Come Meet NYC Candidates For Mayor, Public Advocate, Borough President, Comptroller and City Council At Roosevelt Island Forum Following Tonight's OEM Hurricane Preparedness And Evacuation Presentation

Reported yesterday on NYC Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Roosevelt Island Hurricane Preparedness and Evacuation presentation tonight starting 6:30 PM at the Manhattan Park Community Theater Club (8 River Road).

Following the OEM Presentation, a NYC Candidate's Forum will be held. Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Ellen Polivy reports:

It is looking like our Government relations committee pulled this off. Thanks to Joe Strong we have a impressive lineup of candidates either coming definitely or possibly coming if their schedule allows..

Christine Quinn-Mayor -possibly

John Liu-Mayor-definite

Reshma Saujani-Public Advocate-definite

Dan Squadron - Public Advocate-definite

Ed Hartzog- City Council-definite

Ben Kallos- City Council-definite

Micah Kellner-City Council-probably

Jessica Lappin- Borough President-probably

Scott Stringer- Comptroller- definite

The Candidates Forum will begin at 8pm and go till 10pm at Manhattan Park 8 River Road immediately following the OEM presentation. Some of these candidates will be elected and when they are in office, we need to have them remember back that Roosevelt Islanders show up. That is how we get political power.

Regarding the OEM presentation, I have already given OEM a list of questions that have been insufficiently answered in the past about our evacuation plans and they have told me that these questions will be fully addressed this time. This meeting will NOT be just about go-bags.It will have information that we need. I urge everyone to come to both meetings on Tuesday night.

6:30-7:45 OEM presentation
8-10 Candidates Forum
Manhattan Park Community Center- 8 River Road

Here's a NY Times report on 2013 NYC Mayoral debate among the Democratic Party Candidates



and report from RNN Richard French Live on the 2013 Republican Party candidates for NYC Mayor.



Any thoughts on the upcoming elections?

UPDATE 3 PM - Here's some Roosevelt Island issues I hope the NYC candidates address at tonight's forum:

1 - Affordable Housing - the new Roosevelt Island residential developments are all luxury rentals or condos. Even the "affordable housing" component of these buildings are made up of apartments only for hospital personnel at Cornell Weill and Memorial Sloan Kettering and not available to the general public. With Roosevelt Island WIRE buildings planning to leave or already left Mitchell Lama program, what will the candidates due to preserve affordable housing on Roosevelt Island?

2 - Governance - Roosevelt Island is governed by RIOC, a state public benefit corporation. Do any of the candidates support returning Roosevelt Island to the City of NY, to be governed by NYC. If so, how can that be done?

3 - Cornell - What will the candidates do to insure, as best they can, that Cornell barges most of the construction material, works with the Roosevelt Island community organizations and contributes its fair share to the finances of RIOC?

4 - Public Safety - Should Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department be replaced by NYPD. If not, how should the Public Safety Department be reformed?

5 - Transportation - How can public transportation on Roosevelt Island be improved - better subway service, additional bus service to Astoria and LIC, a ferry stop on the East River Ferry service?