles and sometimes catch a few Zzzzzzz's. Johnny has documented the sleeping problem again and again.

So, on goes the federal investigation, sure to make national news and embarrass the city further, and Mayor Fulop's office, knowing he's approved of these stand around jobs now that he's mayor, is actually, lamely, trying to get out front of this (more like getting out behind on this) through his spokeswoman, the venerable Jennifer Morrill:

"Over the last three years this administration has initiated and worked with federal authorities in several investigations to root out corruption by long term city employees," Morrill said. "We have a zero tolerance policy and employees should be aware that if they break the law they will be held accountable."

Fulop's people seem perfectly fine with unaccountable rogue cops (excused drunk driving for JCPD officers anyone?) until it blows up on his administration. By being expected to provide files and time-sheets and interviews with certain cops and supervisors, the city isn't leading the investigation on this, they are cooperating. Johnny's a professional media analyst, he's been sought out and hired by some of the largest companies on the globe, when he says Jersey City is merely supplying the Feds with what they want, believe it. He speaks press release and spokesperson. If Jersey City was leading the investigation U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman wouldn't be the one behind the microphones on this since last October.

So, the Jersey City police force is ready to embarrass the city yet again as they have done to mayors before. Who could forget the ridiculous steroid abuse scandal during the Healy administration that got national play. The JCPD lets this city down far more often than should be allowed without major changes. If, like Mayor Fulop says, Jersey City is to become the best mid-sized city in America we're going to need an A+ police force, not C- force we have standing around cheating taxpayers.

Monday, December 26, 2016

Late night open thread

Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.
 -- Steven Wright

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The Port Authority Police Benevolent Association thinks their cops sleeping are keeping you safe

Johnny was going to do a write up on the fact the NY Post's video story of Port Authority/PATH cops who were sleeping away large chunks of their shifts had now become a FEDERAL investigation. It has and we'd hope you'd go read all about how your money is being spent and how your safety is being put at risk by Port Authority cops. Then he got to the end of the article and Red Forman came to mind.

According to the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association this sleeping on the job en masse (44 cases) is no big deal because crime on PATH is down which to them (Specious reasoning alert) means the investigation is overblown, these guys are doing a great job:

A spokesman for the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association told NJ Advance Media that the agency's low crime rates at PATH stations is proof the officers were doing their jobs.

"The PAPD is doing its job to keep our patrons safe, contrary to the Port Authority's attacks," the spokesman said. 

Incredible. Forget for one second it only takes one small window of success for a terrorist to get his job done. One small window where someone isn't where they are supposed to be. One time. One missed assignment. Secondly, what horseshit. Do your fucking job. Sleeping? Playing cards? Video games? Bzzzzt unacceptable. Maybe, and this may be hard for the PAPBA to understand, maybe people just respect the train. Maybe they have more things going on in their own lives than to rob and pilfer the PATH system.

Proof jobs are getting done while sleeping. Time for one last Red Forman dumbass award for 2016.

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Late night open thread

Here's hoping everyone had a very Merry and satisfying Christmas.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Merry Christmas!

Shitter was full!

Merry Christmas (and second day of Hanukkah) from all of us here at the Jersey City Desk!

Late night open thread

Gotta get to bed, Santa's coming!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday, December 23, 2016

Late night open thread

A few Christmas fails before bed tonight.
Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with FLORENCE BALLARD!

Now, you've heard Florence Ballard sing, you're just used to hearing short, perfect soulful harmonies between Florence, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross in The Supremes.

But you've never heard Florence Ballard sing. She is incredible solo. Pish posh you say, then why was she just Diana Ross' backup? Good question, listen and ask yourself your own question, why was she?

Stunning. Johnny's not much for the ultra religious Christmas songs (Johnny's got his hypocrite jingle bells on tonight) but this one has to be heard. Florence Ballard and the timeless, 'Silent Night'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with ELVIS PRESLEY!

