This was omitted from the original article. I'll say it for you, Victor. Tsk, Tsk.
Rose Greenman
Profession: general practice attorney with emphasis on bankruptcy and immigration
Other relevant experience: secretary of the New Jersey State Bar Special Committee on Consumer Protection Law; Foreclosure Mediator, NJSBA lecturer, businesswoman.
Q. What steps will you take to improve openness and transparency in government?
A. To better enable communications between residents and city government, we will appoint ward representatives who will serve as liaisons for their wards and report on issues of concern particular to their area of the city. Council meetings will finally be televised, so residents who were previously precluded from attending them for various personal reasons will have an opportunity to see the democracy in action. The municipal website will be substantially updated and will provide easy access to public information that under the current regime required OPRA requests. All municipal job openings are going to be posted on the website and open to best qualified candidates, not doled out to political appointees and opportunists.
Q. The city is dogged by the perception that favoritism and cronyism are prominent in government. How will you ensure fairness and the public’s trust?
A. We will not tolerate corruption, cronyism and favoritism that were part-and- parcel of the city's political regime for too many years. Insidious back-room dealings of present political operatives that made our proud and illustrious city the laughing stock of Bergen County will be disposed of promptly. We will sweep the slate clean of those long-time political usurpers who held onto power and profited handsomely on the misery of many. There will be zero tolerance to secrecy and political manipulations; no special breaks or shakedowns of big donors; no threats and intimidation of residents; no opagueness of political process, no special deals for the politically connected. We are committed to creating an open and honest community where citizens are empowered and encouraged to bring their ideas, as well as concerns and criticism, to the table. Our goal is to have a city government that is responsive to the residents and has their best interests in mind.
Q. What can, and should, the council do to improve the city’s downtown?
A. Our slate will restructure and improve the city building department's procedures to expedite Main Street and Downtown redevelopment. We will open the redevelopment process to well-regarded and qualified developers with proven track records to give us a Downtown we can be proud of and which will boost tax ratables and lower our tax bills. We will create a well-designed and highly desirable Downtown with stores, restaurants and cultural venues that would bring visitors from Bergen County and beyond to shop, dine and be entertained in our Hackensack. We project that this much anticipated redevelopment will create a multitude of construction and permanent jobs and lead to a more prosperous and desirable place to live and do business.
