Thanks, Ian

The news of Parking and Transportation Director Ian Sacs' resignation landed hard yesterday.

Not only will it be difficult to find someone to fill those big shoes, who would want to?

To be dressed down by nitwits, arrested for doing one's job,  trashed by political operatives... I mean, is there enough money to pay someone to put up with that?  Unless the City is advertising in the B&D Want Ads, I don't see it.

But, Hoboken will soldier on without him, a better city for his time here. (And for those who want parking Nirvana, the burbs are calling) 

GA will do a proper tribute to his amazing work for Hoboken, but for today, I just want to wish him well as he departs our shores with his family.

Actually, this tribute to Sacs on Patch about sums up it up for GA, too:

Hoboken Answer 
 2:14 pm on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 

You want insight into why Ian wasn't treated with any respect by the Russo clan? Well did you know that Ma Russo was running the former Parking Utility? She was pushed out of there and the whole thing was disbanded and changed.

 If you know the Russo's you should know that the Ma "five-dollars-a-tow" Russo would not likely leave the "earnings" to the family with that little illicit enterprise. The reason Ian was mistreated was he closed up the shop from looting in any number of ways people have heard and probably others you won't hear about sadly.

 In addition to the hugely successful Hertz Connect program now with 3,000 members that has seen 750 less cars on the streets from the survey data itself, he's performed so many innovations helping the town, he was absolutely despised by the Old Guard for all of it.

 Don't forget he took the parking meters that were looted by his predecessor for over a million clean dollars - that's more than four million quarters - and he introduced a pilot program rolled out that is adding seven figures, that's right the parking meter changes are adding more than a million dollars in revenue to the City of Hoboken. cont'd 

Hoboken Answer 
2:14 pm on Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Ian Sacs has done an outstanding job replacing an absolute criminal. Who was attacked as a criminal by the Old Guard led by none other than Mike Russo. Did you ever hear the Russo clan, Beth Mason or Tim Occhipinti attack John Corea? Nope.

 Ian did so many great things for Hoboken in the face of an onslaught of Old Guard obstacles. He even was handcuffed after being attacked by an employee who abandoned a City bus on the street. The charges were thrown out but you didn't see that story here either did you?

 Mr. Sacs' wife is from Europe I believe so obviously that's been part of a family decision for his departure. But what a legacy the guy leaves. Thank you Ian Sacs, thank you very much for your huge contributions making Hoboken better. Reply

Thanks, Hoboken Answer!  

Is it true that you got your moniker as an 'answer' to the prolific anti-Zimmer political operative, Hoboken Questioner, who's got identical talking points to... 

Well, 'the HQ' appeared on Patch on Wednesday, August 31 2011 and logged several hundred posts,  like this one:

Well, three cheers for Ian Sacs... and happy trails.

XO,
GA