Bhalla loves Estrogen (and paid family leave)

This was a remarkable week for progressive government and estrogen, brought to you by our 5-month old Bhalla administration. 

TUESDAY

Mayor Bhalla hired Kimberli Craft for a new, in-house position of City Engineer.  Ms. Craft will oversee the development and maintenance of city roads, utilities, and public construction in Hoboken.  Good idea, right? 

Craft comes to Hoboken from Montclair, where she has served since 1999 as Township Engineer. Craft also owned her own engineering consulting firm and worked as an engineer for the New York State Department of Transportation and for Parsons-Brinerhoff, now known as WSP-USA. Craft received her Master in Public Administration from Rutgers University and her B.S. in Civil and Urban Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

Oh yeah, she's a woman. Of color. 

WEDNESDAY
Courtesy of the lovely and talented John Heinis:

"Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla signed an executive order expanding parental paid leave earlier today, made possible with the assistance of weekly wages provided through New Jersey Leave Insurance. 

This is a common-sense policy,” Bhalla said in a statement. “A family’s expenses go up after having a child, so helping our employees maintain their income level while caring for a baby is good for the child, good for our employees, and good for the community.”

The state insurance program pays up to two-thirds of a person’s salary with a cap at $637 per week, but with the mayor’s executive order, the city will make up the difference to allow the municipal employee to receive their full salary while on leave."

Not shabby at all. Paying for programs like this which support families, in particular middle class families, are why Hoboken needs to give the County the finger. Hoboken has got to keep more of the money we ship to Tom DeGise for his golf courses and patronage jobs. For G-d's sake. 

THURSDAY
Courtesy of John Heinis (still lovely and talented):

"Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla has tapped Caroline Caulfield, an aide for U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), to run the city’s new office of constituent affairs.

Caulfield, a fourth-generation Hobokenite, joins City Hall from Senator Cory Booker’s Newark office, where she served in the area of constituent relations and correspondence.

“Caroline’s stellar professional qualifications and strong family ties to Hoboken make her the perfect choice to head the city’s new Constituent Affairs office,” Bhalla said in a statement.

“She has a love and knowledge of Hoboken that is key in helping address the needs and concerns of residents."

What a great hire. A fourth-generation Hobokenite who knows and loves this city, with a stellar resume. 

Plus estrogen.

GA NOTE:
I'm a big fan of estrogen. I've got it, too!  Historically, fewer persons with estrogen have accessed our nation's halls of power- look at Congress. In the business world, oftentimes estrogen-bearers have been whacked with glass ceilings. Certainly, estrogen should never be the reason to hire someone or to not hire them. A level playing field is all we Estrogenas ask for.