Dear Editor:
As a long-time resident of Hoboken, I have seen many landmark elections – the Pier A Park approval, the election of the “Choice for Change” slate to the Board of Education in the 1990s, the election of “establishment” candidates and also “reform” candidates. I have always tried to learn the issues and hope for a meaningful discussion of the future.
I am not a resident of the 4th Ward, and this letter is not an endorsement of any candidate. I have known Michael Lenz for almost my entire stay in Hoboken. Michael has always been involved in the issues that have become part of the Hoboken fabric. In recent years, I met Tim Occhipinti, and have had many conversations specifically about 4th Ward issues and how citywide issues impact that ward.
The 4th Ward is probably the most diverse in culture and economics in our city. The councilperson that represents these citizens will have an everyday knowledge of that spectrum quite different from any other ward. The 4th Ward deserves an honest debate about real issues and an open forum that answers questions about the future. The innuendo and accusations about supporters and intentions is unseemly and unnecessary for a council candidate or any citywide officeholder.
Much of what I have observed over the years has created an ever-evolving Hoboken. However, one constant is quite distressing – the campaigns are ruthless and character-bashing exercises that create divisions, instead of intelligently examining different approaches for common goals. A letter in The Reporter from Oct. 10 is a good example. To accuse supporters of a council candidate of being the “same discredited team that misled us” is an undignified sentence. Many Hoboken citizens participate in every election and make informed decisions. To suggest that there is a discredited team as a result of one discredited individual is disingenuous. Further, every citizen should be encouraged to participate, state their opinion, and if brave enough, run for office. Most importantly, candidates should be respected for their effort and commitment to the betterment of our city. Of all our citizens, candidates and officeholders should seek and evaluate every opinion, and heal the divisions, not widen them. This city’s future is dependent on creating a citywide understanding about the fascinating diversity that long-time residents and capable young professionals could and do bring within our unique borders.
I appeal to all of the participants in this election and future ones, to put away their graffiti paint and concentrate on a palette of rich colors that will create alternate images of Hoboken’s future from which concerned citizens can make a meaningful choice.
Ken Howitt