Photo courtesy of patch.com

For Beth Mason, the last year or so has supplied its share of setbacks and miscues. In 2009, the Second Ward Councilwoman lost two mayoral elections and, in the first quarter of 2010, she picked a fight with two of her city council colleagues and her husband backed a losing slate in the BoE election.

In what was viewed by some as a vexing move, Mason took a swipe at fellow council members Ravi Bhalla and Peter Cunningham last month, accusing the two of having a conflict of interest after voting to award special counsel Paul Condon a new contract. Bhalla shares a law office with Condon, but argued that the two attorneys maintain separate practices. Condon and Cunningham’s wives collaborate on a real estate business.

Read the full Patch.com article here

Dear Friend,

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Sunshine Week!  As you may be aware, Sunshine Week is a weeklong effort to promote and celebrate open, inclusive, and transparent government.  It is also the celebration of fundamental rights such as the Open Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act.  In addition, it is an opportunity to promote public awareness on the importance of easy public access to government.

Albert Einstein famously said that “darkness is the mere absence of light,” which is why I am so proud to live in a community like Hoboken that consistently fights to ensure we shine a light on our government so that elected officials work to put people first, not special interests.   While our city still faces great challenges, there is little doubt that it is the will of Hoboken’s people to face those challenges head on, so that we can continue to make Hoboken a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this important event that celebrates the very democratic principles that this nation was founded upon.  Once again Happy Sunshine Week!

Very truly yours,

Councilwoman Beth Mason