Christmas is all about tradition. Don't believe Johnny go look at your tree. Pretty much the same decorations you've enjoyed for years. To that traditional end, here's Elvis Presley and the timeless 'Blue Christmas' to keep the yule log burning.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with BRYAN ADAMS!

Putting the wraps (heh) on another Music Series, Christmas Edition, it's Bryan Adams and 'Run Rudolph Run', the Chuck Berry standard. We always use someone's version of this over the years, Keith Richards, Dave Edmunds, Sheryl Crow, Jane Krakowski, and of course Chuck Berry. Tonight it's Bryan Adams' turn to bring it all home with this rocker, 'Run Rudolph Run'

When your alma mater plays in a bowl game once every 29 years, YOU TAKE THE DAY OFF!

And that's what Johnny's done today. His alma mater, Eastern Michigan, the most moribund of college football programs over the last, look at that, 30 years, is playing today in the Bahamas Bowl vs Old Dominion (1pm ESPN). When Johnny says Eastern's been bad for his Jersey City readers who may know very little of EMU, they've been 1-11, 2-10 every year bad for 30 years. One year they did hit 6-6. 4-8 have been great years in Ypsilanti. Today though the 7-5 Hurons (Johnny's not using the other name) have defied the expectations of everyone in college football but those in the EMU locker room will play in their first bowl game since the 1987 California Bowl, won by EMU over San Jose St. 30-27, but of course you remembered that without Johnny reminding you, yes? That's some big motivation and excitement for Johnny's old pals back in Ypsilanti.

So a hale and hearty Let's Go Eastern who do come into the game underdogs but that's fair; ODU and EMU have played a couple times the last four years with ODU winning both in high scoring and low scoring games. Still, it's why they play the games! Hell, Jon Snow won at Winterfell and he had a smaller army. Maybe Auburn will show up like The Vale and play EMU's fourth quarter and pull it out.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Thursday, December 22, 2016

RIP Joe Stummer

We lost Joe 14 years ago today. Johnny has never stopped missing him.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Late night open thread

Tonight before bed, the Christmas classic, 'Six to Eight Black Men' by humorist David Sedaris. Enjoy!
Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Yet another waste of Jersey City taxpayer money

Developers can say they'll do a lot of things "for" Jersey City when they come hat in hand before the planning commission, city council et al. Some say they'll build a small elementary school downtown, in the richest area, a school kids from Greenville have zero hope of attending. Some say they will do something down the road, like Toll Brothers who probably lied when they said to get their abatement for The Morgan said they'd build a community theater. Word on that from sources downtown say it'll never be built, Toll will cry poor but Johnny digresses. A lot of promises are made to take your tax money "in lieu of payment" ie taxes like you pay.

Shuster, when they wanted tax money to build their very unnecessary igloos on First St., (Shuster is, by the way, complaining about the new city law that requires them to pave side to side after tearing up a street -- how's that for gratitude?) the Art House and The Jokeman said they would provide the city with parking out front of both places, roughly an entire city block they would dedicate to parking and charging of electric vehicles, ie Chevy Volts, Nissan Leafs etc. This was Shuster's "giveback" to the city for getting huge abatements.

Problem is, the spots are never in use. By never we mean never -- as far as EV's are concerned. Shuster contractors and employees now get FREE PARKING out front of their buildings because NOBODY is using the 30 or so electric spots. Shuster guys just move the cones for their own contractors and workers and YOU pay for that. Yes Jersey City, YOU pay for Shuster employees to park for free on city streets.
Now, the city in it's infinite wisdom was using this EV charging location as a test case, ie can we do this elsewhere and have it work. No doubt developers all over Hudson County would line up to get the abatement deal Shuster got, we'll GIVE you the parking spaces, just contract someone to come put in chargers. That's it. Simple.

