No more soup for you (if by soup you mean stand around jobs for cops)

Mayor Steve Fulop has pulled back the ladle and put the lid on the "off-duty" (Johnny's always preferred the 'stand around' connotation because that's what they did, or in the JCPD's case didn't but got paid anyway) jobs that pay large sums of money to the JCPD officers who want them and embarrassment to the city when dozens of these same officers get caught up in a federal investigation for not paying taxes on money they took and didn't bother to show up for in some cases. Worse yet, some cops on active duty were pulled off patrol to go stand around construction sites. You can go back to the earliest days of the Jersey City Desk and see Johnny imploring first Healy then Fulop to end this nonsense. It's too bad it took Fulop this long but ding dong those jobs are dead:

"For too long the program has been abused with police officers more focused on off-duty work than on-duty work," Fulop said in an email to The Jersey Journal. "The widespread corruption was known by countless officers within the department and the degree of abuse is astonishing."

OK, so no more obscene amounts of money for very very very little work. Let's play "How do you think that went over with the JCPD" with your host, Kramer:

Did Carmine Disbrow, president of the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association call the mayor's decision:

A) Wise considering all that's gone on recently
B) Hasty
C) Poopy
D) "Mayor Fulop has shared no plan with the union regarding the future off-duty jobs," Carmine Disbrow, president of the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association, said in a statement. "We'd much prefer to have this conversation with him face-to-face than through social media or the press. While we understand the need for change in the way assignments are distributed, we hope that he understands how critically important these jobs are to keeping Jersey City safe."

If you chose "D" just understand that Fulop DID just share his plan with the union regarding these jobs Mr. Disbrow, he said they're over. A one-sentence plan really.

Usually this is where Johnny would end the story with something about a D+ force in a B+ city but the best city reporter anywhere, in fact an Ace Reporter, Terrence T. McDonald asked Ward C Councilman and former Jersey City detective Richard Boggiano his thoughts on the end of all things stand around and boy were they colorful. You simply have to see what Boggiano thinks of the towns and hamlets surrounding Jersey City. But you have to put munny in Mr. McDonald's pocket first since he asked the question, you follow this link but trust Johnny, it's worth the click.

Three whole units for homeless veterans in lieu of millions and a 30 year abatement

Johnny would say "Only in Jersey City" but this kind of threading the needle to hand out tax money goes on everywhere. Mayor Fulop announced his support for a new 30 year abatement (oh look, ANOTHER 30 year abatement just 22 days into his new term) and tried to couch it because the of the units to get the huge tax break THREE would be earmarked for homeless veterans. This is the kind of shitty cynical politics Johnny is just sick of. It's couched to look and sound like if you don't support this deal or question the 30 year abatement for so few units, YOU look like you hate vets. Johnny is going to turn that around on the mayor and others who would fawn over this deal and ask, THREE units? That's SOME commitment you're trying to tie your boat to mayor. Three whole spots? In the years you've been mayor and now you want to trade on three units.

Johnny's dad was a vet. One of his good friends was a Blackhawk helicopter pilot for the Army in Iraq. Johnny's support of the military and vets isn't some kind of "if we can fit it in for politics sake" commitment and Johnny's not the vet here, the mayor is.

Three units. Yet those opposed to this deal are the ones who are supposed to look bad. Don't think that's going to be the case.

We're gonna get her a nice fruit basket

Johnny's favorite Jersey City spokeswoman, Jennifer Morrill is leaving Jersey City to become the unnecessarily combative and overly dramatic spokeswoman at Care Point Health. She served Mayor Healy vs Steve Fulop and Mayor Fulop vs Jerramiah Healy.

You can't get much more spokesperson than that. More on her storied career in Jersey City here.

More chances this week to hear mayoral candidates Fulop, Matsikoudis square off

Mayor Steve Fulop and his only challenger, Bill Matsikoudis, met on the New Jersey City University campus Monday night in their first debate.

Steve Fulop on why he should be re-elected:
Fulop, 40, who is seeking a second term on Nov. 7, highlighted his administration beefing up the police force by over 150 officers, installing new closed-circuit security cameras and starting a city prisoner re-entry program as achievements. "I'm here to tell you that I'm running for another term because we still have more work to do," he said.

Bill Matsikoudis on what needs to change:
Matsikoudis, 45, painted a starkly different picture of Fulop's first term, noting a sharp increase in homicides -- 13 homicides in 2012 versus 24 in 2016 -- saying there is a "dearth" of recreational facilities on the city's south side and characterizing relations between police officers and residents as deteriorating. "We can do a better job," Matsikoudis said twice.

So, round one is in the books and round two comes -- WHOA, tonight friends! The talk is at at School 11, 886 Bergen Ave. starting at 7 p.m. and tonight will be sponsored by Safe Streets JC and Bike JC and will center on safe streets, safer bike lanes and pedestrian safety, something important to ALL Jersey City residents. Follow this link for more on the Monday debate and upcoming times Fulop and Matsikoudis will debate.