Dear Editor:
As a 16 year veteran Hoboken police officer and proud product of a family of public safety servants, born, raised and educated in Hoboken, I have seen our city at its best and worst. I enjoy being a cop and interacting with “everyone” within our community and helping those in need.
Beth Mason has earned my respect and support for Mayor for several reasons. Firstly, Beth chose to move to Hoboken 25 years ago and raise her family here in a time when it wasn’t a fashionable or trendy town and certainly not safe. Impoverished, low income and middle class was the socioeconomic norm and violent crime widespread. With nearly half of the city industrialized with factories, trucking companies and rail lines it was a gritty ruff and tough town. This was the early 80’s and what we enjoy today was unimaginable back then. It was once said, “…that before you can fix the present and shape the future you must have endured in the past.” Beth can because she has.
Beth is a streetwise city girl born and raised in the Bronx of a broken home. With divorced parents, she was forced to work several jobs at 15 to survive, help support her mom and pay for college. Beth Mason is a humble, courageous, fighter, a self made and supported woman who excelled in academia and proven herself an effective executive manager in the work force. She is a true inspiration to all those faced with life’s adversities. Beth is a woman of integrity with the necessary knowledge, experience, practical skills, and impressive proven record of public service accomplishments to best govern our city as mayor. Beth has proven to be tireless and determined public advocate and competent councilwoman.
We need a balanced mayor, one who can communicate and identify with the young & old, born & raised, recently planted or newly arrived residents of our city; A Mayor, who also respects, appreciates and acknowledges all city employees; A Mayor who can negotiate fair and balanced labor contracts, which benefit the taxpayers and workers, without alienating an entire work force; A Mayor who can truly empathize with our uniquely diversified population of all social economic classes, ethnicities and religions. That Mayor is Beth Mason. She not only listens when you talk but actually understands what you say and works to resolve individual and community problems and issues of concern. She is sincere, decisive and on the ball. We have worked together on many issues in my official capacity as PBA union president relative to public safety and quality of life issues. Beth and I have disagreed on some issues without her ever becoming disagreeable and that’s a valuable characteristic for a mayor.
I support Beth Mason for Mayor and encourage my family, friends, city workforce colleagues and the public to vote for Beth on November 3rd. I do so not because I want a job or promotion. I have a job, of which I earned, and I don’t want nor do I seek a police promotion. I feel that Beth Mason is simply the best candidate equipped to handle all the complex challenges facing our city.
For our City! For our Future! Elect Beth Mason for Mayor.
Very truly yours,
Det. Vince Lombardi
Hoboken Police Department