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Gotham Gazette -
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Special
City Council Elections
by Gail Robinson
12 Feb 2007
Some special elections have lots of drama. Last week, voters
on Long Island were treated – or subjected -- to one of the most expensive
state legislative races in New York history, campaign visits by luminaries such
as Hillary Clinton and Rudolph Giuliani and inflammatory campaign flyers about
gay marriage and the terrorist threat facing New York (and Israel). In the end
Democrat Craig Johnson beat Maureen O’Connell for the State Senate seat – at a
cost of at least $5 million – or $100 a vote.
Who Votes and How
The special elections for two City Council seats on February
20 is open only two registered voters – of all parties – living in the two
districts: the 40th in central Brooklyn and the 51st on the South Shore of
Staten Island. (To determine if you live in either one, go to Gotham Gazette’s
Find Your District.)
Polls will be open to 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. To find out where to
vote, go to the Board of Election’s poll site locator.
In New York City things seem more polite. There is not much
money or vicious campaign literature in the campaigns for two City Council
seats – one in Central Brooklyn to replace Yvette Clarke, who was elected to
the U.S. House of Representatives in November and the other to fill the seat
left vacant when Andrew Lanza moved on to the State Assembly.
The Brooklyn race in the 40th district features ten
candidates, many of them immigrants or children of immigrants, vying to
represent a district with a large Caribbean population. Candidates cite an
array of issues as important, including affordable housing, jobs, education and
health care. While their solutions to these problems vary, much of the campaign
has centered on whose experience would best serve the interests of the district
– and on ethnic politics. Eight of the candidates have ties to the Caribbean or
Central America, with a number of nationalities represented. The race could
give the City Council its first Haitian member or its first Pakistani.
The Staten Island race is more sharply focused. Only two
candidates, one Democrat and one Republican, will appear on the ballot and one
issue – overdevelopment of the island’s South Shore – overrides all others.
However these midwinter races turn out, more elections are
on the way. Even though most City Council members will not be up for
re-election in November, the two members elected on February will be. Governor
Eliot Spitzer is expected to call special elections to replace Assemblymembers
John Lavelle of Staten Island, who died earlier this month, and Pete Grannis of
Manhattan, who is leaving the Assembly to become state environment
commissioner. And if Ignizio wins his election on Tuesday, voters on Staten
Island’s South Shore will probably be going to the polls once again – to choose
someone to fill his seat in the State Assembly.
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http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20070212/200/2102
Many Issues, Many Nationalities in Central Brooklyn
12 Feb 2007
Candidates and their Web sites
The 40th City Council district sits at the geographic center
of Brooklyn. It is an area of immigrants. People from every Caribbean island,
along with residents of other ethnic groups, populate the district, which
includes part of Flatbush and East Flatbush.
The ten candidates running in the special election say they
seek to represent everyone in this diverse community. But given the likely low
turnout, many will have to motivate their base – and often that core support
consists of people who share their national roots. Eight of the ten candidates
are black and have some connection to the Caribbean or Central America.
In 1991, the 40th elected the first Jamaican to City
Council, Una Clarke. And the Clarkes still wield influence. Una Clarke served
on the council until forced to leave office by term limits in 2001. Her
daughter, Yvette Clarke succeeded her, staying on City Council until she won
election to the U.S. Congress last November. The special election is to fill
her seat.
In this race, the Clarkes have endorsed Mathieu Eugene, the
one Haitian in the race. That support gave Eugene a boost in his quest to
become the first Haitian on the City Council. But the large field leads most to
believe this contest is very much up for grabs.
THE ISSUES
The candidates list an array of issues as being of major
concern to residents of the 40th district. And while the candidates differ in
their emphasis and offer varying solutions, the campaign has been marked by
few, if any, clashes over policy.
Affordable Housing
Most of the candidates believe that developers should set
aside a certain percentage of apartments – about 30 percent, several said --
for affordable housing. Some also questioned the definition of affordable
housing, saying that many homes the city considers “affordable” are too
expensive for residents of the 40th district. Wellington Sharpe said people in
each community should determine what affordable housing means for their
neighborhood.
