Interview with the Candidate: James Solomon

Jersey City elections are right around the corner and I wanted to offer the opportunity to get to know the candidates a little better and let people learn more about who's running to represent them.

These interviews are available to any candidate running in Jersey City and are not indicative of an endorsement or political support. If you're interested in learning more about any of the candidate's policies, please click on the links to read more.

Read on to learn more about James Solomon, running for City Council for Ward E. 

www.solomonforjc.com 

https://twitter.com/SolomonforJC

www.facebook.com/solomonforjc

What are some of the changes you've seen in Jersey City in the time that you've lived here? What changes would you like to see in the next four years?

The sense of community that made me fall in love with downtown JC remains, but so many residents talk to me about their worries that it will be lost. Many lose sleep over Newark Ave turning into a second Hoboken; waterfront towers that are built to keep their residents inside them and outside of our neighborhoods; and the displacement of the Latino community.

While there are no silver bullets, I know that our development and planning practices have exacerbated these trends. We’ve given out huge tax breaks on some of the most valuable land in America; failed to gain significant community givebacks, like public schools, to keep families in downtown; and built much too many luxury penthouses and too few affordable apartments. I’ve staked my campaign on both independence from and reform of the Jersey City real estate industry.

Jersey City prides itself on being a city where small businesses can thrive, but others say the rising rents and lack of development in areas outside of downtown make it difficult. What is the small business community around you like? How do you plan to change, enhance, and/or support that community?

I live in the Village. The small business community is undergoing rapid change, with long-standing businesses, many minority-owned, going out of business replaced with stores that offer services and goods at a higher price point. I pledge to work extraordinarily hard to give those long-standing businesses the tools as well as access to government they need. Again, there are no silver bullets, but access to both social and economic capital are crucial to businesses continuing to thrive.

What are your favorite restaurants in your neighborhood? In Jersey City?

I have three favorites in the Village: Third & Vine, Second St. Bakery, and Cochie's.  Third and Vine is my spouse’s, Gaby’s, go-to: Jamie and Brian are extraordinarily friendly and were extremely kind to us when I was sick. Second St. has, without question, the best breakfast sandwiches in Jersey City. And Cochie’s has awesome pernil and Dominican stews.

What is your favorite community event and why?

The Santacruzan and Flores De Mayo Festival in Harsimus Cove hosted by Catholic Action of Mary. The hospitality Gaby and I experienced was heart-warming. Strangers welcomed us into their homes and treated us to some of the most delicious lechon I’ve ever had!

What kind of food would you like to see in Jersey City that you don't see a lot of currently?

A hot dog cart downtown! We sadly lost Bobby, our awesome hot dog guy, a few years back. I’d love to be able to swing down Newark and get a Hebrew National.

To learn more about about all of the Ward E Candidates, read The Jersey Journal's Ward E Interviews.