THE AUDACITY OF NOPE

by Oracle

Despite lowering property taxes, installing a pump station to alleviate flooding, implementing a popular and successful car-sharing program and tenaciously completing a complicated sale of the albatross that was Hoboken University Medical Center, thereby saving Hoboken from bankruptcy, Mayor Zimmer still has her detractors; those for whom the gravy-train will not stop any longer and those who would be queen. 

It is widely believed that Councilwoman Beth Mason, through paid political operatives, continues to spread lies and make fallacious claims blaming Mayor Zimmer for everything from the black plague to why their stocks aren’t doing well.

Caught in the cross-hairs of their delusional shared vision is the school board.  They manufacture libelous spins of a warped reality and their constant refrain is that the schools are declining (they’re not) or that serious crime is on the rise (it’s not) and our infrastructure is crumbling.

Lies all.  What is true is that our students are being tested whereas in the past, underperforming students were asked to stay home on standardized testing days to skew the results.  Reported crimes are no longer staying off the police blotter and being hidden due to “ongoing investigations” (draw your own conclusions) and our water system’s revenues were sold for the foreseeable future by Mayor Russo, leaving Hoboken taxpayers to foot the bill for ongoing maintenance and repairs.

Which brings me to my point:  There have been numerous opportunities for Councilwoman Beth Mason to do the job she was sworn and elected to do for her constituents in the second ward and the citizens of Hoboken.  But she cannot and will not do that job.  Here are the top ten ways she voted no and sought to wreak havoc on us:

1.       Tried to kill the hospital sale which would have bankrupted Hoboken

2.       Would not vote for the hospital’s garage parking to be part of the deal, even though it was built specifically for the hospital, almost scuttling the hospital sale

3.       Refused to refinance the same garage which would have saved Hoboken tens of thousands

4.       Refused and delayed voting for much-needed emergency repairs to the police station

5.       In one of her failed mayoral runs, Mason supported “right sizing”  the police and fire departments, the reason she now claims crime is up

6.       Refused bonding for new HOP buses, stranding many senior citizens during one of the hottest summers on record

7.       Refused a stop light that would have enabled pedestrians to safely access the new park at 1600 Park, thereby delaying its completion

8.       Refused to support the highly successful “Corner Cars” program

9.       When it became clear that there was apparent illegal vote-harvesting in the fourth ward elections, Mason  animatedly protested against the City Council passing a resolution supporting an investigation of the 4th ward election by the Attorney General's office

10.   Continuously lied about a 20 million dollar surplus and demanded it be refunded to the citizens of Hoboken, even though to leave the city’s coffers completely empty would destroy our ability to bond and borrow at competitive rates 

There is one way Mason and her minions could vastly improve the quality of life in Hoboken.  They could leave.