Dear Editor:
Last year when Mayor Roberts took office he espoused that there would be change in the City government.
One of these changes involved firing all the Russo appointments, including Bob Drasheff. Bob went off to do other things, making sober comments as to why Dave took the actions he did. Dave then convinces the citizens of Hoboken and the City Council that in order to bring in the “best of the best”, certain base salaries had to be raised. So, we all go along in good faith that Dave will do the right thing.
Then Dave brings in Laurie Cotter (in my opinion the “worst of the worst” after the Jersey City debacle. Now, Laurie is to move on with three months severance pay after about a year of work (but beware my fellow citizens, she is moving to the County level)- better than most citizens of Hoboken in private business would get today. Now, Dave is bringing Bob Drasheff back. Bob has been pretty savvy here, he leaves involuntarily and a year later is brought back with a $35,000 increase in the salary he had previously.
Since Dave promised to bring in the best of the best, apparently Russo had some pretty good darn people in his Administration (Tim Calligy was hired, at Dave’s insistence, for the Board of Education) and Dave can’t seem to find his own. Not only that, he brings Bob into a position for which he is not qualified rather than one which his qualifications had been proven. Bob was an excellent Director of Human Services for which he has the background and experience (and Tim was one of our best Environmental Services Directors). Surely, Bob is not qualified to be the budget director. So we get to train someone for $105,000 a year! My, Dave certainly did bring change to City government.
Michael Petrikat