Dear Editor:
My name is Elizabeth Ndoye.
I have been living in Hoboken since 1979. I have raised one son and I am a property owner and a tax payer who feels a responsibility to my friends and neighbors.
During my professional life I was an elementary art teacher. I became a widow and single mother. I have struggled with a pay check that had to be stretched to pay for all our bills. Particularly after Hurricane Sandy, and the flooding and damage to my home, I experienced financial strain.
Ravi Bhalla is my candidate because he understands and empathizes with the very problems I have described above. His tireless work on the behalf of residents like me makes him an impressive advocate for our resident’s needs.
His role as chairperson of the Citizen’s Advocacy Committee during the creation of the Rebuild By Design flood prevention plan showed that he listened to the concerns of the citizens of Hoboken. He consistently used what he heard to help make a plan that will drastically reduce and even prevent areas of severe flooding.
He is a staunch advocate of “greening” our city and making Hoboken a more energy efficient and less polluted environment. In fact, environmental issues are a priority for Ravi.
One of Ravi Bhalla’s top priorities is to maintain the charm and history of our small city. He will fight hard to protect our quality of life from the overcrowding, transportation, traffic, and parking issues that can make our city a set of daily challenges to survive. He has already proven his commitment to strengthening our infrastructure through his continuous voting record in favor of long range planning initiatives.
His commitment to improving and modernizing our school system has been proven by his active campaigning for school board candidates who have lead the way in making our schools institutions of active and engaged learning. As an art teacher myself, I am thrilled to have a candidate who has made it clear that he is determined to make the educational and cultural experiences of our residents richer. He knows that the arts are an economic engine that will generate economic growth.
He also has the advantage of having great running mates in Jim Doyle, John Allen, and Emily Jabbour. They are a terrific team that shares a common vision for the future of Hoboken.
Finally, I want to commend Ravi for his belief in and work on the important task of maintaining the diversity of our Hoboken community. He has shown repeatedly that he will step up to defend the rights of all Hoboken residents. He keenly feels the struggles of our citizen’s to afford the constantly increasing rent and property taxes. He will put in place plans to push and create more affordable housing, and tech businesses to increase jobs and revenue.
Ravi Bhalla is a smart, caring, hard working individual who is the best, and I believe, only, choice for mayor of Hoboken, NJ.
Sincerely,
Liz Ndoye
