I’m writing this letter to express my concern about the ordinance to remove Council President Brennan. On Wednesday, the council voted 5 to 4. Council members David Donnelly, Nidia Lopez, Steven Fulop, Rolando Lavarro and Viola Richardson voted in favor while Michael Sottolano, Bill Gaughan, Peter Brennan and Michele Massey voted against. It was quite obvious Sottolano, Brennan, and Gaughan were going to vote against but I’m surprised at Councilwoman Massey. In the previous council meeting, she abstained. Now, she voted against the ordinance. I hope she is not falling in the hands of the Healy Administration because it’s the wrong team to join.

Although I’m an advocate for the Ward A Greenville community, this really disturbs me. We need new direction in Jersey City and your voting against the ordinance shows that you want the same status quo in Jersey City. The people of Jersey City especially in Ward F, which you represent, are tired of the same old politics and politicians not putting them first. If in this case Mayor Healy vetoes the ordinance, which most likely he will, the council needs six votes to override it. I would hope you have talked with the other five council members who voted for it to get more clarification. I would say, you should go talk to the residents in the community to see how they feel. I’m quite sure they want this city to finally move in a different direction.

- Demetrius Terry
Ward A Greenville Advocate

One letter-writer described the situation as feeling like “prisoners in our own homes,” while another, citing the high tax rate, was angered by the lack of results in increased public safety.

Perhaps articulating the frustration best, resident and activist Riaz Wahid — whose efforts set off the bevy of letters to City Hall — wrote, “Your administration has enough money to hire cronies, to give salary increases to them on top of it, and buy traffic light cameras, but not for security cameras to protect the safety of the residents which was an election campaign promise made by Councilman David Donnelly!”

He added, “When [Occupy Jersey City] had a protest in front of Goldman Sachs, we saw [hundreds] of police officers [with some] even in boats. How come we don’t see anyone assigned to patrol[s]?”

Wahid wrote that he wants “answers” or for Police Chief Thomas Comey to resign, as residents face steep crime “under your watch while we pay premium taxes!”

It’s a sentiment reflected by numerous other letter-writers, including Esther Wintner, a mainstay at City Council meetings who has on more than one occasion challenged the Healy administration to better tackle the issue of crime.

“Perception is 90 percent of reality, and the perception is crime is high and it is not being addressed,” said Wintner, who also lives near Lincoln Park. “Less politicking and more focus on important issues such as this one, is what is needed.”

For Wintner, the problem isn’t some abstraction of numbers, target goals or politics — it’s the experience of being someone who has “had my fair share of run ins with criminal activity in the last year. My home was robbed, someone sneaked into my yard in the evening while I was home, my daughter has been harassed on the street and I’ve had neighbors cars broken in to and their tires slashed.”

“It is a run of crime that I have not seen in the twenty years of living on this street,” Wintner, who has undertaken neighborhood watch group walks, maintains. “While these are not horrific crimes compared to some things we see in Jersey City, they destroy the quality of life, depress property values and drive good people out of our city. Residents should not have to feel as if they are living under siege.”

According to the Jersey City Police Department’s website, which publishes the city’s monthly crime statistics, crime has dropped considerably since 2008 but in the past two years the numbers have leveled-off. The incidents reported are broken down as follows: homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny – theft, motor vehicle theft (including attempts), and arson.

Specifically, incidents of crime reported over the past 6 months have averaged between 600 and 700 per month, a figure in the same range as the same 6 months period of 2010. While the numbers trend slightly downward in 2011, the incidents jump from month to month and do not show much consistency. Still, compared to earlier in the decade, there are signs of improvement (these figures are available at the njjcpd.org website via the Compstat link).

“The statistics speak for themselves – Jersey City continues to become safer every day,” said Mayor Healy. “That being said, we are never satisfied with one murder or one robbery and work closely with the Police Department to implement strategies and measures to further reduce crime and make our communities safer.”

Heally added, “Taking a look at the statistics, Chief Comey and the men and women of the Jersey City Police Department should be credited for their hard work to continue bringing crime down.”

And yet, how reliable these numbers are remains a problem to some Jersey City officials like Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop, who says the numbers aren’t worth much.

“The reality is that as Mark Twain said, “Lies, damned lies, and statistics,” with regards to the manipulation of numbers,” said Fulop, who echoes residents’ concerns over crime rates. “From community meetings I attend, I don’t think the public feels that crime is declining regardless of the statistics and police visibility has been an existing concern.”

