Land use expert Paul Graziano, who is challenging Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) next year in a Democratic primary race for his seat, wants to save northeast Queens.
“My priorities are really simple — my priorities have always been the same, which is to protect my district,” Graziano said Monday in a sitdown interview with the Chronicle’s editorial board. “And what does protecting the district mean? Protecting the district means to protect it from bad development, overdevelopment. If you can do that, a lot of the other things fall into place.”
A planning consultant, Graziano is a civic activist who has worked on the downzoning of a large portion of northeast Queens with state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) when the latter was on the City Council. A plaintiff in the lawsuit to stop the Willets West mall development project, Graziano is also a former president of the Historic Districts Council.
Queens, the Flushing resident said, has gone through “jarring changes.”
“I’ve seen many, many changes, and part of what we tried to do was both with landmarking, rezoning and other strategies to protect these neighborhoods, is to make it so that change is gradual and people can go through those changes in an easier fashion,” Graziano said. “And also make the neighborhood so that when someone comes 50 years from now, they can come in and still recognize the place that maybe they grew up in.”
He ran against Vallone and three others in a Democratic primary for the seat in 2013, coming in third, but he is confident that the field will be less crowded this time.
“It was a very different crowd,” he said. “This time around, I think it’s just gonna be me and Paul Vallone.”
The councilman, he claimed, gives favors to campaign contributors — a major point in his campaign but not the only one.
44 comments:
Let's go Graziano! Honest person and will be a honest politician, who works for the residents and the community. He has done so much for this city of NY and will an amazing Councilman for this district. Time to vote out the same ole' do nothing politicians we have now, in with the new!
I voted for Graziano when he ran three years ago but HE LOST MY SUPPORT WHEN HE CROSSED party line just to support Dennis in the general. (Wondered if he was promised a job back then?) u can hate Stinky but don't be a sellout to the republicans! Back in my days, being a democrat meant something. Now days, youngins are throwing that term around. Another reason why our society is going down the drain!
Good News. Good Luck Paul.
Let's go Paul !
Excellent news!
Paul will fight for his constituents -- a hard worker! Glad to see that he will run!!
(You really do need a "Like" button here.)
After what Vallone did to smear his opponents in 2013, including exploiting the Sandy Hook tragedy for his own gain, it showed great character that Graziano crossed party lines instead of dropping his self-respect and prostitution himself to the party like you'really insinuating he should have done.
People like you are part of the root problem.
There will be two Pauls to choose from...
Paul Vallone-y baloney...and the real neighborhood champion, Paul Graziano.
Paul Vallone is a developers's lobbyist who has been playing a pay to play game ,which has caused the erosion of the quality of life in his district.
Graziano is the real deal. I have worked with him for decades and can attest to his honesty and determination.
Paul Vallone works for nobody but himself and his family business.
His. loyalty is to his developer client list not his constituents.
Then Vallone can run as the Republican he really is
Paul G, if you are serious, you need to knock on the door of every registered voter and introduce yourself; don't just sit home and issue press releases.
First of all, Avella run for mayor baby! The city is ruined. But regarding graziano... I thought he worked for tony's office and was surprised he was a candidate running. I only seen him around whenever Avella was doing press conference. I don't know much about you but Good luck!
Responding to a few of the posters here today:
1) The reason I endorsed Dennis Saffran in the 2013 General Election was simple: Paul Vallone is a continued threat to northeast Queens due to his deep ties to lobbyists, developers and the real estate industry. His family, Paul included, also happens to have deep ties to the Republican and Conservative parties.
Vallone's father and brother both ran for City Council on the Democratic, Republican and Conservative party lines. In fact, in 2001, in the General Election, Peter Vallone Jr. had a Republican opponent - but got the Conservative ballot line. In 2005, he ran on the Democratic, Republican and Conservative ballot lines.
Fun fact - the *only* way someone can run on the Conservative ballot line is if they are Pro-life in their beliefs about women's reproductive rights (or their attempts to stop those rights, as the case may be).
Another fact - In September of 2009, Dan Halloran almost dropped out of the Council race due to a number of reasons, not least of which was the "outing" of his unorthodox religious beliefs. Had he dropped out, Paul Vallone was going to run on the Republican ballot line as his replacement.
Personally, I don't care what party someone is affiliated with, as long as they won't sell out the neighborhoods of northeast Queens. That's what Paul Vallone is doing - and in spades - by helping his developer "clients" who have donated to his campaign. The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) spent more on his 2013 campaign - $370,000 - than any other candidate in the city, running dozens of mailers, including 6 vile and completely false "hit pieces" against the other candidates, myself included. Vallone refused to disavow the mailers or REBNY, even after Senator Tony Avella held a remarkable "unity" press conference with the other four Council candidates requesting that he do so. Sound familiar?
