Author: ian

I’ll be with my six year old marching in the Raga-muffin parade in a couple hours. Please call me over if you’d like to say hello. Then I’ll be at a party on the 900 block of Bloomfield (just outside of the sixth ward). We’ll probably be taking turns handing out candy and light sticks until we run out. Again, if you recognize me: please say hello.

My series of collectible trading cards are a huge hit, but not everyone is happy.

I received texts from one mayoral candidate who was unhappy about them, calling them libelous (they are not, and besides – it’s parody) and asking me to go around taking them back.

It’s particularly troublesome to me that an elected official in a position of authority would misuse that authority. I sent a screenshot of the text to one of the candidate’s supporters hopeful they would talk reason into the candidate: but instead, the screenshot wound up on Reddit: without any context (only sixth ward voters would have known what the cards even were).

Then yesterday a person who appears to be that candidate’s campaign manager was caught on video taking down Michael Russo’s sign (hung on an inside private door) and rifling through private mailboxes (a felony). The candidate is not the type to have staffers acting on their own, but without proof: I will take things at the candidate’s word.

I have pointed out flaws in my opponents. But that’s very different to what my opponents have done. Pointing out who is funding a campaign is fair game. Pointing out that someone is using Airbnb to circumvent rent control: also fair game.

I did make a second cartoon, it’s my darkest yet!

Many have asked me about cartoons for this campaign: because I’ve done more than 20 cartoons previously. But at the same time, I believe they are less effective than face-to-face meeting that is only possible at events and door knocking. I also believe that some voters, even entertained by the cartoons, don’t take me seriously as a candidate because of the cartoons. But… I did make ONE new one and repurposed four. I also rewatched all my cartoons and they’ve aged well, brought back memories, and have served as additional motivation for what I’m attempting.

Without further ado, the new cartoon:

With early voting starting tomorrow, I’ve switched to “Get Out The Vote”.

As part of this strategy I’ve produced trading cards for myself and all the mayoral candidates and they’ve been very well received so far. There are separate cards for all six mayoral candidates: with each having a power and a weakness. I too have a power and a weakness: everyone does.

If you’d like a trading card or two, send me a message or find me on the street. These are intended to be passed around to friends and are very light and fun and most importantly, small – so you can carry them around until you’ve voted and pass them on (they are ‘trading cards’ after all) once you have voted.

My trading card…

At the same time: I wish I had more time and I wish it were already over. Running for government office is so difficult: regardless of our differences, I have huge respect for all the candidates running and I’m the most optimistic that once this is over: Hoboken will be in a better place than it was.

I truly believe that for the sixth ward: I am the correct choice (by a wide margin). But if the voters do not see it that way: we will still have representation which I think is imperative.

It’s also very close to 100% likely that there will be a runoff and I don’t think anyone knows which two Mayoral candidates and which six at-large candidates will make that runoff.

When I’m out there campaigning, I hear tons of great suggestions: but most of them aren’t so simple to implement. Perimeter garages will take 3+ years. e-Bike enforcement requires both effort and willingness from our police department.

But yesterday I heard a no-brainer: Why aren’t we helping our restaurants and businesses that aren’t on Washington Street, 1st and 14th Streets with more frequent garbage pickup? The garbage trucks are already out there (limited business district has pickup every day except Saturday).

Hoboken is small, how much more could it cost to add pickup for a few dozen restaurants off Washington Street? If six day a week pickup is important for businesses on Washington Street – surely it’s important for businesses off Washington Street too.

For the past few weeks I’ve spent most of my free time meeting neighbors, responding to mailers and attending the debates. If I haven’t met you in person by now, it’s because you were not home when I knocked on your door. I’ve already knocked on every door personally at least one time. I’ve encountered numerous paid canvassers from other teams and their always surprised I’m either doing the ‘door knocking’ myself or I’m there, in person with my helpers (I have some people helping me, but I’m almost always there with them).

My second mailer “Your Voice Matters” received an unbelievable response! Just after it hit mailboxes Friday, I was receiving a response every fifteen minutes. By the Sunday, I had around 75 responses and had answered about ten, at which point I figured out how to respond using a computer instead of my phone. I believe I’m entirely caught up and that I’ve responded to everyone and as new responses only come in a few per day now, I should be able to respond to everyone within a day or so.

We have had just one sixth ward debate at the Library, but I’ve tried to attend all the mayoral and city council debates: because I’m also a voter and I’m going to need to work with one of the Mayoral Candidates and three of the At-Large City Council candidates.

Just FYI: my window signs are almost ready. I know I haven’t posted much to the campaign website.

The “Hoboken Issues” postcard received a crazy amount of responses. It took me until this past Monday to respond to all of the submitted postcards. If I did not respond to you, somehow I’m not able to respond to you: please follow up by email (ian@ianforhoboken.com).

At this point, I’ve nearly knocked on every voter door and now my plan is to try to hit every door a second time. If you weren’t home, I left a note for you (in most cases). If you’d like to assist me in this monumental task, reach out by text (201-479-2882) or email (ian@ianforhoboken.com).

The texts do get confusing at times, because unlike email: I often do not know who I’m texting with, so please put a name in and if I don’t respond, assume I somehow missed the text. I was getting a ton of texts, but now that the number has slowed, I should miss very few.

My family and I took a quick (a week) trip to the Azores and now I’m back to work.
The petition deadline was the day I left, and now we know there are four candidates with enough petitions to be on the ballot. Ballot positions will be drawn this coming Friday.