In a letter to the editor, Hoboken resident Nora Martinez-DeBenedetto says she’s voting for Mayor Ravi Bhalla and his ticket since they “kept Hoboken safe and secure” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dear Editor,
As a mom, there is nothing more important to me than the health and safety of my family, and that’s why this November I will be proud to cast my ballot to reelect Mayor Ravi Bhalla and his team. They have kept Hoboken safe and secure during a worldwide pandemic.
In March, 2020, when the whole world shut down, I wrapped an old bandana around my face and walked a couple of blocks to under the viaduct, in a routine that has become frighteningly familiar to many Hobokenites.
A doctor in a hazmat suit stuck a Q-tip up my nose. The walk was too much for me, and I had to stop and sit on a curb on the way home. Although it would be more than a week before I found out for sure, I already knew what the result would be. Covid.
I was terrified. There was no place to quarantine in the small Hoboken apartment that I shared with my husband and young son. We had all been with the grandparents just before I showed symptoms. Would they get sick too? What about my neighbors?
The science was so nebulous at that time, and heaven knows there was zero leadership at the federal level of government. I felt helpless and scared as I laid in bed for over a month.
There was no playbook for municipalities here either. No past practice. But yet, Mayor Bhalla acted quickly and effectively, and as I binge watched some show I don’t even remember, he was taking action to keep us safe.
His only guiding force was keeping Hoboken residents alive, and that was exactly what he did.
With Councilpersons Emily Jabbour and Jim Doyle at his side, Mayor Bhalla immediately partnered with Riverside Medical Group to provide free testing to all Hoboken residents.
Who knows how many residents are alive today because of Hoboken’s aggressive testing campaign? Along with my family, I have utilized the free testing well over a dozen times.
When covid meant that the average trip to the grocery store also meant taking your life in your hands, Mayor Bhalla, Councilwoman Emily Jabbour and Councilman Jim Doyle ensured that Hoboken’s senior citizens never went hungry.
And when the vaccine was finally available, this administration went door to door to make sure that seniors got first shot at the shot.
As we continue to adjust to pandemic life, I know that there is no one better to join Mayor Bhalla’s team than Joe Quintero.
As the son of Columbian immigrants, Joe will bring much-needed diversity to the city council and will be an important voice for our city’s Latino population.
I’ve known Joe for years as a member of the Hoboken Democratic Committee and I’ve seen firsthand how hard he works for marginalized communities.
Please join me on Tuesday, November 2in reelecting Mayor Ravi Bhalla, and Councilpersons Emily Jabbour and Jim Doyle, along with my good friend Joe Quintero for Councilman-at-large. It is the best choice for keeping all Hoboken residents healthy and safe.
Best,
Nora Martínez DeBenedetto
Lifelong Hoboken resident
The only good choices for Hoboken.
Haha. What a joke!
Bhalla gave a job to Falco thinking he would have uncontested slate. Doyle obviously doesn’t want to be here and Joe is another Cohen puppet.
We need an independent voice.
Heck, I’ll take Pat Waiters any day over these clowns.
Very happy with this administration leading the City through the worst of times. He deserves a council that works with him in the best interest of economic stability and public safety. Not what we’ve got presently. Vote the whole team.
One only has to look at what is going on around us to appreciate that in these very uncertain and troubled times it is to Mayor Bhalla, Councilwoman Jabbour, Councilman Doyle have done good job for the residents of Hoboken. If they trust Joe Quintero to help them continue doing that job I trust their judgement.
I think most of Hoboken is hoping to put the partisan political bickering behind us, turn down the rhetoric and have our elected officials work together to make our very special city an even better place to live.
Oh man. They did nothing but raise taxes and shutdown businesses.
Is this letter serious? Ravi using “guiding force….to keep Hoboken residents alive”? How can anyone take any of this seriously?
It’s pure propaganda. Ravi was so brave in shutting down people’s businesses and livelihoods.
It cost him nothing. It cost those impacted everything. Now the objective data shows it did nothing to the virus but make billionaires richer. As one judge in PA noted, there was no science involved in shutting down a local store on Main Street while allowing a big chain store to remain open seeing thousands shuttled through. This is the snow job Ravi believes will see all independent checks on him disappear. The City Council majority kept him in check and kept him from hoarding federal dollars into “his” piggybank. Ravi didn’t want to give taxpayers a red cent. He had to be fought by the City Council majority to give something back.
I can prove everything including the terror flier! I’m just real busy right now.
Don’t forget to watch my pro January 6th videos and send money to my paypal account to thank me!
https://web.archive.org/web/20210117033148/https://newyorkcityguns.com/wartime-day-43-endgame/
pitching the same ole horse manure, but you forgot to say “terror flier” lol
Unfortunately for Hoboken, he kept you alive.
Wow, Bhalla supporters literally prefer to see people die? That’s the kind of support that this kind of administration attracts?
Sometimes I wonder why the Bhalla trolls are so mean and nasty. Is it because we still have some, very important, checks on their power? We’d better keep that power in check. We’d better vote out his team. I’m hopeful that we get some city council members that do care about all of the residents of Hoboken. We need it.
I am also glad that Nora has recovered.
I’ll be voting for the IT4Hoboken team.
I4Jen casts its vote for IT4! They promise not to do a terror flier!
Don’t forget to watch my pro January 6th videos and send money to my paypal account to thank me!
https://web.archive.org/web/20210117033148/https://newyorkcityguns.com/wartime-day-43-endgame/
sign your name next time- roflmao
Right wing Recluse and Lime Scooter charging jockey is a huge supporter of Fisher and her ticket
If things don’t go his way, watch out for this one man crazy guy. He’s the nutty insurrectionist who wears a fake leather Member’s only jacket instead of animal fur