Forum Photos by Michael V. Cusenza
By Michael V. Cusenza
The dozens of supporters and concerned Council District 32 residents that braved the sweltering temps Tuesday were rewarded by a spirited exchange of ideas and opinions inside the cool, comfortable Ozone Howard Little League clubhouse Tuesday evening at the second debate between candidates Joann Ariola and Felicia Singh.
Forum Photos by Michael V. Cusenza
Ariola, running on the Republican line, and Singh, a Democrat, are seeking to succeed Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), who has represented the expansive D32 with dignity and distinction since February 2009. Term limit laws preclude him from running again.
Sponsored by The Forum, the debate was moderated by publisher Patricia Adams. The Hon. Augustus Agate (ret.) and Forum Editor-in-Chief Michael V. Cusenza peppered the candidates with questions during the roughly hour-long confab.
As expected, Ariola and Singh did not see eye-to-eye on most issues.
“Why am I running?It’s simple: I want to serve the public—I have been serving the public,” Ariola noted before rattling off her grassroots bona-fides, which include being a long-time member of Community Board 10 and the president of the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic.
Forum Photos by Michael V. Cusenza
“I raised my family in this district, and now they’re raising their families here,” the Lindenwood mother and grandmother added.“I am invested in this community.”
Singh, a special-education teacher by trade and Peace Corps alum, indicated in her opening statement that her parents imbued in her a strong sense of selflessness from an early age.
“I have always been taught to lead with service,” Singh said.
Asked if a palpable divide exists along District 32 neighborhood lines and ultimately affects where critical funding is funneled, Ariola answered, “The money goes to the needs of the community—no matter race, creed, or color.”
Singh said, “When we talk about funding—our neighborhoods don’t see the money on the ground. Not every community is the same. Give the neighborhoods that need the most the funding on the ground.”
Asked what she would do to improve relations between GOPers and Dems, conservatives and liberals, in the interest of getting things accomplished in City Hall, Singh said it’s all about fostering strong relationships with everyone through conversations and compromise.
Forum Photos by Michael V. Cusenza
“The first step is to understand each other,” she said. “We need to work across lines of division.”
Ariola prefaced her answer to the same inquiry by noting, “I have a very different take on bipartisan relationships.
“We are not Republicans, we are not Democrats—we are all tax-paying members of our communities,” Ariola said. “And what we want for our hard-earned taxes is services that we all deserve.”
In her closing statement, Singh, who has characterized NYPD cops as “overburdened,” remarked that Ariola “is promising you a police car on every corner—and that is a shame.”
Ariola, the clear law-and-order candidate, shot back: “I’ve yet to meet a resident of this district that said they want less police—maybe better-trained police, but never less police.”
Ariola concluded by turning to Singh.
“The difference here is I am not movement-based or movement-backed. I’m community-based and community-backed.”
