So, Fulop's not running for governor, analysis time!

According to now many sources, Mayor Steve Fulop will hold a press conference at Jersey City Hall at 2pm and announce he's not running for governor (His, "Oh boy there's so much going on here in Jersey City I just don't ever want to leave it" speech) and his support will go to Democrat (duh) Phil Murphy.

Johnny has opinions. First, Fulop diddled around way too long to truly run. Secretive meetings, throwing some party people under the bus, secret SuperPACS, and "I might but I might not though I probably will but won't say it now" comments over the past couple years really begin to grate on the citizenry. He had to make a choice and it was NOT going to wait until after the general election as Fulop had previously said when he'd make his official decision and announcement. Phil Murphy stepped in and announced his run in May, began a campaign in earnest in late July and August ramping up television ad buys. Murphy is sitting in the exact "slot" Fulop would have taken in the race, the furthest left progressive guy in a world of Sweeneys, Lesniaks and Wisniewskis. Murphy took that slot and solidified it with each ad that ran. Not only was Fulop going to have to battle Steve Sweeney et al, but just to get air he'd have to tangle with Murphy to again, get that "slot". That's a big hill to even start to climb with less and less time each passing day. Nobody can say Fulop can't read tea leaves, he was going to get beaten around on crime, Abbott Districts, his reckless abatements, his SuperPAC, you name it.

Plus, and feel free to call it piling on, thanks to Johnny, certain other candidates have pictures of Fulop and Rolando Lavarro in Transmission the night it was raided by JCPD. Those wouldn't have looked good in teevee ads. Plus, Johnny said don't put that craptastic club there and you did anyway. Call it piling on but do read Johnny's mission statement here:

He moves silently, like a shadow in the night collecting dirt on the powers that be. Now he calls on a silent army of many to expose the corrupt and irretrievably stupid around town.

Fulop would not have been a good governor in Johnny's opinion. He's wasted almost four years dabbling with the governor idea and giving our fair city short shrift in doing so. Some of his decisions absolutely look as though they were made with Trenton's best interests in mind, not Jersey City's. Whatever it was going to take, whether bad planning, dodgy work on the city he was elected to govern, questionable financing, his run had to be stopped and it's a good thing Murphy got going when he did.

The Mayor and City Council President have some serious questions to answer

Johnny's been letting this story simmer this week and let the facts trickle out organically and trickle they have.

First, a little stage setting. Transmission is a club at 150 Bay St. that despite the locals push back was deposited in a small crowded area of the Powerhouse Arts District. All the concerns locals have voiced thus far have come true and yet the city is glacial in dealing with them.

Transmission a month ago was raided and arrests made. Underage drinkers and drug sales were the order of the night. Undercover officers went in and instead of taking notes for future reference felt things were so bad they brought in the black and whites. How BAD is it in there? Great for the PAD property values by the way to have such a club in operation. Underage drinkers and drug sellers. Classy.

Two weeks after that police were called as the clientele got out of hand, were seen drinking and taking drugs in cars, and challenging pedestrians walking by to fistfights. The Transmission owner said the booking agent that night tricked him.

Last Saturday night at Transmission a local style blogger had a party. The crowd was large and the streets were packed as usual and nobody in the neighborhood could sleep with the windows open.

Steve Fulop, Jersey City Mayor, showed up (for what the party host said was about two hours) along with Council President Rolando Lavarro. The two top members of the Jersey City government hanging out in a club with such a reputation? One where drugs have recently been sold and underage kids drink. Why would either think this is a good idea, to contribute their names to such a place? At this point the only thing missing from Transmission are illicit dice games on the 150 Bay veranda but there they were, giving the glad hand.

Their presence gets more scrutiny when the police showed up to go through the club at 1am. Did police not know Fulop was inside? Is the club so bad (and remember Johnny pointed out the undercovers went in at 1am in his report on this last Sunday) they feel they just need to go inside and check around? If so, again, what business do the mayor and council president have inside?

Which brings us to our last order of business, yes, the mayor and council president were more than likely present at a party where drugs were being used. Remember this bag of powdery substance right outside Transmission, taken by Johnny Sunday morning?

See those items? Those are the exact kinds of things that quickly get dumped when police start showing up.

Is this the kind of example you, Mayor Fulop and Council President Lavarro want to set? Is this a good message from either of you? Know what it is? It's every bad stereotype of the new downtown setting itself in stone to the rest of the city.

Despite the shithole that is Transmission night club, 150 Bay has some great businesses

Johnny has documented ad nauseum the ridiculous amount of crap the Transmission night club dumps on the PAD every seemingly weekend as millennial narcissists head to Aspirational Acres and in search of their own good time and don't much care for those who live where they party. Drug usage, drinking and rugs in cars, police raids, arrests et al. It's too bad too because 150 Bay St. has some really great and vibrant businesses.

One of those (Along with Bucket & Bay Gelato and JC Kickboxing) great shops is Departed Soles Brewing Company and they are now World Champions:

Located in the Powerhouse Arts District, the brewery won the medal in the Gluten Free Category for "A Dark Night," one of its two 100 percent gluten-free beers.  

Over 6,500 beers were entered into the 2016 Word Beer Cup, coming from 1,907 breweries from 55 countries. Judges gave out gold, silver, and bronze medals in most of the 96 style categories.

Owner Brian Kulbacki had this to say on his philosophy:

I ventured down this path in memory of my best friend, and I would never put out a beer that would tarnish this lasting legacy of our friendship." 

The brewhouse is the first in Jersey City since Prohibition, and the only brewery in the tri-state that has beer with gluten-free ingredients, according to a news release. 

By all accounts Kulbacki and his Departed Soles are a tip top company and a great neighbor. Many lessons to be learned at 150 Bay St. from Departed Soles if you get our drift.