Changing the face of a diverse community takes several well-schemed measures and innovative maneuvers. It takes a whole lot of persuasive power to influence people to embrace the principle they endorse. When the public perceives an air of veritable sincerity and its potential benefits for the general public, the indomitable program or plan can neither be marred in any way nor be affected by debilitating negative publicity.
Politics is one of the key factors that could affect such change in the activities of a community since governance directly influences people’s beliefs on a civic or individual level. With its traditional concern on how social trends, dynamics, and structures of domination affect formal political process, the most-sought-after change can be achieved effortlessly.
The political arena in Jersey City will again be in a hullabaloo by springtime with the advent of the local election on May 14. The excitement and uproar already started early with the opening of the Democratic Party’s general headquarters, the introduction of the team’s line-up, and the relevant numeration of the party’s platforms.
The exciting kick-off, which aims “to move Jersey City forward,” commenced last Saturday, January 12 in a newly refurbished vacant building along 2175 Kennedy Boulevard (corner Morton Street) that used to house a furniture store and now Team Fulop’s campaign headquarters. Some 300 or so volunteers and avid supporters braved the 50s temp and showed up to witness the opening and the candidate presentation.
With all the candidates gathered on a makeshift riser for stage, one guy inevitably stood out among his peers, not only because of his towering height (6-foot-flat) but more so because of his amiable aura and good looks. After being introduced as the party’s official mayoral candidate and met with thunderous applause, I came to know that Steven Fulop is unmistakably one well-loved public personality.
Standing literally tall with such impressive demeanor, innately fresh stature and disarming charm, Steven Fulop could effortlessly win people to his side. An eloquent speaker who effectively expresses his ideas through vivid use of language and constantly laces his speech with smile, Steven was aggressive but cool and direct to the point.
“My team is not afraid to roll up their sleeves and work, seriously work” he remarked with conviction, adding, “We are one body, one mind, and with one single agenda: To take this journey to the next level!”
Getting to know this great bundle of a leader named Steven Fulop.
He was a first generation American born on February 28, 1977, (that makes him 36 on his coming birthday) born to a father who was a delicatessen proprietor in Newark, NJ and a mother daughter of a Holocaust survivor who worked in an immigration services office.
Believing good education is always a solid foundation for effective leadership, Steven conscientiously armed himself with just the right intellectual capabilities with his completion of a Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY Binghamton, a Masters in Public Administration at the Columbia University, and a Masters in Business Administration at the New York University.
Steven’s main focus was finance that catapulted him to an enviable rank at Goldman Sach’s. But this was aborted by the horrendous 9-11 event which gave him a change of heart. He decided to leave his job when his focus switched to his patriotic duty. For him, enlisting in the United States Marine Corp was the best option at the moment.
His deployment to Iraq from 2002 to 2006 where he was the Corporal of the 6th Engineer Support Battalion gave him and his unit several meritorious awards and heroic recognitions for their exemplary service which include the most significant ones: Overseas Service Ribbon, Meritorious Masts, and the Presidential Unit Citation.
After his heroic journey from the war front, Steven started serving his community by being the President of the Historic Paulus Hook Association and the President of Downtown Coalition of Neighborhood Associations.
Though still young, his maturity was cumulatively built by his profound experiences from people-to-people encounters and his keen awareness of the community’s problems.
He was first elected to the Jersey City Council as Ward E Councilman on May 10, 2005 at the age of 27. He was the youngest elected official in the JC Council and the third in the entire political history of the city. He was re-elected in 2009 with 63 percent votes which represented the largest majority of any elected official of the city.
This soon-to-turn-36 Jersey City mayoral candidate, whose current term ends on June 30 has been the consistent voice of opposition to the current administration. Despite being occupied with loads of community obligations, aside from being a Board Member of the Columbia University’s Alumni Association and the Learning Community Charter School, Steven still finds time to hike and run not only for personal physical fitness but also to raise funds for deserving beneficiaries. In one of the NYC marathons, he completed the event in 3:44 to raise money for the Hudson County Child Abuse Prevention Center.
As a civil or public servant, Steven has worked for local charities in the Hudson County. As a Councilman, he concentrated on ethics reform measures among elected government officials. He has donated his first two-year council salary to the York Street Project to help women and children break to the cycle of poverty and improve education options for families in Jersey City.
Steven Fulop based on his stars:
Being born on February 28 makes Steven a Piscean. Pisceans have a key life phrase: “I sacrifice” which is made even significant by their mantra: “I offer my love to all but I am grounded!” These words boil down to only one thing: service. Pisceans are innately suffused with genuine feeling and empathy. They are truly compassionate and unconditionally loving people.
Steven, a quintessential exponent of a true Piscean, is idealistic about the way he sees the world but comfortable in a social environment. His destiny must be his primary connection to wisdom, self knowledge, and compassionate service to the world. Because of his friendly nature, he could effortlessly bring great satisfaction to those who are comfortable enough to come into contact with him.
According to one of the most-sought-after spiritual advisers, those born between the 20th and the 28th or 29th of February are very powerfully ruled by Neptune, the Roman sea-god. When ruled by such it gives the person a deeper and more refined form of energy that one can do anything, or be anyone and be all things to all people. This means Steve is a born social worker and even he doesn’t work in his arena, he will still be available to help others overcome any impediment and face every challenge.
Meet the Team Fulop line-up:
“This team has the most diverse personalities ever!” according to Steven Fulop when he personally endorses his team mates during the opening of the party headquarters.
Councilmen-at-large – Councilman Rolando Lavarro, Daniel Rivera and Joyce Waterman
Ward A (Greenville) – Frank Gajewski
Ward B (West Side) – Khemraj “Chico” Ramchal
Ward C (Journal Square) – still vacant
Ward D (The Heights) – Assemblyman Sean Connors
Ward E (Downtown) – Candice Osborne
Ward F Bergen-Lafayette) – Councilwoman Diane Coleman
Bruno Tedeschi, the Party’s campaign spokesperson, keeps reiterating the team’s objective: winning through a collective team effort and a positive vision of “a better Jersey City with Team Fulop as the only option.”
For additional info, the following are the names of the current Jersey City officials who took office on July 1, 2009 and will end their terms on June 30, 2013.
Mayor – Jeremiah Healy
Council President – Peter Brenan
Councilwoman–at-Large – Viola Richardson
Councilwoman-at-Large – Rolando Lavarro
Ward A Councilman – Michael Sottolano
Ward B Councilman – David Donnelly
Ward C Councilwoman – Nidia Lopez
Ward D Councilman – William Gaughan
Ward E Councilman – Steven Fulop
Ward F Councilwoman – Diane Coleman
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