And Donnelly says he has made good on his election promise to add security cameras, although it has taken longer than he would have liked.

“What people don’t realize is that we are getting cameras, we’re just behind schedule on this,” says Donnelly. “The [Request For Proposal (RFP)] went out several times but didn’t come back in-cost until the end of 2011. We voted to accept the RFP in the meeting in December, and I was told by the administration that it’s moving forward.”

The problem resulted from a miscalculation of the cameras’ cost, which was estimated at about $1.7 million. When the RFPs came back at costs “substantially higher,” the city revised the estimation to $2.1 million.

Donnelly also bristles at the suggestion he failed to live up to a campaign promise considering the realities of a budget gap.

“What they don’t understand is that I never said [getting CCTV cameras] wasn’t going to happen, I fought for it, they just didn’t understand that it can take time,” he says. It exemplifies the challenges of navigating cost-cutting and greater public safety during a time when tax rates are a sticking point for most residents.

Regardless of how the official statistics are interpreted, the answer to address the perception of increasing crime — which residents fear will become more reality than perception soon — is to in turn raise perception of police presence by increasing highly visible activities like car patrols, something that is sorely missing for Wahid.

While out distributing sleeping bags to Jersey City’s homeless recently, Wahid said that he “found no visible patrols” during a three-hour period on a Friday night as he drove around the city. Anecdotal as the observation is, his concern was compounded the following day when he says he again did not see any police patrols. It’s a problem that may only get worse considering the number of police retirees projected.

At a City Council meeting in January, Jersey City Police Officer Benevolent Association president Jerry DeCicco said 100 police officers would be retiring this year, adding the department will be “dangerously understaffed” as a result.

But Healy maintains these projections are likely premature, and that “there is no way to anticipate the actual number of officers who will retire, but if the force were to be reduced by that 100 officers the city would have to come up with solutions to replace some, if not all, of those officers.”

What the city will do to address the crime rate perception remains unclear, but Wahid said he was told to expect a letter from Comey addressing the group’s concerns. In light of a previous letter a member of the group received, however, he has low expectations. Comey declined to comment for this story.

In the earlier letter, the police chief wrote, “For logistical and accountability purposes each district commander schedules a monthly commander’s meeting for residents of their respective districts. I would recommend that you have members of your organization contact their local district and attend that meeting, where their concerns will be addressed by district personnel.”

Considering the city’s negotiations with the police union, when the administration threatened to eliminate 82 police officers late in 2010– City Hall backed off from the threat following police protests, coupled with an outpouring of support from residents, showed the unpopularity of the idea — the fight over police enforcement is likely to continue well into the new year.

John Lynch, a Heights resident who organized a meeting of concerned residents at the VIP Diner this week, said he agrees “crime is out of hand” and points to incidents like a holdup at a corner store and several robberies, including a Getty station held up at gunpoint.

“I haven’t heard one iota on [crime from the administration] and this is unacceptable, these shootings and violent crimes,” Lynch said. “Nothing from Comey, from the mayor, or the city council. Nobody speaks out on crime. Remember the thing about the [decals on] cars? These are their priorities. There’s no money for cops but money for raises? They spend money how they want but not on public safety.”

“The Mayor will say statistics are down, that crime is going down,” he said, “but the fact of the matter is that people don’t feel safe in Jersey City.”

Photo Courtesy Of Saquiba Syed

I have read the fine reporting you have done from the Board of Education and I often use it as a resource with regards to happenings on this part of government. With regards to the most recent back and forth in which accusations and insinuations are thrown around that sometimes include my name, I thought it would be helpful to give some perspective in a straightforward way on my involvement in the schools and the recent happenings.

Thoughts on Board of Education member Sean Connors’ letter to acting commissioner of education Chris Cerf:

Sean is just playing politics here. He is a politician who runs with the political machine who supported Charles Epps [the departing superintendent] til the end, making something out of nothing because he is upset that we are trying to change the schools. His track record speaks for itself as he has run for every possible elected position available in the last four years from freeholder to board of education to state senate to state assembly, with not one issue that he can put a stamp on. He lost every election he ran in until he sold his soul to run with Healy and the political machine. Sean is a nice guy who attends lots of community events but this is just really about protecting the status quo vs. change and I wish he separated himself from the political machine just once.