Jesse Hamilton would survey the area to determine places
where new housing could be built, while Mathieu Eugene would do an assessment
of buildings to determine which ones are vacant “and figure out how we can help
those owners and get affordable housing” in now empty properties. Similarly
Joel Toney sees opportunity for development on commercial strips in the
district where many building have just one story. He would encourage additional
floors for housing.
Zenoba McNally, who has made housing the focus of her
campaign and describes herself as “passionate” about the issue, said that
“instead of building homeless shelters, the answer is more affordable housing.”
To get that housing built, “we have to talk about holding
developers’ feet to the fire,” Jennifer James said. She cautioned that programs
to encourage more economical housing have to be carefully crafted. “Once you
have a loophole, people will take advantage of it,” she said.
While residents in the less affluent parts of the district
want more development, those at the district’s western edge, such as in the
Ditmas Park neighborhood, worry about too much development. Harry Schiffman,
who lives in one of those areas, said he has been working to get landmark
status for the neighborhood to protect the existing housing.
“You have to find a happy medium,” said Wellington Sharpe.
“I would not be ready to build a 15-story house on every block but you cannot
say no more building because people are coming into the community daily.”
Education
Most of the candidates expressed concern about the quality
of schools in the area, particularly the size of classes. Speaking with people
in the community, Mohammad Razvi said he found residents are “really upset
about the size of classrooms. They really have to focus on downsizing.” As a
member of the council, Leithland "Rickie" Tulloch said he would push
for more funding to hire additional teachers and reduce class size. He would
also like to see the Bloomberg administration abandon its push for publicly
financed but privately run charter schools. “We need to have all of our funding
invested in the public school system,” he said. And Zenobia McNally said other
activities, such as art and music, could serve to involve students who are not
as interested in the traditional academic subject.
Many say that the changes in city’s education system over
the last several years have not solved the problems facing the area’s schools.
The new programs have not helped student learn how to think
critically, said Harry Schiffman, adding, “We need to have kids in our schools
understand how to operate a business.”
Jesse Hamilton, a former chair of a community school board,
said that since the mayor assumed control of the public school system the “City
Council has been cut out” and the administration has been trying “to use a
corporate formula for public school system, which is really not working.” That
structure has made the school system less personal than it once was, he said,
discouraging many parents from becoming more involved in their children’s education.
Those obstacles are particularly daunting for immigrants
said Mathieu Eugene. “There is a language barrier and a culture barrier,” he
said, and “the parents are working very hard. They are low-income people.”
Jennifer James also has qualms about recent changes in
education, particularly breaking large failing high schools into smaller
schools. “It theoretically sounds great,” she said, but James believes this
approach adds more administration without improving teaching. “We have to stop
thinking about administrative answers,” she said and instead focus on teachers.
Karlene Gordon agrees. “It troubles me that the solution to
failing schools is to shut them down,” she said at a recent candidates forum.
“I don’t think that’s the answer. The answer is to hold our leaders
accountable.” Closing schools, she added, “sends a horrible message to the
community, a horrible message to the students.”
Jobs
“A lot of people are looking for work,” said Jesse Hamilton.
In some parts of the city, says Mathieu Eugene, as many as 60 percent of black
men do not have jobs. Better training could help address this, he said, as
would assistance for small business. Although such businesses are “the backbone
of the community,” Eugene said, it is difficult for them to get loans and other
help. “I would like to make it a little easier,” he said.
Jennifer James thinks the city should expand vocational
programs within the public school system so young people who do not go to
college can “continue to be productive members of society.” Wellington Sharpe
would like to establish a training institute to teach marketable skills to
young men and women not planning to attend college.
In a twist on that idea, Zenobia McNally proposes that
government or private groups buy the long vacant Loew’s King Theater and let
teenagers work with construction unions to renovate the building and learn a
skill in the process.
Developers should provide jobs to Brooklyn resident, said
Mathieu Eugene. If elected, he said, he would sit down with developers and tell
them “I want you to be there but I want you to provide jobs for the community”
– jobs with fair wages.
Health Care
Residents in the 40th district have high rates of HIV and
AIDS, diabetes, hypertension and childhood obesity, according to Jennifer
James. But many residents, particularly immigrants, do not take advantage of
existing programs that could help them confront these and other health
problems.