Johnny is going to make a bold statement but he's pretty certain he can back it up with his long history in auto media; Nobody from Jersey City got down and did the full research on exactly how many EV's there are in Hudson County, how many are registered in Jersey City or the surround. Nobody did a count, nobody thought to look around message forums or boards looking for EV drivers around the Tri-State looking for downtown plug-in parking. If the city did any of this Johnny would be A) Surprised B) Our subpoena for JC's data on this would be immediate from the Jersey City Desk legal team.

Bottom line, somebody THOUGHT this would be a great idea. But, instead of running a test program in another slice of downtown, they built in millions in abatements around a failed plan. Instead we have an utter waste of millions of taxpayer dollars.

FAIL to city planning (again), FAIL to City Council (again) LOSS for Jersey City taxpayers who had a block of parking taken away and handed to a contractor to collect money off your street that has no cars.

Johnny has one more prediction on this; When someone from the city government does read this (and they do, Johnny sees their IP addy's coming in) they'll simply think the program is an even bigger hit than they'd hoped because someone is talking about it, it's how Jersey City government works.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Late night open thread

Holidays are nothing without classic children's shows. Sit back and enjoy a Johnny favorite.
Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Must have been a real Smackeroo

By all visual accounts, sometime this morning at least one car and probably more than one looking at skid marks, hit the old Acadia Scenery business at the corner of Bay St, and Warren. All kinds of kitty litter outside the building and sidewalk along with assorted car parts told not just Johnny but pretty much everyone what had happened. Johnny will update this story with particulars should they become available later.


Monday, December 19, 2016

Late night open thread

A man in Jersey City was stabbed on Sunday, treated and released from JC Medical Center. Later that day he was stabbed again. Truth is stranger than fiction.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Christmas shopping done yet?

Johnny asks this every year and we usually get good responses. Do you have your Christmas shopping done and what was the hardest item on your list to get? What is it you most want for Christmas? Hit us up in comments.

Late night open thread

Christmas week, the one you looked forward to with all your heart as a kid. Sheer magic.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Giants football GAMEDAY!

The playoffs grow closer and boy howdy do the New Jersey Giants have a BIG game with the Lions from Johnny's hometown of Detroit in the rain today at  the new Meadowlands. Not often the Lions get out this way. Even less often leading a division by two games with three to play. The Lions last division title was back in 1993 when Scott Mitchell, Herman Moore, Barry Sanders and Johnny Morton led the Lions. Most Lions fans Johnny knows are expecting them to crash out and lose to the G-Men, Cowboys, and Packers at the end of the year and blow it. Somewhat new ground for the Motor City Kitties as they come east.

First off, if you had both the Lions and Giants and 9-4 when they played this game at the beginning of the year raise your hand.

Liarhead.

So, in the rain can the Lions running game, resurgent of late, move the ball on the ground and take pressure off Matthew Stafford's injured throwing hand? Despite what the Lions say it IS a big deal. The Bears only had a chance last week because Stafford got picked twice on throws into the flat that had nothing on them. With a wet ball can Stafford distribute it around like he wants and needs to, to the Lions better than average wideouts. There's your ballgame. Can the Giants force the Lions to pass. While neither team tears up the league in offense, (the Lions are 21st and the Giants at 27) both teams do hold onto the ball. Giants average 27 minutes a game while the Lions check in at just over 30 minutes a game with the football. Both QB's will take their shots downfield but a more conservative gameplan will be the order of the day in the rain.

This game will have a playoff feel to it no doubt. Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives, the Giants to keep pace with everyone in the NFC East and the Lions to keep ahead of Green Bay and realizing no wildcards are coming out of the NFC North. It should be a conservative game for the most part and yes, wet weather can make a quick hash out of a prediction. That being said this game smells like one played with a score in the teens or low 20's. If that's the case, and with the Lions seeming invincibility late when they need it AND the fact Matt Prater is the kind of kicker who can make long field goals when needed, here we go...

