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.

Once again a good deed goes wanting

Jerry Walker was putting on a public service/campaign event at Journal Square today and was run off by the JCPD. Now before you get all angried up here's what happened. Walker was holding a 'Haircuts for the Homeless' event and had three barbers giving away haircuts for the homeless near the 9/11 memorial. The event was shut down by Tom Comey's boys who said Walker needed a permit to give away haircuts apparently. There's a law on the books dealing with this must be. Certainly it has nothing to do with Mayor Healy not being happy with Mr. Walker for staying in the race and perhaps taking votes Healy was counting on now does it? Jerry Walker wouldn't blame the mayor for shutting down his event, would he?

“I wouldn’t blame it on the mayor,” Walker said. “But it’s the police department, he’s the chief in charge, right?”

Jennifer Morrill went all Radar O'Reilly on M*A*S*H* about proper forms and triplicate and regulations:

City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said park permits must be obtained to host events in that area of Journal Square.

That area. Just that area? Ten feet one way or another? Is over here on spec? So another good deed goes undone in Jersey City where one week before the mayoral election we see the powerbrokers and their loyalists from all across the city (and now Hoboken) in several pitched battles on several fronts spending tens of thousands of dollars while those residents with lesser means can't even get a free goddamn haircut.

NOW you can get angried up.

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.

Well now this is creepy Jersey City

We're not gonna go into any kind of a panic but this makes you sit up and wonder. Jersey City resident Mykyta Panasenko was arrested the same day the losers attacked the Boston Marathon, for building and having bombs, one of which while unfinished he still took on an NJ Transit train. His laundry list of charges reads as follows:

Panasenko is charged with having “two destructive devices, specifically improvised explosive devices constructed from a cylinder containing Pyrodex (black powder)” on April 5, the criminal complaint says.

He is also charged with recklessly creating widespread risk of injury or damage to a building . . . by constructing the explosive devices, according to the charges filed after the investigation led by the Jersey City Police Department and NJ Transit Police Department.

Panasenko is also charged with having two improvised explosive devices on April 7 aboard an NJ Transit train leaving Hoboken and bound for Suffern, the complaint says.

Jersey City residents owe thanks for the heads up to the NYPD and the FBI who got a tip from someone who knows Panasenko. The JCPD's bomb squad handled the rest.

Now the authorities say he never intended to target public buildings or public transportation. Still, why do people build bombs? To store in a closet? To hold napkins? No they build them to watch them go boom. So going forward can we please keep an eye on this guy? Ankle monitoring won't be enough, those are increasingly being outwitted. We need a Lojack for people on this one. And please please please keep him away from Jerry Walker, Jersey City mayor-to-be.

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.

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?"