Dear Editor:
I will vote for Dawn Zimmer on November 3. I will tell you why and hope that you will agree.
Dawn has been in the Mayor’s Office for less than three months but has already accomplished two things which are extremely important in ways which signal departures from earlier practice:
1. She sought experienced, qualified people for leadership jobs in her administration, rather than moneyed supporters or friends. Two bonuses of this change which are not mentioned is that such directors will not require highly paid “consultants” – adding to the payroll – because they will know what to do. It may also contribute to staff morale to have knowledgeable supervisors.
2. Dawn has returned appointments to the Zoning Board, to its legitimate authority, the City Council. The Zoning Board has been, historically, very sympathetic to developers while ignoring legitimate concerns of the taxpayers. It is exactly this traditional control by mayors which has put several careers in trouble. These are only two things that Dawn has accomplished, but they are basic, signaling real change, and moving Hoboken into the 21st century.
These are important accomplishments, but they are dwarfed by the character of Dawn herself. Despite ruthless, personal attacks, she has maintained her integrity and managed a clean, informative campaign. Even if there were no issues in Hoboken, and we were just picking a Mayor who is more interested in the vitality of the community than another title, Dawn Zimmer is that person. I hope you will join me and vote for her – 11H – next Tuesday.
Helen Hirsch