Fearless Forecast
Detroit Lions 19
New Jersey Giants 17

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Johnny's just gonna go ahead and post our number on this morning's snow total

NJ.com only had two places reporting on snow totals, Harrison at 2.5 inches and Hoboken at 2.8. Johnny's gonna go ahead and take the Jersey City Desk Action Weather Team's word and say Jersey City had an even 3.0 and we won.

It's good to be the king...

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with PAT BENATAR!

Johnny has seen probably close to 200 concerts in his lifetime. No kidding. Big clubs, stadiums, tiny hole-in-the-wall joints, he's seen everyone he's wanted to sans the Sex Pistols which most likely isn't happening any time soon and for whatever reason Pat Benatar. Seeing her so far has eluded Johnny over dates or cities, the gyroscope won't settle. He knows that Pat Benatar and Neil Geraldo still tour together and by all accounts it's a fabulous show. Johnny loves them both so much and has since he first heard Ms. Benatar's voice back when. One of those voices that simply grabs you, stops you and shakes you.

So, until Johnny can work out the particulars in seeing them, Here's Pat Benatar (and Neil Geraldo on that snarling gee-tar) with an early hit, 'Out-A-Touch' kicking off the party tonight.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE CHI-LITES!

Did you know (we're guessing no) that on Johnny's first ever trip to New York City while sitting in the back of a taxi he saw a bunch of flyers on a wall all posted in a nice straight line announcing the Chi-Lites in concert? A Flashback Friday moment as we dedicate this one to our friends across the river and anyone who might have been at that show.

'Have You Seen Her' from The Chi-Lites, always sounding good.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with MARSHALL CRENSHAW!

Last call song on the Music Series this week. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here.

Actually you can. Stay and hang out, listen to other music, catch up on reading, enjoy yourself. But, for now, it's Marshall Crenshaw and 'Cynical Girl'

Friday, December 16, 2016

Late night open thread

“Nothing burns like the cold.”
 -- George R.R. Martin

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Thursday, December 15, 2016

It's a dangerous thing to prove Johnny right

It only emboldens him.

It is however a hilarious thing to prove Johnny right the next day though. Ask Jersey City Spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill. You'll just have to look down two stories at the pitiable job she does talking out both sides of her mouth on issues/candidates she's previously been against. It is, as Johnny pointed out, a serious insult to the citizens of Jersey City her show is allowed to continue.

As for proving Johnny right, well she did that (It was also noted by Matt Friedman, ‏(@MattFriedmanNJ) at Politico just what a ridiculous level Ms. Morrill's condescending and rude comments have come to. We all know former Healy City Attorney Bill Matsikoudis is going to run for mayor against Fulop, Morrill's current boss, for mayor next year. Well Matsikoudis won a small court victory over the Fulop administration regarding the release of communications between Fulop and Tom Bertoli (also mentioned two stories below). How did the Fulop administration, ne Morrill, react?

City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill called Matsikoudis' focus on ethics "laughable."

"Matsikoudis was the city's head counsel when the city was involved in the most embarrassing and broadest investigation of bribery in the history of Jersey City," she said, adding, "That is why he was thrown out," referring to Fulop unseating Matsikoudis' boss, former Mayor Jerramiah Healy, in 2013.

Know who else was a top team player on "the most embarrassing and broadest investigation of bribery in the history of Jersey City"?

Jennifer Morrill. 

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Left hand meet right hand, economics the Fulop way

Two things this morning, we're going to discuss the abject lack of common sense at 280 Grove St. but also check in with Jersey City's Most Pitiable Official.

First off, back in 2105 Jersey City discussed selling a parking lot on Academy Street next to the municipal court. Ward D Councilman Michael Yun (Or just Michael now to the media from Fulop's press agent, not the courtesy of Councilman or Councilman Yun) said that would be a bad idea, court workers and residents will need those spaces. Since the court is not scheduled to close why inconvenience residents he asked? But sell it the city did and now it comes to light was going to rent 30 parking spaces on Academy Street from Vaishno Ma Academy LLC, controlled by Raj Gupta of Gupta Development.

