The bad kind of Throwback Thursday in Jersey City

Twitter as many of you know is a fun day of sharing throwback pictures. Jersey City is not enjoying another kind of throwback, arrests for apparent corruption at the Jersey City Incinerator Authority (JCIA), three to be exact at press time while Terrence T. McDonald tells us the Jersey City Police Department is currently seeking a fourth suspect.

McDonald's questioning would seem to have caught the chair of the JCIA Board of Commissioners off-guard this morning:

A phone call seeking comment from the JCIA's executive director, Oren Dabney, went straight to voicemail this morning. Maureen Hulings, the chair of the agency's board of commissioners, told The Jersey Journal she did not know about the arrests.

"Oh, God," Hulings said when she heard the news. "I have not heard anything. Oh, God.

Unlike the situation with Ward B Councilman Chico Ramchal who was recently fired from an alleged no-show county job, the Mayor's office through spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill wasted no time in calling for investigations and the rooting out of corruption wherever is appears:

"We will not tolerate individuals that have taken advantage of the city residents for years and today is just another step in that direction," Mayor Steve Fulop said in a statement that noted the investigation was initiated by the city.

Convenient to have a comment on this other than letting the law take it's course. This is however another step forward for citizens and a strike against those who would use their city positions to steal and or profit at taxpayers expense. A neverending job in Jersey City it appears.

Ward B Councilman Chico Ramchal pleads not guilty to assault by auto

Khemraj "Chico" Ramchal pled not guilty to his assault by auto charge after his alleged alcohol-fueled wreck in a JCIA Ford product March 14. If found guilty of this charge it carries a possible 18 months in the state clink. If you're a regular reader of the Jersey City Desk you know the rest of the story.

Johnny's of a couple minds here. As a victim of a drunk driver at 17 he has no tolerance for that shit. None. Accountability for that charge is essential. That being said Johnny's not one to just toss someone on their ear for one stupid thing provided it wasn't THAT stupid and the damage in this case to humans was minimal and property is all fixable. Yet a third mind wants some answers about where that JCIA vehicle was running all those "work related errands" late at night and at odd hours on weekends. THAT is what we need to know more about in all this and will probably help skew our final assessment in all this.

The JCIA might fast be running out of vehicles

A couple weeks after city councilman Chico Ramchal crashed his JCIA vehicle in an alleged drunken driving incident late at night, another JCIA vehicle has been in a late night accident after this time trying to elude police. Dajuan Clarke was arrested after a few blocks of a "chase" after just missing a marked JCPD car after running a red light:

At 3:17 a.m. the officer was entering the intersection of Bergen and Bramhall avenues when he had to slow for a car that ran the red light and made a right onto Bergen. He said a second car driven by Clarke did the same, coming even closer to striking the police car, a police report says.

The officer activated his lights and siren, but the cars did not stop. They turned onto Clinton Avenue where Clarke's vehicle struck a parked car before both vehicles crossed Kennedy Boulevard and turned onto West Side Avenue as backup units were arriving.

Here's the kicker. While Clarke was driving a JCIA vehicle and had worked for them in some capacity for three years BUT his name does not currently appear on any list of current employees and salaries.

Clarke's $25,000 cash-only bail was set as cash-only because he is currently on parole for a robbery conviction raising even more uncomfortable questions for the JCIA management.

Just a quick update -- parking regulations in Jersey City remain suspended indefinitely

So park where you want to, go nuts, just don't A) Park in front of a hydrant B) Double park Johnny. No tickets will be handed out until things are back to normal:

The Jersey City Incinerator Authority will resume street sweeping of major roads and highways, but residents who do not move their cars will not be ticketed, according to the city.