A few dozen Jersey City activists renewed calls for Councilwoman-at-Large Amy DeGise to resign in light of her pleading guilty to a July 19th hit-and-run and receiving sanctions two weeks ago.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
Somewhere between 30 and 50 people gathered in the Jersey City City Hall plaza to express their continued frustrations with the situation as a council caucus meeting convened on the 2nd floor.
“ADG has got to go!” the crowd chanted, led by former city council candidate Kevin Bing.
“This past summer Amy DeGise hit the cyclist Andrew Black on his bicycle. He was working for Uber Eats early in the morning. She hit him and she drove away. How long was she gone?” he asked.
Six hours!” the crowd shouted in response.
“In six hours she did nothing. Never tapped the breaks. She admitted she knew what she did. She knew it was wrong. She knew she was supposed to stop and render aid,” Bing said.
Bing also cited DeGise’s living situation, attempting to use her influence to get out of her car being towed in Hoboken, and numerous parking tickets as other clear examples that “she has no respect for the law.”
He continued that only Ward E Councilman James Solomon and Ward F Councilman Frank “Educational” Gilmore have called for DeGise to step down while all other elected leaders have remained silent – including Mayor Steven Fulop and Gov. Phil Murphy (D).
“We’re mad at the city council. Only two city council members have spoken out against her. The others have remained silent. We’re mad at Mayor Fulop,” he exclaimed.
“Tell her to resign,” the crowd responded, repeating the phrase several times.
“Governor Murphy, he wanted the political process to play out. The political process has played out, which means he needs to call on her to resign. This is a situation where mayors want to be governors and governors want to be presidents and we are caught in the middle.”
Adrian Ghainda, a Hudson County commissioner candidate in the 2nd district, insisted that now is not the time to relent on asking for accountability.
“Amy DeGise has failed to live up to the responsibilities she chose to accept. Our elected officials want us to let this go. We can’t allow this to happen.”
He noted that during the city council protest in August, when many called for her to resign, where several traumatic stories of hit-and-runs were told: “Those stories still haunt me.”
“We are in the midst of a hit-and-run epidemic. We need our leaders in government to take it seriously,” stated Safe Street Jersey City board member Colin DeVries. He also pointed out that six pedestrians have been struck by cars in Jersey City in 2023.
“I cannot accept Amy DeGise as my political representative. She struck a human being with her SUV, caused him to flip over her hood onto the asphalt, and just kept on going.”
Jersey City Democratic Committeewoman Sarah Ordway read a letter from late immigration activist Alan Mentha, who passed away at the end of last year after a long bout with cancer.
“Amy DeGise, you are bringing dishonor to our city. The time to act is now. I’m shocked Amy DeGise hasn’t resigned and more shocked Mayor Fulop and his allies on the city council haven’t demanded it. Where is your moral integrity?” she asked to applause.
“If it’s just raw political power that lets you stay in office, what’s next? Who’s she going to hit next? What politician is going to think they’ll face any consequences for these types of actions?” Bing added.
Hudson County Executive candidate Eleana Little said “a system of corruption and nepotism” has allowed DeGise to remain on the council, though made it clear she felt she is a symptom, not the disease.
“None of these things are unique to Amy. It’s symptomatic of a political establishment that cares about their cronies more than everyday people,” she argued.
“While my opponent, loyal chief of staff to Tom DeGise Craig Guy, held a swanky fundraiser with the governor and the mayor in September, I joined many of you here protesting. We were implored, even chided to let the legal process carry out.”
The caucus meeting didn’t start until after 4:30 p.m. and ran until a little before 6:30 p.m., but none of the electeds addressed or acknowledged the protest.