Thursday, August 1, 2013

Pro-development PAC endorses Paul Vallone

From the NY Times:

A group of real estate executives and corporate leaders, bracing for the departure of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, plans to spend up to $10 million to make sure the City Council elected this fall is friendly to business.

The organization, made up of real estate developers, property owners, banks, insurance companies, investment firms and others, has established a political action committee to direct donations to back candidates in both parties who support pro-development policies.

Called Jobs for New York, the PAC represents an aggressive new involvement in New York’s heavily regulated city elections by a major independent expenditure group. The PAC also has the support of several unions whose fortunes are tied to construction, including those representing carpenters and laborers known as mason tenders.

The effort is focused exclusively on Council races, in part because members tend to have great sway over development in their districts, but also because of the uncertainty surrounding the topsy-turvy mayoral campaign.

During his tenure, the mayor has championed a pro-development agenda, pushing dozens of rezoning measures through the Council while investing billions of dollars to nurture commercial development and affordable housing — sometimes over the objections of neighborhood residents.

The PAC effort is being spearheaded by the Real Estate Board of New York, which includes some of the most influential figures and families in the industry, including Larry A. Silverstein, the developer of the World Trade Center, Richard S. LeFrak, Daniel R. Tishman, the Speyers and the Rudins.

In an interview, Steven Spinola, the president of the real estate board, called Mr. Bloomberg’s time in City Hall a “wonderful era” and said his organization’s PAC intended to support candidates who would advance a pro-jobs, pro-development agenda similar to Mr. Bloomberg’s.


From The Real Deal:

A mere seven real estate firms — including Brookfield Office Properties, the Durst Organization and Jack Resnick & Company — donated more than half of the $5.26 million raised so far by a new political action committee backed by the Real Estate Board of New York, a review of state records by The Real Deal reveals.

Some 113 companies or individuals affiliated with 18 well-known city developers made the contributions to the PAC, called Jobs For New York, which was created to advance a pro-growth political agenda for the city, according to records filed this week with the New York State Board of Elections.

Jobs for New York has reportedly said that unions were also supporting the cause, but the donor list did not reveal any as of the latest filing in July.

Real estate firms have long fretted that once the pro-development Mayor Michael Bloomberg is out of office, a new mayor and City Council could turn away from his agenda and raise the cost of doing business in the city.


JOBS 4 NY has thus far sent out 3 mailers on behalf of Paul Vallone, none of which have to do with development, and all of which hide who they are:







The above mailer is about public safety, not development.



When you attended private school and send your kids to one as well, it's best not to try to pass yourself off as some kind of public education expert. Especially when you crib your policy positions from your opponent.



Creating good jobs, building more affordable housing and strengthening the middle class? Is that what they have been doing all these years as they destroyed jobs by pushing for conversion of M-zoned properties to residential, flooded once-affordable neighborhoods with luxury condos and chased the middle class out of NYC?  Oh, and they're also anti-landmarking. (Good luck, Broadway-Flushing.)

Vote Vallone!

Now this here is interesting. From Crains:

Austin Shafran is charging his main Democratic primary opponent, Paul Vallone, with illegally coordinating with the Jobs for New York PAC, as well as improperly reporting campaign expenditures for office rent and the purchase of voter files.

Mr. Shafran's campaign filed three complaints with the city's Campaign Finance Board, two last week and one on Monday. In the complaints, they argue that Mr. Vallone's alleged campaign finance violations should make him ineligible for public matching funds.

The charge of collusion between Mr. Vallone's campaign and the PAC is, on the surface, fairly minor, but it could be difficult for Mr. Vallone to disprove. Campaign literature paid for by Jobs for New York touting Mr. Vallone are shown to include a yellow Post-It-style sticky note with Mr. Vallone's electronic signature reading, "Sorry I missed you today, Paul," indicating the individual delivering the flier was not able to personally deliver it to a resident of the address where it was left. Identical sticky notes, which were purchased by Mr. Vallone's campaign, were affixed to the candidate's own mailers, according to photographs included in the complaints to the finance board.

The presence of the sticky notes on both Mr. Vallone's and the Jobs for New York mailers indicates that canvassers for both operations are coordinating their efforts, Mr. Shafran's campaign claims.

The more serious complaints charge that Mr. Vallone failed to adequately bill his campaign for office rent and the purchase of voter ID files. Since January, Mr. Vallone has reported spending $500 a month on office rent for his campaign, which Mr. Shafran claims is far below the market value for similar offices in the same Bayside building. Mr. Vallone's campaign, which is housed in the law firm he shares with his brother and father, would have to be a mere 127 square feet to be commensurate with the amount of money Mr. Vallone is paying in rent, Mr. Shafran claims.

