Sounds like the voices in the wilderness are being heard after all

Jersey City Council again unanimously voted for a tax abatements for the new 50 story twin to the high-rise already at 70 Columbus above the PATH station. The owners are politically connected Democratic bigwigs we're told by Terrence T. McDonald. So why didn't these guys get a 20 or 15 year abatement, the kind mayor Fulop favors in such cases? Why did city council only agree to a FIVE year abatement on the project?

Johnny's gonna come out and say here and now he, along with others, most notably Dan Levin have been all up in council and the mayor's face on social media over the ridiculous and dangerous abatements given all over downtown. Between Johnny and Dan Levin pointing out we're going to have a reval coming, we're going to have the earliest abatements coming due soon enough, we've already left over 100 million in tax breaks off the Jersey City tax rolls and the continued problem with spending in this city and people have started to listen. No doubt Council was sick and tired of being called out. They don't want to open up their Twitter feeds and see criticism levied at them over irresponsible tax votes. They don't want to hear it on Facebook but good citizens hearing about it they are and we're pretty sure the pressure being applied by citizens and more importantly citizens on social media dropped this to a five year deal.

Johnny's best advice, be engaged! Follow your council member on Twitter (Unless you are in Ward C and don't have a WANG word processor). Follow the city and mayor on Facebook and do not be afraid to be heard or soon you'll be paying down even more of a millionaires lifestyle while you struggle to make ends meet.

Late night open thread

Stand back, Johnny is gonna blow his own horn tomorrow over the fact a project got a new, tiny 5 year abatement, not the usual budget crusher. More tomorrow.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

The end of another era downtown

Here's all that's left of the old Parlay Studios in the Powerhouse Arts District. Flattened. Luckily a new mid-size condo will go up where a building that had a cool vibe, a good business and where Johnny watched the 2010 World Cup final >:>\

Late night open thead

Apologies for the lack of office time today friends, a nagging medical issue came up.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Late night open thread

Back to it tomorrow Jersey City. That alarm comes mighty early. Bedtime!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

A great Sunday evening read on the gambling issue in New Jersey

Tom Moran at the Star-Ledger editorial board gives some great analysis about the north vs south Jersey issue when it comes to gambling. Moran looks at the makeup of the teams already clashing over the issue and how in the end our Mayor Fulop may have joined the losing side. Good stuff before bed tonight.

Late night open thread

Busted out that new Pong game and hooked it up today. The graphics on these things really is something these days.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Exactly why these tax abatements are a bad idea

Now, Johnny is on record saying some of the seed money downtown by the Healy Administration was probably needed to jump start downtown. Anymore, with real estate prices at their highest in a long time in Jersey City, they reek of patronage. The union workers all spill into council chambers, reeking of beer and cigarettes/blunts they drank and smoked that day (and we've well documented their workday proclivities) about what a great deal it is for us to keep them employed on our abatement dime to keep their bosses fat and rich. Council relents. We pay more.

Then infrastructure around town, now being used harder than at any time in city history, begins failing faster. We saw old pipes in Hoboken shut down the city for a few days. Mayor Dawn Zimmer has already floated the idea about taxpayers paying more to rebuild downtown critical infrastructure. In Jersey City, which has had it's share of crumbling roads and pipes, and will in the future; in fact it happened again yesterday. How will the city pay for this? City Council and Administration will, as we all know turn to those on city tax rolls to pay for the tens of (and probably hundreds) millions necessary to keep an old downtown and chundered Journal Square along with the neglected neighborhoods up and running and will ask those paying taxes to cover it.

There you go, the KRM, Toll, Goldman, Shuster, et al won't BE on the tax rolls as they should be for nearly as much as they are taking out of the city and dumping onto the infrastructure. These abatements the Jersey City council is always so in favor of are like Cayman Island tax dodges for these major "stakeholders" in our fair city. When the infrastructure starts coming due who do YOU think is going to be paying the bill:

A) Developers
B) Taxpayers
C) The Port Authority
D) The murals

Even with a reval coming as Debbie Harry once sang (and still does) One Way Or Another, the council will still be trying to cram more abatements through in 2016. Big decisions are to be made. Note we said are, not will.

Of course none of these critical decisions can or will be made until Mayor Fulop's vanity project, aka running for governor while forgetting he's mayor of anywhere, runs it's Tough Mudder course. An American mayor can't raise taxes just before a run for governor in any state so the infrastructure will continue to crumble, it will slow the property value rise, and make things worse when this finally gets addressed mmmm, maybe late 2017 or early 2018.

Raise the curtain on 2016 and strike up the band and awaaaaaay we go!

Late night open thread

Johnny didn't used to much care for New Year's Day being a Jr. realist. It meant the immediate and screeching halt to the entire holiday buildup and all the fun or whatever happened. From Halloween til January 1st it's all so built up then boom, over, back to school, back to work. It's better this year with there still being a weekend buffer between reality and the holiday but as the gets older, January 1st isn't the boogeyman it used to be. It's a great fun day in and of itself and signals Johnny there's a whole new year coming up unlike so many you may have taken for granted.

Time for Jersey City, After Dark

Late night open thread

Happy New Year to one and all. Hoping for nothing but the best for everyone in 2016!

Time for Jersey City, After Dark