Sunday, September 10, 2017

Meet The Democratic Party Primary Candidates For NYC Council District 5 Representing Roosevelt Island - Incumbent Ben Kallos And Challengers Patrick Bobilin & Gwen Goodwin - Election Is Tuesday September 12

The New York City Council Democratic Party Primary election to represent District 5, which includes Roosevelt Island,  Upper East Side, Mid-town East and East Harlem is Tuesday, September 12.


The incumbent is Mr. Ben Kallos.



According to Mr: Kallos:
When I ran for City Council, one of my campaign promises was to always keep an open office in an effort to empower residents and active community members to get more done than they ever thought possible. I am proud to say that through “First Friday”, “Brainstorm with Ben” and “Ben in Your Building” my office has done just that and we've been able to get a lot of work done together.

In 2013 I promised to invest in education, including Universal Pre-K. Three and a half years later through partnerships with the Roosevelt Island Parents Network (RIPN) and Roosevelt Island Day Nursery RIDN, we have been able to do just that, greatly expand the number of Pre-K seats on Roosevelt Island.

Lastly, I ran on improving transportation. By joining the Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) and advocating to the Economic Development Corporation ( EDC) since 2014, this summer I was proud to launch the Roosevelt Island ferry which will improve commutes for residents and offer another transportation option for residents on the Island.

I have worked hard to keep my campaign promises and really make residents feel empowered to make our neighborhoods better. Although we have accomplished a lot, there is more work to do and I look forward to partnering with residents on Roosevelt Island to get more done.

Going forward my top priorities for Roosevelt Island remain Education, Transportation, Affordable Housing, Emergency Services, Cornell NYC Tech, Public Library, Senior and Youth Programs, and of course continuing my office’s open relationship and partnership with as many residents as possible.

In education, investing in STEM at P.S./I.S. 217 by getting the multi-million-dollar green roof built and supporting our teachers and students will continue to be a priority as well as making sure Cornell Tech not only fulfills but exceeds their commitments to the Island.

I will also continue to work with CitiBike and RIOC on bringing the bike share program to Roosevelt Island. My office will continue to do everything we can to support tenants in affordable housing on Roosevelt Island and ensure that Hudson Related builds the affordable housing for the Island that is years overdue.
Mr. Kallos is opposed by Mr Patrick Bobilin and Ms. Gwen Goodwin.


According to Mr. Bobilin:
Under our current city council member, we've seen rampant luxury development, a lead crisis in our schools go untreated and one of our local public parks handed over to private developers at no cost. Last Wednesday, all candidates were invited to an hour long town hall debate on small business. The only candidate to miss the event was the incumbent, who spent the evening at a fundraiser, as a packed standing-room-only bar crowd lined up to ask questions about important local issues. We need to remind our elected officials that incumbency is not a mandate, constituents are more important than contributions and that we demand our elected officials justify their recent $40,000 raise by holding themselves responsible to our concerns.

I have been an activist and organizer since before I could vote. Elected officials and appointed authorities, with real estate contributions lining their pockets, wish to dissipate our belief in what is possible. In the wake of the energy created by Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign and the historic win by the Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour Party in the UK, we are reminded that a better world is possible. If we fail to nominate working class people, for whom poverty isn't an abstract concept but a lived experience, lower- and middle-income New Yorkers will continue to be overlooked when their interests are placed against the interests of wealthy donors and real estate developers.

Writing legislation to give yourself a $40,000 pay raise, while lobbyists continue to pour money into campaign coffers, isn't any kind of substantial reform. Telegraphing support from the same top cop who hid evidence that would have led to the conviction of Eric Garner's murderer is anything but progressive. Lacking the courage to attend a town hall where constituents could ask questions directly, without being reviewed by staff, isn't anything resembling Democratic. So what is our incentive to continue to cast votes for establishment Democrats who don't represent the interests of any but the wealthiest of their constituents? With a wealthy real estate developer as president, we can no longer afford to get behind elected officials who fail to represent the interests of millions of New Yorkers living paycheck-to-paycheck.



According to Ms. Goodwin:
I love Roosevelt Island. I love the spirit of the people who care so deeply about the community, and who show up. I share that spirit with the local residence. I admire the Islanders who come out to the meetings and participate and I appreciate the support that I have gotten so far. Let’s preserve the spirit of FDR, for whom this Island is named.

WHAT I WILL DO WHEN I AM ELECTED:

Let’s address the housing issues before they get any more out of hand. I will work towards enabling seniors to age in place, so that they do not lose their homes. I will work to create more affordable housing, and to preserve what is left and sustainable of affordable housing.

One City, One Fare! Don’t miss the boat, Give Gwen your vote.

I will work towards renegotiating a better deal with the Cornell that works both for the residents and the investors. Citibank, Google and Cornell certainly have the ability to fulfill their financial responsibilities. Let’s ALL be good neighbors.

Let’s get those escalators in the garage fixed and the bathrooms painted and renovated.

I want to see a percentage of the business profits charged as rent, instead of everyone paying a uniform $42 per square foot, which has left store fronts empty for forty years.

What I have done:
  • I arranged free mini-vacations in Cape May for Fire Fighters and other first responders to 911
  • I saved P.S. 109 schoolhouse, reversing a NY City School Construction Authority demolition in progress.
  • I got the prestigious law firm Davis, Polk and Wardwell, pro bono, to sue the MTA for environmental racism.
  • I got the gas power turned on at Lexington Houses in August 2013, after it had been off for two months!
  • And much more: See my website gwengoodwin.com. I have done all this as a private citizen. Imagine what could be accomplished with Gwen as your City Council rep!
Please come out and vote for me, Gwen Goodwin, in the Sept. 12 Democratic Party Primary.
Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Government Relations Committee Chair Joyce Short moderated a debate between the Democratic Party candidates of NYC Council District 5. Here's the debate.



Voting location for Roosevelt Island residents is at PS/IS 217 (645 Main Street) except for residents of the Octagon Building who vote at Coler Hospital (900 Main Street)

By ROOSEVELT ISLANDER at 1:08:00 PM

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