In the complaint, Mr. Shafran's campaign also points out that Mr. Vallone has failed to report the purchase of a voter database that must have been necessary for canvassing and petitioning operations. While they admit there is "no direct evidence" to support this theory, Mr. Shafran's campaign notes that Mr. Vallone has been sharing "human resources" with his brother's borough president campaign, and presumes that they may be sharing voter files as well, which would be improper if the costs were not also shared.

52 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Mr. Shafran's campaign notes that Mr. Vallone has been sharing "human resources" with his brother's borough president campaign, and presumes that they may be sharing voter files as well, which would be improper if the costs were not also shared."

So he's literally robbing Peter to pay Paul?

Adam said...

Here we go again. I am trying to refrain from these ridiculous posts but sometimes I cannot help it. Where do you come up with your FALSE conspiracy theories.

Why would PV want to ruin a neighborhood he lives in?

Answer: He won't.

Done with this.

Anonymous said...

I don't know. Why would he call his neighbors the "damn Broadway-Flushing Homeowners Association?"

The few blocks surrounding his house might be safe from development, but the rest of the district is fair game. Just take a look at Astoria. The Vallones live in pristine Ditmars. The rest of Astoria looks like shit.

Adam said...

Paul never called them that. Again, FALSE accusations. Also, he wouldn't want to live NEAR an overdeveloped area.

I can never win with you phantoms, but I will not give up.

Anonymous said...

We're not phantoms, Adam.

We're residents of the 19th Council District.

We've seen what Paul Vallone has done in the district, and we're not impressed.

We watched him crash and burn in 2009 with lies, half-truths and intimidation - which he's doing all over again.

It's time to wake up, Adam. The rest of the district outside of his core Clinton Club/St. Andrew's supporters already have.

Queens Crapper said...

He most certainly did. I posted the video. And the commenter before you agreed that Vallone would never want to live near an overdeveloped area, so basically all you did with your reply is confirm what they said.

I thought you were "done with this."

Adam said...

I want to be "done" with this but its hard when you twist words around. Yea, Paul said the "damn Broadway-Flushing Homeowners Assoc." but he said it in a good way. He said it in a way that he wants to be a PART of it.

I know you guys know he meant it in the best way possible, but why twist the intent around? That is why it is hard for me to be "done with this."

What about the part where GRAZIANO wouldn't let him talk first? There you go...

Malba mom said...

From Paulie V's website: "there are improvements that can be accomplished by making sure that Queen’s schools are not short-changed repeatedly by City Hall’s budget-making processes. I will give my full attention to ensure that our students are not punished for their successes."

Improvements are made, not accomplished. And which Queen? Students punished for their successes? Huh?

Yup, I'm from B'Way-Flushing said...

"He said it in a way that he wants to be a PART of it."

Oh, we know how badly he wants to be a part of it. He was telling everyone that he was part of it and BFHA told him to knock it off. That's why he said "damn." No word twisting going on here at all.

Graziano was not required to let Paul Vallone speak first. Vallone wanted to speak first so that he could take his kid to a pizza party to celebrate the winning of a soccer game. Vallone is the coach of the team and should not have scheduled the party the same night as the candidates night. It shows poor time management skills.

Anonymous said...

What about the part where GRAZIANO wouldn't let him talk first? There you go...


Why should Graziano have let him go first? If the shoe was on the other foot, do you think Paulie V. would have let HIM go first?

I was there at the very beginning of the evening, and I can tell you this: Paul Vallone is not used to someone saying "No" to him. His loud and obnoxious comments were heard by the dozen or so people that were there.

In fact, his outburst about not getting to go first showed exactly why we shouldn't be voting for him: he's a spoiled brat.

I don't want a baby who throws a temper tantrum over the smallest of perceived slights to be my Councilmember.

Besides, maybe Graziano had his own reasons that he really wanted to go first. Ever think of that, Adam?

Anonymous said...

Why would PV want to ruin a neighborhood he lives in?


He's already helped ruin other parts of the Council District with his votes on CB7, like the White House, and his work with his family's lobbying firm, like the Bayrock "Whitepointe" property.

He even refused to help the Northeast Queens Civic fight the asshole developer across the street from his office right when he was running last time, telling them that there was no way they would win against him.

Luckily, he's as bad as predicting things as he is a lawyer, because the civic won - without his help.

