The odds of Governor Chris Christie, Jersey City Mayor

Steven Fulop, New Jersey U.S.

Attorney Paul Fishman and former NBA player Jayson Williams all being at the same place seems highly unlikely. Unless the issue is prisoner reentry.

The topic of ex-offenders coming back into society was what brought the four men into the same space as they were all keynote speakers at the Prisoner Reentry: Breaking the Cycle conference held on April 17 at Saint Peters University in Jersey City.

The event, sponsored by various entities including the Jersey City

Employment and Training Office, Integrity House and Saint Peters University, is an extension of the policy goal of the new Employment and Training Office Director, former Governor Jim McGreevey, to help those coming out of jail to integrate back into society.

Williams, the onetime New Jersey Nets star, shared his powerful personal story of rebuilding his life after serving time in prison for several brushes with the law including the accidental shooting death of his limousine driver, Costas “Gus” Christofi, in 2002.

He broke into tears on several occasions when he spoke about such matters as how his reckless behavior took an emotional toll upon his family, the difficulty of finding a place to live (especially in Jersey City) after leaving jail in 2012 and finding a new purpose in his life by helping others who were formerly incarcerated.

“I want you all to know that Iâ€m here for one reason today, and thatâ€s because I believe that I can help my colleagues,” Williams said.

Williams also thanked Fulop for meeting with him during the conference and even having his picture taken with Williams when considering Fulopâ€s political ambitions, a reference to Fulop being considered a contender to become the stateâ€s next governor in 2017.

Fulop had opened the conference earlier in the day by addressing how Jersey City dealing seriously with the matter of prisoner reentry with a three-pronged strategy of providing employment, housing and addiction treatment. Fulop would later, during a break from the conference, address the media about crossing paths briefly with Christie – before the governor spoke at the event – for the first time since last July as Fulop has since had a political falling out with the governor for not endorsing him for reelection.

Adding to the drama was the guest speaker who followed Fulop and preceded Christie.

Paul Fishman and his office of prosecutors are currently investigating the closing of lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge that occurred last fall, which involved Christie administration allies and aides.

However, Fishman did not bring up that subject as he was focused on what the New Jersey U.S. Attorneyâ€s Office has done on the prisoner reentry front. In particular, he described how his office put together its “ReNew Program” that has provided services to onetime inmates from proofreading resumes to helping them find apartments.

“We will never arrest our way out of the problems of crime. Only by emphasizing prevention and reentry, together with enforcement, do we have a chance to make a real and lasting impact on the violence and other issues that plague our communities,” Fishman said.

After his speech, Fishman greeted Fulop and took pictures with him, but left the conference before Christie arrived.

Christie, who came to the conference due in part to his friendship with McGreevey, was listening intently to a panel of speakers before he was scheduled to speak but was also looking over his shoulder from time to time in the direction of the media, whom he has avoided for the most of the past three months to sidestep questions about the Bridgegate scandal.

He would be more comfortable on stage with McGreevey as the two engaged in a conversation about the stateâ€s efforts to bring drug courts to all NJ counties in the next four years, and also wanting to bring about bail reform so that for first time offenders for drug possession there would be a pretrial services situation where bail would not be set but other conditions would have to be met before trial such as treatment.

Christie went on to show a sympathetic, more liberal side of himself when he said that drug addiction is an “illness” that will not be cured by putting people behind bars.

The post Prisoner Reentry from Personal Testimony to Politics first appeared on River View Observer.

What was your plans for the lottery money had you won the big game?

That seemed to be the question on everyone’s mind today after one of Mega Millions biggest jackpots was won by two lucky tickets winners. One from Idaho and the other from Washington. Washington, what Washington I began to wonder? They didn’t say Washington State did they mean Washington DC. Is that why I saw our President on the front page of the New York Daily News in flip flops and shorts. Had he purchased a lottery ticket and won the $355,000,000 million dollar jackpot. OK sir, if you did win please put it back towards our deficit and now we are only about 8 trillion shy.

What about the lucky winner in Idaho, did I know anyone in Idaho? Oh yeah, my old Sargent from the Army back in 1970 he  didn’t like me much. Did  he win? I remember him saying on many occasion- Boy, if I ever hit it rich I’m gonna come to Jersey and kick your butt for a year from Sunday to Monday. It would be my luck if he won. I better check the airlines to see if old Sergeant Jessie Wright booked a plane reservation to Jersey.

I have a question why are all the largest jackpot winners from  the midwest?Is there some kind of curse on us folks here in the Northeast. Does it have anything to do with the Soprano’s being filmed in Kearny? Or that fact that Elliot Spitzer was once the Governor of New York?

 I recall going to bingo with my wife and her sister up at Foxwood’s one year and one of the big Bingo games jackpot  paid $250,000.00 and the winner came from Idaho. Is this the same person that won last nights lottery?  Did old Sargent Wright play Bingo? Should I move to Idaho would that change my luck? Nah! I love the Sopranos.

