Email: email JerryWebsite: none found. Telephone: 444-3841 & 444-3842 (headquarters); 830-1654 (cell).
About
Jerry Blumenthal is like Rocky Balboa - he's the aging champ who had to get back into the ring (except we're in Halifax and Jerry doesn't use growth hormones). Originally a teacher, Blumenthal first appeared in local politics as Alderman of Ward 5 in 1994. In 1995, the first election after amalgamation, Jerry won a near-tko with 80% of the votes. Then, in 2000, he hammered Patrick Murphy (the current incumbent) by nearly 5 to 1, with 3,471 votes to 727 votes. In 2004, when he turned 64, Jerry retired. "I was tired," Blumenthal told The Coast's Tim Bousquet, "After 32 years of teaching and 10 years on council, I was tired, and my wife has a condition called primary progressive MS, and we wanted to take a rest and see if everything is going well. Everything is going well, and I'm getting a lot of phone calls from people telling me they want to see me back again, so I'm giving it another shot."
On his last day in council, he told the Herald that leaving was very difficult. He said, "who knows? Pat Murphy is only here for four years, I might come back in four years and take his seat back again!" (Herald, Oct. 20, 2004). Is this all part of a master plan?
Goals and Issues
As Jerry told our news editor, he's back in politics because council, "They waste a lot of time. Too much time is wasted on the cat bylaw. We live by the harbour; if we get rid of all the cats, then we're going to have rats."
He also expresses frustration at the secrecy of the Commonwealth Games bid, although he would like to see a new stadium built.
He wants the Halifax council split between urban and rural areas.
On the transportation front, Blumenthal finds both the proposed fast ferry and the proposed third harbour crossing, "ridiculous, a waste of money."
In his response to the Chamber of Commerce questionnaire, he said he's for public transit and a bus to the airport, but specifically, he thinks route 3 - a route that a lot of seniors use, he says - should be beefed up. That he's for active transit is no surprise - as he is known for is peripatetic ways around the north end.
Oh, and he's for tax reform. Aside from this, we don't know much more, because he doesn't have a website and he didn't respond to our emailed questions.
On the record
"When people think of the north end, they think of trouble. But once you get up here, you'll never go back!" (Chronicle Herald, Oct. 5, 2004).
Listen to Tim's interview with Jerry Blumenthal.
Read Jerry's responses to the Halifax Chamber of Commerce questionnaire