In 2009, he threatened my neighbors in Broadway-Flushing, telling them that the only way they were going to get landmarked was if they supported him.

The funny thing is that he then told my neighbors two years later that he was against landmarking our neighborhood. Now, all of a sudden at the candidates night in June, he said he was for it again.

I agree that Vallone won't shit on his own block. It's the rest of northeast Queens that I'm worried about.

Adam said...

I think your guys' goal is to make me look foolish by going against every good thing I say about PV.

Breaking news: That won't deter me.

Drive or walk down most of the blocks, such as Franny Lew, Utopia, 33rd ave, etc and see all the Paul Vallone signs. I don't know why I insist on arguing with you phantoms. We know most of the town is supporting PV.

And I am sure he didn't actually threaten them, probably just informed them because this is POLITICS people.

If there is a problem in the neighborhood, PV has the POWER and family connection to fix it. All the other candidates don't.

Don't you phantoms want to feel safe? I know I do.

Jerry Rotondi said...

Real estate Pac supporting Vallone? I told you so!
PV owes his allegiance to developers--NOT YOU!
That's whose employer's check he cashes.

"Jobs 4 New York", real estate companies, construction unions, etc.--all swimming in the same waters as "THE MOB"--and, possibly, the Vallones along with them???

H-m-m-m-m! Who really knows? It could be!

Political candidates gotta get their $$$$$$ from somewhere--no?

If you do ONE THING for your nabe and the 19th councilmanic district--DO NOT give Paul Vallone your vote. You'll be sold out. Then it will be too late.

Vote for the other Paul--GRAZIANO.

He's the only candidate that DOES NOT take money from developers or their shady connections!

Anonymous said...

Adam...
PV ruined Astoria then he moved away from it to northeast Queens. When he's through shitting in his own backyard he'll move somewhere else.

La famiglia di Vallone are political strip miners.
They don't care what condition they leave the landscape in after they've moved away from it.

Haven't you sucked up to boss Vallone enough, Adam?

You must be choking by now with a mouthful of his...uh...? Well, never mind! Wipe your chin.

The Flushing Phantom said...

YAWN!

Boredom is certainly taking its toll among us QC readers. Take your own advice and give it up, Adam.

Your repeated, fantasy-world defenses of PV, are beginning to put us all to sleep.

Nobody in their right mind takes you very seriously anyway. Do you take yourself seriously? I wonder.

Perhaps you suffer from a compulsive posting disorder? If so, please get some help for yourself!
You're, obviously, not playing with a full deck at this point.

PV should be embarrassed to have an amateur imp like you standing up for him.

Mr. Vallone...please keep Mr. Lombardi on a leash.
He's badly affecting your campaign

Make no mistake about it...we've got Paul Vallone's number and he won't get many votes in "DAMN" Broadway... which he badly needs to win.

Adam, maybe you should consider going to work for County, directly. Joe Crowley might need an office aide or a go-fer errand boy.

As a political analyst-blogger, you're strictly kindergarten!

Anonymous said...

Graziano didn't let the self entitled little dirtbag speak first, and that was his right. What appoint Appellian getting up and being rude while Graziano spoke, and to the host of the event? Is not Appellian vallones representative in this election? Does he not work for him?

Also, we have seen Peter claim to have to run to one of his kids events for the last 10 years. Every year one of his kids are "graduating" and this happens at every event. So, we now the game already.

Besides if it was that important, he would have cut his bulshit down and not rambled on and on

Stop drinking the kool aid bub

a BFHA member said...

The only time you see Paul Vallone atttending a Broadway Flushing Homeowners Association (BFHA) meeting is around the time he's running for office, or he needs something from them.

Afterwards, he's the invisible man!

Anonymous said...

FU, Don Paulo, a la famiglia di Vallone!

I'll forgo the landmarking of Broadway if it comes with Paul Vallone.

God save Queens from the clutches of the villainous Vallones!

God save the northeast from il figlio di diavolo Vallone!

Anonymous said...

Who is producing Paul Vallone's printed materials...
CB7's Chuck Apelian?

Didn't Chuck's printing company do it the last time that Vallone lost the election?

It's time to chuck Chuck from the community board.

Broadway Baby said...

Dontchajustluvit?

Paul Vallone is caught with his pants down!

PHEW!

Wipe your cult leader's butt, Adam.

It's beginning to stink real bad around the 19th district.

Anonymous said...

I believe that the Shakespearean quote that fits Adam here is "Methinks the gentleman doth protest too much." I hear an ox being gored here.

Anonymous said...

