Artie Lange: Mayor of Hoboken?

Well it looks like the situation in Hoboken — remember Peter Cammarano? — is getting even stranger, and it doesn't involve a soul in the Hudson County Democratic Organization if you could believe it. Seems there's a grass-roots effort to get residents of the mile-square city to write in the name of Howard Stern sidekick Artie Lange for mayor when a special election takes place in November to fill Cammarano's unexpired term. Can you just see it? Tell you what — I wouldn't put it past the people of Hoboken to say, "Screw It" and actually write in Lange's name.

Even better, there's a Web site out there with instructions on how to make this happen. Of course, we're not even sure Lange is registered to vote in Hoboken, which is, naturally, a prerequisite for running for mayor. Should be interesting.

Click here to visit that Artie Lange for Mayor Web site.

Actual (Stunning) Video of Helicopter Plane Crash Over Hudson River

Two More Jersey City Workers Resign Amid Scandal; Guess Who Didn't Resign?

Two more Jersey City employees have resigned following the July 23 sting that led to the arrest of 44 public officials and religious figures, but the one resignation many have been calling for still didn't happen today, the Associated Press (AP) reports.

From the story:

Two resignations of officials also arrested were on today's agenda. Edward Cheatam resigned Aug. 3 as the commissioner of the city's Housing Authority, and Maher Khalil resigned from the board of trustees of the Jersey City Development Corporation in a letter dated July 31.

Yet to resign is Councilman Mariano Vega Jr.

Surprised?

Not here.

Read the full story by clicking here.

Jersey Journal Again Calling for Mariano Vega's Resignation

Score another one for The Jersey Journal. The newspaper is again calling for the resignation of Jersey City Councilman Mariano Vega, following his July arrest on corruption charges. Click here for the whole story.

You Say Being Late Isn't Acceptable?

Ask this woman her opinion.

Click here for perhaps the most amazing story to come out of Saturday's awful plane/helicopter collision. 

Here Are Some Spectacular Photos From Today's Hudson River Crash

The first two photos are from Fox News. They show the broken-up chopper and the small plane with one of its wings already off. If Fox wants me to take them down, they can sue me. They won't get much. 

Plane, Helicopter Collide Over Hudson River Near Hoboken; One Dead

A plane and helicopter have collided over the Hudson River near Hoboken, CNN is reporting. Another media outlet is reporting that at least one person has been pulled from the river by the United States Coast Guard. It is not immediately clear whether that person is alive.

The helicopter is believed to be a tour chopper. The plane is described as a small, twin-engine plane registered to a company in the Philadelphia area. The FAA says the plane likely took off from Teterboro Airport shortly before noon because a plane disappeared from its radar, according to reports.

Any eyewitness told CNN the plane and chopper were both traveling southbound over the Hudson. The plane then struck the chopper, its rotors broke off -- and both the plane and chopper plunged about 1,200 feet into the Hudson River, the eyewitness said.

A Circle Line tour boat, which was also heading southbound in the river, immediately turned around and headed toward the scene, the eyewitness told CNN.

The New York City Fire and Police departments, the Hoboken Fire and Police departments, the Hudson County Sheriff's Office, the United States Coast Guard and the Port Authority Police Department, as well as private ferry operators, are on scene conducting the rescue.

The plane and chopper were flying in what is known as the Hudson River VFR (Visual Flight Rules) Corridor. Aircraft in the VFR Corridor are not required to be in contact with any air traffic control until they approach either Newark Liberty or LaGuardia Airport airspace, but are supposed to (but are not required to) announce themselves on the frequency 123.05, according to Fox News. One aviation expert says pilots often don't announce their VFR locations.

More information as it becomes available.

Smith Hardly the Only Arrogant Politician

By Kevin Canessa Jr.

Some politicians are a lot more arrogant than others. But there are some whose arrogance falls in a category beyond what words can describe. Three such politicians are in our midst -- and their arrogance is as irritating and as unfathomable as I’ve seen in my entire life.

Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith, Jersey City Council President Mariano Vega Jr. and Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez are three pols who were involved in the massive FBI sweep that ultimately caused Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell and Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano (in office three short weeks) to resign their offices. Elwell was the first to do the right thing, and after a lot of pressure from Gov. Jon S. Corzine, D-Hoboken, Cammarano finally called it quits last week.

Of course, it’s unfair to give any credit to Corzine, because if this weren’t an election year, you could bet the house he wouldn’t have called for Cammarano’s resignation. Just look back to previous scandals -- Sharpe James comes to mind -- where Corzine always wanted the justice process “to run its course.”

Regardless, give Cammarano and Elwell a lot of credit for doing the right, honorable thing in resigning.

But for whatever reason, Suarez, Smith and Vega (el Presidenté) won’t resign. They feel they can perform their duties they while fighting clear-cut corruption charges. Let’s face it folks, the federal government doesn’t bring charges against anyone whose case isn’t clear cut.

And to quote Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop, the “innocent until proven guilty” system of justice should not apply to public officials. The charges are enough for them to vacate their office.

