MASON PICKS UP PETITIONS FOR HOBOKEN MAYORAL RUN
(Hoboken, N.J.) -- Councilwoman Beth Mason took another step towards declaring her candidacy for Mayor of Hoboken today by picking up nominating petitions. Beth is strongly considering entering the race and has been discussing the situation with family, friends and supporters for several weeks. She has also opened a campaign account, has started assembling a campaign team and is filing with the state ELEC.
Beth is issuing the following statement:
“Over the past few weeks, I have heard from family and friends from all corners of Hoboken asking about my future plans. Many have urged me to run for Mayor in the Special Election in November. We all share a grave concern over the direction of our city and the choice by the Mayor to remain in her position as Council President, effectively flouting any separation of powers between the Executive and Legislative branches of our municipal government. This dual-office holding is a disturbing violation of our core principles. The result is too much power in one person’s hands for too long a time. Anyone who is truly committed to reform must understand that he or she is not above the values that we all share, regardless of circumstances. As an activist for openness and transparency in government, Dawn Zimmer’s decision to become a dual-office holder is extremely troubling to me.
I will be consulting my family, friends and supporters over the next several days, and will formally announce my intentions early next week.”
My initial comment: I approve of everybody that is so inclined to run to do so. Beth Mason of course has a right to run but what is her one goal? Is it hers or ours? Where is her base? Where is her platform? Or do we just have to review her resume and assume it is accurate? Can we vet that resume to see what she actually accomplished as a consultant?
Keep in mind that just last September when I had considered helping her on a campaign she did not like to word reform being attached to her potential candidacy. And now she is is purporting to be reform movement's standard bearer? I'm not buying it one bit.
Dawn Zimmer has done nothing in my mind to abuse her power in a temporary dual office situation. A situation not brought on by her but on the officially elected Peter Cammarano and his one month term in office ravaged by scandal. Guess who was Peter Cammarano's campaign manager at the end of his campaign? If you guessed Paul Swibinski you are correct!
Paul Swibinksi is a talented campaign manager (heck, he is 14-2 in regional Mayoral elections) and is a master of negative campaigning not to mention the skillful twisting of events into well honed political propaganda and out of focus bad shots of female candidates (Marsh 2005). It is a safe bet that whoever Swibinski is behind that it will not be a reform candidate. At least not in Hoboken.
With that said, I look forward to Beth Mason's plan to improve Hoboken's governance should she decide to run. I will not be taken in by negative campaigning such as this and would like to see what Beth Mason proposes she would do differently. ◦