Thoughts on my involvement at the Board of Education:

As for me, I am running for mayor and am a declared candidate, and I firmly believe an improved education system is important to getting the city right. I don’t deny, nor should I shy away from the fact I supported winning candidates that are trying to do the right thing because it is important to the city. However, what is different with us is that I guarantee that you will not be able to find one single employee in the entire school system who can say that they got their job or a promotion because of my involvement because that person doesn’t exist, unlike some of the former board members and politicians. Clearly, that is not what we are about, which is different than the others. I try to be a resource to good board members on city issues and they try to be a resource for the city council on school issues. I view it as a positive and again if you peel the initial layer back of Sean’s letter, it is really about protecting the status quo vs. change trying to damage the search process.

Thoughts on Cerf’s email to Board of Education President Sterling Waterman:

On Cerf, of course I have a relationship with him, that is obvious as I sued to block the illegal Epps contract that those previous board members gave him, which Sean was a part of. Although I don’t agree with everything Cerf supports in education, I obviously know him personally. Cerf and I haven’t communicated since the summer but he obviously knows that I supported candidates for the Board of Education, he knows that we want to see the schools improve, he knows school improvement is a big part of my platform and clearly he was telling Sterling in that email that he wants a seat at the table no different than the union wants a seat at the table. The fact that I have a relationship with Cerf but haven’t communicated with Cerf in months and months is evident again as he sent an email to Sterling and he was conveying that he disagreed with Sterling, he disagreed with the board and of course by proxy disagreed with some of the people that I supported to be on that board. If I was talking to Cerf regularly he would have sent me the email I am sure but I don’t deny nor should I that I know him as again education improvement is important to me and he is the commissioner.

Thoughts on Sterling omitting my name:

I did not talk to Sterling about this stuff and while he says he didn’t omit my name clearly someone did omit it which was clearly a mistake as I have nothing to be embarrassed about here. I take Sterling at his word though. Period. The reality is that Sterling gets a ton of pushback from the political institution in Jersey City as they try to pick him apart because he goes to schools every single day, he is like a pit bull on problems and more hands-on than any board president as a check and balance. He has been more proactive in engaging parents in this search which is evident and I think Sterling has done a great job making some tough decisions. Sterling was one of the few leaders that had the courage to talk accountability when it comes to school results when nobody else said anything because they were comfortable with Epps and the political patronage. Sterling has pushed back on that. I think Sterling by all accounts has been very solid.

Happy new year and hopefully this straightforward letter to the editor clarifies any distractions.

- Steve Fulop
Ward E Councilman

Thursday’s meeting was not only the last meeting of the year, it was Charles Epps’s last as superintendent after a controversial 11-year run and about 45 years in the school system. Attended by about 300 people, the meeting included employee and student tributes to Epps and a tribute to trustee Sean Connors, who will leave the board December 31 to begin service as a 32nd District state assemblyman.

The board also approved a first-ever $1.2 million garbage contract with the Jersey City Incinerator Authority (JCIA) and ratified the contract of interim superintendent Franklin Walker, who begins January 1 while the district continues its national search for Epps’s permanent successor.

“Is there security in the building?” Waterman asked after the woman questioning him about Cerf’s email, Bernadette Fernandez, exceeded her five-minute speaking period.

During the exchange, Waterman said repeatedly that he did not know how the email changed upon transmission to other board members.

Cerf’s email directs Waterman to “feel free to pass this note on” to the eight other board members “and to Councilman Fulop,” a leading contender in the 2013 mayor’s race. Yet other versions only contain the reference to board members.

Fulop’s endorsement of six board members over the past two years, including Waterman, was seen as critical to their success. Waterman triumphed with Vice President Carol Lester and Angel Valentin after being backed by Fulop’s political organization in 2010, which marked a city record for voter turnout. This was followed by resounding victories earlier this year by incumbent Suzanne Mack and newcomers Carol Harrison-Arnold and Marvin Adames.

Five of them provided the majority needed to force Epps into retirement, while Fulop played a key role in starting litigation that bought time to block a prior pro-Epps majority from providing a three-year contract renewal last year. The case meandered in the state’s Office of Administrative Law and was only dismissed recently. Fulop had harshly criticized Epps’ performance and pushed for his replacement.

Valentin, who continued to back Epps, told JCI he accepted Fulop’s endorsement almost two years ago when replacing Epps had not yet become a major issue.

Fernandez, who opposed Epps’ replacement, said that she had no beef with Fulop or his endorsements. But she added that given the email controversy and Cerf’s omitted reference, “I am very concerned about the level of his involvement in the search process.”

“Has this matter been discussed by the board members?” Fernandez asked as she pressed to find out why the Fulop reference was deleted.

