Category Archives: Politics
Congressman Bob Turner received a campaign donation from embattled Staten Island Rep. Michael Grimm in August, and last week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee went on the offensive against Turner, saying he took “tainted” money. In a release last week, the DCCC called for Turner (R-Queens) to return a $1,000 campaign contribution from Grimm (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) because of fundraising malpractice allegations that have been leveled against him. Grimm is facing scrutiny lately for alleged fundraising schemes. A New York Times … Continue reading
After just a four-month respite, a battle for the Ninth U.S. Congressional District spanning Queens and Brooklyn is starting up again. Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Richmond Hill) has formed an exploratory committee for a congressional run. He filed the required paperwork with the Federal Election Commission Tuesday. On Wednesday, Lancman was already attacking Congressman Bob Turner, who won the seat in a special election in September. “People elect a representative to go to Washington or Albany or City Hall to produce … Continue reading
Gov. Andrew Cuomo brought his agenda to Queens in January when he reviewed a previous speech in Albany pushing his $25 billion economic development package including the Ozone Park convention center. He spoke to a packed house at Queens College on Thursday, Jan.19, but not everyone was happy to hear it. One protester stood up in the middle of Cuomo’s speech and started yelling. She identified herself as a teacher aligned with the Occupy movement and shouted “Mic Check” as … Continue reading
Politicians who are lifelong Ozone Park residents, such as Councilman Eric Ulrich and State Senator Joe Addabbo, are wishing the 130-year-old community a happy anniversary this year. The two have a strong connection to the community where they were both raised. Addabbo made his way into politics through Ozone Park organizations. He was president of the Ozone Tudor Civic Association and was Executive Secretary of Community Board 10,which covers the neighborhood. “Ozone Park is a great community. It consists of … Continue reading
The Queens Republican Party is now officially down one member as City Councilman Peter Koo switched sides this week, dropping his affiliation with the Queens GOP and joining the Democratic party. The move was made official on Monday. Koo—elected to the city council in 2009 as a Republican councilor for District 20, represents Flushing, Queensboro Hill, Mitchell Gardens, Kissena Park, Harding Heights, Auburndale and part of Whitestone—released a statement explaining his decision to cross party lines. In his statement, Koo … Continue reading
In his State of the City address, Mayor Michael Bloomberg made it clear he wants to leave a lasting mark on education and proposed changes that could affect students and teachers in Queens and the rest of the city. During the Jan. 12 speech at Morris High School in the Bronx, Bloomberg pushed his ideas to attract high-quality teachers to New York, retain them with the possibility of $20,000 raises and make it easier to fire underperforming teachers. “The education … Continue reading
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in his State of the State address yesterday that he wants to bring the largest convention center in the United States to Queens by turning the Aqueduct Race Track in Ozone Park into a 3.8-million-square-foot venue. It goes hand-in-hand with another aspiration he announced during the speech to legalize casino gaming, allowing the Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct to offer a full slate of table games. The two goals were keystones in a $25 billion economic … Continue reading
The passage of 2011 has brought us to the threshold of yet another year– our 35th year of publication. Looking ahead we wonder what changes will shape 2012. How will our community be affected by the political climate? Will our quality of life issues be successfully addressed by local legislators and law enforcement or will cuts continue to erode our services? Will our elected officials bring enough money to their districts to bring about improvements and change in addition to … Continue reading
Eric Ulrich began raising funds for his 2013 campaign at Howard Beach eatery Saffron last Wednesday evening. Ulrich joked saying he had to climb on a chair get the attention of the full house crowd having to speak after one of his most dynamic Republican mentors, former Councilman Tom Ognibene. Ognibene amused the crowd with stories of Ulrich’s climb up the Republican ladder, suggesting the future of Republican politics for New York State is in the hands of the 26-year-old … Continue reading
Congressman Bob Turner said last week that he and the Department of Homeland Security are looking into a federal statute to overturn a bill New York City recently passed to limit deportation of illegal immigrants. Intro 656, signed into law last month, restricts what illegal immigrants the Department of Corrections is allowed to hold for an extra 48 hours to turn over to federal authorities. “There may be an opportunity for a federal statute here— that’s being investigated right now—to … Continue reading
Four people were indicted late last week in connection with a scheme to pocket roughly $30,000 in state funds using a nonprofit set up by State Sen. Shirley Huntley. On Dec. 7, New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced the indictments of Patricia D. Savage, president of the nonprofit Parent Workshop, Inc., and Senator Huntley’s aide, as well as Lynn H. Smith, the nonprofit’s treasurer, David Gantt and Roger Scotland, two others with ties to … Continue reading
Bob Turner, Queens’ newest congressman, has been in office two months, and in that time he’s come down firmly in support of a balanced budget amendment and New York’s in-house handling of some counter terrorism. But when it comes to more contentious negotiations, Turner is leaving himself plenty of wiggle room. Congressman Turner (R-Queens) spoke to The Forum Monday as part of a round of interviews he did with local media. On the day the Congressional “super committee” sent the message … Continue reading
Phil Goldfeder knew from the start that he would have big shoes to fill representing the 23rd Assembly District. After all, it’s not often that one has to take the reins of a district—representing five communities and more than 170,000 residents—from a local civic legend who held the seat for two decades. And yet, that is what Goldfeder, 30, says he inherited when he beat out Republican challenger Jane Deacy for the right to represent the district in a special … Continue reading
Yes there are jokes about his last name. And while it’s Goldfeder not Goldfinger, his fellow Democrats and residents of the 23rd Assembly District surely hope the area’s newest state representative has the Midas touch after winning the race for Audrey Pheffer’s old seat in a special election in September. Y. Phillip Goldfeder was sworn as a New York State Assemblyman on Sunday afternoon before a crowd of about 250 people at MS 210 in Ozone Park. As senators, judges, … Continue reading