Who does this? Sell it so you can rent from it? What about the residents who used to park there? In Johnny's best Lewis Black voice, "Wait, there's moooore."

This part sure pricked up Johnny's ears when he read it (And there has never been a better Jersey City beat writer than Terrence T. McDonald, it's why he wins awards) and it obviously did with someone close to Mayor Fulop too:

As part of the deal, Gupta said he would provide free parking spaces to the city for 18 months.

The Guptas have had a past business and personal relationship with Tom Bertoli, an expeditor who was at one time a Fulop political strategist. The mayor and Bertoli had a falling out around September, when Fulop decided not to seek the Democratic nomination for governor next year.

"Unless the courthouse was going to disappear in 18 months, only a moron would make a deal for only 18 months," Bertoli said. "It doesn't make any sense."

Exactly, you have what Gupta wants to buy, get those spots in perpetuity, negotiating 101. You're still taking away from residents and some court employees but you have something. The court isn't closing. It's not slated to. You don't sell your house so you can rent it back out.

This plan seriously flirts with the Underpants Gnomes on South Park and their understanding of business:


They city's response? Jennifer Morrill said Michael Yun doesn't live in Jersey City. A claim she's tried twice this week when met with fair criticism of Fulop's policies or seeming lack thereof. As we discussed here yesterday, giant abatements for an area already heavily abated going against what the mayor ran on is fair game. Councilman Yun, again, Michael to Morrill, did that. This deal that once it came to light seems destined for the scrap heap of "Somebody turned on the lights" ideas is also fair game. The Ward D councilman did that and again, "Michael doesn't live here."

Johnny sometimes so pities Morrill. Let's look beyond the fact she's making a claim that's not fully substantiated about Yun not living in Jersey City. Morrill backed Healy on any question of former Ward C councilwoman Nidia Lopez's address (mea culpa Johnny met with Lopez four times when he lived in Ward C) and was pretty darned quiet when Lopez ran on Fulop's first mayoral ticket (and lost). She's OK with Lopez possibly being a Floridian but her first inclination is to be nasty and condescending to Councilman Yun calling him simply Michael. Is that really where the city has sunk to? The mayoral spokeswoman makes nasty digs at Fulop as Healy's employee and turns around and says nasty things about Healy as Fulop's charge. It's too bad we as a city can't get more mature and issue focused comments from the mayor's office. Snipe, slap, slag, swing, it gets old and really starts to insult the citizens of Jersey City.

Pity.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Late night open thread

"Annnnnd then I killed a guy in Berwyn and moved up here to hide out and wound up subletting from Winter Warlock..."

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Lather, rinse, abate

We're running out of reasons why Mayor Steve Fulop, who as candidate Steve Fulop pretty much ran on a plan of NO MORE huge downtown condo tax abatements, continually insists on bleeding the city tax base dry. No more downtown abatements bellowed candidate Fulop, they already have too many. Fast forward to 3 and a half years later and Fulop has broken that promise to all of Jersey City in spades. He continues to give out sweet deals to just about anyone who can still find an unabated lot downtown. One tall square building and a couple project starts elsewhere still has not concentrated on the rest of Jersey City monetarily to what Fulop since becoming mayor has asked his "yes sir" council (Sans Boggiano and Yun) to dole out "in lieu of taxes." Some of these might have been be palatable if any of these new buildings had businesses. Look around. The One has A dry cleaner. A, ie 1. Marbella, nothing. Toll Brothers The Morgan, nothing. These promises of great new taxpaying businesses if a false one. The Igloos (The Art House and The Jokeman on First St.) have scads of parking put in, if you own an electric vehicle. Maybe, maybe 3 spots out of 25 are ever being used (Right now a call from the mayor's office going out to find every Chevy Volt or Nissan Leaf within Hudson County to get it there NOW for the media). Sometimes those spots, 3/4 a block, part of "in lieu of taxes," sits empty. Wow, great "giveback" there Shuster. Bet that cost almost nothing to get your deal. If one looks hard enough at that row of empty chargers it would seem the city has outsourced those as well.