I'm very much looking forward to September of 2017 when voters will have a real choice - Paul Graziano or Paul Vallone - so they can send this registered real estate lobbyist back to the private sector, where he belongs.
Paul Graziano
First of all, Avella run for mayor baby! The city is ruined. But regarding graziano... I thought he worked for tony's office and was surprised he was a candidate running. I only seen him around whenever Avella was doing press conference. I don't know much about you but Good luck!
I worked for a short time as an independent land use consultant for Avella in both the City Council and State Senate, but most of the "work" I do with him - dealing with community issues, such as illegal construction and development, infrastructure improvements for neighborhoods, etc. - is pro bono. I'm just helping the communities of northeast Queens out. I live here.
If you'd like to know more about me, please go to www.paulgraziano.com (which has a lot of info) and feel free to email me there anytime.
Paul Graziano
I voted for Graziano when he ran three years ago but HE LOST MY SUPPORT WHEN HE CROSSED party line just to support Dennis in the general. (Wondered if he was promised a job back then?) u can hate Stinky but don't be a sellout to the republicans! Back in my days, being a democrat meant something. Now days, youngins are throwing that term around. Another reason why our society is going down the drain!
This is the kind of guy that if Trump were the designated Democratic Presidential candidate, he would have voted for him.
Stop being a robot and start using your brain.
This is great news!!!
Vallone is such a huge phony. Cares for no one but himself and his donors.
Better the political hack you know than the political hack you don't know...
WHO???????
Very exciting news!! Paul Graziano has always been a huge supporter and fighter for us.
Better the political hack you know than the political hack you don't know...
Tell that to Marge Markie and the voters who threw her out in favor of Brian Barnwell. I think the day of the known political hack may be on the wane. Graziano has my vote.
REBNY is probably looking through their files for the same hit pieces they used last time - as well as the photo of Paul G. from the 1990s with the long hippie hair (as if that matters). I vote for the person, not the party, and I look for integrity and commitment to the people, not to the developers or to REBNY. So I would vote for Mr. Graziano no matter what party was intelligent enough to nominate him. Maybe Stinky will wind up running on the Conservative line, once he loses the Democratic primary.
Yo Al you reading this? Come on man we need you. Think about it. Paul and Paul primary
You run as a Republican who can work with Democrats and actually listens to the community. Its a win for us all.
At least get your hat in ring
Please
Hmmm....looks like a lot of Vallone trolls are busy.
Too bad they're not as interested in the district as they are in eminating false news.
BTW.
Vallone took a long summer vacation.
His inadequate staff did not respond to constituents needs in his absence.
Do you want more of the same?
Then by all means vote for Valloney baloney and get butt buggered for another term.
Vallone is alway out to lunch, unless a developer calls with a wish list. Then Don Paulo responds in exchange for a fat campaign contribution.
Isn't that what a political mafioso usually does?
La Famiglia Di Vallone has been screwing Queens since the days of grandpapy, Charlie "the judge" Vallone.
Vallone tried to ram a poorly placed school up the asses of Baysede on 32nd ave. He got paid to to do this.
Thousands of Baysiders were opposed to this bad location. But Don Chooch wanted money. Was I it from the School Construction Authority
MAFIOSO! And the dumbest of the Vallone siblings....sort of like Fredo in "The Godfather" film.
Vallone is the nasty faced bully of an entitled political dynasty.
He walks into community meetings like he is stepping onto his yacht. Everything must stop, because the prince has entered with his retinue.
"Kiss my ring", demands Vallone.
Thug tactics and stupid decisions are what his first term has served up.
It's a known fact that the rest of the city council thinks he's a stooge.
Paulo does not get along very well with them, either.
So how can he do anything really important for his district?
The answer is, he has not!
It looks like Don Vallone has got his "connected" goombahs in Malba-Whitestone-Beechurst trying to cover his ass.
I attended one of his fetes at Verdi's restaurant once....calamari, manicotti, rubber chicken....and all.
My God, Marty Scorsessi could cast a gangster movie there.
The same old characters:
Paul, Paul, Al...
Northeast Queens gets no respect because we send B team quality into the game at City Hall and we get back what we deserve.
"Better the political hack you know than the political hack you don't know..."
You are dumb as a doorknob shill. Take your boss, yourself and jump of the Empire State building. You pathetic lowlife.
Any takers on good old Jimmy Van Bramer? He is busy protesting against Trump with that Viverito chick.
Jimbo you are no match to Mr. Trump.
Start working instead of relying on illegal aliens to vote you in the office.
You moron.
Anonymous said:
"You are dumb as a doorknob shill."
