Steve Fulop has decided now is the time to take some digs at NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio

In quite a shocker, the mayor of our fair city opened up a small can of economic whup-ass on the mayor across the river. Steve Fulop told the Wall St. Journal that in his opinion de Blasio's comments about asking the rich to pay more. Fulop said de Blasio's "polarizing" comments have somehow "terrified" NYC business interests.

Where to begin. Is this some kind of coded message to wealthy individuals and businesses to look at Jersey City? Was Fulop having a Goldman Sachs flashback to his days there where criticizing anything populist or that didn't make the rich richer was reflex? Was he merely trying to raise his own reputation? Johnny has a pretty good idea why Fulop said what he said, but it's far more interesting to speculate on the big picture.

What say you Jersey City?

Word on the street says BNY Mellon is looking for new home, quite possibly Jersey City

Word around the financial houses has made it's way to Bloomberg News who are reporting the former Bank of New York, founded by Alexander Hamilton, is looking to sell their Manhattan HQ and are looking for around 400K sq. ft. of office space in Manhattan or Jersey City to relocate.

Why won't this happen?

"Any attempt to move probably will spark competition among New York landlords, and test New York Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio’s pledge to cut tax breaks and subsidies to big companies, the news service notes."

Why might this happen?

"...A move to Jersey City not only would put it in the company of other financial firms that have relocated major parts of their operations to the so-called Wall Street West, but it also would put it closer to its corporate family. Pershing, a unit of BNY Mellon, has its headquarters right in the heart of downtown Jersey City, at 1 Pershing Plaza.

We here in Jersey City aren't that worried about any deal the incoming NY Mayor may offer, after all this is Jersey City and it's hot hot hot for real estate right now. Jersey City is the logical choice as Wall St. West grows and grows. Bill deBlasio is a poor man's Steve Fulop. There, we said it.

If it helps the Jersey City Desk would like to welcome BNY Mellon to our fair city. You're just in time, Taqueria is going to start delivery.

NYC Mayor-elect Bill De Blasio chooses his new police commissioner

It what may be considered a surprise move de Blasio will announce later today that former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton will retake the job. Bratton, who served under "noun-verb-9/11" Mayor Rudy Giuliani, was a surprise choice after de Blasio didn't say very nice things about Giuliani during his debates with Joe Lhota.

The Gothamist has more on the choice (we'd send you to the NYT for this but why waste one of your monthly articles on it?).

The smoking age in NYC is going up to 21 and a quote for the ages

Johnny's gonna shred a guy in a couple minutes so get a cup of coffee and get comfy.

According to a study there are 20,000 New York City high school kids who smoke. Beyond the whole "Let's find out why they started," Johnny asks what can we do right now to make them stop? As a society we have to look out for the younger minds. As someone one said cigarettes are the only product on the market that if used as directed results in death. There are 20,000 kids in NYC shortening their lives. It would be absurd not to do something and the most immediate of these actions was taken by Mayor-for-now-Bloomberg who upped the age for buying ciggybutts (and e-cigs) from 18-21. This goes into effect in 180 days.

ROOOOOAAAARRRR, GRUFF, GRUMBLE, said Jim Calvin, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores: "What are you really accomplishing? It's not like they are going to quit smoking." ROOOOOAAAARRRR, GRUFF, GRUMBLE went Calvin some more: "...there are so many other places they can buy cigarettes." Then comes the money shot of quotes in the history of quotes:

"Every 18-year-old who walks out of a convenience store is just going to go to the guy in the white van on the corner."

OK, where to start. Mayor Bloomberg, Council president Quinn, incoming Mayor de Blasio PLEASE do something about the scourge of white vans on corners. You'll know them because they will all be near street corners within a couple blocks of convenience stores. They may have names like "Plumbing" or "Flower Delivery" or "Ambulance" on them but ha ha copper the jokes on you. These are fronts for selling cigarettes to high school kids. Send SWAT teams after them would be our advice. Next up Jim, why does it have to be a guy who drives the van? Aren't you down with women's lib? Why couldn't an enterprising young lady make money in a white van on the corner near a bodega? Why do you pigeonhole women Mr. Calvin? Finally Jim, where Johnny grew up (and he's guessing everywhere else) the guy in the white van wasn't selling cigarettes, no, he had other things in that van other than a couple cartons Winstons. Rope, duct tape, a few bottles of Boone's Farm, these sorts of knick-knacks.

Lastly, if you look at Calvin's quote what it's really saying is we don't give a shit if these kids develop complications from smoking because as long as they are coming in to buy cigarettes they'll also buy a Mountain Dew and a snack and that's where our profit margin comes in. Screw NYC if they're gonna cost us money, kids be damned.

No, screw the New York Association of Convenience Stores.