Mathieu Eugene, a physician, said offering more information
on health care is key and notes that he has helped provide free screening for
colon rectal cancers and spearheaded health fairs in the district. But Eugene
concedes not all problems can be addressed at the community level and said he
would do whatever he could to push for universal health coverage. Many of the
small businesses in the district do not offer health insurance to their
employees, Jennifer James said. She suggested City Council try to provide tax
credits or other incentives to make it easier for them to provide such coverage
for their employees.
Immigrant Issues
The many immigrants living in the 40th district often do not
know about services available to them. Most of the candidates said they would
seek to provide translation services and more public information to address
that. Wellington Sharpe said immigrants often spend lots of money going to
lawyers for routine matters. This is a burden he would like to ease by helping
to establish a nonprofit agency that could offer some of those services. “When
you are an immigrant and 50 percent of your income goes to rent, the small
issues loom large,“ he said.
EXPERIENCE AND ENDORSEMENTS
Along with issues, the candidates stress their work in the
community as evidence that they – and not one of the nine others – should be
elected. Mohammad Razvi and Mathieu Eugene say they are already doing the kind
of work they would do as council members. Both run community nonprofit groups
that do extensive work with young people in the area. Hamilton cites his
experience on the school board, while Ron Schiffman touts his work in housing
issues. Joel Toney, Zenobia McNally, Leithland Tulloch and Wellington Sharpe
all point to their time on community boards.
The candidates speak of their deep and long ties to the 40th
district, And many point to their endorsements. Yvette Clarke and Una Clarke’s
support for Mathieu Eugene garnered the most attention. The physician has not
raised a lot of money and had not won the backing of a number of Haitian civil
leaders. The man who did – Ferdinand Zizi – withdrew because of problems with
his nominating petition.
On the other hand, Jennifer Jones had worked in Yvette
Clarke’s congressional campaign. Saying she still has a good relationship with
Yvette Clarke, Jennifer James said she did not know why the new member of
Congress made the decision to endorse Mathieu Eugene. For his part, Eugene said
his endorsement from the Clarkes and others indicates that his support goes
beyond the Haitian community, although he added, “something I bring to the
table is the participation of the Haitian community.”
The ethnic issue looms large here – at least in blog entries
and media accounts. A recent New York Times article saw the race through that
perspective. The contest, wrote Jonathan Hicks, “has become a test of ethnic
primacy among the fervently political West Indian groups that are prevalent in
the district. And just as Irish and later Jewish and Italian politicians clawed
their way to political power by first capturing local offices in previous
generations, the Caribbean groups are viewing this contest as a vehicle for
showing their growing political clout.”
Wellington Sharpe said that people should vote for the best
qualified candidate but then joked that, if people vote along ethnic lines he
would come out ahead as Jamaicans represent the largest group in the district.
Most candidates say their support extends beyond an ethnic
base. After September 11, 2001, Mohammad Razvi said, “I was afraid there was
going to be a backlash against my community and other communities.” In
response, he started the Council of Pakistani Organizations. But as a wider
spectrum of people in the community began availing themselves of the group’s
service, Razvi said the P in COPO came to stand for People, indicating, Razvi
said, that he has a record of working with all parts of the district.
The Kings County Democratic organization has not officially
backed a candidate, although Wellington Sharpe seems to have garnered the
support of the most politicians, including City Councilmembers Kendall Stewart,
Lew Fidler and Dominic Recchia and State Senator John Sampson. James cites the
backing the activist group ACORN, Razvi has the endorsement of the District 9
union, while another Hamilton said that District 37, of which he is a longtime
member, backs him.
THE OUTLOOK
Do not expect to see any television ads in this race but
money still matters as candidates run phone banks and send out mailings.
Mohammad Razvi leads the money race, according to February 1 filings, with
$41,379. Jennifer James came in second with $27,413. Mathieu Eugene raised a
mere $3,445 according to
http://blogs.nydailynews.com/dailypolitics/archives/2007/02/council_race_ro.php
The Daily Politics, although he has borrowed $35,000. Wellington Sharpe boosted
his campaign coffers by lending himself $25,000.