“You’re not getting an answer to your questions. That’s all I can say,” snapped Waterman, just before warning her he would seek to have her removed from the auditorium if she exceeded her five-minute limit. “You have an issue with Councilman Fulop,” he told her.

Connors took up Fernandez’s case, noting that Board Attorney Ramon Rivera advised him at a Monday committee meeting Cerf’s letter could not be discussed in open session.

That night, a special board meeting scheduled to discuss the situation was abruptly canceled.

Connors insisted that getting to the bottom of the matter would strengthen the pro-Fulop majority’s efforts at promoting “transparency” in board operations.

“I think we need to ask which [email] is the correct one,” Connors said.

“I don’t have any idea what happened,” Waterman replied. “I don’t know what conversation we’re supposed to have.”

Board member Patricia Sebron said she found Cerf’s Fulop reference troubling. “Steve Fulop is not the mayor. He’s not the county executive,” she said. “Why is he even on here?”

Lester, in discussing upcoming search committee meetings, insisted the process is fully transparent. “Three people serve on it,” she said. “None of them with the name of ‘Fulop.’”

Lester also noted Cerf will meet with the board next Thursday in a closed session to discuss the search. District spokeswoman Paula Christen confirmed the meeting will be at the board’s central office on Claremont Avenue at 6 pm.

Cerf’s spokesman, Justin Barra, said in an email the meeting is mostly closed because it is about “a personnel” matter. Asked if Cerf would be willing to meet publicly to discuss the search, Barra directed that question to the board.

Fernandez later described herself as “disappointed” with Waterman’s response. “It just seems he has something to hide and that’s unfortunate,” she said.

In a jab to the four-member minority, Waterman cited nepotism as a key “transparency” issue, citing “the nieces and nephews of board members” employed in the district.

Waterman declined further comment. Valentin told JCI he planned to file a request under the Open Public Records Act regarding Cerf’s email. Barra said that was not necessary, noting a copy of the state’s version was sent to JCI upon request.

“We would be happy to share it with the other members,” he stated, adding the state had no details, on its end, regarding the controversial alternate email.

Waterman received the e-mail from the commissioner, Christopher Cerf, December 2, a day after the board voted to install Franklin Walker as interim superintendent while the board conducts a nationwide search to find a successor to outgoing superintendent Charles Epps. Epps was forced out of his position by Fulop’s five allies on the board and is due to step down January 1, ending a roughly ten-year run in the top position.

But Hudson County executive superintendent Monica Tone, Cerf’s regional deputy, must approve Walker’s contract — and Cerf’s email raises concerns over whether Tone will. If she does not, a void could be left after Epps’ departure.

The commissioner’s note comes after the state has gradually scaled back its control over Jersey City’s troubled school system, which it took over in 1989, including allowing voters to once again decide the school tax levy. The state retains control over personnel moves, though the board contends it now has complete autonomy to pick the next superintendent.

In Cerf’s email to Waterman, Cerf writes, “It is now abundantly clear to me that this board is not interested in pursuing an agenda of transformational change for the children of Jersey City. You are presented a unique moment in time in which courageous leadership will make an extraordinary difference.”

Yet Cerf complains the search effort has been clouded by “parochial interests, interest group interests and personal political ambitions.” He writes that they “need to give way to the boldness and willingness to accept the inevitably challenging consequences of real reform.”

“I am seeing little evidence of that in Jersey City,” Cerf says in the email, adding that he has repeatedly tried offering his support but been ignored.

He warns it is his “obligation to explore all the options the law empowers me with” to defend the interests of city schoolchildren.

The e-mail makes clear the commissioner and his boss, Republican Gov. Chris Christie, want to put their stamp on the search, with Cerf insisting the process must embrace the goal of seeking “transformational change.” But during a recent public meeting of the search committee at PS 30, sentiment appeared to run deep against embracing an agenda that has supported creating more charter schools and establishing a voucher program allowing students to leave struggling neighborhood-based public schools and attend private schools.

In the e-mail, Cerf tells Waterman to feel free to “pass this note on to your board and Mr. Fulop.”

However, board member Sean Connors and Felicia Palmer, chair of the Jersey City Coalition of Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTOs), say they received copies which do not contain the “pass this note… to Fulop” part.

The somewhat vaguely worded e-mail — the official state version sent to JCI by department communications manager Allison Kobus — seems to suggest Cerf is acknowledging Fulop’s influence over the board’s controlling faction since all six candidates he has supported over the past two years have won, though one, Angel Valentin, has had an apparent falling out and is a member of the pro-Epps camp.