Yesterday dreams abound with stories of good fortune and talk of “I will do this for you and I will do that for you.” Today I said to my neighbor who said to me yesterday ” If I win the big one tonight I am going to pay your mortgage on your house as a gift for being such a good neighbor all these years.” Today, I asked him if I could borrow a shovel to finish off some snow in my yard. He glared at me, with flared nostrils, eyes bugging from his head “Are you kidding me, you think shovels grow on trees, what do I look like a millionaire?” Ah, the dream of having money and what it will do to the soul.

So what would you have done with all that money? Experts on big lottery winnings tell you don’t go crazy, but if Monday afternoon you were checking the seats of your car for change to pay for a gallon of gas and Tuesday night you find out your the winner of  $355 mil wouldn’t you go a little crazy. The so called experts say take $50,000 of the money and buy every stupid thing you ever wanted to buy. Why? I am poor because I buy stupid things all the time. I bought shamo from a television commercial, I own a weed whacker but I live in the inner city. I purchased  one of those sit up machines, that make you lay down to use it,  I own every record that K-Tell records of the stars ever released and I don’t have a phonograph anymore. Get where I am going with this. No if I won all that money I wouldn’t take just $50,000 and do something stupid. I would take $60,000.000 million and do something really dumb like run for President of the United States in this day and age. Very tough job. Are their any primaries in Idaho?

What would I have really done with all that money had I won?  Well, will never know will we. Tonight someone or some people in Idaho and someone or group in Washington have to think on that question. Me I am going to rest easy tonight knowing I won’t be running for President, and I just called information in Idaho to look for old Seargent Jessie Wright- he moved to Jersey 20 years ago.

-Nolan Weeks

The post New Jersey Lottery 04 08 15 -25-47-42 Winning Numbers of Mega Millions first appeared on River View Observer.

Read how you can help keep them open.

  JERSEY CITY, NJ  April 8, 2010 – With a postcard geared to the NJ State Assembly, residents and library supporters in Jersey City can make their voices heard regarding the Draconian cuts proposed for the New Jersey State Library, and learn how local funding for all public libraries may be eliminated forever. Postcards are available now at the Main Library, 10 branches and the Bookmobile. The postcard reads: The Governor’s proposed budget cuts library funding by 74%.  This cut: ELIMINATES Internet access and electronic journals in hundreds of libraries ELIMINATES the delivery of materials from other libraries to you – more than 3 million items in 2009  ELIMINATES 50% of State Aid to public libraries  Loss of these programs will put more pressure on local property taxes. Proposed legislation A2555 will ELIMINATE minimum funding for libraries and will result in fewer books, fewer hours and fewer services and will cause some libraries to close.  More than 170,000 people in NJ use libraries every day.  I’m one of them.  Restore $10.4 million in library funding and oppose A2555.         

If the budget for the State Library is decreased by nearly three-quarters, then the Jersey City Free Public Library, along with all others in New Jersey, would lose the following free services on July 1^st

(FY 2011): online databases (EBSCO host & RefUSA), group contracts (which bring down other electronic resources costs),

interlibrary loan and delivery of other library materials (provided by the Eastern NJ regional library cooperative INFOLINK). With this major funding loss, all four regional library cooperatives – Central Jersey, South Jersey, Highlands & INFOLINK -  would cease to exist.

            The bill, A-2555, calls for the elimination of the 1/3 mill, which has served as public library baseline funding since free public libraries have been legislated in New Jersey over 100 years ago. One-third mill is the equalized valuation times .000333333.

            “It’s hard to believe that members of the NJ Legislature can’t support their local public libraries with minimum funding equal to a third of penny, when more people than ever rely on their local libraries in times of job search, free or low-cost entertainment, and in guiding children as productive citizens,” said Library Director Priscilla Gardner, who stands by the ALA National Library Week theme of “Communities Thrive @ your Library.”

            There are other ways to show support for New Jersey’s libraries, as well: 1) Join the Facebook Group, Save NJ Libraries! 2) Become a NJ Library Champion, http://www.ILoveNJLibraries.org, and 3) Checking out the website, http://www.SaveMyNJLibrary.org. The Save My NJ Library website, created by the New Jersey Library Association (NJLA), gives all current information on the fight to save NJ libraries, and tips on library issues advocacy.

            This information is also conveniently available on the website of the Jersey City Free Public Library: http://www.jclibrary.org/libinfo/ilovelibraries.php.

            All signed postcards will be delivered to the NJ Assembly through the NJLA, so supporters signing at the Jersey City Free Public Library won’t have to individually mail them.

 

 

The post For National Library Week (April 11-17):Jersey City Free Public Library Conducts Postcard Campaign to Save NJ Libraries! first appeared on River View Observer.