Dear Editor:
I’d like to tell you why I think Beth Mason should be Mayor of Hoboken. Beth is a reformer, a fighter, and the defender of the non-politically connected. Long before others jumped on the reform bandwagon in Hoboken, Beth was one of the leaders of the movement. That’s how I met her, she was leading a group of new residents that were fed up. But she wasn’t just talking reform, she was actually doing it: she co-founded People for Open Government right here in Hoboken, she was the president of the statewide Foundation for Open Government, and she used her own money to litigate against City Hall and expose abuses like cell phone calls to Las Vegas and fancy Atlantic City steak dinners at taxpayer expense, and favoritism in the waiting list for public housing. Beth has a long record of fighting against the corruption that has plagued Hudson County, a record that is unmatched by any of the other Mayoral candidates.
When Beth ran for Mayor this Spring, I was extremely happy that she ran, but honestly a little disappointed in her campaign itself. I wasn’t disappointed at all in her effort to reach across the lines of our diverse community. I have always thought that’s critically important, since we all have to come together to fix the problems of an urban city like ours. I was just a little disappointed in the way the campaign appeared to be run. So when Beth decided to take another shot at it, I decided to wait and see how it goes. Well, that was then, and this is now. Beth is back! Now that I have seen what her campaign is about, I am jumping on board with Beth.
Beth has shown in this campaign that she is the best person for the job. She has gotten her message out that she has the experience, the leadership and the vision to get us back on the right track. She has garnered support from all walks of life here, because newcomers and BnRs alike see that Beth will fight for issues that are important to all of them, addressing our high taxes, making our government more open and accountable, focusing on smart growth and development and fighting 70-story and 40-story towers at the north and south ends of town, pushing for better senior services, and so many more things. The Mason Plan for Hoboken, which we all received in the mail last weekend and which you can also see on her website, www.bethmasonformayor.com, tells us exactly what Beth will do if she’s elected.
Thank you for coming back, Beth Mason. I’m voting for you on November 3rd.
Yours truly,
Annabelle Bexiga