He can afford to skip salary

December 20, 2006
Letters to the Editor  The Jersey Journal

Recently, Mayor Roberts made two stunning announcements. The first, that he will no longer accept his $124,000 mayor's salary - Hudson County's highest.

One thing Roberts left out was that he recently started collecting a very large pension from his time served as a firefighter. If my memory serves me correctly those years total about four years tops, the rest served as leaves of absence while he was 6th Ward councilman. But the public pension systems being what they are in New Jersey, Mayor Roberts can now cash out as 16 years served as a councilman. Nice spin.

The mayor says he wants to donate his money to the homeless, another noble deed. If he really wants to help, why not let some families live in his empty tenements on Second and Monroe? Oh, that's right, he's "renovating" those units into luxury housing.

His other big announcement was that he's not seeking re-election. Although he reserves the right to "change his mind." Let's hope not. With the increased deficit, a failing robotic garage, a weak plan to rescue St. Mary Hospital and more jobs on the payroll than ever before, let's hope Mayor Roberts decides to actually leave.

TONY SOARES Hoboken