A simply brilliant read on the rise and fall of the Kushner empire by Vanity Fair

Rich Cohen at Vanity Fair has painted a masterpiece on the history of the Kushner family history in New Jersey and New York, how it all began and how each new generation seems to make things worse for the family name, and that's saying something after Charles Kushner.

Long form journalism, grab a cool refreshing Diet Snapple Peach Tea like Johnny did and enjoy. Don't worry about Johnny advertising for something, it's either the Snapples or water so Johnny's pretty comfortable mentioning his favorite beverage.

It sounds like a broken record, it does

But this is our tax money being spent and perhaps some untoward ways. It's not like government boards and the Kushner Cos. have any kind of credibility they get to start out drawing upon. The Monmouth Mall is the issue at hand and just how deals to get it to Kushner Cos. seemingly so easily are what is on trial. It's really a case right now of a local board claiming they did everything about the sale in an aboveboard manner while a lot of the constituents loudly disagree.

Oh that Kushner name, it's just toxic in North Jersey anymore.

Did you know the Los Angeles Times has better journalists than the Jersey City Desk?

It would appear they do. While Johnny has been ringing the alarm bells and chiming in with news analysis on the embarrassment that the Trump/Kushner alliance (Think MODERN DAY Orthanc and Barad-Dur) around Jersey City and the many many messes they have created since they felt they had some advantage to be pressed after Trump's beyond stupid comments thousands upon thousands of Jersey City residents turned 9/11 into the national anthem at the old Chicago Stadium before Blackhawk games. What a shitgibbon.

So, yes, this does the best job encompassing ALL of the mess made that of course has engulfed Mayor Steve Fulop. Note spokesperson Jennifer Morrill coming behind the mayor with mop and bucket after his no contributions from Kushner claim is followed up on later in the article about the fact YES, 100K of Kushner do-re-mi wound up in his SuperPAC.

Read it. Learn it. Know it.

Required viewing Jersey City, especially today

This story on PBS, over the HB-5 visa issues facing Jared Kushner on the Bay St. Towers and sinking the J2 Journal Square project becomes even more pressing now that we know special prosecutor Robert Mueller is investigating crooked and shady Kushner financial dealings most likely here in Jersey City and quite possibly eastern Europe. You'll be hearing from Jersey Journal city reporter Terrence T. McDonald who just mentioned on Twitter the city was not happy to hear he was being interviewed for the PBS coverage.

Must see TV kids. Head to the 27:00 of the show.

The Trump Bay St. projects using EB-5 visas has clearly rattled city hall

Sounds like the one who should be especially rattled is Council President Rolando Lavarro. The story about government agencies and bad actors literally bending, if not outright ignoring certain areas in the PAD to make the area of Trump Towers on Bay St. seem underprivileged, broken down, poor and almost destitute. 

What about Lavarro? Glad you asked, citizen:

"This is the first I've heard," Lavarro said. "I would have to do a little independent research on that."

Lavarro is also chair of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency, which in April 2013 designated an LLC controlled in part by Kushner as the developer of Trump Bay Street, located at 65 Bay St. near the waterfront.

Jennifer Morrill, city spokeswoman, well she didn't know no nuthin'.

Terrence T. McDonald is an excellent, award-winning and tenacious reporter. Johnny gets the feeling between the Bay St. visa issues and the newly turned-up 235 Grand St. visa 'sales', along with the hash that has become of J2, something bad is going to shake loose. 

Some people just don't want to go to jail, ya know?

As if you didn't need another reason to hate the Trump/Kushner buildings

Did you know a lot of government and business people rigged the numbers to show that the area around the Trump/Kushner buildings was depressed and NEEDED to have those buildings there rather than Bergen-Lafayette or other poorer neighborhoods in JC where of course, Trump and Kushner would never want to build. Throw back a snort of whiskey before this one, it'll make you mad.

