From the tone of the first candidate forum, District 25 incumbent Councilmember Helen Sears has her work cut out for her.
“Here’s an example of walking the walk and talking the talk,” said challenger Daniel Dromm about Sears’ efforts to help the disabled community in the district. “Helen’s district office is not even handicap accessible.”
Dromm, a district leader in Jackson Heights, and fellow candidate Stanley Kalathara, a business owner, lawyer, and president of Indo-American Democratic Committee, did not mince words when describing Sears’ work in the district for the last eight years.
Sears, who has represented parts of Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst, Rego Park, Woodside, and Corona, spent more time defending her record on issues such as the local economy, education, crime, youth and recreation, and Con Ed, among others, than talking about her goals if re-elected.
Sears pointed to her years on the transportation committee in the City Council and how she helped get medallion taxis to become wheelchair accessible. She highlighted her continuous battle for a ramp at the Jackson Heights Post Office and the success of getting an elevator in the 74th Street/Roosevelt subway station.
“It took 15 years to get an elevator in there,” she said. “It works and it doesn’t, but it’s better than what we had.”
Dromm pointed to his history of standing up for special education students and working with the 82nd Street Business Improvement District to get ramps in front of stores. Stanley Kalathara said concisely, “I agree with both and I’ll do a better job.”
The friendly banter between the three out of five candidates – Alfonso Quiroz and Mujib Rahman did not attend – kept the approximately 50 intergenerational and international crowd engaged. Assemblymember Jose Peralta, who publicly endorsed Dromm this past March, yielded his time to audience questions.
“What are you going to do about getting a high school in the district?” asked one person. “Would you vote for resolution 245 that grants the right to vote for non-citizens?” asked another. “Why did you vote against the lead paint resolution?”
More than once Sears found herself on her own. She said that Ivan Lafayette had led the charge for a new high school but that “geographically we’ve got no space.” Kalathara responded that Sears was “always shifting responsibility,” and Dromm said that it was important to be creative like building up or consider eminent domain.
Both Kalathara and Dromm favor the passage of resolution 245. Sears responded, “I’m here to tell you that I’m not sure where I’m on this. I haven’t given it much consideration.”
A heated debated ensued over Sears’ vote against the lead poisoning bill of 2004.
“Yes, I was one of the few who voted against and I’ll tell you the same thing I said then ‘It’s absurd that I’d want lead in children,’” said Sears, who said the city has targeted areas where incidents of lead poisoning was high versus applying the law to the entire city. She instead favored a law that would ban the importing toys from countries with no lead bill. “The fact is that it was a very bad bill.”
Dromm and Kalathara agreed that Sears had not done enough. “You see, this is what politicians do, politics as usual. Just give an answer, did you support or not support,” said Kalathara. “I don’t really think you focus on the community.”
After the forum, the feedback from the crowd was consistent.
One 30-year resident of Jackson Heights, who did not want to give her name, said that Kalathara was funny and that despite voting for Sears in the past, this year she’ll vote for Dromm.
Mary Jo Brookes, a resident of Jackson Heights for 19 years, thought the candidates did well. “They gave good answers,” she said.
Bing Wong, a resident of Elmhurst for 20 years, said that Kalathara’s statements would make people remember him. He then added more analysis on the forum.
“Helen Sears did not do a good job,” Wong said. “But the [Democratic] Party must support her. She’s the incumbent.”