Then again, at least in the cases of Smith and Vega, there’s that additional arrogance that blossoms from being a member of the Hudson County Democratic Organization. Members of the HCDO have, for decades, believed they’re above the law. They believe the power of the organization, and the money of the organization, are always enough to buy freedom from guilt.

But the truth of the matter is, the arrogance of the HCDO -- the decades of being above the law -- is finally catching up. Two Hudson Dems did the right thing by resigning. And now, two others must soon follow suit.

If he had an ounce of integrity left, the HCDO Chairman and Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy would not only have asked for their resignations -- he would have demanded them. But he didn’t. He took the cowardly route of saying that kind of a decision is personal -- and not one a party chairman should demand.

And he’s wrong.

Healy missed a golden opportunity to lead; instead, he squirmed.

Hopefully, when all is said and done, Healy’s influence won’t matter. Perhaps Smith and Vega won’t need party influence. Same for Suarez. Maybe they’ll resign on their own.

Or maybe they’ll do like most other accused Hudson County politicians do: They’ll wait until they’re found guilty before resigning, thereby leaving little time for their successors to prepare for office and to help their communities heal from the nonsense they’ve experienced.

Then again, this is Hudson County. Why should anyone who matters care?

Feedback? Post below.

Jersey Journal Calls for More Resignations

Good job on the part of the Jersey Journal.

They're calling for the resignation of L. Harvey Smith -- their guy -- in addition to Mariano Vega Jr., Jersey City's City Council president. It's very dangerous for a newspaper to call for resignations, and the JJ deserves a lot of credit for doing it -- especially when they endorsed some of the same people they're calling out here.

Click here for the full piece.

The Most Arrogant Politician in New Jersey?

He's been arrested. His salary and committee posts have been stripped of him. Yet Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith, D-Jersey City, has arrogantly and typically decided against resigning his seat in the General Assembly, The Jersey Journal reports today.

This action puts Smith at the top of our newly formed "Most Arrogant Jersey Politicians" category/list.

Smith could have done the right, honorable thing in resigning -- just as Peter Cammarano and Dennis Elwell did -- but on advice of his counsel, he decided it would be best for him, under this incredible, knock-out cloud of suspicion, to remain in office. He joins Jersey City Councilman Mariano Vega Jr. and Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez as the pols who refuse to go down, even though the feds rarely, if ever, charge anyone with a crime unless they've got a clear-cut winnable case.

More info here from The Jersey Journal.

Jersey Journal hints that Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy should be removed from office

Earlier this year, Newark Councilwoman Dana Rone was removed from office after an investigation revealed she intervened when her nephew was pulled over by Rutgers Newark police. Now, with Healy having gone through numerous appeals of his disorderly conduct conviction in Bradley Beach--and with all appeals denied--the Journal suggests Healy ought to go through the same legal process to determine whether he should be removed from office.

Click here to read the entire editorial from The Jersey Journal's Saturday edition.

No surprise here

Take a look at this headline in today's Jersey Journal:

'Union: Only connected get HCCC jobs; tenures denied'

Now ask yourself one simple question: Is there anything shocking here? More later. Much more later, actually.

Jersey Journal report: Terrorizing employee at Hudson County Community College could cost Middle States accreditation

A scathing report in today's Jersey Journal says Hudson County Community College's Middle States accreditation may be in jeopardy because of a "terrorizing" employee who has caused a clear conflict of interest.


The report says John Shinnick, vice president of human resources and communication, has publicly berated employees — and it also says Shinnick has "undue influence and authority" at the school. And that undue influence may just cost the school's Middle States accreditation.


"Whereas civilized discourse is the norm in an academic community, at HCCC there appears to be an atmosphere of fear and intimidation that permeates all levels of administration and members of the faculty," the JJ reports about the Middle States conclusion. 


Read the entire story from the Jersey Journal by clicking here.

JJ: Woman died in jail's custody

A woman being held at the Hudson County Jail in Kearny recently died while in custody, The Jersey Journal is reporting. The Journal says the woman had complained about coughing up blood — and was taken to medical for a checkup. However, she was ultimately taken back to the jail, the report says. Click here to read the entire report from The Jersey Journal.

Gymnasium named for former Hudson Sheriff

HONORING A LIFETIME OF SERVICE — Family members of former Hudson County Sheriff, longtime youth athletics coach and Lincoln High School football star the late Peter J. DiNardo recently attended a ceremony unveiling a plaque commemorating the renaming of the Hudson County Youth Detention Center's Gymnasium in Secaucus "The Peter J. DiNardo Jr. Memorial Gymnasium." On hand for the ceremony were, from left, his son Peter J. DiNardo III; his wife of 43 years, Margaret DiNardo; and his sisters, Anna Marie Lenoci, Gloria Westerfield, Terry Miggliozzi. A contingent of nearly 30 family members and a host of public officials took part in the memorial that celebrated DiNardo's colorful life and his outstanding contributions to Jersey City and Hudson County.

