Thursday, September 03, 2009
Loads of candidates vie for Brooklyn Council seats vacated by seekers of higher office
Five Democrats are vying to replace Bill de Blasio (D-Park Slope and Carroll Gardens), who is running for Public Advocate. Early frontrunner Brad Lander, ex-director of the Pratt Center for Community Development, is locked in a tight race with information technology director Josh Skaller.
They agree on most issues - both oppose Atlantic Yards and support making the Gowanus Canal a federal Superfund site - but the race has still gotten nasty at times, with barbs flying over campaign finance and even school choices for their young children.
Lander touted his credentials as the only public school parent in the race - he says it helps him relate to "parents who are trying to get into pre-K...or grappling with high-stakes tests" - which Skaller branded as an attack on his 8-year-old son, Wolf, who has special needs.
Skaller charged Lander got "unethical and possibly illegal" help from the Working Families Party. Lander struck back with charges Skaller didn't pay rent on a campaign office.
Ex-Borough Hall aide John Heyer is the lone candidate to oppose abortion and gay marriage, support tax breaks for private school tuition, and oppose Superfund. He said he'd focus on "quality of life issues" and is courting support in the Orthodox Jewish community in Borough Park.
Gowanus Canal Conservancy Director Bob Zuckerman said he'll pursue property tax rules to help mom-and-pop businesses own their own space, while attorney Gary Reilly is touting an express F train and a car-free Prospect Park.
Reilly insisted it's anyone's game. "You're not talking about big media buys. You're not talking about television and radio," he said. "You need basically to persuade between 4 and 5,000 people to vote for you."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/election_2009/2009/09/03/2009-09-03_loads_of_candidates_vie_for_2_seats_vacated_by_seekers_of_higher_office.html
They agree on most issues - both oppose Atlantic Yards and support making the Gowanus Canal a federal Superfund site - but the race has still gotten nasty at times, with barbs flying over campaign finance and even school choices for their young children.
Lander touted his credentials as the only public school parent in the race - he says it helps him relate to "parents who are trying to get into pre-K...or grappling with high-stakes tests" - which Skaller branded as an attack on his 8-year-old son, Wolf, who has special needs.
Skaller charged Lander got "unethical and possibly illegal" help from the Working Families Party. Lander struck back with charges Skaller didn't pay rent on a campaign office.
Ex-Borough Hall aide John Heyer is the lone candidate to oppose abortion and gay marriage, support tax breaks for private school tuition, and oppose Superfund. He said he'd focus on "quality of life issues" and is courting support in the Orthodox Jewish community in Borough Park.
Gowanus Canal Conservancy Director Bob Zuckerman said he'll pursue property tax rules to help mom-and-pop businesses own their own space, while attorney Gary Reilly is touting an express F train and a car-free Prospect Park.
Reilly insisted it's anyone's game. "You're not talking about big media buys. You're not talking about television and radio," he said. "You need basically to persuade between 4 and 5,000 people to vote for you."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/election_2009/2009/09/03/2009-09-03_loads_of_candidates_vie_for_2_seats_vacated_by_seekers_of_higher_office.html
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