Dear Editor:
The Roberts’ administration and the City Council members supporting the bond refinancing appear to have made the politically calculating argument that the only way to avoid imminent layoffs is to pass the refinancing. This, of course, is nonsense. If the layoffs pose a threat to our essential city worker and the services they provide then we, the current residents of Hoboken, should pay for them. That is, taxes should be raised today for services consumed today; future generations will have their own services to fund. It is disheartening to think the refinancing supporters may have their own reelection self interest above the long term good of the city.
We elect public servants to make the difficult and sometimes unavoidable decision between cutting jobs and raising taxes — not to insure their political careers. To dodge this unpalatable reality by passing the burden to future taxpayers is plainly cowardly. Carol Marsh, Tony Soares and Theresa Castellano should be commended for recognizing the true cost of this refinancing and voting against it. On to the referendum!
Eric Schreiber