Beth Mason

At-Large Councilmen Peter Cammarano, left, and Ruben Ramos: Politicker photo 

At-Large Councilman Ruben Ramos today responded to Second Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason in a letter in which he addressed the self-styled government watchdog as "Boss Mason."

"As a lifelong member of the Hoboken community, I am appalled that Ms. Mason thinks she can mask her intention to be a political boss, by having the audacity to call herself a reformer," Ramos said of the likely mayoral candidate.

Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason: Politicker photo 

HOBOKEN - Taking a nod from Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop, freshman Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason intends to introduce an amendment that would ban city elected officials from receiving more than one public salary or pension.

"I am sure that Councilman Fulop recognizes, as do I, how difficult it is to create a more responsive and responsible government when the primary interest of many elected officials lies in perpetuating a cumbersome, costly bureaucracy that rewards the few, at the expense of the many," Mason said.

Elected last year to fill a vacant seat in the city’s second ward, Mason - like Fulop in Jersey City - is a likely 2009 mayoral candidate.

“I accomplished what I set out to do, which was to demonstrate that the mayor’s decision to have the city take ownership of the hospital was done hastily, without thorough evaluation and without the full understanding or input of the residents, who now have to shoulder a $52  million debt,” said Mason. 

I am amazed that the chairman of the public safety committee has not acted to demand a further investigation into the chief’s conduct before agreeing to let him ride off into the sunset with millions of dollars of taxpayer money,” said Mason.  

"Unfortunately, the only way the council ever finds out about what is happening in this city is to read it in the newspaper. The administration continually fails to share critical information."

“If the hospital were a patient you would have to say that its long term prognosis is questionable,” said Mason.

“The mayor may have so little regard for taxpayer money that he considers $108,000 nitpicking, but to most hard working people in the city, it’s a lot of money,”

“I have examples of individuals using city-owned cell phones for calls to Las Vegas, Hawaii and West Palm Beach, Florida,  I don’t know that the city is doing business with anyone in Las Vegas or Hawaii or why the calls are made during work hours and why taxpayers should be paying for such calls,” said Mason    

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This Saturday is Hoboken’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.  Last year, the city instituted a zero-tolerance policy for those who take things too far. $1,000 fines were cited for 560 people, which netted the city more than $550,000.  In today’s Jersey Journal, Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason didn’t earn herself any brownie points among the locals and taxpayers by saying, "We shouldn't be thinking of this as a money-making proposition."