Stinky for City Council!

Anonymous said...

The Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York, UFCW Local 1500 and the New York City District Council of Carpenters are labor unions that support and advise the Jobs for New York PAC. They understand that responsible development will equate into jobs for their members which in turn benefits the city's economy.

Anonymous said...

The Vallones are anti-landmarking?

Go to Old Astoria and walk around. If they do that to their neigbhorhood, what will happen to any community in Queens that should be protected - Douglaston, Bayside, Forest Hills, Jackson Heights, the list goes on.

No community in their right mind will elect these people.

Back in the 70s when they tried to landmark the area around Steinway, the Vallone clique went out of their way to spread malicious rumors to the gullible rather unlettered residents that showed up bellowing with pitchforks and torches.

After that example of Queens sophistication, the Landmarks Commission and the NY preservation community red-lined the entire borough - a stigma we have to this day.

This image that the Vallones have projected about Queens is one of the reasons the city is moving forward while things are slipping in the borough. Indeed, anytime a Vallone ran for office outside of their little anthill up there in Astoria they got nowhere.

Even the areas like Sunnyside Gardens that managed, through strong local leadership (that had connects) was bearly able to get their communities designated, and the visceral divisions within the community caused by the allegedly homophobic Vallone crony Onorato are still in evidence to this day.

Finally, do a little digging to see what the Vallone clique did to their community board - it takes little effort - and their true colors will emerge.

STOP THE VALLONES! GOD SAVE QUEENS!

Anonymous said...

Wasn't old Pete councilman for CD 19 when all of that land in Whitestone, the CYO camp< was sold to developers and overdeveloped. Here we go again.

Anonymous said...

The Vallone boys are trying to be as successful as daddy was. Never gonna happen. For most of Sr's career he was good. Towards the end is when he started to change. When people like the developer whose name begins with a P started to develop is Astoria. That was the only way most pols were going to survive.

The "boys" are self-serving. Jr. spent like 2 days on CB#1, just like Giannaris & Simotas. They spent more than 2 days, its an expression. They use the CB's so they can say that they are community minded....far from the truth. Jr. is running for his life to remain a pol and Paul is trying to make something of himself. Its not like either one had to work very hard to have a future, they walked right into dad's law firm.

imagine them having to really work.....lol

Anonymous said...

Chuck also forced rko Keith's owner Thomson to use his company or no variance.

Ask around

Anonymous said...

The Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York, UFCW Local 1500 and the New York City District Council of Carpenters are labor unions that support and advise the Jobs for New York PAC. They understand that responsible development will equate into jobs for their members which in turn benefits the city's economy.


Here's the problem: all that these groups mentioned above care about are getting jobs. It doesn't matter whether it's a good project or a bad one, a teardown of an historic building or a restoration. Jobs - their jobs - are all they care about.

The residents of the 19th CD care about jobs. They care as much or more about what their neighborhoods look like and how livable they are.

Anonymous said...

The City Council is a socialist wasteland that hates private enterprise. Can't blame business interests for looking for anyone who might bring a non-Marxist perspective to the table.

Anonymous said...

Do they develop hair lines?

Anonymous said...

I love all these yahoos with signs on their lawn for PV. Ask any of them what his idealogies are, or what he has done for the community, let's see what answer we get. "He's a family man". Uh huh. And?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Anonymous said...
Do they develop hair lines?
--------------------------------------------------
As in hirsute pursuit?

Anonymous said...

How about his stance - or lack of - on the Flushing Meadow soccer stadium? The kids don't have a soccer field to play on, but it's ok to take away parkland for a stadium. Thoughts on that Family Guy?

Anonymous said...

Emm if it looks like a duck, acts and quacks like a duck its a duck. Have a look at the names of Vallones top contributors: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-okIU4fuZmp8/UfUKdRp-_mI/AAAAAAAAuQ0/W2Q33N7WJpA/s1600/Elections-Jobs-For-NY_4.gif. Then look up the people and "artists" incorporating fear, psychology, lies used in his recent surge of political engineering

Anonymous said...

Who is this Pro-Development PAC supporting for Boro Prez, Peter or Melinda? tough choice for them.

Queens Crapper said...

They apparently are limiting themselves to City Council races, so we'll never know!

Anonymous said...

man all this word twisting is really shameful. queenscrap is turning into just a machine to shit on the enemies of graziano and avella. pretty sad. i used to like this website.

Anonymous said...

Hmm, seems to me that Katz and the Vallones have been on Queens Crap's radar for years. Did you expect them to stop now that these dim bulbs might actually obtain other governmental seats?

