For the life of us, we can't understand why Mayor Healy wants Steve Fulop's latest ad taken down

You've seen the ad, it's the FBI video where our Mayor met with Solomon Dwek, Leona Beldini and other Healy friendlies at the Medical Center Luncheonette and thanked Dwek, the FBI informant, for the do-re-mi. It's the kind of ad a prosecutor might use as a closing argument.

Healy, who not two weeks ago said, “I should have gotten a gold medal for effective, honest, open government for that,” wants the ad off the air at all costs, lawsuits at 20 paces if need be.

ORLY?


Why are you sending the Fulop campaign a cease and desist letter? You Healy folk want the ad taken down that the Mayor says he should have won a gold medal for? You might want to double check because you can't do better than a gold medal, that's the best Jerry, the best! So why wouldn't the Healy campaign want more of this on teevee? Color us baffled.

We'd also like to take time out to call Fulop campaign spokesperson Bruno Tedeschi a real butt dumpling. Tedeschi told the media not only no to taking down the ad, but hell no, which would have been fine if he'd left it at that. He couldn't. He just had to try and get in one more dig which won him the title of Ser Butt Dumpling:

“Healy is at the center of the biggest political corruption scandal in New Jersey's history. From the selling of body parts of the dead in morgues to payoffs to politicians, it became a source of national embarrassment. What's stunning is how brazen Healy was then. “

Mr. Tedeschi, where EXACTLY does the issue of body parts being sold enter into Jersey City politics? Do you have some meeting on surveillance tape that Mayor Healy was in with someone talking about reselling kidneys to pay for his campaign? This was a very New York Jewish community issue, is NOT a Jersey City mayoral issue. You could have mentioned Peter Cammarano up in FuHo in that crime sweep. You chose not to. It was a lot more pertinent too. So we're still left wondering as to why you would stain Jersey City as part of something it had nothing to do with. Some of the comments that come out of the mouths of those around Councilman Fulop are truly insulting.

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?

The giant corruption sting was closer to Healy than anyone previously knew

Let us get this out of the way right now -- Recall Mayor Healy, he's nothing but a failed mayor and his closest associates have proven themselves to be on the take. He'll never do the honorable thing and resign, even as his confidants admit to taking money from FBI informant Solomon Dwek.

A book due out Tuesday shows Healy's confidant and 2009 campaign manager Harold "Bud" Demellier took $20k from Dwek and made phone calls on his behalf for the land deals that never were. The book, "The Jersey Sting: A true story of corrupt pols, money laundering rabbis, black market kidneys, and the informant who brought it all down" also shows Demellier also trying to smooth the way for deals in Bayonne.

How close does this mess have to get to Mayor Healy before somebody hauls him in to answer questions under a white hot light? His campaign manager, his deputy mayor and others close to Healy were all taking money from Dwek, and yet Healy walks the streets smiling with "no comment" or avoiding responsibility for his own city government. Oh he'll show up at ribbon cuttings and parades but try and get the bumbling mayor to actually talk about the sad state of his administration and you'll be stonewalled.

Make sure to click the link to this morning's excellent report in the Jersey Journal.

With apologies to the theme song writer for The Brady Bunch -- Here's the story, of a three week mayor...

Who was grabbing up some healthy stacks of cash.
He was young, hip, had it all together
Until the police came...

Peter Cammarano, former three week mayor of Hoboken will plead guilty today at 12:30 in Federal Court in Newark for last year's graft arrest for taking $25K from faux developer and part time FBI informant Solomon Dwek. He is expected to garner himself 2 years in the clink for his actions.

$25K? See this is the difference between Jersey City and FuHo, the MAYOR of Hoboken can be bought for $25K while in Jersey City the DEPUTY MAYOR and some other city officials need $30K before they sell their mortal souls. Business is just better, and life costs more in Jersey City.

So for those scoring these graft cases at home our score is now FBI 100%, defendants ZERO.

Former Jersey City council wannabe Lori Serrano indicted for mail fraud

Former city council candidate and Jersey City Housing Authority chairperson, Lori Serrano was indicted for mail fraud on top of her indictments for taking dirty money from all around slimer Solomon Dwek. Things aren't looking up for Serrano according to the Jersey Journal:

She was originally indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum 20 years prison sentence and $250,000 fine.
The superseding indictment also charges her with mail fraud, which also carries a maximum 20 years prison sentence and $250,000 fine

It makes us happy she lost. Jersey City does not need more official members of city council (Hello Mariano) or in the mayors office (Hi Leona) convicted and bounced from office. We've had enough of the machination of the Jersey City government either indicted, convicted or pleading guilty.

