Meet The NYC Mayoral Candidates And Let Them Hear Your Brooklyn-Specific Concerns

The Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats along with other member organizations of the Brooklyn Reform Coalition are holding a NYC Mayoral Forum featuring the leading Democratic candidates on April 3rd, 2013 at St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street at 6:30 PM.

All info can be found here.

This is a  perfect opportunity to ask the candidates questions and to address issues specific to Brooklyn and to our neighborhood.  So plan to attend.

Just out of curiosity, what would you ask these five candidates?  What should be brought up as the most pressing concerns?  Development? Education? Infrastructure?  Quality of life?  Have you already decided who you will vote for?

Let's hear it.

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Council Speaker Christine Quinn Comes To Carroll Gardens And Speaks About The Budget, Parking And Helping Small Businesses

Council Speaker Christine Quinn at the Carroll School (PS 58)

Council Member Brad Lander

Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Organization's Glenn Kelly, Maria Pagano and Colleen Giunta

don't create more parking, but will ease the burden a little bit Challenges facing small businesses.

Council Speaker Christine Quinn came to last night's Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association meeting to talk about the City's budget, neighborhood parking and how she plans on helping small businesses. Oh, and she wanted the audience to know that after a visit to our neighborhood a few months back, her partner declared Carroll Gardens her favorite neighborhood and wants to move her.

The Council Speaker was introduced by our Councilman Brad Lander with high praises, a favor she returned when she spoke. It all felt very much like a pit stop on the campaign trail, but most in the audience seemed pleased to get a chance to meet Quinn, who is apparently planning on running for mayor.

The Speaker talked about New York City's budget as it relates to the State budget. "I think the Governor is right in trying to get the State's finances under control. And I am not saying that New York City should have no cuts, but we shouldn't be cut more than any other part of the State." Neither, she suggested, should the city be penalized for good fiscal planning by prepaying bills and having set aside money in a trust.

Quinn also gave some examples of how she plans on helping neighborhoods with their mounting parking problems. One solution would be to allow community boards, which have received the highest cleanliness rating in the Mayor's Management Report for two years in a row, to cut back on alternate side of the street parking, if they want.

"Now it doesn't make more spots, but it means you don't have to drive around an extra day a week [to find parking.]"

She credited Councilman Lander for this suggestion.

The Council is also going to pass legislation that would require the City to come up with an interactive map of parking spots to make it easier for drivers to avoid streets closed for construction and for filming. "It doesn't make more spots but it tells you: Don't go down those streets!"

Though these ideas are certainly worth looking into, the only real solution for the City's parking problem is to discourage people to own cars in the first place. As one member of the audience stated, one does that by strengthening public transportation.

The last issue brought up by Quinn is the overwhelming amount of bureaucracy and paperwork involved in opening a small business in New York City. As an example, she gave the problems facing new restaurant owners, who have to deal with several agencies and conflicting regulations. Quinn proposes to streamline the inspection process for new eateries and to put in place 'NYC Business Link,' a way for the city to embrace customer service the same way businesses do."

Let the campaigning begin...

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NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn Is Coming To Carroll Gardens Tonight To Speak About Parking

NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn

Yes, it's that time in the election cycle again! Our NYC officials are starting to campaign by making the rounds in neighborhoods that they haven't visited since the last time they needed votes.
Tonight, NYC Councilwoman and Speaker Christine Quinn will be attending the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association meeting to talk about parking issues in our neighborhood.

(It would seem that she would like to run for mayor)

More interesting, Vincent Joseph, friend and member of the Union-Sackett Block Association, will speak about the future of the Clarett project at 340 Court Street, now that the developer has withdrawn from the New York real estate market.

Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association Meeting

March 23 at 7 PM to 9 PM

P.S. 58/ The Carroll School

Smith Street between First Place and Carroll Streets

Entrance on Carroll Street

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Have Your Say On Transportation Issues At M.T.A. Public Meeting

Next week, Brooklynites will have the opportunity to voice their concerns about the Metropolitan Transportation Authority' proposed cuts to service to both train and bus service around the borough. A Brooklyn MTA meeting will be held on Wednesday next week. Please put it on your calendar.

Below is a letter on this matter from City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and James Vacca, Chair of the Transportation Committee

Dear Brooklyn Resident,

In December the MTA unveiled a package of service cuts that is a slap in the face to millions of New Yorkers across the five boroughs. Your borough now faces critical cuts in service that will negatively affect the commutes of thousands of Brooklynites each day. Please click here to sign our petition and oppose these cuts! Also, please attend the MTA's public hearing in Brooklyn next month and let your voice be heard. Details are below:

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

6 p.m.

Brooklyn Museum

Cantor Auditorium

200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn

(To view a list of public hearings in the other boroughs, click here.)

Among the proposed cuts to your borough are:

• Elimination of Student MetroCards
• $40 million in cuts to Access-a-Ride
• Buses to be eliminated: B23, B37, B39, B51, B71, B75, B77, X29, X37 and the X38
• Weekend elimination of the B2, B24, B69, X27 and X28
• The following trains face reduced service, which will result in longer waits and more crowded subway cars: D, F, G, A, L and M trains. The M will be replaced by the V train.

Take Action!

• Help us collect signatures for our petition, which we plan to deliver to each of the MTA's public hearings. You can find our petition online by clicking here.

• Sign up to volunteer! If you would like to volunteer, please contact Nick Rolf at NROLF@council.nyc.gov.

• Urge the MTA to find alternative ways to prevent these terrible cuts. To contact the MTA by phone, dial (212) 878-7483. To contact them by e-mail, click here.

The New York City Council and the Straphangers Campaign have proposed an alternate budget solution that will allow us to avoid these painful service cuts. To read more about our plan click here. Or click here to read our Op-Ed in the Daily News.

With your help we can stop these drastic cuts and ensure greater input from Brooklyn residents in the MTA's budget process.

Sincerely,

Christine C. Quinn

Speaker

New York City Council

James Vacca

Chair, Transportation Committee

New York City Council

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

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