Waterman, Board Vice President Carol Lester and members Suzanne Mack, Marvin Adames and Carol Harrison-Arnold engineered Epps’ ouster upon forming the majority, based on concerns over recent board performance and their view that the district needs a new voice. Valentin and members William DeRosa, Sean Connors and Patricia Sebron have been steadfastly in Epps’ corner.

Connors and PTOs chair Palmer seem stunned over the fact that references to Fulop were somehow deleted in their copies of the email.

“It’s certainly a question I will pursue,” says Connors, who requested a copy of the official version to compare with his own.

Palmer, who received her copy from a board member she declined to name, and who stresses that her criticisms of the search are her own personal views and not those of the entire PTOs coalition, says “something very fishy seems to be going on.”

Waterman didn’t respond to several requests for comment, but when asked about the matter at a meeting of the board’s affirmative action committee Monday night, he said he did not know why some versions of Cerf’s e-mail did not contain the commissioner’s comment on Fulop.” “I have no idea,” he said. “I can’t imagine to know the reasons why the name was missing.”

As for Cerf’s concern, Connors speculated some of it could have to do with the fact that the board opted not to simply elevate Epps’ number-two man, Deputy Superintendent Flavio Rubano, into the post.

“Let me make clear, Mr. Walker is an outstanding candidate, and if I were in his situation, of course I would put in an application,” says Connors, who opposed Walker over concerns with the legality of the process. “But the district’s bylaws say clearly that, in the absence of a superintendent, the deputy superintendent temporarily assumes the position until a new superintendent is chosen.”

“To me, the tone of the letter suggests the commissioner has not been happy with the actions of the board majority over an extended period,” adds Connors, who will leave the board in January to take a new elected position as state assemblyman.

Cerf’s claim that sound judgment has given way to “personal political ambition” could be a reference to Fulop, who wanted Epps replaced, insisting it will help the district improve in the long run. Connors, however, makes clear he was not questioning Fulop’s right to endorse candidates in other government posts, conceding he has been quite successful — at least with the board.

“The commissioner must be concerned that loyalty to him has adversely affected the search,” he speculates.

For his part, Fulop says he does not see Cerf’s reference as a slight. “I feel the state realizes I am one of the most proactive members of the Jersey City council in advocating on behalf of our community with its various departments,” Fulop explains, adding that Waterman did inform him of being referenced in the e-mail. Yet he insists the members his committee have recommended and won are free to make their own decisions, independent of his concerns.

Palmer, however, rejects’ Fulop’s rationale for why he was referenced in the email.

“I’m not buying it,” she says. “There are tons of people who are active in the community. I’m convinced the commissioner believes the majority’s support for Mr. Fulop in its conduct has not helped the district and its schoolchildren, and I would certainly welcome his intervention.”

She continues, “I am hoping the commissioner will be meeting with the school board because the board is clearly divided and its members are not together and are not communicating with each other. Additionally many parents believe there is an underlying political agenda here.”

In an e-mail, Cerf’s spokesman Justin Barra tells JCI Cerf will meet with the board in the coming weeks to explain his concerns. Cerf raises in the e-mail the possibility that Cerf will seek “legal action” to alter the superintendent search process, at a time when the board has expressed a determination to conduct the search on its own without state interference.

To try countering the possibility, the board is insisting it has laid out a comprehensive plan to involve various segments of the community in the process, notably parents, particularly in helping it determine search criteria for the permanent successor.

Photo of Sterling Waterman.

Jersey City Rallies Against School Vouchers: Some 50 people rallied yesterday at a Jersey City school against proposed state legislation that would use public money to pay for the private school education of some low-income students. Look for more education coverage from JCI today.

Old Dye Factory to be Demolished: Demolition of the “Purple People” building on Ege Avenue across from the Hudson Mall on Route 440 started yesterday. For nearly 40 years, residents living near the Dye Specialties Inc. plant at 407 Ege Avenue had to contend with strange odors, colored dust and other factory issues that they said affected their quality of life.

Library’s Civil War Document Returning to Virginia: A 220-year-old court ledger found in the Jersey City Public Library is being returned to the Stafford Courthouse in Stafford, Virgina.

Downtown Councilman Collecting Toy Donations: An organization founded by Downtown Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop will be collecting toys and coats that will be given away during the holiday season.

