Dear Editor:
By now, everyone knows how a group of City Council obstructionists’ failure to pass a budget last year triggered a state takeover and the ensuing 47 percent tax increase. But I also wanted to make sure you knew that State Monitor recently called for layoffs in police and fire departments.
I am proud to be running as a candidate for City Council on Peter Cammarano’s slate, because he is the only mayoral candidate who not only foresaw the massive tax hike but also warned that we would lose control of our city. Most of all, he is the only one who did his job by voting to pass a budget and protect our families.
Last week, Peter Cammarano strongly urged the State Monitor to formally rescind the portion of the layoff plan she filed that relates to potential public safety cuts. I’ve served in law enforcement for the past quarter-century – currently as an Internal Affairs Officer in Union City. Nothing is more important than keeping the residents and families of Hoboken secure. And over the past two years, we’ve had three major fires in Hoboken, and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is just one example of how we need cops on our streets keeping us safe.
So, while Peter Cammarano and I wholeheartedly support trimming the budget to get out city’s finances back in order, we also believe firing cops and firefighters should not be the actions taken to accomplish this goal. From my experience both in law enforcement and on the Housing Authority, I know firsthand what is needed to keep our city safe for all the families who live here. As such, I support Peter Cammarano in urging the State Monitor to withdraw her proposed cuts against Hoboken police and firefighters.
We’ve also called upon Councilmembers Beth Mason and Dawn Zimmer to join us in denouncing these public safety layoffs and to help find other ways to cut the budget. Unfortunately, they have remained silent on the issue.
I will work with Peter Cammarano, and my fellow council candidates Michael Novak and Frances Rhodes-Kearns to find ways to make government leaner and more efficiently, while not putting our families in jeopardy by laying off cops and firefighters. While we need to be fiscally responsible, we can not and must not sacrifice the security of our residents. Our public safety officers need to know they have the support of the city’s leaders, and just as importantly Hoboken’s families need to know they will be safe.
Angel Alicea
Candidate for Council-at-Large
Cammarano Team for Lower Taxes and Real Reform