We can just list Cory Booker on Amazon at this point

There may be varying degrees of ratings and prices as he's been bought more than once on different platforms.

You'll recall in January we pointed out that while all the Democrats and even a few Republicans were on board with importing drugs to help keep prescription costs down for Americans being ripped off by nonsensical Big Pharma pricing games. Even Donald Fucking Trump brought up the idea while running for President. Not Cory Booker, he stood firm with over $55K in NJ Big Pharma money lining his pockets, no to importing drugs from Canada. Not that Booker had any proof of his claim, that we need to check and make sure these drugs are safe, as Johnny wrote at the time:

Let that sink in. At ANY point in the last few years did you read any articles online or see a teevee news report about a bunch of dead Canadians lying outside pharmacies or along Yonge Street in Toronto or on the prairies of Western Canada? Of course you didn't. These drugs are already safe, it's just an excuse for Sen. Booker. 

If that kind of thing is wrong, this next part is disgraceful and possibly harmful to the security of the country -- yeah, it is. Leading Democrats in Washington D.C. as well as former CIA, FBI and national security experts believe at the very least Jared Kushner's Russian dalliances mean his security clearance should be reviewed and probably revoked at this point. The experts folks, the experts.

Know who thinks he needs to stand up for Jared Kushner AND his security clearance, (something when in doubt for Christ's sake should be double-checked) Cory Booker. Yep, Booker went to bat for Kushner after all we know and the experts have told us.

What's Senator Booker's reasoning for not wanting to chase down US/Russia espionage charges? Maybe the fact Jared and Ivanka Trump held two max out the donations fundraisers for Booker.

There you go. Cory's good friends Jared (Awwww, he went to Jared) and Ivanka lining his pockets full of campaign cash might do it, what do you think New Jersey? Democrats should be beyond mildly worried at this point with Booker's ability to make the wrong choices shortly after getting money from Big Pharma, Big Real Estate, Big Celebrity, et al.

We know from following the Senator on Twitter he likes inspirational quotes for certain situations. Here's one:

"Suppose you could gain everything in the whole world, and lost your soul. Was it worth it?"    
 -- Billy Graham

Do you love autographs? Johnny loves autographs

He does of course ask for them in appropriate places, ie after shows or at a move/book/show event. Not while they're eating or just out enjoying life. That's their time but Johnny digresses...

If you'd like to get your favorite FBI agent's autograph, start hanging around Journal Squared or Trump Bay St. and simply look for those dullard cars with lights in the back to start pulling up. As we learned some of those shady B-5 visas Jared Kushner's sister was pretty much selling in China (That were used on Trump Bay St and the ask was on in China for J2) may have directly led to the firing of former FBI Director James Comey. Word is once Jared found out the FBI was looking into dodgy financing deals, and not just stupid shit Flynn and Manafort were up to, it sounds like he made wee wee:

Yep, once trouble is coming at you, make those solidly formed decisions and put them into motion, it's a family trait.

Be polite when you ask for your autographs, be prepared they could be too busy handcuffing someone or investigating the fountains of fuzzy math they could come across. Sometimes they do say no but sooner or later of you stand right outside J2 or Trump Bay St., you'll get your man...or woman.

Mayor Fulop running away from a real reporter with real questions

First off, what a fantastic article in the long form by Terrence T. McDonald. He digs deep and tells the entire story of how Mayor Fulop was once great pals with Jared Kushner and now how that relationship must either be broken or put in a back drawer somewhere with the White House acting as they do and Fulop running for reelection. Drink that good writing up.

Note too at the end the mayor simply can't handle real questions, unfiltered being asked of him. All your reporter questions must go through my spokesperson now.

Yeah, Semper Fi Marine.

