Dear Editor:
While I know many of candidates for BOE and am friends with them, the one I know best is Kid’s First’s Leon Gold. How do I know Leon? Because he is tirelessly going to City Council, BOE, HUMC, debates, etc as much as anyone. I have lived in Hoboken for 25 years, but Leon has been here for 35 years. Over that time Leon and his wife Gail have witnessed the transformation of our city. As a fiscal conservative why am I endorsing a liberal? This is because when it comes to taxpayer dollars being spent wisely, Leon is even more passionate than I am. Like me he has no children but cares deeply about our students and their education.
Leon graduated from Steven’s Tech earning a PHD in Human Factors and was until recently a steering committee member for Hoboken Revolt. For the past 20 years he has been an adjunct Professor at prestigious Columbia University teaching human factors and ergonomics. This academic background will serve him well when he is elected to BOE this April 20. While Leon believes that Kid’s are First he will surely not put taxpayers second. What impresses me most about Kids First is the bipartisan nature of the movement. At the first organizational meeting this year, in which I was privileged to attend, excluding the candidates there were 5 Republicans, 4 Democrats, 1 Independent and 2 nonvoting Canadians. Like others Leon has supported Kids First after being appalled by the patronage and overspending by previous boards. To learn more about my good friend Leon and his running mates Rose Markel, Irene Sobolov and Jean Marie Mitchell please visit the Kids First web site: http://kidsfirst2009.blogspot.com/2010
Scott Siegel