So, is Jersey City real estate that unappealing still, after Healy's seed money got things going, for now the budget looks OK, and by most accounts Jersey City is a big old social buzz city? Could just be the mayor rolls over far too easily.

Jobs have come here, and these are exactly where any abatements downtown SHOULD be going to. Those still have to be measured but no more abatements for condos or apartments downtown. How often must this simple idea that less spending is good and right now is the time to make developers, if they want a part of Jersey City, to pay the going rate downtown. The city isn't going to collapse if a corner stays a parking lot. Somebody will pay it, at full tax rate going forward because it's close to NYC. A Chinese company is building the new 95 story tower on Hudson. They could afford going rate rather than "in lieu of taxes," no?

Why is Johnny back on this again?

Terrence T. McDonald, take it away:

Now, city officials are asking the City Council to approve a 25-year tax break for a 52-story, 50-unit high-rise slated for a Columbus Drive parking lot.

AND Fulop wants to loan them money, like Bruce Ratner at the old Pep Boys site. No money for your neighborhoods but actual money to loan a developer. The Goldman Sachs guy in Fulop is on full display here.

The deal would also include $1 million in city-issued bonds, known as redevelopment area bonds, the city said will fund infrastructure improvements on the site, to be known as 25 Columbus Dr.

Oh, that neighborhood gets a new public school kindergarten and first grade out of it (unless the deal is changed and that happens all the time where developers weasel out of agreed to things and council lets them often back out). If you live in Greenville, or say in India Square or along parts of Communipaw, you'll pay for it, but what do you think the chances of your kid going to the new shiny school downtown is?

The answer is pretty clear looking to OUR shared future isn't it Jersey City? You want to open or move your business downtown, we've got office space, we're listening. You want money and loans to build and enrich one tiny neighborhood at the cost of all neighborhoods after all that's been given, yes given, to downtown? No.

Call your councilmember NOW. Tell them to vote responsibly or you'll look to find someone next time who will. Look at Ward B, remind them people aren't tied to they mayor's one-track desires anymore.

Monday, December 12, 2016

Late night open thread

How's your Christmas tree Billy?
We don't have a tree.
What do you have?
Yes.
Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Johnny normally tries to get his blood pressure down before bed

Another tax abatement downtown, this one for 25 years will be discussed tomorrow. In the meantime Johnny will try and pop a fistful of Ambien.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Late night open thread

One more time, thanks yo to everyone at Blue Pearl on 55th in NYC. Johnny would hate to think how his dire wolf would make it through life without all your efforts!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

If you see SantaCon activities in Jersey City, you call the SantaCon Brute Squad

Today, sadly, is SantaCon. That lowly drunken, slovenly event that drags down Christmas every god damned year. Now, normally these "SanataCon" participants don't get much beyond NYC or Hoboken which could mean their Department of Corrections shock collars® won't allow them into Cool City or our force field is holding strong but you will, citizens, see SantaCon activity rearing it's ugly ugly head in JC from time to time.

That's when you call 1-800-99-BRUTE. A local cabal of Jersey City citizens in different wards will be dispatched with everything but guns to force the SantaCon participants back indoors to their own hovels and yurts or make sure they leave on the PATH stagecoach back to the big city where the Cheeto-faced Shitgibbon who will be our next president lives. These actions have been approved (as far as you know) at the highest levels and top men and women have been put on this important oversight committee.

If you see something, say something. You call 1-800-99-BRUTE! SantaCon, get out, and leave Jersey City well behind.

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday, December 9, 2016

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with TEARS FOR FEARS!

"Pale Shelter' is one of Johnny's favorite songs and he thinks it's all kinds of underrated. He could listen to it once a day.

That being said, this video, lordy. Johnny's not sure if the alligator turned into Roland Orzabal or Curt Smith at the beginning so he had to catch up and boom, they were hanging around the airport so at that point just say screw it and listen to the song.