Fulop forced to admit the Kushner/Journal Square abatements tainted

On both Twitter and Facebook this past weekend, Mayor Steve Fulop was forced (in part by yours truly who was first out of the box in criticisms over the burgeoning EB-5 scandal in JSQ last week, of course along with other watchdog groups) to openly admit the city would not be backing the Kushner abatement after video and still images came out of China of Jared Kushner relatives dropping his name to get funding for Journal Square properties (and according to CBS News the Trump buildings on Bay St. as well) where a large buy in gets an EB-5 visa to get a green card. Yeah, the Trump Administration is all about keeping people out, unless they can give him money.

So, good for Mayor Fulop for announcing this but it's too bad it took an outcry to get his announcement made public.

Ever vigilant Jersey City, we must always all be ever vigilant with our money.

Guess what city council did last night

Go on, guess. If you said spend money on a fuzzy math budget AND lay the groundwork for a few more abatements, you control the board and get to go again.

The council passed Steve Fulop's magical no tax increase again and we're pretty much basing our budget outlook now on tourism at local hotels. What do we expect from Mr. Goldman Sachs and his Merry Band of YesFolk? Let's not plan for, and or save for the future because the good economic times, they always last. A whole 700K for a budget of 572 million. Yeah, sure, OK. Lost in this is the uptick in municipal fines. Is Jersey City starting to head down the Ferguson Mo. road and increasing revenue in the poorer neighborhoods for annoyance fines? We'd need to see that broken out as to what this climb in fines is for and what part of Jersey City it's increasing in. A $2.2 million increase in municipal court fines is a lot in one year, no?  yet,

Once again the fact abatements are due to come rolling off the books did nothing to stop council from rezoning and almost begging to set up abatements for the old Emerson Radio Factory.

The massive, five-story former factory, now a storage warehouse at 16th and Coles streets, would be part of a roughly 60-acre redevelopment zone in an industrial area of the city that sits in the shadow of the New Jersey Turnpike, blocks from the Holland Tunnel.

The plan also requires the developer of the Emerson factory to build a new, 20,000-square-foot public space that the city says will be a new Downtown police station (so how is that a public space?). Meanwhile, an existing parking lot between 13th and 14th streets just west of Coles Street could eventually become a park (there is currently a 20-year lease on the property). COULD.

Johnny knows you regular readers realize we're not done prepping for more PILOT programs (with no money going to say, schools):

The developer chosen to rehab the old factory would have to keep that structure intact but would be allowed to build 26-story high-rises around it. Current zoning limits height in the area to five stories.

There you go. We DARE any city council member right now to say they'll not vote for abatements for this (AND the Kushner/KRE/KABR horseshit properties). Do it. Be the hero. Say you're done pissing taxpayer money away willy nilly. Jersey City real estate can stand on it's own. Try it and see. Let the developer build it on their dime and keep the profits and pay proper taxes on it. Does council realize we make more money this way? They won't ever know unless they show some spine and try.

Merry Band of YesFolk, lol, Johnny cracks himself up sometimes.

A lot of people are not clearing their walks, ie a lot of millionaires

Why is it there are never tickets or fines issued to big developers who don't clear their sidewalks though they have all the money to do so. Johnny pointed out on Twitter that slumlord Jared Kushner hasn't done dick to clear his sidewalks downtown, and Washington between First St and Bay St. just sit untouched by Lloyd Goldman. Goldman is a repeat offender unless of course the city is now chipping in and doing his work for him.

It's bad enough when small property owners don't take care of their sidewalks, and the one and two-off unoccupied properties that the city has to handle and can never seem to catch up to these clown have the money to get it done. It's your safety they don't care about, remember this next time they want a tax abatement and tell you what great citizens they'll be in the future. They have a history to draw on right now and it ain't good.

Get on those horses Jersey City, it's a News Roundup

OK, Johnny of course will be commenting on the fact Jared Kushner and the Kushner family who do lots and lots of business, despite their felonious history and now inside ties to Trump, managed to drop 100K into Mayor Fulop's SuperPAC (which aw shuckins he didn't know no nuthin' about). He needs proper time for proper research.

