Endorsement from the Jersey Journal on Council Race
Activist from Reader's Digest on planting flowers
List of shows produced on Talking Politics
Letters to the Editor
I am a community activist who lives on Van Vorst Park in Jersey City. I am the first President and former founding member of the Van Vorst Park Association. In fact, I started the infamous "Meet Ball". In the mid-1970's, the Van Vorst Park Association was dealing with several agencies on the rebuilding of the park. The money came from "Green Acres" and it had to follow many guidelines.
Anyone who volunteers realize it can be difficult, but during that time I was a full time housewife, with a two year old son, and expecting another child on the way. So I decided after revising the Van Vorst Park plans numerous times that the community should celebrate. The celebration was called the "Meet Ball." Though I am no longer active in the association, I am glad the Meet Ball still exists!
I became community activist when the Jersey City reval happened in 1988. At that time the city was on a calendar year, not a fiscal year. It returned to a calendar year in 2010. When reval happened citizens had to pay 18 months of taxes in 12 months. My taxes increase in 1988 to nearly $16,000. In 1987 I paid $3,000.
Reval happened during the Cucci Administration, but the contract was signed under the first term of McCann Administration. When Anthony Cucci ran for re-election in 1989, he lost to Gerry McCann who became mayor the second time in 1989. During this period of time I went to council meetings on a regular basis and continue to do so.
The citizens who voted for Gerry McCann expected him to correct the problems caused by reval. Instead, Gerry McCann set the standard that other mayors will follow-take care of the developers and forget about the public.
McCann's second term was short. He was convicted in a development scam that resulted in jail time. This crime happened when he was not in office. In 1991, there was another election - Bret Schundler won. In my opinion, Bret Schundler was the worse mayor for Jersey City.
In 1998, I started on web site on Schundler. Web sites were somewhat unusual then, in fact, the Jersey City Reporter -Jim Kennelly- wrote about the new web site in his weekly column. Kennelly is now the spokesperson for Hudson County.
During this period of time I wrote many "letters to the editor" and ran for office for council more than one time. While I didn't win, the Jersey Journal always endorsed me as a candidate for office.
In 2002, I joined Mia Scanga, and Bob Du Val to produce public access programs called, "Talking Politics." Talking Politics was started because former Mayor Schundler kept the money for Public Access to produce shows for city hall. I produced twenty shows for Talking Politics, but it was time to move on and Speak NJ was born.
SpeakNJ is magazine show that deals with New Jersey. It will include, politics, the arts, religion, and other things that matters to the human spirit.