Another Mayoral campaign re-election event tonight

We're not calling these rolling campaign events 'State of the City' speeches because they're not. They're carefully crafted campaign promise-a-thons that vary from one part of the city to the next, hence not state of THE city. If the mayor wants to call them ward by ward meet ups fine (he's not taking questions) but telling Ward F (where you promised to buy a home before the last election -- whatever happened with that) gets told they get a few more cops and a coupe after-school programs whereas Ward C gets told about new building and new abatements and new plans for more business. It pits Ward F vs Ward C and Ward vs Ward honestly. Some get told great new big things while others are told we'll get to you but here are a few small breads and circuses.

These are campaign events and we'll write on them as such. Calling them State of the City speeches won't make them one.

An interesting commentary about the Mayor's State of the City speech last night

Political insider at the Jersey Journal, Agustin C. Torres, made a whale of a point about Mayor Healy's state of the city address last night. He felt with all of Healy's talk about the great new business and restaurant expansion, new construction, and the Sixth Street Embankment as High Line that the true heart of the city, Journal Square was being ignored.

Torres noted Healy was asked about this and didn't seem any too happy to respond.

Healy has done a lot of things for the city........from Grove St. to the river, but what of Greenville, The Heights, Journal Square, India Square et al. Has Jersey City under Healy, like Torres suggests, become 1789 Paris in A Tale of Two Cities? Have most of Healy's building and business initiatives favored downtown?

How much is being spent where mayor? Where are the police assets being spent? Downtown? The problematic Greenville area? Journal Square? What about the tax breaks? What part of town is getting them and are they equitable?

Last year at this time we were all hearing about the grand new development plan for Journal Square. Huge condo towers with businesses on the ground floor surrounded all throughout the neighborhood by newly opened supporting businesses and a grand new upgrade of the Journal Square PATH station. If you bring up this issue today you get the sound of crickets on a warm summer night.

A fair point by Mr. Torres should lead to a fair and lively discussion we think. Tell us your opinion in comments.

It's time for Jersey City's favorite game show -- Jerramiah Healy State of the City BINGO!

That's right Jersey City citizens, Hizzoner Jerramiah Healy will deliver his state of the city address tonight (6 pm 280 Grove St.) and it's time to play State of the City BINGO!

First off, good luck getting into the address as Mayor Healy likes to pack these things with his die hard supporters (aka dead-enders) and there's not a lot of room for John Q. Public. But should you get in, bring your Bingo scorecard and if you win just stand up and yell BINGO!

We're trusting you know the rules of bingo. If Da Mayor says any of the words listed under the corresponding letter, mark your cards.

B
Austerity
Embankment
New York City
Leona Beldini
Budget

I
Mariano Vega
Campaign
Police
Blueprint
Journal Square

N
Fire Department
Property taxes
Hoboken
Blue Ribbon
Jersey City

G
Stable
Abatement(s)
Asset sale
Good News
Retire(ing-ment)

O
Corruption
Spectra Energy (Gas pipeline)
Election
City Council
Crime

OK, if you get BINGO, stand up and yell it. If you manage to get it on video somehow and we can post it to YouTube Johnny will be happy to buy you dinner at the Light Horse Tavern. A dinner at the Light Horse? Now that's a Bingo.