Where Do We Go From Here?; Queens Pols Speak Out On Election

With the worlds attention focused on the political and legal maneuvering in Florida over the too-close-to-call national election, Queens legislators offered their views of the outcome.
Congressman Gary Ackerman, Democrat of Bayside, reported to The Queens Courier that he spoke with vice presidential nominee Joe Lieberman.
"I spoke to him about the current election quagmire," Ackerman said, "and he was very confident that the Democrats legal position is very strong, based on the constitutional notion that everybodys vote in America should be counted."
The Bayside Democrat said the case is not a matter of the Democrats or the Republicans winning. He added that regardless of who wins the world will go on. But its more a matter in the minds of most people that this stalemate end in a fair and just manner.
"Even if the Democrats lose, the people must know that all the votes were counted," he said.
Ackerman said a federal judge will most likely consolidate all the lawsuits into one and the case will probably be heard. But, the congressman said, whoever loses will claim that the process was unfair and that their arguments were correct.
"However, when its over, the loser must step aside gracefully so the business of our nation can finally move on," he said.
Congressman Gregory W. Meeks, a St. Albans Democrat, said that "every vote should be counted and no one should be disenfranchised."
Meeks called the Republicans "hypocrites" for being the first party going to court after having promised not to do so. He stressed the integrity of the voting process.
"In other countries," he said, "there would be a coup and tanks rolling down the street."
City Council Speaker Peter F. Vallone, a Democrat from Astoria, called upon Governor George W. Bush to drop legal action and allow an accurate count to go forward.
"The institutions of our government are strong and we have nothing to fear from an exhaustive and diligent vote count, even if it takes a week or two."
He concluded that the country needed an honest count, not litigation.
On the Republican side, State Senator Serphin R. Maltese of Glendale, chair of the Senate Elections Committee, called himself a staunch advocate of the electoral college system.
"I believe that no change is necessary," he said. "The electoral college provides stability to our voting process and confers legitimacy on the winner."
Maltese warned that we could be mired in the middle of a nationwide recount, with ballots impounded throughout the country if the electoral college was bypassed.
"I would certainly proceed with great caution when changing our system of voting both nationally and here at home," Maltese said.
Queens voters gave Vice President Al Gore 377,295 (74%) of the vote and 115,268 (23%) for Governor Bush.