The sheer number of candidates makes the race hard to call.
To Mohammad Razvi, the crowded field is a sign of vitality. “I think that’s
great,” he said. “It makes it more exciting. It wakes up people to participate.
If there were just two candidates, there wouldn’t be that buzz.”
But others worry that so many contenders could enable
someone with a scant support to capture the seat. Jesse Hamilton said it would
be better if the law provided for a runoff rather than awarding the seat to the
top vote getter, regardless of how narrow his or her margin. Reviewing the
numbers, Hamilton figures that, if the weather is cold, turnout could be as low
as 3,000 voters. That means, he said, that someone could win the elections with
just 400 votes.
The Candidates:
Mathieu Eugene: A physician and native of Haiti, Eugene runs
a non-profit organization that helps young people in the community.
Karlene Gordon: A teacher she has been involved in efforts
to fight domestic violence.
Jesse Hamilton: Hamilton, who grew up in a housing project
in the South Bronx is an attorney who has worked for the city Department of
Finance for more than 20 years. He is a Democratic district leader, served as
president of his community school boards and is active with a number of civic
and political groups.
Jennifer James: A professional political fundraiser, James
most recently served as finance director for Yvette Clarke’s successful
campaign for U.S. Congress. She has also worked in campaign for Carl McCall,
Kevin Parker and Fernando Ferrer. She was a founding member of the Council of
Urban Professionals, which works to encourage political involvement and develop
political leadership in black and Latino communities, and a lifelong a member
of Lenox Road Baptist Church.
Zenobia McNally: A marketing executive who owns her own
company, McNally ran unsuccessfully against Yvette Clarke for this City Council
seat in 2005. She has been a member of the Community Board 17
Mohammad Razvi: Originally a business owner, Razvi now
serves as executive director of the Council of Peoples Organizations, a
community group based on Coney Island Avenue that he founded.
Harry Schiffman: Director of government and community
relations for Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, Schiffman has long been active
with a number of community health, business and social service organization. He
formerly worked for Public Advocate Mark Green.
Wellington Sharpe: A native of Jamaica but longtime resident
of East Flatbush, Sharpe, a family counselor, is founder and president of a
private company, the Nelrak Child Development Center. A member of Community
Board 17, he has served on many the boards of many community groups and been
politically active, including running unsuccessfully for State Senate.
Joel Toney: A native of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Toney
was living and working in the United States when the island nation named him
its ambassador to the United Nations. He has served on Community Boards 5 and
14, and is co-chair of the Environment Committee for Community Board 14.
Leithland “Rickie” Tulloch: A longtime financial officer for
health care institutions, Tulloch has been a member of Community Board 17 for
15 years, particularly involved in land use issues. He was active in the effort
to name part of Church Avenue for Bob Marley.
Campaign Finance Board Filings:
• Mathieu Eugene
• Karlene Gordon
• Jesse Hamilton
• Jennifer James
• Zenobia McNally
• Mohammad Razvi
• Harry Schiffman
• Wellington Sharpe
• Joel Toney
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It’s the Development, Stupid, on Staten Island
12 Feb 2007
It would be hard to imagine two political contests more
diametrically opposed than the two Special Election races in New York City on
February 20. While the Brooklyn race has captured the most press attention with
its unwieldy crowd of candidates, complicated ethnic calculations, and laundry
list of issues, the Staten Island contest is fairly straightforward.
The election to fill the council seat in the 51st district
presents only two candidates – one Democrat and one Republican, even though
under city law, the ballot for the special election will not identify either
candidate as such. And both candidates agree that one issue – overdevelopment
and its effects on the area – overshadows any and all other topics.
In many respects, the 51st represents an anomaly in New
York. It is overwhelmingly white, resembles the suburbs more than the city and
is one of only three City Council districts represented by a Republican.
Vincent Ignizio hopes to continue that tradition. Currently
a member of the State Assembly, he previously worked as chief of staff to
Andrew Lanza and has held other staff positions at Staten Island. He said he
wants to continue in the tradition of other Staten Island Republicans, such as
City Council Minority Leader James Oddo and U.S. Representative Vito Fossella.