Today’s Best Bets:

Meet two breweries tonight at local beer bars: Victory Brewing Company will be at Barcade with more than a dozen varieties beginning at 5 pm. At 6 pm, Uinta Brewing Company comes to the Iron Monkey with six of their craft beers.

Hiroshi Kumagai‘s new solo exhibition kicks off tonight at 58 Gallery with a free opening reception (6 pm). Read our Q&A with Kumagai to learn more about his work.

In Statewide News:

New Jersey Labor Deptartment Launches ‘On Ramp’ Job Search Engine: The state Department of Labor and Workforce Development Wednesday launched a job-search engine on the website — Jobs4Jersey.com — to help New Jersey’s unemployed find work.

New Jersey Aid Holdup May Force Towns to Borrow to Pay Workers: New Jersey lawmakers’ inaction on $139 million in state funding for cities in financial distress is forcing some local officials to delay payments to school districts and vendors and consider borrowing to make payroll.

World AIDS Day Report: Many New Jerseyans are living with AIDS rather than dying from it.

But the PILOT agreement, which will generate approximately $19 million over the life of the abatement as well as maintain at least 250 jobs at the plant, did not sit well with Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop and Ward F Councilwoman Viola Richardson, who both said the city gave too sweet a deal to the $1 billion company.

Along with the abatement, the company is also benefiting from an $89.1 million tax credit from the state. Ward B Councilman David Donnelly and At-Large Concilman Ray Velazquez both abstained from the vote.

Those voting in favor pointed to the much needed revenue for the city that has been otherwise difficult to find in the tough economic climate. The abatement was needed, they argued, as states like New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania compete for these large companies and the much-needed jobs and revenue they bring with them.

“Every nickel counts,” said Ward A Councilman Michael Sottolano. “Goya is going to generate $19 million over a 20-year period.”

By contrast, he said, the current amount of tax revenue from the property in the same 20-year period would only generate $6 million, assuming nothing else could be done with the property in that time.

But Fulop, who referred to a New Jersey Policy Perspective study that argues only 9 jobs would be created and that the tax credit is being misused, said, “You have to draw the line somewhere.”

He acknowledged the importance of abatements in some situations — notably for affordable housing and to promote growth when necessary — but in this case, he was left unconvinced that the city could not have attracted Goya without the extra tax savings.

“Would Goya want to build here anyway? I say yes,” Fulop said, who called the move “subsidizing” by taxpayers. The main issue the councilman took — a complaint that resonated with residents in attendance — was what appeared to be a lack of negotiating over the number of years.

“Why 20 years?” Fulop asked. “Why not ten, why not five?”

Jim McCann, a lawyer representing Goya, defended the plan at the council meeting as equally beneficial for Goya and the city. He noted that the incentives were contingent on Goya meeting certain requirements.

“The $89.1 million in tax credits is not money to build the facility; Goya has to qualify for the credits,” McCann said.

The tax credits would be spread out over a ten-year period and, according to McCann, would require a yearly-state audit to ensure they are living up to their end of the agreement.

Goya, he said, is required to invest $127 million in their project in order to qualify for the credits. Another stipulation ensures that 250 employees will be employed at the facility at all times; failure to keep the employment level would result in a lost year of the tax credit.

He added Goya was also required to keep 80 percent of their staff in all of its other facilities in the area, which includes the company’s Secaucus warehouse. Residents had voiced concern that the city was essentially poaching jobs from their neighbor.

McCann also took issue with criticisms levied at Goya’s projected job-creation numbers, saying that 150 construction jobs would be created during the two-year building of the new warehouse and that a temporary job placement agency located in Journal Square worked as a “farm system” for the company, bringing in employees for 90 days while the company determined if they were “a good fit.” He added that although it would be “hard to predict,” he expected some attrition from the Bethpage, Long Island, a two-hour commute to Jersey City with traffic taken into account.

Jersey City resident John Seborowski pointed out that if jobs are difficult to come by all over, relocation may be preferable to unemployment.

“I don’t know what the job market on Long Island is, but I’m sure they’ll come to Jersey City if they have to,” Seborowski said. The deal, he said, “was not worth it.”

City Crews Cleaning Up After Storm: Five crews of Jersey City workers, aided by a private contractor, are working to remove the “unprecedented” number of trees downed by this weekend’s freak snowstorm.

Final New PATH Car in Service: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey yesterday put the 340th new PATH train car into service, completing a three-year project to replace the entire system’s rail car fleet.