Ticket-fixing judge indicted by state AG's Office

TRENTON – Attorney General Anne Milgram today announced a state grand jury returned separate indictments charging former Chief Judge Wanda Molina and former Court Administrator Virginia Pagan of the Jersey City Municipal Court with official misconduct for allegedly fixing parking tickets.

According to Criminal Justice Director Deborah Gramiccioni, Molina, 49, of Jersey City, was charged with two counts of second-degree official misconduct, one count of second-degree pattern of official misconduct, one count of third-degree tampering with public records or information and one count of fourth-degree falsifying records.

Pagan, 53, of Jersey City, was charged in a separate indictment with second-degree official misconduct, third-degree pattern of official misconduct, third-degree tampering with public records or information, and fourth-degree falsifying records.

“When court officials engage in ticket fixing, it shakes the faith of average citizens who pay up when they get a ticket,” Milgram said. “Today’s indictments send a message that these defendants are not above the law and there is indeed one system of justice to which all must answer.”

The indictment against Molina alleges that between September 2006 and August 2007, she took judicial action to dismiss eight parking tickets that were issued to a close personal companion. The Court Rules and the Code of Judicial Conduct strictly prohibit judges from hearing cases if they have any personal interest in them or if anyone close to them does. It is further alleged Molina wrote the word “emergency” on three of the tickets, falsely indicating there were compelling circumstances to justify the illegal parking, when in fact there were not.

The second indictment alleges between November 1999 and July 2007, Pagan used her official position as municipal court administrator to access the court’s computer record system and make entries dismissing 215 parking tickets that had been issued to her and her daughter. Pagan’s duties included entering dispositions on tickets after they had been adjudicated by a judge. No judicial determinations had been made on the tickets she dismissed for herself and her daughter. The state’s investigation found that the potential fines on the tickets exceeded $5,000.

The second-degree official misconduct counts against Molina and Pagan carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison and a criminal fine of $150,000.

Because both defendants are charged with counts of second-degree official misconduct that allege criminal conduct that occurred, in part, after April 14, 2007 — the effective date of the state’s new public corruption sentencing enhancement law — they face a mandatory minimum of five years in prison if convicted of that conduct.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine signed the law in March 2007 to significantly enhance the punishment of government officials who are convicted of abusing their office and violating the public trust.

“We charge that these defendants repeatedly violated the law in order to benefit themselves and those close to them,” Gramiccioni said. “Fortunately, a tip put an end to their alleged abuses. We encourage anyone who suspects public corruption to report it to us.”

Hudson County Assignment Judge Maurice J. Gallipoli initially investigated allegations regarding irregularities in the disposition of tickets in Jersey City Municipal Court. He referred the matter to the Attorney General’s Office.

Molina and Pagan resigned from their court positions in September 2007 after their alleged misconduct came to light.

The case was investigated by Detective Lisa Cawley and Sgt. Lisa A. Shea of the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. Deputy Attorney General Asha Vaghela is handling the case for the Attorney General and presented it to the state grand jury.

Third-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $15,000 fine, while fourth-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine

The indictments are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The indictments were handed up to Superior Court Judge Maria Marinari Sypek in Mercer County. Molina’s case was assigned to Bergen County, and Pagan’s was assigned to Hudson County. They will be ordered to appear in court at a later date to answer the charges.

Copies of the indictments are available at http://www.njpublicsafety.com.

Milgram noted the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau has established a toll-free Corruption Tipline for the public to report corruption, financial crime and other illegal activities. The statewide tipline is 1-866-TIPS-4CJ. Additionally, the public can log on to the Division of Criminal Justice's Web site at http://www.njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing. All information received through the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Tipline or Web page will remain confidential.

Jersey Journal: State parole officer accused of assaulting a 14-year-old boy

A state parole officer stands accused of assaulting a 14-year-old boy who was umpiring a kids' baseball game at Pershing Field in Jersey City, The Jersey Journal is reporting. The Journal says the officer, Thomas Millford Lambert, 40, of Jersey City, didn't like the calls the 14-year-old ump had been making. Click here to read this hard to believe story.

Videos of St. Paul's Avenue fire available on YouTube

You may recall there was a serious Mother's Day fire on St. Paul's Avenue in Jersey City. There are some great videos on YouTube where you can see the absolutely horrendous conditions under which firefighters had to operate.

Firefighters can be heard screaming for a roof ladder, and the commanding officer can also be heard ordering firefighters off the roof of the very unstable building.

Embedding isn't possible with these videos, so click here to get to the first of six parts.

Hudson man wanted on child abuse charges arrested at U.S./Canadian border

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — A 42-year old Hudson County man wanted on child abuse charges by the Hudson County Sheriff's Office has been nabbed by customs officers at the United States/Canada border near Niagara Falls, N.Y. television station WGRZ is reporting.

According to reports, Reinaldo Rodriguez was brought into custody May 15 when he tried to enter America from Canada. Reports say the warrant was issued in 2003 and that Rodriguez was handed over to the Niagara Falls Police Department, where he's being held before an extradition hearing.