WTF is a "Doorknob Shill"?
What Has Graziano EVER accomplished other than some bullshit protests over houses that don't "Fit in"
WTF is a "Doorknob Shill"?
Simple...you.
What Has Graziano EVER accomplished other than some bullshit protests over houses that don't "Fit in"
Well well well...the Vallone trolls have started up early. Listen you dickwad:
Paul Graziano has done more for northeast Queens (and a lot of the rest of Queens too) than any single person I know. Downzoned entire neighborhoods. Got areas landmarked. Was one of the main guys in getting Fort Totten turned into a park instead of condos or a private college campus for St. John's. Stopped illegal conversions. Fought developers at the BSA and won. There's more.
I know Paul G. pretty well, and one thing about him stands out: he cares about our neighborhoods - probably more than most people. He helps people solve their problems.
Isn't that what a Councilmember is supposed to do? I look at Vallone and want to puke he's such a fuckin liar. He does nothing for anyone except his goombas and pushes projects on neighborhoods that they don't want, like the Bayside Jewish Center / new high school bullshit from last year. Thank god Avella, Graziano, the Community Board and that neighborhood stood up to that fucking coward Vallone, who didn't even show up to the hearing!! I know, because I was there! everyone thinks he's taking bribes, and I would not be surprised.
What Has Graziano EVER accomplished other than some bullshit protests over houses that don't "Fit in"
Da Paulie dumb as a doorknob shills goombah mofos and their propaganda.
Get lost you stupid idiotsm the gig is up, we are onto you.
Uh....where is Don Chooch Vallone's favorite dwarf?
We have not heard from him.
Or have we ?
Hello, Adam!
Vallone is just riding on the coat tails of his family.
He's a dummy, and an embarrassment to them.
Without his developer clients, he could not even make a decent living cleaning toilets....
which, at least, would be a good honest job.
Don Vallone shilled for his pal, Joey "d'or" Franco, to vastly expand the White House restaurant into a huge catering hall in Whitestone.
Vallone was then a CB 7 member.
Franco, according to the major news media, was a Gambino crime family friend.
He used to run "Cafe On The Green".
He's got to get beyond being known mainly as a city planning expert and a neighborhood preservationist.
Otherwise, his opponent will say that his experience is limited.
Sorry for my candor. That's the facts of politics.
Voters are going to ask about schools, police protection, etc. Vallone is a major bullshit artist but can really spin doctor his BS to make it sound like he's done a lot for his district.
P.S.
The Malba boys will supply him with plenty of campaign bucks. They love their goombah!
This is the year of the "upset" election.
Graziano will upset Vallone.
Why?
Because the civic associations in Vallone's district have given him an "F" on his report card.
He "F"ed Douglaston, when they applied for a municipal historic district extension, to protect their nabe.
Thug Vallone actually wrote a letter to the LPC requesting that they turn down the request.
Vallone's developer buddy did not want the extension.
So....who will you vote for...Vallone, a developers' lobbyist.....or Graziano, who has fought for his district (many times without reimbursement)?
If Vallone should win, he will finish the job, for his developer goombahs, and ruin your neighborhoods.
Yada, Yada, Yada, Blah, Blah, Blah, woof, woof, woof!
This is just another wannabe looking to get on the Queens Public teat....
There will be no change in Queens
Paul Vallone, and his entitled family, has been sucking off of the public teat for decades and decades.
Paul Graziano is one of the few who dare expose this phony and did a lot of his rezoning studies for nothing!
Try another one, you Vallone liar!
WTF has Don Chooch Vallone done except fatten his wallet off of every realtor, developer, construction subcontractors, etc.
In other words if Vallone is not an actual mobster, he has taken money from them or their affiliates.
Preet, star of the FNI, where are you?
Scope this crook from his rectum to,his throat!
How come the civic associations are dissatisfied with Vallone?
Becaus he's been a bogus councilman.
His real job is promoting bad development.
Your neighborhood can go to hell as long as he draws his pay as a lobbyist for developers.
Kind of geeky looking to take on chrome dome's proffessional wrestler look.
Wow!
Two Pauls. Two Italians duking it out!
Mamma Mia!
Vallone is a Seegee (Sicilian).
Who's got the biggest pair?
Never mind.
Who's got the most money and soldieri in the field?
Politics really sucks! Doesn't it?
This is wonderful news. Graziano 2017!
Kick that Sicilian's ass.
Don Vallone-Corleone...prime political mobster.
Invisible Vallone...except when his developer pals call his office.
Do you know that Don Vallone refuses to appear or send any representatives to civic meetings where the associations buck him?
If you do not kiss Don Paulo's ring or ass, you are shit to him.
Remove this mafioso from office!
He's a thug!
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