DeGise Dismisses Departure Rumors: Running for his third full term in next week’s general election, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, 61, yesterday dismissed rumors he’s eyeballing another job and said he’s not through making his mark as county exec.

Chromium Cleanup Progress: According to the public-private Chromium Cleanup Partnership, now that about 10 percent of the contaminated material on Garfield Avenue has been removed, the next phase of land remediation is set to begin. Look for more coverage from JCI this week.

Political Insider: Augie expresses doubts over a reported pair of polls that show Mayor Healy getting favorable job ratings and 2013 mayoral challenger Steven Fulop with low scores; he also reviews a campaign spot for At-Large incumbents Kalimah Ahmad and Ray Velazquez.

Body Identified: Detective work on both sides of the Hudson River has led to the identification of a drowned woman found floating near Jersey City’s Newport community on Saturday as a 59-year-old Queens woman.

Crime Blotter: An unidentified man robbed more than $3,600 from TD Bank on 18th Street yesterday afternoon; when a Paterson woman ignored the advances of a man trying to chat with her on a street in the Lafayette section of the city Sunday night, he opted to rob her instead.

In Statewide News:

Afterschool Program Not Closing After All: New Jersey After 3′s surprise reprieve by the governor on the eve of elections has some Democrats questioning its timing.

Praise for State Utilities: Gov. Christie praised Jersey Central Power & Light Co. and Public Service Electric & Gas Co. for making adequate progress returning power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses knocked offline by the weekend storm.

State Help for Rutgers Athletics: Gov. Christie has told Rutgers University officials he’s ready to help the athletic department respond to the string of defections that have weakened the prestige of Big East Conference and threatened the future of the state university’s $58 million sports program.

Day of the Dead Commemorations on the Rise: As New Jersey’s Mexican population soars, Day of the Dead festivities are growing more common.

Christie Fundraising for Romney: Now that he has given his endorsement, Gov. Christie will start generating some cash for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Corzine Financial Firm Woes: Former Gov. Corzine’s revived Wall Street career is in trouble. His firm, MF Global — a powerhouse in the world of commodities and derivatives trading but little known outside Wall Street — was working frantically toward a potential sale late on Sunday. Failing to find a buyer, the firm is reportedly filing for bankruptcy.

New Marketing Targets Emergency Room Visits: Some New Jersey hospitals are marketing their emergency rooms to insured patients, while the state struggles to reduce ER visits by Medicaid recipients.

Showing their faces in the downtown Jersey City beer hall were North Bergen mayor and state Sen. Nicholas Sacco, Hudson County Freeholder Bill O’Dea and Jersey City Board of Education member Marvin Adames, who introduced Fulop as his mentor. Current and former city employees were out mingling as well.

Also working the room were at least four candidates running in the Nov. 8 special City Council election – Rich Boggiano, Rolando Lavarro, Dan Levin and Viola Richardson.

But Fulop was the star of the evening, starting his six-minute speech by acknowledging Sacco, whose presence raised some eyebrows since Fulop’s political guru Tom Bertoli and Sacco are longtime political rivals. After the event, Fulop, responding to questions via email, said that he and Sacco have a “good relationship” and was happy that Sacco came to his fundraiser.

Fulop then spoke of everything from his various legislative, good-government efforts while on the council to helping get Board of Education members elected who had a part in ousting Jersey City Schools Superintendent Charles Epps from his post.

Fulop thanked the supporters in the room for packing the house — over 730 tickets were sold, raising over $24,000; 640 people showed up — and playing a role in getting him into the mayor’s office in 2013.

“The key word is ‘us’,” Fulop said. “A team of like-minded, goal-oriented people that believes Jersey City can be a terrific, wonderful place to live, one of the best in the country.”

He was especially in campaign mode, saying that whoever becomes Jersey City mayor should provide the best city services to ensure the municipality is livable not only in the downtown area but throughout for “one city, one community.”

Fulop then sent a strong message to the current administration of Mayor Jerramiah Healy and those backing him. Healy is considered a potential opponent for Fulop, along with State Sen. Sandra Bolden Cunningham, although neither Healy nor Cunningham have announced their plans to run for mayor.

“They know that when we win in 18 months, the party that we collectively have been paying for, the no-show jobs, the patronage, that party is over,” Fulop said to loud applause.

Yet Fulop during his speech admitted that it will be a “tough road” leading up to the May 2013 election because of the opposition that will probably mount against his run.

The question that then comes up is whether he has made that road easier to navigate by already starting to put together a team of council candidates.

