Mayoral, Beep, Council Hopefuls Meet JPCA
Three candidates for public office in citywide elections this year-including a mayoral hopeful-made their case to potential voters in Maspeth and Middle Village during last Thursday’s (Apr. 18) Juniper Park Civic Association meeting at Our Lady of Hope School in Middle Village.
Former MTA Chairperson Joseph Lhota, a Republican candidate for mayor, and City Council Member Peter Vallone Jr., one of seven Democratic candidates for Queens borough president, stumped for votes along with JPCA member Craig Caruana, a Republican running for City Council.
Lhota: Make city ‘responsive’
Lhota previously served in city government during the administration of former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani as director of the Office of Management and Budget and later as deputy mayor. He stated he had a different governing philosophy than the current mayor, Michael Bloomberg, whom he said delegates authority to the various commissioners of city government.
“With Giuliani, the commissioners worked for us,” Lhota said. He stated he would work to make the various city agencies-and the government as a whole “more responsive to the people of New York City.”
The former MTA chairman claimed the progress in fighting crime made under Giuliani and later Mayor Michael Bloomberg was in jeopardy, and that he would work to keep a “laser-like focus” on maintaining public safety.
“In the last two years, every area of felony crime has gone up” across the city, Lhota said, adding that he would work to hire more police officers if elected.
Regarding the city’s budget, Lhota noted that spending in the city has doubled from $33 billion at the conclusion of the Giuliani administration in 2001 to $70 billion. Taxes have increased as the city budget has grown, he stated, claiming that present tax policies are stymying businesses and hindering economic growth.
Lhota stated he would work to reform the city’s public school system by introducing programs such as merit pay for teachers, new training programs and apprenticeships to improve the quality of education.
The candidate also touted his experience in dealing with the city’s two biggest crises of the 21st century. As deputy mayor during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Lhota stated, he worked to get city government “up and running” in the aftermath of the World Trade Center’s destruction, ensuring that services from sanitation collection to food deliveries went on as normal.
While MTA chairperson, Lhota stated he worked to formulate a disaster plan which proved helpful after Hurricane Sandy struck last October. However, he stated “the men and women of the MTA deserve all the credite for getting everything up and running.”
“It happened because of the planning we did all summer long,” Lhota said. He was, however, critical of the city’s overall response to the areas hardest hit by the storm-including the Rockaways and Staten Island- in which it took days for city resources to arrive in the zones.
“That’s not going to be an issue when I’m mayor,” he said.
Vallone touts ‘law and order’
Turning to the Queens borough president’s race, Vallone-an Astoria based City Council member who serves as chair of the Public Safety Committee-proclaimed himself to be a “law and order” candidate who pledged to make crime-fighting a top priority.
“Public safety has to be our number one priority,” said Vallone, a former prosecutor who noted he has been campaigning for the city to hire additional police officers. With the NYPD roster down to just under 35,000-about 6,000 fewer than the roster back in 2001-he warned the depleted police force is a contributing factor to recent increases in crime citywide.
“It’s inexcusable that our precincts, especially in Queens, are down to half-strength,” Vallone said. He added a beefed-up NYPD is more important in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings to ensure that the department has enough officers to help fight and prevent terrorism.
The Council member also touted his background as a former small business owner; before being elected, he ran his family’s law firm. Vallone vowed to fight policies which he claim harm small businesses, including higher taxes and government mandates.
Citing one example, Vallone mentioned his opposition to a City Council bill outlawing businesses from discriminating against the unemployed. He argued that the policy would hurt both businesses and the unemployed, as businesses would be hit with undue penalties and dissuaded from interviewing candidates who do not have jobs.
Describing himself as a conservative Democrat, Vallone pledged to use his office as a “bully pulpit” to promote policies benefiting Queens and secure resources the borough requires.
“I’m going to make sure our borough has an advocate that gets things done,” he said, going on to note that, “I will be the president of 2.2 million people. When I speak, they (the city) are going to listen.”
Caruana on water rate hikes
Caruana, a Republican challenging City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley for her 30th City Council District seat, briefly spoke about his plans for the office, if elected.
The candidate-who previously worked at the Pentagon and has written articles for the JPCA’s quarterly magazine, The Juniper Berry-stated he would work to improve constituent services. He also took aim the recently-proposed water rate hike, observing that the rate has been increased on average by 7.5 percent every year since 2001.
“Half of the DEP’s (Department of Environmental Protection) budget goes to debt services,” Caruana said. “That may be a very good explanation, but what is the answer?” he added, questioning how the revenue from increased water rates is specifically used by the DEP and the city.
The candidate said he would work to get answers to questions regarding the DEP and work to make sure they operate on a stable budget without continued increases to water rates.
Shoveling snow for seniors
With the worst winter weather seemingly behind the city, the Juniper Juniors-the JPCA’s youth group- is partnering with the Mayor’s Service Office on a program to arrange for volunteers to shovel snow from the sidewalks of homebound seniors next winter.
Amy Furman of the Mayor’s Service Office outlined the Snow Removal
Initiative, which is one of a series of programs organized by the office to promote “neighbors helping neighbors” across the city.
The Juniper Juniors, under the direction of JPCA board member Len Santoro, are partnering with the NYC Service Office next winter to offer volunteers to shovel snow from the sidewalks of elderly residents in the Maspeth/Middle Village area who are either homebound or physically unable to complete the task.
Furman explained that each Juniper Junior volunteer will be “matched” to seniors living no further than a 15-minute walk from their home. Seniors can request shoveling through the program by contacting the JPCA or the city’s 311 hotline.
Whenever significant snow falls, Furman stated, the volunteers will be contacted and assigned to visit a participating home. Seniors will be asked to leave shovels and other related equipment outside so the volunteers can do their job.
NYC Service also offers a full array of other volunteer activities, including programs related to the ongoing Hurricane Sandy rebuilding effort, Furman said. Citizens can also take part in the “Timebank” program in which they can earn other services for every hour they volunteer.
For more information, call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov.
Water line protection
Karen Ellis of the DEP explained a sewer line protection program for eligible homeowners which can help them save thousands of dollars should the connections to sewer and water mains and their homes rupture for any reason.
The optional program, which is overseen by American Water Resources (AWR), acts much like a warranty program. According to Ellis, homeowners who participate pay a monthly fee on their water bill covering the expenses of any necessary repairs to their connections of water and/or sewer lines.
Should a problem be found that requires a repair, Ellis stated, AWR will perform the maintenance at no additional cost to the homeowner. The city makes just 11 cents per month per contract for administrative costs.
For more information on the program or to register, call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov/dep.
The next Juniper Park Civic Association meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday night, June 13, at 7:45 p.m. at Our Lady of Hope School, located at the corner of Eliot Avenue and 71st Street in Middle Village. For more information, visit www.junipercivic.com or call 1-718-651-5865.
