Letter to the Editor (Queens Tribune):
In his campaign kickoff for the City Council 19th District, Paul Vallone correctly points out the importance of small businesses. (The Race for District 19 Heats Up - Queens Tribune Jan. 10-16). If Mr. Vallone wished to be taken as a serious candidate, not simply predicated upon nepotism, he is challenged to state publicly here and now his position on the following important Queens issues:
First, Mayor Michael Bloomberg does not believe small business is the backbone of our economy and has made it clear his true constituency is real estate moguls and big business. He has no interest in the poor, the middle class and small business. His ill advised Willets Point proposal, which would destroy over 200 small businesses and the livelihood of thousands of workers and their families, is a case in point. While initially portrayed as including some affordable housing, Bloomberg has engaged in an unparalleled lack of transparency and finagling for which he should be ashamed. Housing, if any, will not occur if at all until 2025. Instead he now plans to allow the Mets to vacate its parking lot, which incidentally is on parkland, and arrange for parking in Willets Point, where his initial proposal will not take place for many years. On the current Mets parking lot, the Mets will construct with hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars and subsidies, a shopping mall, so much for the all the small businesses on Northern Boulevard and the mall on 20th Avenue in Whitestone. Mr. Vallone should make it clear where he stands on Willets Point. Will he stand up for the small businesses and the poor and the middle class or will he go the way of Bloomberg? This issue is still open and the small businesses can still be preserved.
Second, eminent domain has traditionally been used by government for a public purpose. That concept has been wrongfully skewered by using it for strictly commercial purposes. Many municipalities have enacted legislation prohibiting the taking for commercial purposes, but not New York City. Condemnation never impacts upon the wealthy, only the poor and the middle class, for example Willets Point. Indeed in the case of Willets Point the Mayor's argument - the area was a blight - was a sham because it was the city's neglect that caused the blight which could have been repaired if the city used the tax dollars it extracted from the area to maintain it properly. Will Mr. Vallone seek legislation to prohibit condemnation for private for-profit businesses and never when it is the City that causes the claimed blight?
Third, it is the poor and the middle class that do not have homes in the Hamptons and need full use of Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Will Mr. Vallone step and help to prevent the ongoing prostitution of this much needed park and oppose the MLS in the park and the further expansion of the USTA in the park, and make it clear once and for all enough is enough, no more intrusions in the park?
Mr. Vallone, the public awaits your answers.
Benjamin M. Haber,
Flushing
38 comments:
Willets Point is not in District 19
Why isn't this letter directed at Julissa Ferraras, Willets Point is in her district, oh and btw her mentor, Peralta, is already in bed with MLS, and she was in on the action with Monserrat if you know what I mean. Will someone please CC Peter Koo so we can take Haberman's letter serious. He should be on this as well.
Who are the other two schlongs flanking Paulie...
who've been playing "hide the salami" with the voters?
Note:
For those unfamiliar with the "salami" reference, it means sticking it to us.
None of them reply to emails or phone calls. I wonder why.
Vallone is the consummate politician.
He'll give you the answers you want to hear.
Will he deliver what you want, should he get elected?
Given the choice between betraying his own ambitions and betraying the public trust--which option do you think he will take?
VOTE WISELY!
The broken promise is the bane of most politicos!
As long as the Vallone family's "small business" is supported by developers they've been lobbying for.
Forget about Bloomberg.Bring it closer to home.
The Vallones have lobbied for real estate moguls!
Don Paulo didn't even bother to show up for the redistricting commission's hearing...that's how much he cares for us!
This political mafia dynasty CANNOT be handed northeast Queens.
They've already buried Astoria-LIC in crap.
Drive this strip miner from our nabe!
The Vallones possess a sense of royal entitlement.
Nepotism is no substitute for being qualified to HONESTLY represent us in the city council.
Their track record representing DEVELOPERS
speaks for itself.
Before you cast your ballots, ask yourselves,
"What has Paul done for me lately as a CB 7 member"?
Unless you count selling out Whitestone residents
to Joseph Franco's White House Restaurant mega expansion...not very much.
He voted for Franco over his neighbors' protests.
Nifty move!
So, the Vallones are branding themselves
like Proctor and Gamble Company's soap products.
Well, don't fall for their slick "soft soaping"!
You'll wind up getting stuck in the rear if you do!
Then it'll be too late to do anything about it.
It's directed at Paul because these are citywide issues and because a mall/stadium, etc will directly affect businesses and traffic in his district, should he be elected.
It's ONLY IF you indicate that want to retain the Vallone law firm, will they return your e-mails or phone calls.
If this is the kind of lousy service you get now, just imagine how you'll be IGNORED if Paul gets elected to "represent" you.
If you are a DEVELOPER, however, you will receive CARTE BLANCHE service!
OOOOOOOO & XXXXXXXX, Mr. Wilpon !!!
That's quite a family portrait there.
Pete Sr. is on the left and Pete Jr. is on the right.
Do you get the picture now?
It's la familglia di fong goola!
Maddona mia...and they've been giving it to us Astorians for decades!
OUCH!
Notice how the Franco property is being stalled? Ask yourself why? Do Paulie V and Danny boy in cahoots with him? Don't be fooled Dan Peter and Paul are all in this together.
Who are the guys in the pic? Is one of them MUSS development official?
Paul wasn't at the redistricting meeting and Dan didn't know what he was saying when he gave his testimony.
Paul's BFF is chuck Appellian LAND USE CHAIR for the infamous developer loving CB 7. Money in whose pockets?
Again the only game in town are guys or girls who are not part of the system.
Write in someone good ad throw these shits out of out community.
It matters not, whether Willets Point is located within District 19. If elected to the Council, Paul Vallone will have a VOTE on the revised Willets Point proposal -- which now requires 40+ acres of parkland, displaces 100+ functioning businesses, may involve eminent domain for economic development purposes (which the U.S. House of Representatives has voted to prohibit), creation of huge amounts of traffic and other negative impacts whose effects will be felt well beyond Willets Point.
Considering all of the above controversial factors, and that the Willets Point project will have -- and is intended to have -- City-wide impacts, the questions raised by Haber's letter and directed at Paul Vallone are indeed appropriate.
The mayor has inexhaustible contempt for small businesses especially for the working men of the licensed trades.
Look no further than the Department of Buildings where they recently increased exam fees for applicants of the electrician, plumbing and other trades. With Bloomberg's total complicity, DOB increased exam fees for all trades from $200 to more than $1200.
How could these people even afford these fees? Bloomberg has nickel and dimed the middle class and balanced the budget on their back forever!
Is Paul Vallone willing to take a stand against this mayor on his incessant attacks on the middle class working people? In my opinion, I doubt it.
Alfredo Centola. If you don't step up I am going to open a Write In for City Council Headquarters on 14th Avenue. I am going to set up a Pac and make and put out "write in al centola" lawn signs on every lawn from malba to little neck. We need to move Now. We need Alfredo!!!!
I'm still leaning toward John Duane.
Hey, want to get the full picture?
Go to Peter Vallone Jr Facebook and look at 5000 friends fawning all over him.
Warning: you need a strong stomach.
Want some fun? Go ahead and start to post on it and watch the locals get stupid at you.
Why the Vallones do Bloomberg's bidding.
Paul Vallone plays along with cb7 who plays along with the developers. Vallone has done nothing for the District 19 community since he moved here. What do you think he'll do if he gets elected?
#18 if you are leaning John Duane,you are leaning FAR LEFT/LIBERAL/PROGRESSIVE.
A PAC and an open campaign to write in Afredo Centola is the right way to go. Leave the party dregs in the dust. Centola would only need 500 votes to throw any election into a tail spin and 1000 votes to win. Lets just write him in.
#1.