He said he is not worried since he has “a lot of time.”

“We want to have the same bottom-up approach of community feedback in the ward selecting the candidates that we do for the Board of Education process,” Fulop said by email.

In the meantime, he can court potential voters like one longtime Jersey City resident who came Tuesday at the behest of her friend and said it was her first political fundraiser.

“I always admired him because it seems like he is for the people,” said the resident, who declined to give her name. “It’s good that Fulop is running because two terms is enough for Mayor Healy and it’s time for fresh blood.”

Resident Robert Napiorski also sees Fulop’s youth and his energetic work in the local political arena as pluses for attaining the city’s top post.

“I know people [saw] him as an outsider when he got into office, saying he was from Edison,” Napiorski said. “But he has seized the mantle in this city as well as anyone I have ever seen.”

SPC Student Center Groundbreaking: Officials at Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City broke ground yesterday on a six-story, 90,000-square-foot student center near McGinley Square.

Fulop Fundraiser: Ward E councilman and 2013 mayoral hopeful Steven Fulop added to his campaign war chest Tuesday night thanks to a standing-room only fundraiser at Zeppelin Hall in Jersey City.

Pipeline Opposition Heating Up Across the Hudson: The New York Times takes a look at the debate over the proposed Spectra natural gas pipeline that is currently seeking approval from federal regulators.

Bloomberg Supports MTA Extension to N.J.: New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is pushing forward with a proposal to extend the MTA’s No. 7 train to New Jersey and get the project locked in before he leaves City Hall in two years. And Gov. Christie stated in a WCBS radio interview yesterday that he would support the project if New York state and the city contribute to the financing.

New Supermarket in McGinley Square: Hoping to increase the availability of fresh food, gourmet meals, and organic ingredients in household kitchens in Jersey City’s McGinley Square neighborhood, 64-year-old Mike Aziz and his son, Mike Jr., 36, have opened a new Key Food Supermarket at 113-115 Monticello Ave.

WomenRising Gets Verizon Cash: WomenRising, Inc., a Jersey City-based nonprofit has received a $10,000 grant from Verizon as part of the company’s Verizon for Domestic Violence Prevention and Education Program.

Crime Blotter: Three men were victims of a gunpoint carjacking at 3rd and Brunswick Streets Tuesday and police later located the 2007 Dodge Charger a short distance away; a high-speed chase yesterday ended when a fleeing SUV scraped across a building and hit three police cars that had boxed it in at Kennedy Boulevard and Communipaw Avenue; six boys were arrested in three fights yesterday at Dickinson High School.

Today’s Best Bets:

Drop by the Iron Monkey this evening for some great prices on seasonal brews as the bar makes way for their winter draft offerings (starts at 6 pm).

In Statewide News:

New State Education Offices: The Christie administration’s reorganization of the state education department is moving out into the field, with plans to create seven “regional achievement centers” that will serve as satellite bureaus that will focus on the bottom five percent of public schools.

Christie Rebuked by Judge Again: A state court judge has ruled against Gov. Christie’s administration for a second time in a lawsuit over whether the state can increase judges’ health insurance and pension contributions.

New Jerseyans Support Occupy Wall Street: New Jerseyans taking part in the Occupy Wall Street protest in New York City or a related demonstration in Philadelphia have the support of the state’s voters by a margin of 46 to 29 percent, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll published Thursday.

Lonegan Attacks Dems in Key Districts: Steve Lonegan and Americans for Prosperity today unleashed a six-figure cable TV and raido ad campaign against five targeted Democrats, three of whom occupy the cycle’s three battleground districts.

Disability-Insurance Brokers Criticize Tax Break Plan: An effort by Gov. Chris Christie and the state Legislature to reduce workers’ payroll taxes will backfire and force businesses to pay exorbitant disability insurance rate increases, two insurance brokers said Wednesday.

Missed Opportunities for Energy Cost Reductions: The state is failing to take advantage of a two-year-old program that offers huge opportunities to significantly reduce energy costs without laying out any capital, according to an advisory group.

Questions About Facebook Grant to Newark Schools: One of every three dollars of private money spent so far in Newark’s bid to reform its schools has gone to consultants and contractors, many with ties to Mayor Cory Booker and acting state Education Commissioner Chris Cerf, records show.

Medical School Report: Rutgers is getting the medical school it needs to compete for major grants, but questions remain about the future of UMDNJ and University Hospital in Newark, and the medical schools in South Jersey.