Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop has come out in support of the Jersey City Education Association’s latest incarnation of the “Education Matters” ticket: Sudhan Thomas, Angel Valentin and Gina Verdibello.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“I am proud to support three school board candidates who have proven they have the experience and vision necessary to move our schools forward,” Fulop wrote in a Facebook post this morning.
“Please join us for a fundraiser in support of the 2016 Education Matters team at Zeppelin Hall on 9/12.”
According to a copy of the invitation, Fulop is hosting the event and the JCEA PAC is collecting donations for the event (the suggestion donation is $20).
This marks the second year in a row where Fulop backs the Education Matters ticket, helping get the vote out for last year’s slate of Vidya Gangadin, Marilyn Roman and John Reichart – who sought three, three-year terms against a game opponent in Verdibello.
The JCEA ticket has won the past two BOE elections in definitive fashion. However prior to that, Fulop was a pivotal force in leading the Parents for Progress team to four consecutive victories between 2010 and 2013.
Then, in an unexpected twist of fate, he essentially watched the 2014 race from the sidelines, which drew the ire of P4P allies after they got trounced on Election Day (h/t The Jersey Journal).
In an 11-person race that promises to have some interesting twists and turns on paper, P4P has not yet announced a ticket ahead of the November 8 election.
Matt Schapiro, a longtime political operative for P4P, has his name on the ballot this time around, but other familiar allies do not – including the three incumbents not seeking re-election: Jessica Daye, Micheline Amy and Ellen Simon.
Muhammed Akil, Fulop’s former chief of staff who is now the executive director of the Newark-based Parent Coalition for Excellent Education after ultimately being forced out of Jersey City over pointed hate speech from the 90s, is still expected to back a three-person slate in the race, sources told Hudson County View.
Fulop did not immediately return a call or text message seeking further comment.
What happened to yesterday’s crash of street sweeper with dump truck? Both jc owned. Dpw workers tried to cover up by not calling cops to liberty and Manhattan, and thus caused another crash hour later with private car and that dump truck.
Was not in pr releases today?
Haha, as a matter of fact, Jersey City does not communicate with us on just about topic you can think of. So no press releases from JC. That said, our goal is not to be a 24/7 police blotter, but this situation does undeniably sound interesting.
Fulop’s endorsement = corruption guaranteed. Just look at city council. Looks like fulop’s handlers need their puppets in boe as well.
Pay-to-Play.
NEWSFLASH: Fulops gets in bed with a powerful local union. Hiring Greco’s wife was not enough. Selling our school district and future of our kids sure would reinforce his gubernatorial hopes. Endorsing 3 candidates whose only good qualification to do what they told in exchange of the future political support, makes me physically sick. Hate myself for voting Fulop in.