Dear Editor: It’s amazing to me that Mayor Russo continues to be misled about the responsibilities of the Hoboken Housing Inspection Division. Michael Korman, whom I believe wrote this article for the mayor, continues to be a “misinformation officer” for the city of Hoboken. Does he actually think he can continue to insult our tenants and taxpayers of the city of Hoboken? Let’s set the record straight. A team of state inspectors will not perform a state inspection free of charge to the taxpayers. The fees range from $99 to over $3,000 depending on the number of units in a building. The taxpayers, of whom the majority are still Hoboken residents, will continue to pay state registration fees. The only difference to the taxpayer is that now a team of state inspectors would conduct the inspections, not Hoboken Housing Inspectors. The mayor, in so many words, said that he is against granting an extension to Hoboken homeowners. The extensions we grant are common sense. I gave examples at a rent control meeting of calls we receive from Hoboken homeowners. One example was of an owner needing one week or two to paint a fire escape because of the weather. An owner cannot scrape or paint a fire escape when it is snowing, raining or below freezing temperatures. Giving an extension for this is common sense. The Hoboken homeowner pays enough in taxes to deserve this consideration. I take exception that the mayor said we jeopardize the safety of the tenants. It is our department that has received and enforced thousands of tenant complaints over the years. We make sure that all landlords comply to repair all tenant violations. If there is an abolishment of our department, where do the tenants who have housing complaints go? I’m sure that Tom Olivieri, our tenant advocate, would also like the answer to that. As certified fire inspectors, we enforce all fire complaints on all residential buildings under six stories, which as you look around our town, are the majority of our buildings. Was Chief Cassessa of the Hoboken Fire Department made aware of his new workload? The mayor said that it is not political, boy how many times have you heard that one? If the mayor seriously wants to help the taxpayers, he should look in all departments, not just ours; see where overtime is being abused and see who really puts in a full day of work. Let every department be held accountable. We work no overtime, do not have a city car, spend no money on our office, use hand-me-down furniture, and fill out one purchase order a year for pads and pens. It is our department that cares about the taxpayers, our frugal ways attest to that. The mayor talked recently about our city having a vision; well I’d like to commend our City Council for having the vision to see the importance of Hoboken Housing Inspectors. As we continue to build thousands of new homes, it is again common sense to have housing inspectors on call at all times to ensure the safety of all residents of our town. Recently, I have been outspoken at city council meetings on behalf of our city workers and now for my own job. I have questioned longevity payments given to chosen city officials, while our members still wait for theirs. What’s fair is fair. I will continue to fight for the day when all city employees are treated equally, not the chosen few who continue to maneuver behind our backs. Joseph Grossi Senior Hoboken Housing Inspector President of Hoboken Municipal Employees Assn.