* Jersey City police caught the jackhole who stole from the firehouse last week while the firefighters were out on a call saving a life. As suggested before, rat bucket should be on the table.

* Chris Christie, who used to be a vocal opponent of ridiculous Muslim bans, and called those for them, "the crazies" has suddenly gone silent on the matter.

* You'll love this taxpayer. The State of New Jersey might be on the hook for $1.8 billion in payback to the Securities and Exchange Commission because -- dum dum dum -- The Port Authority may have misled them on the Pulaski Skyway dealings. It's late, it's over budget, and it might cost 10 times more.

* Another senseless and utterly unforgivable act of drunk driving has severely injured a Jersey City woman. Samaa Dessouki, do you have no shame?

* And finally, there will be an anti-Muslim ban rally tonight at 6pm at the Newark/Grove St  pedestrian plaza. Next week let's have one in Journal Square. The week after Greenville. All together now!

Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, loses big in court to Jersey City

YUGE, GIANT, loss to Jersey City. Seems you can't swing a bankruptcied Trump property in New Jersey without hitting someone trying to claim something that's not theirs or trying to stiff someone just because its easier not to pay than live up to your obligations.

Jersey City in a state appeals court won $2.1 million dollars from Kushner's KABR Group who basically saw some money out there that was defaulted on by the previous owner of the current Bay St. Towers (dba Trump Towers) and started saying it was theirs. Terrence T. McDonald breaks it down better than Johnny:

The city had promised to repay the $2.1 million to Vector Urban Renewal, the original developer, but it kept the cash after Vector defaulted on its mortgage and walked away from the project, according to the Aug. 30 appellate court decision.

Morgan Street, which bought the property in a sheriff's sale in April 2011, argued in court that it inherited the $2.1 million credit the city owed Vector, but the appellate court on Monday ruled against the developers, saying they had no right to be reimbursed for money Vector paid the city.

The decision reverses a lower-court ruling in the developers' favor. A request for comment from Morgan Street's attorney was not immediately returned.

Basically since KABR had made changes to the original plan which means it's then not the same plan and KABR will get nothing and Jersey City rightly pockets $2.1 million. Hands off Johnny's taxpayer money Jared Kushner, that's a bad Jared Kushner!

Also today Jersey City resident Chuck U. Farley won the name the Bay St. Towers (dba Trump Towers) contest. The contest arose when Donald Trump rented out his name on the ugliest building he could find then his trusty Jared in law decided he wanted another ugly-ass building next to daddums' uninspired POS. Chuck named them "Butt" and "Ugly" which is spot on. So Butt and Ugly they are and so they shall be called. The original eyesore is Butt and the new hovel is Ugly, and truer words have never been spoken.

(L to R, Ugly & Butt, Jersey City Desk file photo)

Awwww, Jared Kushner is against Governor Christie as his father-in-law's VP

Local real estate pest Jared Kushner, son-in-law of GOP nominee Donald Trump is said to be very much against our failed governor as Trump's VP pick but not because Christie is a floundering mess, but because Christie actually did his job and did it well in 2004. Christie was a US Attorney back then and followed the law and the illegalities of Kushner's father Charles, a real sleazebag as it turns out and landed Kushner Sr in the clink. What did Christie catch the KRE maven doing you ask (since Jersey City has given so much to this family in abatements it does matter, know who you do business with) as he prosecuted the case?

In 2004, Christie as U.S. attorney for New Jersey prosecuted the government's case against Kushner's father, Charles Kushner, the real estate executive, philanthropist and political donor. The elder Kushner pleaded guilty in federal court to 18 felonies, including making illegal campaign contributions and evading taxes.

Nice right? Wait, it gets more desperate for Kushner:

The elder Kushner was also convicted of witness tampering after he hired a prostitute to seduce his sister's husband, who was cooperating the the federal government's case against him, and sent a videotape of the encounter to her.

So daddy got two years and Jared doesn't want Christie as the VP. Huh, wonder why...