Have you heard? It's great.

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with ALICE COOPER!

Alice Cooper, another of that famous Detroit music mafia. Here he was in 1980 talking about clones. Really. Very ahead of the times. Good song too.

All are one and one are all.

Alice Cooper and 'Clones'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with HEART!

The first song on the first album Johnny ever heard on a friend's giant new sound system from way back when. Johnny's friend Roger was an enterprising genius engineer who saved his money and bought the best stereo of the day with the best speakers. You can imagine a young impressionable Johnny hearing the incredible 'Crazy On You' by Heart and the effect it had on him. Still does today.

Turn it up.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Late night open thread

"I can whistle with my fingers, especially if I have a whistle."
 -- Mitch Hedberg

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Johnny covers the arts

Johnny is a big fan of the arts and a big supporter when he can be and owns pieces by four different Jersey City artists. He got a look at the new gallery at Modera Lofts on Morgan at Washington and the art spaces for displays and artists is tip top. Gorgeous. Here's a gallery section showing the work of a friend of Johnny's, Maurizio Zuluaga.

Do yourself a favor and bring a friend downtown and take a look at some of the awesome work being down by artists here in Jersey City.

























Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Say bunky, can you spare an idea

Chris Christie, our failed governor was musing today about his plans after he's done running our state as far into the ground as he can on his watch. We know the readers at the Jersey City Desk have some great ideas and we'd LOVE to know what you'd like to see happen with Christie after he's done being governor. Rock our comments box with suggestions.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

This will probably not come as a surprise to anyone living in New Jersey

Governor Chris Christie has hit an all-time low in state history with his cool 19% approval rating. Yes those ten credit downgrades, defaulting on a deal he made himself with public unions, aligning himself with alt-right Nazi acolytes of Donald Trump, even becoming his cheerleader at the RNC Convention, more than likely outright lying about his dealings in Bridgegate while his cronies head off to jail, it's a real shocker isn't it?

Chris Christie and his policies have failed New Jersey and made him a laughingstock. For those of us here in Jersey City, Christie's greatest sin will always be not standing up for Jersey City and helping parrot Trump's lies about JC and 9/11 by not refuting them with all his gusto which we've all seen on display when he hears something he doesn't like. Gutless, to those in Jersey City he will always be gutless.

19%. Abject failure by our Republican governor.

Monday, December 5, 2016

Late night open thread

Merry Christmas...TO THE FLOOR!














Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Johnny took a picture tonight he's pretty happy with

Johnny was out walking the dire wolf tonight and at one point he looked across the street and at first glance thought he saw an SUV with a shattered or spiderwebbed windshield. On second glance it was actually a perfect reflection of a tree being uplit on the windshield. It looks pretty cool if you ask Johnny. He's just in a sharing mood...


Sunday, December 4, 2016

Late night open thread

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Normally Johnny wouldn't spend a Sunday talking about astroturf

Or "fieldturf" as you're about to read.

Seriously, who thought today you'd wake up and want to read an amazing in-depth story on the fleecing of American communities and taxpayers over the new "fieldturf" at the local high school football fields. NJ.com has another well done and truly enlightening piece on taxpayers getting ripped off by a company who knew their fields they sold to local high schools would fall apart much faster than they'd promised.

Take some time, maybe over coffee in the morning. It's what good journalism looks like.

Late night open thread

Championship Saturday brings about the last Saturday Night Scoreboard Show of the year. Too bad as Johnny really looks forward to putting it on each week and gets some of his best reader numbers.

