By Patrick Donachie
Jon Kaiman said the challenges he has faced throughout his political career make him uniquely suited to be the Democratic candidate in the race to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Melville) in a district that includes parts of northeastern Queens.
“Where do I go next after all these great challenges that I’ve been involved with? Well, what’s the most hated, challenging body in the America today?” he said. “I’d say the United States Congress is one of them.”
Kaiman, who joined the editor and several reporters from the TimesLedger for an interview at the paper’s office, is one of five candidates competing in the June 28 Democratic primary. The 3rd Congressional District is primarily in Nassau and Suffolk counties, but covers parts of northeastern Queens, including Little Neck, Glen Oaks, Bay Terrace, Floral Park and Whitestone.
Kaiman served as North Hempstead’s town supervisor for 10 years, where he said he balanced the budget and maintained solid credit ratings through a troubled economic period in the nation. He also served for two years as a judge for the Nassau County District Court prior to his role as town supervisor.
Kaiman touted the creation of Project Independence as one of the most notable successes during his time as town supervisor. The program enables seniors to dial 311 to attain a range of services that includes free or reduced-fare rides for food shopping or medical visits and other medical, social, psychological and physical needs. Kaiman said the goal was to help seniors “age in place” with stability and security.
The program was initially funded with a federal grant that Kaiman used to rent all the cabs in New Hyde Park for a number of hours each day to be used by seniors. In its first two years, senior participation in the program jumped from 2,000 to 25,000 people, he said.
In 2013, Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed Kaiman as an adviser to help Long Island communities recover from the effects of Superstorm Sandy, a role he said required him to build “a government within a government” from the ground up.
“The goal is to govern responsibly,” he said. “I believe I know how government works at many different levels.”
Kaiman also touched on several issues he believed were common between the Long Island and Queens sections of the congressional district, as well as points of distinction. One commonality, he said, was the restrictions the federal government places on residents living in co-ops.
“The federal government doesn’t have any understanding, appreciation or definition for a co-op,” he said, noting that New York’s usage of co-ops differed from most of the rest of the country, where the designation is typically made on farmland property.
Kaiman said he would like to work on a Congressional education committee. He said the controversies involving the Common Core curriculum were prevalent in Long Island, while parents in the Queens part of the district were concerned with how test scores might hinder student performance, as well as how resources were allocated.
He also expressed support for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, which helps undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children attain legal status. Kaiman said that the tenor of the current political climate could have unforeseen economic consequences and decried the state of the dialogue concerning immigration in the country.
“There’s a sense that people on the left and right know what’s right,” he said. “But because of the politics of the day, that means they’re not willing to do that.”
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona
