Assemblyman Michael Miller talks to the Woodhaven Block Association about why he should retain his assembly seat at their meeting on Saturday, August 18. Forum Newsgroup photo by Luis Gronda.
With the September state primaries on the horizon, a current state assemblyman and his challenger looked to persuade community members and voters as to why they should represent them in Albany at the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association (WRBA) meeting on Saturday, August 18.
Assemblyman Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) and his challenger, Etienne David Adorno, both spoke at the block association meeting, which was the first time both candidates discussed their candidacies at the same public event. Both had a limited amount of talk time about what makes them qualified for the assembly seat, or in Miller’s case why he should retain the seat, then they took a few questions from the audience in attendance.
Leading off the discussion was Adorno, a 27-year-old resident of Woodhaven and most recently an aide to Councilman Robert Jackson (D-Manhattan), who is seeking his first go round in public office.
Although he did not take any direct shots at Miller, Adorno said that part of the reason that he wants to win that assembly seat is because the people living in that district want to know who is representing them in Albany.
“Not a lot of people are happy that they don’t even know who their current Assembly member is,” he said.
Adorno said last month that, while gathering signatures for his campaign, out of over 2,000 houses he visited; only 14 people knew who Assemblyman Miller was.
The challenger said that he questioned people he spoke to, asking if they knew who all of their representatives were, not just Miller, as well as if they were aware that the Assembly seat covers areas outside of Woodhaven. The seat, which is the 38th State Assembly, includes Ridgewood, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, Glendale as well as all of Woodhaven.
He said that he wants to be Assemblyman because the people in the district want someone they can speak to and someone that understands their issues. He also commended the WRBA for the graffiti cleanup project they have done in recent weeks, but that quality-of-life items like that should already be taken care of by the city of New York.
After he finished his speech, WRBA treasurer Vance Barbour asked the candidate what herhopes to accomplish if he wins the assembly seat. He followed up with the fact that when Adorno announced his candidacy, the people standing by him at his press conference were primarily from Manhattan––not from Woodhaven or the district. The treasurer went on to say he’s only seen Adorno become more active recently but he hopes that he would get really involved in the community if elected.
“As a community, we want to be sure that you’re representing us and that you don’t have other agendas,” Barbour said.
Adorno responded saying in his younger days he was more worried about his life and he wasn’t interested in government and politics. He defended against statements made regarding those present at his press conferece by saying that the only person from Manhattan at the press conference was former Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell. Everyone else, he said, was from Woodhaven and Ozone Park. He added that his number one priority is education. He also wants to raise awareness about laws that residents must follow every day.
When Assemblyman Miller spoke he told those in attendance that he feels he’s made his presence known in Woodhaven. Since he was elected to the state assembly, Miller says hes been committed to many local issues.
Miller said he made sure to open an office in Woodhaven to let people know he’s there to help. He went on to highlight legislation that he worked on over the last three years. He spoke of bills and legislation that involved sex offender regulations, raising the minimum wage and making sure people get their street plowed during a snowstorm.
He recalled a situation, when a woman called up the WRBA’s weekly radio show, asking that her street be cleaned so that she could take her daughter to a dialysis center. Ed Wendell, president of the WRBA and the show’s host, put her through to the Assemblyman and he was able to get the Department of Sanitation to plow her street.
“People say ‘you’re a state assemblyman, local issues shouldn’t matter to you’ and I say ‘I’m sorry, it’s the total opposite,’” he said. “Quality of life, and local issues matter more to me than anything. These things affect us every day.”
The New York state primaries will take place on Thursday, September 13.
By Luis Gronda