Adam said...

See? People are starting to believe ME and PV, instead of you phantoms.

Check out my new blog entry on my blog. I think Graziano and Avella are paying you and I want the people of this district to know.

I am tired of this anti-development goo goo nonsense. We have to develop and revamp this district because it is looking a little stale and PV is the man for that. Not giant monstrosities of building, but nice ones.

This district is on the rise, we cannot be held back by the older people of this district scared of change.

Queens Crapper said...

Well, if that's the case, let's take a look at their expenditures. Pick out the payroll expenses.

Paul Graziano, Tony Avella campaign expenditures

Get back to us when you find the entries.

Anonymous said...

Looks like both campaigns hired Martin E. Connor. Crapper who blogs about Queens, are you a former State Senator from Brooklyn?

I think we have the answer. Wow, I would have never guessed!

Anonymous said...

Goo goo is nonsense, Adam? That's a term invented by slaves of the political establishment to put down people who wanted to reform it.

Est est est said...

Adam What exactly do you mean by development?

Is it not true that Vallone is in an agreement with developers to approve converting a lot of district 19 from one - two family himes to two or more?

Is it not true that Mr. Vallone is in an agreements with developers to approve large-scale high-rises on our waterfront?

Is it not true that he is already in negotiations with developers to acquire the former and remaining 6 acres of CYO land In order to get it developed into a pool for profit pool club ala forest hills style? You do know this would bring in much more traffic to an already over congested community? You do recall the evenings at the Forest Hills Pool club with the riots the fighting the traffic the beer bottles the stabbings and shootings As well as of course the drunken teenagers?

Has not Mr. Vallone made an agreement with the developers of the Former Grace properties that were illegally dumped on, To push thru larger scale zoning?

Mr. Lombardi Please be honest with us we know you know. If you don't know you need to not speak of things you know nothing of!

Anonymous said...

Adam, in your "reporting, do you actually have sources besides Clinton Club members and the rumors you cook up in your own mind?

Anonymous said...

I was at the debate that Graziano didn't let Vallone go first And after hearing all of Vallones nonsense and him not answering a single question and saying stupid things like BFHA was no 1 in home invasions I wish he wasn't allowed to speak at all! I didnt think much about him before that now I know he LIES.

Anonymous said...

Adam,
signs on front laws do not equate with votes.

Most are afraid of the wrath of Vallone, so they pacify the don by placing his signs.

When nobody is watching them in the voting place, they'll vote against thug Vallone.

The district knows full well who its bull-shitters are.

They also know that Graziano has served to protect their interests for years.

This election is all about quality of life and the protection of neighborhoods from developer hoods!

What has Vallone got to show for his years in Astoria?
Crap and crumbling infrastructure.

Anonymous said...

"son-of-the-bitch" Stavisky is at it again!

Whois data:

The Parkside Group
ATTN JOBS4NY.COM
care of Network Solutions
PO Box 459
Drums, PA. US 18222

Domain Name: JOBS4NY.COM

http://www.elections.ny.gov:8080/reports/rwservlet?cmdkey=efs_sch_report+p_filer_id=C00285+p_e_year=2013+p_freport_id=K+p_transaction_code=F

Anonymous said...

If the voter files were donated by the state

Joe said...

How sad this all is. A community is at stake here. The vallones clearly have a conflict of interest here between their lobbying firm and a seat like the city council. The problem is that there are no candidates that are viable enough to win si it'll be a popularity contest. If that hold true PV will win. NOT because hes the best candidate.

Anonymous said...

Every time there is an issue in our community whether it be a house torn down illegally, a church going up illegally or the city trying to break up our neighborhood by changing the boundaries everyone goes to the same person GRAZIANO. I have never heard "Let's call Vallone, he'll help. Graziano has dedicated his education and life to preservation and protection of communities. He's an EXPERT.

Anonymous said...

The most credible candidate in this race is Dennis Saffran. He lost by less than 1per cent of the votes in 2001 against Tony Avella. He is against overdevelopment, supportive of land marking, very concerned about maintaining the high educational standards in our district, having sent both of his children to public schools in Dist 19, very concerned about the quality of life in our neighborhood, and committed to working full time plus for his constituents. He has been an active member of the community, as has his wife, a Board Member of the Douglaston Little Neck Historical Society, the Douglaston Local Development Corporation, and a founder of the Douglaston Greenmarket.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone tell Vallone JOBS4NY is looking for a new soccer coach? Vallone will make a better soccer coach than a city coucilman. He should apply.