18 The QUEE NS Courier • AUGUST 22, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com ▶politics ENDORSEMENTS EKP OR LLGIN IN MAYOR Bill de Blasio received endorsements from The Nation magazine, the New York State Association of Letter Carriers, Associated Musicians of Greater New York Local 802, Doctors Council SEIU, Rev. Michael Waldrond, Jr., Assemblymember Joan Millman, Councilmember Vincent Gentile and Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz. The New York City League of Conservation Voters and Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg endorsed Christine Quinn. The Caribbean American Community endorsed Bill Thompson. COMPTROLLER Scott Stringer was endorsed by the New York Daily News, the New York Post and the New York Times. PUBLIC ADVOCATE Cathy Guerriero received endorsements from the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, the Uniformed Fire Officers Association Uniformed EMTs Paramedics, Fire Inspectors FDNY Local 2507, the Uniformed EMS Officers Union FDNY Local 3621, Rev. Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood and Local 372, which represents parent coordinators, crossing guards and other school aides. The New York League of Conservation Voters and Congressmember Yvette Clarke endorsed Letitia James. CITY COUNCIL The Small Business Coalition endorsed Rory Lancman for District 24 and Eric Ulrich for District 32. Former council candidate Kevin Kim endorsed his former rival Paul Vallone for District 19. Former Councilmember Julia Harrison endorsed Chrissy Voskerichian for District 19. The New York League of Conservation Voters endorsed Manuel Caughman for District 27. BOROUGH PRESIDENT Councilmember Leroy Comrie, 1199 SEIU and the Planned Parenthood of New York City Political Committee endorsed Melinda Katz. The Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association and MTA Bridge and Tunnel Officers Benevolent Association endorsed Peter Vallone, Jr. Photo Courtesy of Peter Vallone Jr.’s campaign Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. joined Queens business owners to push the city’s “Adopt-A-Basket” initiative. VALLONE’S TRASH TALK BY MELISA CHAN [email protected] A little-known citywide trash initiative could clean up Queens streets if more of the borough knew about it, a local lawmaker said. The city’s volunteer “Adopt-A-Basket” program gives free garbage cans and bags to residents and store owners who agree to monitor the outdoor receptacles and change liners when the basket is three-quarters full. The Department of Sanitation initiative, which began in the early 1980s, aims to reduce litter caused by overflowing trash cans. But of the city’s 1,300 participants, fewer than 20 percent are in Queens, a sanitation spokesperson said. “What’s the point of a program if no one knows it exists and barely anyone is participating?” said Councilmember and Borough President candidate Peter Vallone Jr. “I want to make sure Queens takes advantage of the program that exists and that we expand on that.” If elected to head the borough, Vallone said he would fund and install placards on adopted baskets that show the name of the participating business. The Department of Sanitation currently gives participants a certificate, but the councilmember said the award is usually hung indoors, out of sight. The more visible plaques would give due credit to adoptees and encourage participation “in what could be a very successful program,” Vallone said. “Sometimes, the proverbial carrot helps,” he said. Flushing business owner James Chen said waste from full cans on Prince Street often spills out onto the streets. The refuse, he said, finds its way under a tree outside his printing company daily. “We have to clean that every single day,” Chen said. “It’s horrible. We can’t do anything about it because there are not enough garbage cans around. People just dump whatever they want to.” New York City law requires property owners to keep their sidewalks clean. Fines for failure to sweep sidewalks doubled to $100 in 2003. The “Adopt-A-Basket” initiative has been pushed in the past by State Senator Marty Golden in Brooklyn and Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito in Manhattan. Those interested can call the city’s Citizen Service Center at 3-1-1. VYING FOR VOTES IN HALLORAN’S DISTRICT BY MELISA CHAN [email protected] The six candidates vying to replace scandal-scarred Councilmember Dan Halloran mapped out ways they would bring integrity back to the seat at a Flushing forum last week. “There is such anger, and it’s justified,” said Paul Vallone. “We need to reclaim our local council office. It’s been an embarrassment and it has hurt our entire district.” Halloran pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges for his alleged hand in bribing GOP officials to get Democratic State Senator Malcolm Smith on the Republican mayoral ticket. He said he would not seek re-election this year, which leaves the District 19 seat open to be claimed by Chrissy Voskerichian, Austin Shafran, John Duane, Paul Graziano, Vallone or lone Republican contender Dennis Saffran. Voskerichian, who quit her job as Halloran’s chief of staff shortly after his arrest, said she was “not going to apologize for being there.” “I did work for Dan Halloran. I think I did a very good job,” she said. “I was disappointed and upset about what happened. If I didn’t have those three years in office, I probably would not be running for the city council today.” Pitching ways to bring more transparency to the office, Shafran said councilmembers should ban outside employment and income, while Duane pledged to post all meetings on his website. “You’re paying my salary. You’re the taxpayer,” Duane said. “You deserve to know exactly what I’m doing and who I’m doing it with.” Graziano, who pushed for full public financial disclosures, said candidates should not accept money from real estate developers or lobbyists. He, Voskerichian, Vallone and Shafran also want to eliminate the City Council Speaker’s power to allocate discretionary funds in order for each district to get its fair share. “Discretionary funding should be per capita and not delivered by the Speaker as a favor or a reward for voting or not voting a certain way,” Voskerichian said. Five of the six candidates then fielded preservation and storm readiness questions at a Bayside debate hosted by the Bayside Historical Society this week. Most agreed the city should put power lines underground and do more to maintain older city trees that have become deadly. Shafran said he supports requiring backup generators at gas stations and proposed mandating Con Ed to work with the city on storm plans. Vallone, who did not show up, was comforting the family of his “good friend and mentor” Judge Joseph Risi, who had just passed away, a campaign spokesperson said. His absence prompted contention from some of his rivals, who claimed he was dodging the debate purposefully due to a poor performance with the historic host group in 2009. Graziano, at the end of the night, addressed the “deafening silence at the far end of the table” where Vallone’s namecard accompanied his empty seat. “He didn’t have the courtesy to show up tonight,” Graziano said. The candidates will debate for the last time before the September 10 primary at the Bay Terrace Jewish Center on August 27 at 7 p.m.
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