(Editor’s Note: Mayor Zimmer’s letter, scheduled to publish on Oct. 24, was inadvertently omitted due to an editing error. It appears this week as written. )
Dear Editor:
Tim Occhipinti’s letter published Oct. 17 provides the strongest possible argument for supporting his opponent, 4th Ward Councilman Mike Lenz. While I have no reason to believe Mr. Occhipinti is not himself well-meaning, his letter and his performance in the debates make clear that he lacks the requisite understanding of important issues to be able to properly represent my neighborhood – the 4th Ward.
For years, 4th Ward candidates, including me, have promised to move forward on flooding solutions. All 4th Ward residents know that a solution is not (as Mr. Occhipinti said to the City Council) merely something we want; it is something we desperately need. During my short time as Mayor, we have finally, for the first time, made real strides toward solutions. The wet weather pump on Observer Highway is the most important pump and the one which, by far, will have the most impact on 4th Ward flooding. I fought hard to make certain that this crucial pump was built FIRST, not LAST, as originally proposed by Councilman Ramos and others. Under the original Roberts/Ramos plan, the first pump built would have been uptown on 15th Street and would have done absolutely NOTHING to reduce flooding in the 4th Ward. The new 4th Ward pump should be operational in time for next spring’s flooding season, providing enormous relief to the 4th Ward. Mr. Occhipinti seems not to know that this pump was scheduled to be built last, or else finds it politically inconvenient to acknowledge this fact.
The three additional pumps recommended by the North Hudson Sewerage plan will cost at least $36 million not one penny of which will be paid for by the Sewerage Authority. It is the Hoboken taxpayer who is expected to pay this enormous cost. By a 9-0 vote, the City Council approved the use of Emnet Sensor technology, which could help Hoboken craft more effective and less expensive solutions, potentially saving the taxpayer millions. In the only example of independence he has shown from the Russo obstructionist agenda, Tim Occhipinti has opposed Hoboken’s investment in this technology, making him the only candidate in the history of the 4th Ward to run AGAINST a flooding solution.
Mr. Occhipinti blames various blogs for publicizing his ties to his political patrons who are the same people who misled Hoboken about Peter Cammarano and who have worked on the City Council to obstruct positive change. Mike Lenz and I don’t always agree, but we are proud to be on the same team. Mr. Occhipinti is on a team, too, but instead of proudly acknowledging it, he denies it and blames others for letting people know. The voters of the 4th Ward have a right to know who the major backers of each candidate are so they can cast an informed vote on Election day.
Mike Lenz and the rest of the Zimmer Team have started to deliver real positive change to our City, after years of corruption, irresponsibility, and neglect. Please support Mike Lenz on Nov. 2 to enable us to complete the job.
Mayor Dawn Zimmer