Dear Editor:
In a letter to the editor Mr. John Bredin referred to Councilman Del Boccio as “the guy with the deeper vision – who understands that a debate about “bottles vs. cans” (of soda) for pizza night matters” and "they don’t make guys like Richie anymore." He mentions the book "Bowling Alone" by Robert Putnam, which I think everyone should read, and says reelecting Councilman DelBoccio will help build our city’s civic life.
Mr. Bredin’s concerns are misplaced; they still make guys, and gals, like Richie. Certainly he would not deny that Vickie and Richie have done a great job raising their children.
Elizabeth Mason of the Hoboken Alliance is a great example of someone who does not "bowl alone." She has been involved in Hoboken’s civic groups for the 19 years she has lived here. She is an active member of the Hoboken Synagogue. She serves on the board of the Hoboken Historical Museum. She and her husband Ricky have opened their home to the Museum and other groups to use for their events and fundraisers. Together with other active community members she restarted and revitalized the League of Women Voters. Beth and Ricky, along with their two children, have been cornerstones in our community; she is a bridge builder who believes that there is room at the table for all of Hoboken’s residents.
More relevant to the election, I have seen her apply these civic values to her work in government. As Chair of the Master Plan subcommittee, she pushed to make sure that we hired outstanding professionals, not the typical "pay to play" Hudson County machine connected firm. She opened up the process to the public in an incredible way, with meetings all over town, meetings for the seniors, meetings with business owners, and yes, even the developers. There was no "bowling alone" at those master plan meetings! I thought they set the standards for openness, public input, and a great exchange of ideas. Electing Elizabeth Mason will do nothing but strengthen Hoboken’s civic life; and will create an atmosphere of inclusion, an atmosphere where all residents of our community can participate in public decisions.
Building a great city will take more than good civics; we need to start with a good fiscal foundation. Elizabeth will work to control city spending. Money from capital funds will fund capital projects, parking solutions, athletic fields or open space, not current operating expenses.
After we get our fiscal house in order, Beth will tackle the tough issues that generate a lot of press releases but little action. She’ll make sure that we have enough park space and athletic fields for the entire town. She’ll work to extend Pier A’s bike/walking path around the entire city. Intersections will be fixed to prevent parking in crosswalks and improve pedestrian safety. She’ll rewrite the zoning code to truly implement what comes out of the Master Plan report. There will be a place for development, but the zoning code will serve the city as a whole, not a clique of well-connected developers.
For a better Second Ward and a better Hoboken, on May 13th, join me in voting for Elizabeth Mason.
Sincerely,
Bill Tobias