Hoboken Council Election Profile: How Did Ian Rintel Answer Our Questions?

HOBOKEN, NJ — Are you ready for the Nov. 2 Hoboken mayor/council elections? While Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla is running for re-election unopposed, there are also three City Council seats to fill — and 10 candidates in the running, two of whom are incumbents.

You can choose any three council people on Nov. 2. Patch has sent them all questionnaires, asking questions ranging for "Who did you support for president in 2020" and "How would you bring more low-cost recreation options to Hoboken kids in summer?"

Readers should note not just how candidates answer the questions, but which candidates avoid answering the question or parts of the question.

Meet Ian Rintel

We'll be featuring candidate profiles in the next two weeks. Below are candidate Ian Rintel's answers to the questionnaire. Rintel, who submitted his answers first among the candidates, is a local businessman who is new to running for political office.

Name: Ian Rintel

Campaign website, if any:
www.ianforhoboken.com

Age as of election day:
48

Party affiliation, even though Hoboken elections are non-partisan:
Unaffiliated/Independent

Family information (Names, ages, or any details you wish to share)
Wife = Marisa. Daughter = Sela (2.5 years old)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? Where?
No

Educational background:
BS Computer Science (NJIT)

Occupation, years of experience:
Business owner in Hoboken since 2002. Previously software development in Jersey City.

Previous or current elected or appointed offices:
1. Why are you seeking elected office? (Please keep these answers to 250 words)
Mayor creates a job to eliminate one incumbent (Vanessa Falco). Dini drops out. Jim Doyle rejoins - but will he last the term? If he resigns in six months, the mayor gets to break a 4-4 tie to appoint his replacement. I figure I can either complain or campaign.

2. What is the single most pressing issue facing Hoboken, and how do you think you can help solve it?
Waste. Specifically our elected officials spend time, effort and specifically money working on things that do nothing or actually harm the residents of Hoboken. Case in point - the administration tried to get three candidates off the ballot, wasting the entire city clerk's department (like five people and more than a week of labor each person), a couple days of the city attorney's time and all on the taxpayer's dime. No resident benefitted from this attempt. And they won't even reveal these records (I attempted to OPRA these numbers and was denied).

3. Do you believe national political issues are relevant to Hoboken? During the last race, candidates cited their votes in the 2016 election. Are you willing to say for whom you voted in the 2020 presidential election? Do you believe it's relevant or irrelevant, and why?
It is relevant. For me - I chose Biden out of two far less than ideal choices. It's relevant because I vote based on issues not parties. Party line voters are a big problem with our democracy.

4. An issue that often comes up on social media discussion boards is a lack of affordable summer camp options and drop-off recreational options for kids in Hoboken, and a lack of activities for teens, especially compared to other towns, some smaller. In the last few years, parents have said they didn't get enough notice about baseball signups and had to register in Union City for that town's recreation baseball instead of in Hoboken. Specifically, how would you increase low-cost recreation (and not just sports) programming for kids and teens within town, especially over the summer?
Someone should open a safe facility for adults, children and families to do activities that they'd otherwise not be able to do in Hoboken. And that someone is ME. And if the city didn't make it so darn difficult and so darn expensive to do what I've done - I wouldn't need to charge as much as I do. The city COULD also make use of my facility and save taxpayers a ton of $ on recreation but of course if I win I'll have to abstain from those votes.

5. Some believe that running for local office is only meant as a stepping stone, particularly in Hudson County. Do you plan to someday run for any other political office besides the one you are currently seeking? Why or why not?
I am not running for ambition. I'm running to fill a need. Hoboken needs help and I think I'm the best candidate to fill that need.

6, What is the best thing about Hoboken, and what is the worst thing?
Hoboken has a small town feel with friendly neighbors even though it's a city with easy access to NYC. It's worst thing is how difficult it is to get things done.

7. What are critical differences between you and other candidates?
I won't pander. I won't be a party to cronyism. I won't make deals with other elected officials for my benefit - I will only work for Hoboken residents. If it had been me: I'd have told my city clerk to put all candidates on the ballot and I certainly would not have hired an attorney to fight against the interest of my constituents. And when I refused the city clerk's denial of my ballot placement: I didn't just work to get myself on the ballot - I worked for and was successful in getting Cindy Wiegand and Manny Rivera on the ballot too. Democracy above all else.

Other Hoboken Election Information From Patch

There will also be a Hoboken Board of Education election on Nov. 2, in which four people are running for three seats. Read about that race here: Four Candidates To Run For 3 Hoboken School Board Seats

The 10 council candidates (pick 3 on Nov. 2):

• Emily Jabbour, Team Bhalla
• Jim Doyle, Team Bhalla
• Joe Quintero, Team Bhalla
• Cheryl Fallick, Independently Together
• Sheila Brennan, Independently Together
• Paul Presinzano, Independently Together
• Manuel Rivera, Manny Rivera for Hoboken
• Ian Rintel, TOO MANY POLITICIANS IN POLITICS
• Patricia Waiters, Patricia Waiters for Real Constituent Services
• Cindy Wiegand, Your Friendly Neighborhood Councilwoman

Hoboken's municipal elections are non-partisan, meaning the elections aren't Republicans vs. Democrats, but various individuals and slates against each other.

Previous Hoboken Patch Election Coverage

• Hoboken Election: Jim Doyle Replaces Dini Ajmani On Mayor's Slate
  
• Citing 'Toxic' Hoboken Politics, Councilman Won't Run For Mayor
• I'm Running For Re-Election, Announces Mayor

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