While Bay Ridge City Councilman Vinnie Gentile was in Staten Island this weekend to kick off his Staten Island campaign for the 11th Congressional District seat, his Staten Island District Attorney opponent Dan Donovan was pressing the flesh in Brooklyn at the COJO (Council of Jewish Organizations) of Flatbush annual breakfast.
“I don’t take any vote for granted. I want to represent all three quarters of a million people in the district and I want to earn everyone’s vote,” said Donovan at the breakfast. “I’m over here in Brooklyn this morning introducing myself to folks I’ve never had the opportunity to represent but I want that opportunity.”
The large Pro-Israel event also gave Donovan a chance to respond to Gentile’s chiding him for not criticizing the much criticized letter that 47 GOP senators sent to Iran warning the country that Republicans are prepared to undercut any nuclear agreement reached under Obama’s direction between Iran and the United States.
“I think the common goal here is to make sure Iran doesn’t get a hold of or create nuclear weapons. That would be a threat to Israel. It would be a threat to the Arab nations in the region. It will be a threat to the world and I think that’s the common goal of everybody and poeple should get on the same page that Israel is our greatest ally. Right now our enemies are testing ourselves and our allies are questioning our loyalty to them and I think that attitude has to change in Congress,” said Donovan.
Donovan added that in his 12 years as district attorney he has always worked across the aisle with Democrats when neccisary and He will do the same thing when he gets to congress.
Gentile, who is fighting an uphill battle in a heavily Republican district kicked off his campign headquarters in New Dorp and received the strong backing of all of Staten Island’s Democratic lawmakers.
“Vinnie is who you want by your side in the trenches when the going gets tough. Vinnie understands that a strong middle class boosts economic growth; he understands that to make sure we have an American economy that works for everyone, we need to grow it from the middle out and not from the top down,” said StatenIsland/Brooklyn Senator Diane Savino. “Vinnie will fight for pay equity for women and to keep and create jobs here in Staten Island and Brooklyn by ending tax breaks for companies who ship our jobs overseas. I would be proud to call him my Congressman.”
“I’ve known Vinnie Gentile for many years and he’s always looked out for Staten Island – so today is more of a homecoming for him,” said Assemblyman Matthew Titone. “Even years later, as he was representing Brooklyn in the New York City Council, Vinnie helped secure funding for the Stapleton Library. He’s the type of leader who will go to Washington and fight each and every day for us because he’ll never forget where he came from. So I hope everyone will follow me to the polls on Tuesday, May 5th to cast a vote for Vinnie Gentile.”
Other Democratic Staten Island lawmakers endorsing Gentile included Assemblyman Michael Cusick and City Councilwoman Debi Rose.
Then today, Gentile received the endorsement of the powerful New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council (HTC) in what is expected to be a long list of organized labor support.
“Vinnie has a proven record, not only of standing up and fighting for the issues that are important to our members, but of delivering real, tangible results for all New Yorkers,” said Josh Gold, HTC’s political director. “Whether its public safety, quality jobs, public education, responsible development or economic equality, Vinnie has always been in our corner and I look forward to continuing to work with him as part of New York’s congressional delegation in Washington.”
Gentile responded he is proud and that the New York Hotel Trades Council truly represent the diversity and the heart and soul of New York City’s middle class.
“Thanks to HTC and its proud history, these men and women enjoy the best union contract for hotel workers in the world – one that guarantees excellent wages, benefits, working conditions, and standards of fair treatment. Indeed, HTC has made life better for hundreds of thousands of hotel workers and their families. And this is exactly how we will build a stronger economy, from the middle out, not from the top down,” said Gentile.