His opponent, Manny Innamorato, thinks it is time for a change.
EFFECTS OF THE BOOM
Each of the two candidates argues that he is best equipped
to deal with the problems created by the area’s population and building boom.
Both offer a number of proposals to deal with it. Manny Innamorato would like
to see the establishment of a Staten Island Planning Commission that “would be
more sensitive and more focused” than the city planning commission. He would
seek a number of changes in the way the city issues building permits and
questions the granting of some variances that have allowed for new
constructions, some of its in inappropriate places or not in keeping with the
surrounding community.
Vincent Ignizio points to his work on down zoning as a City
Council aide. Zoning for less density, he said, is “a major initiative for
curbing overdevelopment” that has sharply reduced the umber of new housing
permits issued on Staten Island.
Traffic is inextricably linked with all the new housing. “My
commuters have the longest commute in the country for the shortest distance,”
Vincent Ignizio said. To provide some relief, he would work for the city and
state to arrange ferry service between the South Shore and lower Manhattan.
Manny Innamorato would like to see the area’s street completed; much of the
planned street grid he says has never been built.
Crowding in schools is also a byproduct of all the new
homes, Vincent Ignizio said. He is working with Mayor Michael Bloomberg to
develop a new school complex, with grades kindergarten through 12 , on the
South Shore.
While development remains at the core of his campaign, Manny
Innamorato has also been expressing concern about property taxes. For years,
the city property tax rate for homeowners was reasonable, but he said “we’re
starting to see that our numbers are creeping up.” If that continues, he
worries that people will start to leave the city for New Jersey” and,
Innamorato said, that’s the last thing we want to see.”
NAME GAME
Aside from the development debate, one of the biggest
controversies in the race has been Emanuele Innamorato’s name. The candidate
sought to appear on the ballot as Manny Innamorato, the name by which he says
he has been known since high school. When the Board of Elections rebuffed his
bid, the candidate took the issue to court. There a state Supreme Court judge
ruled in his favor, declaring the ballot should be changed. The Staten Island
Advance reported, it will cost the Board of Election $35,000 to make the
switch.
THE RACE
In his campaign, Ignizio points to his accomplishments as a
City Council aide, helping to bring, preserve open space and limit new
construction on Staten Island. He said that as a council aide he worked on the
first applications for down zoning and will continue to pursue such policies as
a council member.
Innamorato is skeptical. During 30 years of Republican
leadership, he said, “overdevelopment has gotten worse. Traffic has gotten
worse.” Republicans only acted, he said, when problems reached a “fever pitch.”
So far both candidates have lined up endorsements from
members of their party, with Michael Bloomberg and Staten Island Republicans
backing Ignizio and Senator Charles Schumer supporting Innamorato. The Independence
Party and Working Families Party also support the Democrat. With more than
$58,000, Ignizio has raised three times the amount that Manny Innamorato has.
CHANGING PLACES
Vincent Ignizio’s campaign surprises some who question why a
politicians would want to give up a seat in the State Assembly – which,
dysfunctional or not, is virtually a lifetime tenure -- for a term-limited seat
on City Council. Ignizio said he thinks he could do more for his community on
the City Council. Being a minority member of the City Council, even when the
margin is 48 Democrats to three Republicans, is not the same as being a
Republican in the State Assembly, according to Ignizio. “The City Council is a
much more progressive body and a much more bipartisan body that the State
Assembly,” he said.
A victory by Vincent Ignizio would have an interesting
ripple effect. If he wins, there will almost certainly be yet another special
election, that one to fill his seat in the legislature.
• • • • •
Vincent Ignizio: A longtime resident of Staten Island’s
south shore, Ignizio worked for City Council and served as chief of staff for
Andrew Lanza, whose seat he now hopes to fill. He has been a member of the New
York State Assembly since 2005. He also serves as chair of Richmond County
Republican Party.
Emanuele “Manny” Innamorato: A lifelong resident of Staten
Island Inamorato formerly worked for the New York City Department of
Transportation. He is now director of technology for the city of Yonkers. Innamorato
ran against Vincent Ignizio for the State Assembly in 2004.
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