Blockbuster tapes surface--Healy KNEW about campaign cash from Solomon Dwek

In explosive tapes played in the trial of disgraced and suspended Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini, Mayor Jerramiah Healy thanks Dwek for his 10K (with another 10K promised) contribution and says:

"We like to smooth the path for people that are going to invest in our city."

Funny the mayor didn't say anything like "We like to help people do business in jersey City legally" or "Contact the appropriate people to check on building permits and zoning laws."

So both Healy and Beldini are on record with Dwek saying they can help make his phony condo development plans run much smoother once money is discussed. Now in Hudson County (and New Jersey in general) Johnny has learned that graft and kickbacks are the way politcos do business as sad as that is. This does not have to be the case and we can start with a recall--since it's apparent Healy won't do the right and honorable thing and resign--of our tainted mayor.

According to Healy's own words at the same money is discussed he told Dwek about moving him from the bottom of the pile to the top. If that's not corruption, what is?

Former Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini is going to court today to have her charges thrown out

Good luck with that. We're gonna go out on a limb and say there is a 99.99% chances the charges will stick. Beldini as you'll recall was netted with the other bad fish last summer for taking graft cash. Her attorney says due process wasn't followed. He also says the charges are not supported by the evidence. Well see, Mr. Attorney, that's why we have trials, so the evidence in the case can be addressed. Everyone else in this case has professed innocence only to cop a plea deal or be sentenced outright. Not one has has charges dropped.

Ms. Beldini, get ready to face justice.

Lori Serrano, who lost her city council bid in May pleads not guilty to graft charges

In a case and then result we're all too familiar with here in Jersey City, council seat wannabe Lori Serrano, although on tape with Solomon Dwek telling him favors could be arranged for $10K, pled not guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion. Her attorney Raymond L. Hamlin says she's innocent despite what's on the tapes.

We remind everyone that of the 44 arrested in July in the sweeping corruption arrests, not one of the arrestees has been found not guilty or let off. They have all copped deals or await trials. Serrano is simply another in the long line of those who were willing to sell their support for a real estate plan rather cheaply if the FBI tapes are to be believed. It didn't seem to phase Serrano, you know, the possibility of jail time as she was seen laughing and joking around before her arraignment.

Stay classy, Lori.

Jersey City corruption--it's not just for the men

That's one thing about the corruption in Jersey City, corruption and guilty pleas are not just a manly thing, no, here's it's equal opportunity for equal bribery pay. LaVern Webb-Washington, a failed city council candidate this last time and housing advocate pled guilty in Newark yesterday to accepting $15K in crooked Solomon Dwek cash in exchange for promises of zoning approvals for luxury condos. She faces 18 months in prison.

Stay classy Ms. Webb-Washington, stay classy...

One of the 44 arrested in the corruption roundup of last week has turned up dead

Jersey City political consultant Jack Shaw who was arrested last week in the Hudson County corruption sting has died. NJ.com is reporting Shaw was found at home with several bottles of pills nearby.

Shaw was charged with taking 10 large from disgraced real estate developer turned informant Solomon Dwek and also suggesting another 10 grand be donated to another Jersey City official.

We don't make it a practice to speak ill of the dead unless they really deserve it and it certainly appears Shaw has run his race and that race ended tonight. Officials have not said if Shaw's death was a suicide.

Well well well, Mayor Healy is now involved in the corruption scandal that broke yesterday...ya don't say

Since you were so quick to suspend everyone in city government involved in the shameful bribery cases unsealed in Newark yesterday maybe you can suspend yourself.

The Jersey City Desk asked the question yesterday if Mayor Healy had something to tell us as the scandal seemed to stop right at his feet but now some excellent reporting in the PolitickerNJ by Matt Friedman shows us he WAS involved. He DID meet with Solomon Dwek and was present at meetings where money for favors was discussed.

Go read the article, it's enlightening to say the least.

Now, you need to step down Mr. Mayor. Parsing words or hiding behind legalities isn't good enough. We don't wanna go through another Clintonesque 'what the definition of the word is, is'. The rest of us deserve better. Yes, better than you. Don't you worry about us, we'll get on just fine.

Luckily for you there are a lot of trains in this town that head in many different directions. You can choose the rail you want to be run out on.