Letter to the Editor: Councilman Michael Russo

To the editor:

I hope you’ll give me an opportunity to respond to a few of Mayor Zimmer’s comments at her recent State of the City Address. As is often the case with Mayor Zimmer, what she chooses to say isn’t always as revealing as what she chooses to leave out. For instance:

The mayor says: "Personnel costs represent the vast majority of our operating budget, and we cannot cut spending without addressing salaries and staffing levels."

The mayor failed to mention that on the very day she announced the police layoffs, she handed out raises to her public relations man and her personal aide. She has also increased the number of directors and increased the salaries of several others, making the city more top heavy. 

The mayor says: "Going forward, we must avoid being penny wise and dollar foolish. If the City Council works with me to maintain a responsible level of Cash Surplus, we can improve our bondrating and achieve even more savings in the future. Our surplus is not a luxury, it’s anecessity if we’re going to be able meet the future needs of our City."

The mayor fails to mention what the actual surplus is. The mayor’s so-called fiscal responsibility is easy to accomplish when you have millions of dollars in taxpayer money set aside for pet projects and politically convenient “tax relief” come election time. It’s not her money. It belongs to taxpayers, and Mayor Zimmer should give it back. 

The mayor says: "Our crumbling waterfront clearly demonstrates that it is just as irresponsible to not spend money on the things that you need as it is to spend money on things that you don’t need … I cannot take back the decisions of the past, but it is my job to solve the problems for the future."

The mayor seems to think that our waterfront was always the jewel of North Jersey. Before she even moved to town, many residents from all across Hoboken fought for the open space that we all enjoy today. When it suits her purposes, the mayor will take credit for waterfront accomplishments, like Pier C Park and the park at Maxwell Place. But when it’s not politically convenient, she pushes the blame on every administration that preceded hers.

Then, she says: "With shipworms eating our waterfront, termites at City Hall, and flooding, I sometimes feel like I am taking on the plagues of Hoboken."

This line is especially offensive to me and to many residents of Hoboken. It revealsa great deal about the mayor’s point of view. There are no plagues in Hoboken, Mayor Zimmer. This is a beautiful city with wonderful people. I hope one day you’ll consider it a blessing to serve her citizens. 

I believe Mayor Zimmer when she says she wants to work with the council, and that she wants what’s best for Hoboken. I look forward to hearing from her again when she presents her municipal budget next week. Maybe the mayor can renew a time-honored Hoboken tradition when the mayor attended all city council meetings. She’d be most welcome. 

Sincerely,

Michael Russo

Third Ward Councilman