Fulop files his side of the ballot initiative argument
By Matt Friedman, PolitickerNJ.com ReporterLast week, Jersey City Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis filed an 11th hour challenge to Councilman Steve Fulop’s signatures to put one of his two reform initiatives on the ballot.
Today, Fulop shot back with by presenting his side of the legal argument to Municipal Clerk Robert Byrne, written by attorney and Brian M. Nelson. He also submitted an extra 600 signatures.
Fulop, who’s considering a mayoral bid next May, has spent the greater part of the last year collecting signatures for two initiatives for November’s general election: one bars contractors that do business with the city from donating to public officials. The other, which was challenged by Matsikoudis, would bar city council members from accepting more than one taxpayer-funded salary (Six of the nine council members hold more than one public job, while Councilman Steve Lipski runs a charter school).
Fulop had collected close to 3,000 signatures for the second initiative but submitted about 1,800 so as not to trigger a special election. Matsikoudis argued that a state law requires not signatures from a number of people equivalent to 10% of the people who voted in November’s general election, but 10% of all registered voters in Jersey City – meaning that he would need about 12,000 signatures.
Nelson challenged Matsikoudis’s assertion on three counts: that the law Matsikoudis cites refers specifically to fixing salaries, not barring double dipping; that most prescedent cases cited by Matsikoudis don’t address the requirement of 10% of all registered voters; and that the state supreme court has ruled repeatedly that municipal ordinances are not exempt from becoming referenda.
“Mayor Healy’s lawyer is trying to change the rules of the game in the ninth inning but we aren’t going to let it happen,” said Fulop in a statement. “We expect the city clerk to certify the petitions so Jersey City voters can have their say about double dipping politicians….. It’s clear that the mayor isn’t interested in putting an end to the practice of double dipping – he wants to fight this initiative every step of the way. Besides being a councilman, I’m a United States Marine and I look forward to a good fight.”
Whatever Byrne decides, both sides acknowledge that the case will likely wind up in court.
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Read the expanded Wake Up Call, our summary of today’s news media coverage.
Today’s Must Reads:
The City Boss Becomes the Country Boss ― DICK BENFIELD...MUST READ
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OBAMA'S ELECTOR ― ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Syndicate
Off to court Billie
Well i guess the only vote that counts now is Judge Gallapoli's
This could go 2 ways
Fulop could either use this to say "Healy wanted corruption to continue" or it can win and Fulop could say "I stopped corruption"
Ether way, +1 for Fulop.
This also shows that Fulop has at least 3,000 votes for Mayor next year.
Runoff: Healy vs Fulop
and if the initiatives are voted down?
does fulop say "The citizens wanted corruption to continue"?
that's not how you get into a runoff.
Can't Lose
By filing just the right amount of Signatures Fulop guaranteed the Questions are on the Ballot during the presidential election.
Average voters during a special election in JC 4500.
Average voters during Municipal election in JC 32,500
Average voters during a Presidential election 63,500
The machine can't control the vote in a presidential year and the increase of voters comes from the progressive downtown.
If a voter is given a chance to stick it to a politician they will do it everytime.This Thing Passes......
too many words
for the average jc voter to read and understand. would be interesting to see how many voters actually vote on referendum in comparison with the total vote count. and doubtful that the summary is going to say "vote yes to stick it to the politicians". yes, the downtowners will support it, but there are only so many of them. if the machine turns out the vote and tells folks to vote against them, they'll fail. don't get me wrong, these should have been passed a long time ago - at the state level for sure - but it's more of an insight into fulop's combative style and lack of political savvy. what's he going to do when he's mayor? get a referendum every time the council doesn't approve one of his initiatives? it's a risky gamble.
Fulop Is Full Of Urine and Wind
The man is simply grandstanding rather than standing by any real convictions.
The pay-to-play ordinance reads as the "Corzine/Bloomberg" initiative as it virtually assures that no one but an independently wealthy individual or Wall Street yuppie like Fulop can effectively run a citywide campaign in what is an expensive place to conduct election activities.
Highly self-serving and a clear smack in the face to well-qualified candidates from parts other than Jersey City's Downtown, who may be prevented from competing with the Fulop's of the world.