Golden: Don’t use law enforcement to pursue marijuana agenda

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden issued a sharp criticism of Jersey City’s decision to unilaterally decriminalize marijuana possession last night via twitter:

Dangerous 4 Law Enforcement-At what point do cities/towns arbitrarily NOT enforce other state laws? Controlling what the PDs can/cannot enforce is a dangerous course action. If you disagree with the law-change it, Stop using LE to pursue agenda. @MichaelAronNJTV @NJSPBA @njfop https://t.co/Od0lW9s4z7

— Shaun Golden (@sheriffgolden) July 22, 2018

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Dead whale in Hudson River to be towed out to sea for disposal: Army Corps of Engineers

JERSEY CITY — A dead whale that surfaced in the Hudson River earlier this week just off Caven Point in Jersey City will be towed out to sea for disposal, the Army Corps of Engineers said. The carcass, which the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said is a “30-foot long fin whale,” was too big for a… Read the rest of this entry »

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State busts Jersey City, Elizabeth for violating order to reassess properties

TRENTON — The state Division of Taxation has declared two of the three municipalities forced to undergo property revaluations in violation of that state order, NJ Advance Media has learned. Jersey City and Elizabeth have missed May deadlines to submit plans to comply with the April order that gives them until November 2017 to conduct revaluations,… Read the rest of this entry »

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Kevin Kane lands a job in the Fulop Administration

Freehold Borough Councilman Kevin Kane has landed a $65,000 per year job as the assistant director of Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop’s Office of Tax Abatement and Compliance.

The five term Democrat councilman who ran for Monmouth County Clerk last year against Christine Giordano Hanlon is responsible for the day to day operations of the office when the director is not at work, according to his Linkedin profile.  The office is charged with ensuring “adherence with all municipal ordinances, administrative codes and state statutes relating to tax abated development projects in Jersey City. The Compliance Office, reporting directly to the Business Administrator, is responsible for documenting all non-compliance issues and violations of the Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and Project Employment and Contracting Agreements (PECAs).” Kane recommends to the director any and all actions to be taken as a result of non-compliance in a specified project.

Prior to joining the Fulop administration, Kane was the Vice President of Operations for a Freehold based janitorial company owned by his parents.

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Jersey City cop, residents say some Muslims did celebrate 9/11

In the weeks since Donald Trump ignited a firestorm by claiming “thousands and thousands” of Muslims in Jersey City cheered the fall of the twin towers on 9/11, elected officials, religious leaders and a former state attorney general denied the existence of celebrations in the city that day. Media outlets, after scouring archived news stories and… Read the rest of this entry »

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State blasts tax boards, may force N.J. towns to reassess properties

TRENTON — Three New Jersey municipalities in Union, Hudson and Middlesex counties are under investigation by the state for stalling property reassessments for decades and could be forced to conduct revaluations. The investigation of Jersey City, Elizabeth and Dunellen is a shot across the bow to municipalities in the three counties the state says have neglected… Read the rest of this entry »

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Fla. woman with carry permit faces 10 years for bringing gun on Statue of Liberty trip

A 52-year-old woman with a permit to carry a handgun in Florida could face up to 10 years in prison after being arrested in Jersey City while attempting to board a ferry to Ellis Island while carrying a gun, authorities said. Elizabeth J. Griffith, of Daytona Beach, was arrested by U.S. Park Police on July 14… Read the rest of this entry »

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Federal prosecutors subpoena Port Authority over claims Christie retaliated against Fulop, report says

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Handlin Wants SCI To Investigate Allegations That Fulop Planned Traffic Jams At Holland Tunnel and Port Jersey

Jersey City Police Chief Robert Cowan has responded to his announced demotion by Mayor Steve Fulop by alleging that the mayor order traffic jams at Port Jersey and the Holland Tunnel.   That Cowan objected and interfered is the reason he is being demoted, he says, according to reports in the Jersey Journal.

Fulop announced plans to sue the Port Authority of NY/NJ for $400 million. Cowan’s attorney said Fulop’s plan was “designed solely to create havoc for the Port Authority.”

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin

Assemblywoman Amy Handlin (R-Middletown) wants the joint legislative committee that is investigating the September 2013 George Washington Bridge lane closures to investigate the allegations against Fulop as well.

In a letter dated today to Senator Loretta Weinberg and Assemblyman John Wisniewski, Co-Chairs of the New Jersey Select Committee on Investigation,of which Handlin is a member, the assemblywoman asked that the committee immediately issue subpoenas to Fulop and Cowan

As you know, the mission of the New Jersey Legislative Select Committee on Investigation is to “investigate all aspects of the finances, operations, and management of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and any other matter raising concerns about abuse of government power or an attempt to conceal an abuse of government power including, but not limited to, the reassignment of access lanes in Fort Lee, New Jersey to the George Washington Bridge.”

Because the allegations against Mayor Fulop raise significant concerns about the repeated abuse of government power directly related to the Port Authority, I respectfully ask the committee to investigate this matter including the immediate issuance of subpoenas to Mayor Fulop and Chief Cowan.

Handlin’s letter can be found here.

Fulop is widely considered to be a contender for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 2017, or sooner if Governor Chris Christie does not complete his term.

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Seastreak and NJDOT providing relief for Pulaski Skyway commuters

The northbound lanes of the Pulaski Skyway are closed for two years as the bridge is reconstructed.  The anticipated nightmare for commuters starts this morning.

file photo by Art Gallaghernightmare for commuters starts today.

Seastreak, LLC, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation have partnered to provide a pleasant alternative for Central Jersey commuters to get to Hoboken or Jersey City and home again daily.

Seastreak  has two morning departures, 5:45 and 7:45, from the Atlantic Highlands Marina with stops at Paulus Hook in Jersey City and Hoboken.  There are three returning departures originating in Hoboken at 3:15 pm, 5:15 pm and 7:15 PM.  The fare for a one-way trip to or from either Hudson County terminal and Atlantic Highlands is $12. $5 gets you a ride to or from Jersey City and Hoboken.

The subsidized fare is a bargain.  Seastreak’s one-way fare to Manhattan is $26.  The fare for a trip on a NJTransit train from Middletown to Hoboken is $14.25, and the train takes longer.

The complete schedule can be viewed here.

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