By Peter A. Sutters Jr.
“I need your support,” said Bloomberg to members gathered at the club's 130th anniversary dinner party at Antun's catering hall. Last week the Queens County Republican Party endorsed Thomas Ognibene, a former Middle Village councilman who recently announced his candidacy for mayor. Ognibene is considered to be a more conservative candidate than Bloomberg, who had been a lifelong Democrat before switching parties to run for mayor in 2001.Bloomberg did pick up endorsements from a splinter faction of Queens Republicans led by powerful state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose). The Queens Village Republican Club has not yet endorsed a candidate, according to a spokeswoman in its office. Bloomberg used his Queens Village appearance to highlight his achievements while in office and to voice his opinion that Republicans in New York City need to lead more from the center.”Republicans in New York are different than Republicans in the rest of the country,” said Bloomberg.”You can't be on the extremes of either side,” he said. “You can't be everything to everybody.”Bloomberg touted his record on improving public schools, lowering crime and improving the business climate in the post-Sept. 11 era while cutting city spending.”When I came to office, smoke was still coming out of the World Trade Center site and people thought businesses would leave,” said Bloomberg. “But they didn't.”He backed up that claim by saying that commercial vacancy rates in the city are lower than rates in other large cities around the country.The mayor said that $3.5 to $4 billion has been cut in spending from city funds since he took office and he is looking for ways to trim an additional $1 billion.”We have found ways to do more with less,” said Bloomberg. Blooomberg also spoke of reforms he would like to see take place in the educational system by ending social promotion in fifth grade after a successful effort to eliminate the policy in third grades across the city.Social promotions are given to students who may not have passed the required test to advance to the next grade but are allowed to by teachers and principals in order for them to keep pace with their peers.”We need to raise the standards in this city,” said Bloomberg. “If you have to work toward a higher standard, you will.” Reach reporter Peter A. Sutters Jr. by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300 Ext. 173.
