Councilman Eric Ulrich and Senator Joseph Addabbo in their first public debate. Held Tuesday in St. Thomas The Apostle School, members of the Greater Woodhaven Development Cooperation asked the candidates several questions. Forum Newsgroup photo by Ryan Lavis.
In a debate between Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr. and Councilmember Eric Ulrich this past Wednesday night, the two candidates vying for the New York State Senate seat paired off on a number of local issues.
The Greater Woodhaven Development Cooperation (GWDC) conducted the debate before an audience of concerned residents inside St. Thomas the Apostle School on 87th Street.
As Ulrich made his opening remarks, he focused on topics he considered most important to the people of Woodhaven — police, education, fire safety, and jobs to further the development of Woodhaven and the rest of the district he serves as its Councilmember.
He pointed out the economic struggles still facing the community in regards to reductions in education, police and fire — especially noting the community efforts to keep firehouse 294 on Jamaica Avenue open through economic hardships.
Senator Addabbo echoed these sentiments, citing the State’s 17 billion dollar deficit as the main factor for these financial difficulties. Addabbo said that when he got to Albany in 2009, the State was facing its worse financial crisis in its history, causing problems in communities throughout New York City, including Woodhaven.
“We have a lot of work to do here in Woodhaven,” the Senator said.
After their opening comments, board members on the GWDC asked the candidates a series of questions, including what future changes each official has planned for Woodhaven if elected.
As Ulrich took the floor first, he discussed the recent rezoning his office helped initiate throughout the community of Woodhaven to create more retail space. He also touched on doing more to utilize Forest Park.
“We’re very fortunate to have the band shell and carousel open, but there is so much more we could get out of Forest Park,” he said. “I want to see a lot more come out of there for this community.”
Addabbo focused on creating tax credits for small businesses in Woodhaven, especially those lining Jamaica Avenue. He noted that during his time as Senator he had introduced legislation for these small businesses to receive tax credits for hiring graduates, people with disabilities and senior citizens — all an effort to accomplish his main goal of creating jobs.
He also addressed the issue of abandoned homes in Woodhaven.
“The bottom line is that abandoned homes have become havens for crime,” he said. And he said his solution is to draft legislation in January that would place a one-year moratorium on foreclosure in New York State.
“We’re going to have no foreclosures throughout the State, allowing people who have financial difficulties to work with their lenders so that people can get back on their feet,” he said.
The candidate’s night also featured a question and answer portion from residents.
Anita Insinga, who has lived in Woodhaven most her life, said she was concerned about tree pruning in New York City. She also complained that the DOT tore up her street fixing a water mane, and never repaved the road.
“Why aren’t they repaving the roads?” she asked both candidates. “It’s the worse I’ve seen in 30 years.”
Ulrich offered a passionate response about the DOT’s lack of response to residents in his district – something he said he has dealt with many times during his three years as a Councilmember.
“We’re busy rebuilding roads in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. “When the roads in Baghdad look better than the roads in Woodhaven and Ozone Park, we’ve got a serious problem on our hands.”
Addabbo also offered a response, albeit a more lighthearted one: “I think the condition on the streets is a quality of life issue. It will be great to work with the residents, and should I be successful in November, I certainly look forward to working with you and our City Councilmember to deal with the issue,” he said as the audience laughed.
The GWDC also asked how the candidates would allocate funds to their organization. Both candidates vowed to send money into the GWDC if elected, all in an effort to help the growth of Woodhaven.
“When I get to Albany, I’m going to fight for the funding because I’m not coming home till they get the check,” Ulrich said. “That’s the way we’ve done it in the City Council; that’s the way I’ll do it in the State Senate.”
By Ryan Lavis
