Fulop has the early lead

As of 8:30pm

Fulop 4,670
Healy 4,070
Walker 835
Malik 109

More here from the Healy campaign HQ.

The Jersey Journal has endorsed Councilman Steve Fulop for Jersey City mayor

The local paper of record has endorsed councilman Steve Fulop for Mayor in what really isn't much of a surprise. Mayor Healy just has too many things not working right in this city for the Journal to endorse him for another term. Said the Journal in endorsing Fulop:

Healy’s administration can be summed up by a stretch of Bergen Avenue, from Montgomery Street south. While one could argue that dealing with crime is difficult and the poor economy can be an impressive foe, there is no excuse for not providing basic services.

Taxpayers along this stretch have been clamoring for years for the city to pave the road and fix the curbs, only to be ignored. Potholes and bare patches are the norm along the forgotten avenue, a metaphor for older sections of the city. It is not the waterfront.

So voters, what say you? Does Healy deserve another term? Will you be voting for either Jerry Walker or Abdul Malik? Will the Jersey Journal endorsement be the tipping point? Tell us in comments.

The final Jersey City mayoral debate might have seen a turning point

Mayor Healy was hot under the collar and went on about threatening litigation against Councilman Fulop because of the FBI ad. Why he keeps making the crime and graft sweep of 2009 a campaign issue (Fulop is doing a good enough job of that himself) is beyond us but yesterday did show a mayor who is angry, and who might just be feeling this race slipping away. Reports say Fulop scored points on Healy by mentioning the Healy campaign mailers and literature which Fulop said to laughter:

"Not even one mailer that had come from the mayor's (campaign) office has one thing about a vision for Jersey City. Each one has my image distorted and a picture of President Obama on the other side."

For his part in the debate, candidate Abdul Malik seemed pretty pissed off at the other two candidates (Jerry Walker was at a fundraiser):

"It's a dirty fight we have seen, and we are seeing it here," said Malik, who compared politicians to puppets. "Listen my friends, I am not political, I am not controlled by anyone, I don't have big money ... This is time to clean up our politics, and I am asking for your help to support me and we can do this together."

Mayor Healy? He was still threatening lawsuits:

"They are lies and slanderous and we will file a lawsuit."

We just think it would be kind of hard to sue someone using words Mayor Healy himself spoke on the FBI tape.

We're also going to throw in the candidates (all four) and their views on tax abatements for the downtown area from a couple days back. Valuable information to help you decide on May 14. Follow this link and hear and see (in living color) the candidates and their tax break opinions.

It's the political silly season in Jersey City

Two days ago Johnny and his dog walked by an Abdul Malik mayoral poster posted near a Healy for Mayor sign at a large Jersey City intersection. The driving point in the Malik poster was about ending corruption. Yesterday Johnny walked by and somebody had taken a knife or some kind of boxcutter and sliced the Malik for Mayor sign right through the word corruption. Down it flipped. Fast forward to today, since the Malik sign was cut down it would seem that meant TWO Healy signs had to go that were on the same fencing. Where does it end people? When does it end? If Johnny sees you doing this sort of thing he WILL snap your picture and post it here. Be ye warned.

The candidates for mayor and city council will be everywhere this week

There are many many events planned this week not just between those sparring for the mayorship, but city council candidates will also lock horns in debates going on this week. NJ.com has all the times, persons attending and locales, all you need to do be become a more informed voter is to follow this link.

The election is less than one month away, time to pay attention peeps.

Extra! Extra! Itchy and Scratchy fight it out while Jerry Walker and Abdul Malik look on in disgust

Lincoln High was the site of yesterday's two hour debate between Jersey City mayoral hopefuls Jerry Walker, Abdul Malik, city councilman Itchy and Mayor Scratchy.

Sure we could tell you how Healy and Fulop hogged the lion's share of the time and questions, sure Jersey Journal columnist Earl Morgan sounded out of touch again, sure we could tell you about charges of corruption and the fact Itchy said of Leona Beldini it was a shame that Mayor Scratchy let "grandma" take the fall. Sure we could tell you all these things but wouldn't you rather read about it here and then follow-up in the snarky comments section? Of course you would.

Healy and Fulop go toe to toe, mano y mano, one on one...

And this is the part where Johnny dissects some of what was discussed.

Something has been eating at Johnny since he read the debate stories where Councilman Fulop challenged our Mayor because so many of his closest political allies, his deputy mayor (and campaign treasurer) and others who did business with Mayor Healy (how are those pancakes at the Brownstone Diner tasting now?) are in jail, have killed themselves or resigned in disgrace. Mayor Healy's actual response on his meeting that day with Solomon Dwek, Leona Beldini and others:

“I should have gotten a gold medal for effective, honest, open government for that,” he said.

