BSR_p004

BSM05182017

4 MAY 12 – MAY 18, 2017 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP Council candidates speak at Shore Hill forum BY JONATHAN SPERLING EDITORIALBROOKLYNREPORTER.COM Seven candidates for the 43rd District of the New York City Council seat appeared at a candidate forum hosted on Tuesday, May 9. The seat is currently occupied by Councilmember Vincent Gentile, who is term-limited. The event, held at Shore Hill, was moderated by Peter Killen, president of AARP Chapter 3630. Republican candidates present were Bob Capano, Liam McCabe and John Quaglione. Democratic hopefuls on hand were Reverend Khader El-Yateem, Justin Brannan, Nancy Tong and Kevin Peter Carroll. First to speak was Brannan, a Bay Ridge native and small business owner who has worked as chief of sta to Gentile. Brannan quickly summarized his involvement in the community, including his co-founding of the Bay Ridge Democrats and Bay Ridge Cares. “Growing up here, I saw people struggling to get by,” said Brannan. “That really colored how I became and how I grew up, the things I saw in the world and the things I want to fi x. Everyone deserves a good job, a roof over their heads and food on their table. People working 40 hours a week should not be living in poverty.” Next to speak was Capano, a Bay Ridge native and graduate of Xaverian High School who has served as president of the 68th Precinct Youth Council, as well as vice president of the Bay Ridge Consumer Federation. An advocate for charter schools, rather than raising taxes and “strangling” small businesses, Capano wishes to expand the tax base in order to grow businesses. “I fi rmly believe that Mayor Bill de Blasio’s progressive policies are progressively bad for New York City,” said Capano. “We need to do a much better job of guarding taxpayer funds.” Third to speak was Carroll, a Brooklyn native and district leader of the 64th Assembly District. Carroll mentioned his service on Community Board 10, the Bay Ridge Community Council and the Shore Road Conservancy. Among the issues Carroll BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photos by John Quaglione. wishes to tackle is a lack of a ordable housing. “People don’t want to leave Bay Ridge, they’re forced to leave Bay Ridge for a variety of reasons,” said Carroll. “As councilman, I’m going to make it a top priority of mine to fi nd spots around the whole district for senior housing.” Carroll also mentioned potential improvements to the education system, including the creation of a PTA council that would span the entire district. He was followed by El-Yateem, who has served as the pastor of Bay Ridge’s Salam Arabic Lutheran Church for 22 years and who co-founded the Unity Task Force, which brings together Christians, Muslims, Jews, elected o cials and police in order to solve issues together. “I have seen the issues, I’ve seen a lot of people in our community not heard, recognized, engaged or involved,” said El-Yateem. “This is the time for me as a community leader to take these issues from the pulpit to City Hall.” El-Yateem stated that he would make keeping illegal drugs out of the community a priority, as well as retaining the community’s affordability and halting “greedy” developers. Next to speak was McCabe, a Bay Ridge native who attended Our Lady of Angels Catholic School. He noted that a gap exists in a ordable housing for the district’s constituency. “We have a continuously retiring community in this district, but we also have a lot of young people moving in. I would like to bridge the gap,” said McCabe. “I’d like to get some of our younger people to volunteer more here and at some of those programs so that we can connect the past with the future.” Following McCabe was Quaglione, who serves as deputy chief of sta to State Senator Marty Golden. Quaglione has worked with the Guild for Exceptional Children and Saint Anselm Catholic Academy. He called the city budget a “runaway train” and called out Mayor De Blasio’s Pre-K for All program. “There’s a point where parents have to take responsibility for their children, not the city,” said Quaglione. If elected, Quaglione proposes to have more police assigned to local precincts to combat quality-of-life crimes. The fi nal candidate to speak was Tong, the district leader of the 47th Assembly District. A consistent volunteer for schools and seniors, she has also worked as the community relations director within the district she currently serves. “No matter where you live in Brooklyn, the issues are all going to be the same, one way or another,” said Tong. “You live in Bay Ridge, there’s train problems. You live in Bensonhurst, train problems. Unity is what we need.” Tong brought up the issue of a lack of housing and community centers for senior citizens in the community. She is a supporter of universal Pre-K. The New York City Council primary is September 12. Jonathan Sperling The Reverend Khader El-Yateem. LOANS AVAILABLE $ 5,000 $ 10,000 $ 15,000 $ 20,000 $ 25,000 $ 30,000 Replace your car Expand a Business Educate a Child Improve a Store Furnish a Home Help a Relative Build a Future $15,000 Applications available 24/7. 1750 86th Street Brooklyn, NY 11214 718-680-2121 1609 Avenue Z Brooklyn, NY 11235 718-934-6809 www.brfcu.org


BSM05182017
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