Jersey City is protecting water, now let's protect workers and citizens

With the same citywide good intentions we're using to test city water get out ahead of issues, let's commit to ensuring we as a city are doing the same when it comes to construction sites. Jersey City suffered a fatality last year at the 90 Columbus site over one of the PATH Stations. Another incident over by the Bay St. Towers (formerly Trump Building) last year almost killed a Jersey City police officer. Sure there are state laws that must be followed but with as condensed as this city is, and with as many people are here in Cool City anymore, it's on us as a city to enact further safety measures. Let's not legislate by disaster like NYC will certainly do after their massive fatal crane failure this morning. Cranes must meet better standards than they might on a highway situation, it's the nature of the height. Are ALL sites using debris nets? Are you suuuure? Sometimes downtown it's hard to tell the workers from the people sans boots as most don't wear hardhats or some company/worker designation like you'd see around highway construction sites. Which brings Johnny to his next point. Do we really know who is coming into our city to work? SLOW DOWN, Johnny's not some anti-immigration dotard. His question is to who are the people coming to JC to work and run backhoes, seriously large equipment, and haul huge loads, are they on a file somewhere with the city? Does Jersey City demand mandatory drug and alcohol tests on workers in addition to or in case companies don't test workers?

If we're going to give away the farm on abatements residents shouldn't think for a second, though it seems like it sometimes, they are second class or economy class fliers in the grand scheme of Jersey City's development boom. Demand tougher laws and background checks of your councilperson. Demand drug and alcohol testing by the city is required if there's an accident. Don't wait to have someone killed or run down by someone who, oops, shouldn't have had that job to begin with.

The time is NOW to get tougher for citizen safety and well being. The abatement money should more than cover any and all costs of this.