That wasn't The Onion making up that quote, no it was Mayor Healy himself.

You don't get a gold medal for not committing a crime. You're expected to not commit crimes all the time and everywhere you go. You do not get credit or a gold medal for all your closest allies going to jail while you weren't arrested. You're don't get to elevate yourself as some paramour of virtue because you weren't indicted and your pals were. 

Unless.

Unless you were one who helped turn state's evidence, secretly of course, once you found out just how out of control this vipers nest at city hall had become. Unless you decided to take a stand for honest and open government and made a phone call or two. See that would be how one would get a gold medal in all this. But as of press time you haven't claimed credit for helping in the investigation.

Back to Mayor Healy's very bad debate day (and remember last time when he didn't even bother to show up for a few of the debates because he knew he had Lou Manzo whipped already). When pressed by Fulop on how Journal Square becomes a priority two months before each election Healy basically said well it was better than the dump he inherited (and then ran three times to govern over it). Ah yes, it's not a swamp, it's only a bog. The very Journal Square theatre the debate took place in came up as a topic of debate. Healy said he wouldn't drop any taxpayer money into the 'in-progress' rehab of historic Loew's Theatre. Fulop said rehabbing Loew's is vital to anchoring the Journal Square area. 

Check local cable times for the debate to air in it's entirety. 

We'd like to pass along a "what a douchecanoe" aimed at Hudson Media Group's Pat O'Melia who decided that Jersey City mayoral candidate Abdul Malik wasn't allowed to participate in the debate. Again, douchecanoe. He's on the ballot. Who cares if YOU don't think he can win. How about we as a right-thinking city excuse this clown from further debate decision making?

Mayoral showdown at Loew's Theatre today at 1pm

Historic Loew's Theatre will be the site of a showdown between some of the Jersey City candidates looking for the top job. Mayor Healy will be there as will Councilman Steve Fulop. Jerry Walker has been invited but illness may keep him away. Candidate Abdul Malik wasn't even invited and actually wasn't even allowed to participate. That's shameful.

So get yourselves on that Journal Square train, or head in from Nidia's Neighborhood and see the fireworks beginning at 1pm.

Debate night in The Heights

The four candidates for Jersey City mayor squared off last night in The Heights for a two hour back and forth over the issues, and all the character flaws that could be tossed out.

Mayor Healy, Councilman Fulop, Abdul Malik and Jerry Walker all had problems with some of the other candidates platforms. After Steve Fulop said he had a passion for education, Malik responded by saying:

Fulop “has a passion for power, more and more power.”

After Mayor Healy spent time talking about how great the JCPD are and how certain crime metrics are down, Jerry Walker spoke about his plan for real public policing and took the mayor to task for perhaps not seeing the reality of things on the streets:

“We’re tired of looking in the paper, picking up the paper and seeing another kid killed in the streets,” he said. “This has to stop.”

Fulop, as expected, pressed Mayor Healy over what kind of record he has truly built:

“We have an opportunity in Jersey City to be the best mid-size city in the United States of America, and I believe that’s possible,” said Fulop, also noting the city is at a crossroads.

One day after his endorsement from President Obama, Healy continually stressed that streets are safer and hiring more cops would cost taxpayers more, something he's not ready to do:

“Our police department and leadership is doing an excellent job,” Healy said. “What we need are more cops ... that entails money, and we can’t keep hitting the taxpayers over the head.”

So, debate #1 is in the books. Did anyone come off better than you expected? Worse? Anything you'd like to ask the candidates that wasn't brought up? Spill it in comments.

The first Jersey City mayoral debate will be March 21

Well the powers that be are calling it a "forum" but trust us, it'll be a debate.

March 21 will find all four mayoral candidates, Mayor Jerramiah Healy, City Councilman Steve Fulop, doctor Abdul Malik and former local basketball star Jerry Walker, on hand to share their ideas on issues facing The Heights and to help familiarize residents there with the mayoral candidates' platforms. Terrence T at the Jersey Journal fills in badly needed details:

The forum is scheduled for Thursday, March 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. at School 28, 167 Hancock Ave. It is being hosted by the Riverview Neighborhood Association, Washington Park Association of Hudson County, Pershing Field Garden Friends and others.

“The goal of this forum is two-fold—for candidates to gain a better understanding of Heights residents’ concerns and for Heights residents to better familiarize themselves with each candidate and his or her platform,” said Becky Hoffman, president of the Riverview Neighborhood Association.

Be there or be square Heights residents. Make 'em sweat. Don't just accept their first answer as gospel and if they try to get off your topic into talking points make sure you jump in and say "Excuse me, but now would you like to answer the question I actually asked?"