By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
Steven Fulop is now the mayor-elect of Jersey City, Save Jerseyans, and he sat down with NJ Today’s Mike Schneider on Tuesday to discuss some of his planned first steps:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxu6qZmAKEc
The Fulop story is interesting to us primarily because his victory was made possible, in large part, through the support of powerful Christie Administration allies.
Does that support give us a pretty good idea of where Fulop really stands on key Administration priorities like pension, education and tax reforms? Or was it simply a matter of strategy, trading a hardened Obama Democrat like outgoing Mayor Jeremiah Healey for a more palatable Democrat?
We know he was formerly affiliated with a charter school organization but his position on vouchers (at least as stated during the campaign) is less than encouraging; check out this excerpt from a letter sent by Fulop’s campaign to Jersey City’s public school teachers (pdf):
Regardless of what is said about me, the truth is that I have never publicly nor privately advocated for school vouchers or privatization of schools. I have a perfect record of supporting public schools and charter schools, never privatization. By contrast, Mayor Healy is a supporter of vouchers, as evidenced by the attached letter to the State Legislature in support of the Opportunity Scholarship Act (commonly known as vouchers). Regarding charter schools, my record and support is similar to that of the Mayor.”
Stayed tuned. We will.