Alabama 54
Florida 16
There will be three other teams in the playoff beside Alabama. They will all be heavy underdogs

Western Michigan 29
Ohio 23
The Broncos put the finishing touches on a 13-0 record this year and almost assuredly a date in the Cotton Bowl unless Navy could win their last two games, which brings us to:

Temple 34
Navy 10
Nope, party on in Kalamazoo

West Virginia 24
Baylor 21
Any day Baylor loses is a good day. They are a trash program, which brings us to:

Penn State 38
Wisconsin 31
The B1G honor is further dragged through the mud by Penn State's season. A disgraceful program with a big win does kinda make Ohio State look like a turd in a punch bowl though. The smaller schools like WMU, Boise St., Navy et al to play in a big bowl MUST win their conference championship. For the power conferences to make the four team playoff it's only strongly suggested. Penn State beat Ohio State and won their division AND the B1G title game. OSU didn't do either. If it was any other school other than Penn State Johnny would be screaming to keep the Buckeyes out

Washington 41
Colorado 10
Washington plays late and Johnny is old and has roosters to milk in the barn at dawn so he doesn't know that much about them but if it keeps Penn State and or Michigan out of the playoff, Go Huskies

Oklahoma 38
Oklahoma State 20
We have some lovely parting gifts for two teams who had playoff hopes at one point this year

Wofford 17
The Citadel 3
Wofford upset The Citadel in the 1-AA playoffs and no, Johnny did not wear his Wofford shirt today for those scoring at home

Clemson 42
Virginia Tech 35
Clemson vs the turds in the Punchbowl in the playoff nightcap

The Jersey City Desk Game of the Week®
South Dakota State 10
Villanova 7
In the 1-AA playoffs the Jackrabbits got a field goal from Chase Vinatieri, nephew of NFL kicking legend Adam Vinatieri, with 1:41 left to get power up and win the game. For his efforts and their win, hell and since it's the last Scoreboard Show of the season, ALL the Jackrabbits can loot and pillage Brookings, SD for the next 24 hours

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday, December 2, 2016

Late night open thread

Til tomorrow, midtown...

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with ERIC CLAPTON!

Getting the impression Eric is really into this woman. We're not sure if he's "Layla" into her like when he wrote that song to profess his love for George Harrison's wife but he does seem sincere here.

Eric Clapton and 'Forever Man'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with NICK LOWE!

"I'm gonna show my face with a different little woman in a different place." You GO Nick Lowe! The Jesus of Cool with '7 Nights to Rock'

Friday night MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA with THE EAGLES!

The caboose of tonight's Music Series comes in the form of The Eagles classic 'Victim of Love' which is one of their few songs cut live in the studio for an album (sans a few backup vocals, added tracks and so forth) and also a great cautionary tale about not putting your dick in crazy.

Johnny could be wrong but he's not...no he's not.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Late night open thread

Ten good minutes before bed of some awesome trampoline fails. You give white people a trampoline and they will fuck themselves up any number of ways.
Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno proving she knows as much about the economy as her boss

First, before the idea gets away from Johnny; New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno on her website aimed at a run for governor next year says New Jersey needs to create a more friendly environment for business. Um, again, check with your boss on that if you're having issues with how business gets done here after TEN credit downgrades on Chris Christie's watch. Perhaps you've met him.

Now, when Guadagno said yesterday that if New Jersey were to implement a $15 minimum wage we'd be forced to pump our own gas, for sure. Are we to live like savages? What kind of nation makes the citizenry pump their own gas? Yeah, every state but Oregon and here. If someone can make more money if Johnny has to pump his own gas, the line forms behind him. If Guadago understood the economy she'd know that someone getting a nice bump per hour isn't going to be setting up an eTrade account, that money will be going immediately back into the economy with a cell phone upgrade, maybe one more dinner out, a new laptop, a few extra credit hours, a better car and diapers ain't getting any cheaper. All things that help New Jersey's economy right NOW. What would happen to the local economy if suddenly thousands of people started buying these things? There you go.

Trust Johnny, getting your own gas isn't that bad and it's much quicker with one less middleman between your credit card and your bank. Tell Lt. Guadagno you're happy to pump your own gas if our friends and neighbors can get a real wage in today's world where there's always money for more abatements for Trump developments and bank bailouts, and auto company rescues.