Is candidate Vallone eager to convey the impression that he ACTUALLY lives within the Broadway-Flushing neighborhood, for political reasons?
#2.
Is Paul Vallone a PAID-UP member
of the Broadway-Flushing Homeowners' Association (BFHA)?
#3.
Does he ever bother to ATTEND any BFHA meetings
when he's not running for office?
C'mon...
Centola will just water down the voting...
and insure that the Devil will win.
Grow up and get real. Al is unelectable.
Yeah, do a "write-in"....
and throw away your vote in the trash can
as you exit the polling place.
It's a pointless measure.
Here we go again...
Mr. Far Left Liberal Progressive, blows off some abdominal gas again.
Crawl back into your 1950s cave an finish your nap, grandpa.
Who needs a PAC. If everyone here goes on the vista website they can order a dozen or so lawn signs on the cheap.
You distribute to your neighbors and friends.
If he gets something like 1350 votes he stands a shot to win
I'm sure if that happens he will accept.
If he losses it sends a strong clear message that the people have had enough and the next time around is not guaranteed that the party candidate wins
Either way its a win win for the voters.
Al Centola. Write in candidate for city council
Time for real change!
Merely being an outspoken candidate
DOES NOT guarantee him a victory.
Maybe "write in" candidate Centola will walk away with .00005 % of the vote.
Next "intelligent" choice please!
I'd rather write a check and give a donation to a candidate that has a real chance of winning.
Centola's a great guy but a total write off.
I didn't make the damn rules but that's the way elections work.
It's the guy with the most $$$$$$$$$ that wins!
The Vallones own enough political turf in Queens as it is, without giving their dynasty even more.
Otherwise be prepared for the new 5 boroughs....
Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island VALLONIA, Manhattan!
"Hail, hail, Vallonia, my home sweet home".
It sounds a lot like a Marx Brothers film....doesn't it?
Unfortunately, THIS AIN'T NO COMEDY folks!
Paul's dome must have turned
a bright crimson red by now....reading all this stuff !
If you are content with what Astoria looks like, then by all means, vote for Vallone.
He's bound to support his law firm's clients (block busting developers) over his constituents desires.
You might wind up facing a similar type of congestion that exists along Steinway Street before very long.
For the moment, I'd take Halloran over Vallone,
unless a better candidate steps up to the plate.
Halloran and Vallone are representing the same interests. Halloran and Vallone both supported Franco's Whitehouse project against the people's wishes. A project which by the way has been stalled until after the elections. Ask yourselves why!
It doesn't have to be Centola as a write it. It can be anyone you want.
I go w al because of his honest tenacity.
If I remember correctly, Al supported Franco too...
Absolutely not! I was asked by Pat Carpentiere (then president of Greater Whitestone Taxpayers) to come to the community board meeting that evening and support it. I informed Pat that I didn't know enough about the project to speak in favor or against it at that time. I also informed Pat, that I would need more info and then bring it back to the membership of our group before speaking on the issue.
After the uproar, and more information becoming available. I have been on record repeatedly stating that Mr. Franco should consider building a restaurant with a private party room. Ive commented on this blog several times and each time stated that a restaurant with a party room would be more in tune with the community.
Ive had discussions with Councilman Hallorans office stating the same exact thing.
Mr. Franco is a smart businessman who ran an excellent restaurant/catering hall. He could easily turn the former Whitehouse dump into an upscale eatery with a party room or two and it
A) be profitable
B) Fit within our community and its needs.
I am, and have been on record as saying the above.
Thank you,
So far, Halloran and Vallone appear to be the only two electable choices...UNLESS....some other viable candidate comes along real soon!
For the moment my vote is for Halloran.
Yeah, he's a bit of a goofball at times, but he's made of a relatively soft and malleable material. Dan's positions on issues, can be more easily reshaped by his constituents.
Whereas Vallone is immovable cast iron...OWNED by the developers that his firm lobbies for.
Paul will sell out his constituency in a New York minute.
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