Dear Editor:

As a concerned Hoboken taxpayer it is deeply disturbing to read commentary blaming the state’s fiscal monitor for the current crisis. While I’m not pleased at the prospect of paying higher taxes, the roots of the current crisis go back many years, and the pains we are facing are due to the mismanagement of the city council and administration for letting them continue for so long.

It is time to face the reality that Hoboken is essentially bankrupt and that the city expenses cannot continue to increase indefinitely. While taxpayers have to realize they will face higher taxes, city workers must come to the realization that they will have to make sacrifices as well. Once we acknowledge this fact we can begin to move forward in a sustainable manner for the future.

There are no easy answers in this situation but clearly pay, benefits and staffing cannot remain elevated above comparable norms in Hoboken. The council would be better served acknowledging this situation and hope they will get elected by the overall public good instead of the special interests they have relied on for so long.

I applaud those council members who forced the city to face the fiscal reality we are faced with and voted down our city budget. Delaying problems for another day just means they will be more painful in the future. Perhaps if we had done the right thing earlier we would not be in the situation we now find ourselves.

Sincerely,

David Blumenthal, MD