MIKE DeFUSCO’S PLAN FOR A BETTER HOBOKEN

GET BACK TO BASICS:

Reallocate city resources to fix potholes, repave streets and keep our sidewalks clean.

INVEST IN OUR QUALITY OF LIFE:

Create a quality of life department, a joint operation between environmental services and the Hoboken PD, to respond to noise violations, vagrancy, panhandling, dog waste and other daily nuisances.

STAND UP FOR TAXPAYERS:

Keep residential taxes stable while expanding the commercial tax base by encouraging innovative uses like urban wineries, coffee roasters, co-working spaces and culinary incubators.

THINK BIG ON EDUCATION:

Plan a new public high school complex north of 14th Street so that families can stay in Hoboken.

UNSNARL TRAFFIC:

Return Observer Highway to four lanes of traffic, with three lanes out during the morning rush and three lanes inbound in the afternoon. Address traffic caused in and around Paterson Plank Road by the Light Rail, a promise made by the current administration a decade ago.

ELIMINATE BACK DOOR PARKING TAXES:

Stop quota-driven parking tickets used to plug deficiencies in the city budget. Focus on safety and traffic flow, instead of interfering with people going about their day-to-day lives. Invest all revenue from valid parking violations directly into improving parking and transportation.

GET WASHINGTON STREET BACK ON THE MAP:

Cut the prohibitive costs and red tape that are chasing businesses out of Hoboken. Encourage an even more vibrant restaurant scene and help mom and pop shops, makers and creative enterprises thrive.

KEEP POLITICS OUT OF PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTS:

Slash the current administration’s reliance on politically connected contracts, producing better services while eliminating cost overruns.

STAY GREEN:

Continue the push towards a more resilient and green future by developing responsible public-private partnerships to build out park space and protect against flooding. Take a neighborhood approach to planning to ensure Hoboken stays charming and unique.

PRESERVE THE PAST:

Stop the demolition of historic brownstones by expanding the historic district and fight against residential displacement caused by the current administration’s overbearing flood ordinance on streets that rarely flood, like Bloomfield, Garden, and Park.

IMAGINE THE FUTURE:

Advance plans to encourage a regional tech hub developed in conjunction with Stevens Institute of Technology, adaptively repurpose parts of the train terminal into a world-class European market and rebuild the crumbling multi-service center.

DEFUSCO FILES PETITIONS TO RUN FOR HOBOKEN MAYOR

Today councilman and mayoral candidate Mike DeFusco filed petitions to officially place his name on the ballot for the November 7th election.

"This is an important day not just for our campaign, but also for Hoboken.  Election Day is 100 days from today and that's when we'll have the opportunity to bring new ideas and new energy to City Hall," DeFusco stated.  "I'm humbled and proud to have submitted 564 signed nominating petitions for Mayor today, showing the tremendous support our campaign has received so far from throughout our city. We will be continuing to collect petitions up to the deadline in September, each one a personal conversation about the future of Hoboken.  It's time for new leadership and a progressive agenda that will allow Hoboken to thrive, and based on the response I've seen from Hoboken voters so far, I'm confident we'll make it happen."

DEFUSCO STATEMENT ON GIATTINO COUNCIL SLATE

Councilman and mayoral candidate Mike DeFusco released the following statement on Councilwoman Jen Giattino’s announcement of her Council ticket:

“Councilwoman Giattino says she wants to take a ‘fresh look’ at our local government, but her selection of Zoning Board Chair Jim Aibel as a running mate shows that she’s truly interested in the same status quo approach that has led to a stagnant business atmosphere and lack of investment in our community under the current administration. Jim Aibel has consistently voted no on land use projects that would bring needed community amenities to Hoboken. He voted against a project that will soon house a Gravity Vault rock climbing gym and West Elm retail showroom on 15th Street, against 600 Harrison Street which is adding units  to our affordable housing inventory, and against a building that now houses Elysian Charter School. Aibel’s vote against a building that would have provided free space for the non-profit Big Brothers and Big Sisters helped stop this project from moving forward, denying our community a needed addition. I first ran for Council because these kind of shortsighted planning decisions have been slowing our city’s progress and preventing our community from reaching its full potential, and now I’m running for Mayor for the same reason -- to bring new energy and new ideas to Hoboken, not the same tired, status quo approach.”

 

Jim Aibel Zoning Board Votes Cited:
Gravity Vault / West Elm = 1420 Willow -- December 22, 2015
Elysian Charter School = 1415 Park -- August 21, 2012
Big Brother Big Sisters = 1417 Adams -- May 16, 2017
Affordable Housing = 600 Harrison -- May 5, 2015