Highway Dems Cross Party Lines Endorse Donovan
In the wake of the shipwreck called Donald Trump, where Democrats are thrilled to court Republicans to cross over to their side, GOP Congressman Dan Donovan (Staten Island, Southern Brooklyn) continues to show some bipartisan appeal and the ability to stem the tide.
That after the Brooklyn Highway Democratic Club today crossed Party lines to endorse Donovan for reelection over his Democratic Challenger Richard Reichard.
“We are so proud to stand with Dan at a time when America needs the best and the brightest people to lead us out of the financial, spiritual, and moral decay that has drained our nation,” said Democratic Highway Club leader Michael Geller. “Dan Donovan has had a first term that has solidified him as one of the brightest lights in Congress. He’s been called a voice of reason, and sanity, as well as a go-to guy who knows how to get things done for both his Brooklyn and Staten Island constituents, and for our country as a whole.”
“It’s a huge honor to receive the endorsement of the Brooklyn Democratic Club,” said Congressman Donovan. “I went to Washington with a clear mission to deliver results for the people of Brooklyn and Staten Island. Whether it was securing more money for mass transit, healthcare benefits for 9/11 first responders or delivering more than $2 billion in taxpayer savings, I’m so proud of everything we’ve been able to accomplish so far. However, there is so much more work that needs to be done and I will continue working to solve our nation’s problems, regardless of partisan politics.”
While going against the 2016 National political tide, this is not the first time the Highway Dems have endorsed a Republican. There are only three other instances in the club’s history where cross-endorsements were made to Republicans, including former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Governor George Pataki and Senator Marty Golden.
Eugene Honors Longtime Late Restaurateur
City Council Member Mathieu Eugene (Flatbush, Ditmas Park) will join members of the Brooklyn community Sunday to officially co-name 753 Coney Island Avenue (Corner of Cortelyou Road “George’s Way” in honor of late George’s Restaurant patriarch, Harry Montauredes.
The occasion is a formal acknowledgement by the city of the tremendous impact Montauredes had as a restauranteur and community advocate during his long and distinguished career.
A decorated veteran of WWII and a member of the U.S Army’s 63rd Infantry Division, Montauredes’ hard work solidified George’s Restaurant as a neighborhood institution. It was Harry’s devotion to his community and tireless work effort that has made George’s Restaurant the Brooklyn institution that it is today.
Since first opening in 1956, the restaurant has held a special place in the community for its support of many charitable causes, including Little Leagues, the Masonic Temples of Brooklyn, the Fort Hamilton military base, and the Eye Foundation.
“It is so appropriate that the City Council has voted to approve my legislation to co-name a street block in honor of Harry Montauredes. Harry was, after all, was the patriarch of George’s Restaurant, which for decades has been an integral part of the community it is situated in.” said Eugene.
The co-naming ceremony is slated for 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 23 at 753 Coney Island Avenue and Cortelyou Road.
Cymbrowitz ‘Deeply Disturbed’ by Report Calling Brooklyn College Hotspot of Anti-Semitism
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach), who has publicly criticized Brooklyn College for its repeated failure to respond appropriately to anti-Jewish incidents, said he’s “deeply disturbed” by a just released Brandeis University report labeling the college one of the nation’s leading hotspots of anti-Semitism, but he said he is hopeful that the college’s new president can correct the issues that led to this negative characterization.
The report, titled “Hotspots of Anti-Semitism and Anti-Israel Sentiment on US Campuses,” found that the majority of Brooklyn College students – 67 percent – perceived a hostile environment toward Israel on campus. Sixty-five percent of students expressed discomfort talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, most of them because of hostility of discourse. More than a third of students (41 percent) perceived a hostile attitude toward Jews at Brooklyn College, and close to 20 percent reported having heard that “Israelis behave like Nazis.”
Despite the high numbers, only 8 percent of students said they were subjected to in-your-face insults because they were Jewish, and just 10 percent reported feeling personally unwelcome on campus.
“This report is obviously troubling and demonstrates that all colleges, including Brooklyn College, need to be vigilant about dealing with hate-fueled behavior strongly and swiftly,” Cymbrowitz said. “Nothing less than a zero-tolerance policy toward anti-Semitism, and perhaps a greater focus on cultural sensitivity, will help Brooklyn College reverse these perceptions, which are damaging to the school as a whole.”
This week the president of Brooklyn College, Michelle Anderson, immediately ordered the removal of 20 to 30 inflammatory posters that appeared to recruit students for Hamas, the Arab terrorist organization. Cymbrowitz said this is “a hopeful sign that things will change for the better at Brooklyn College.”
The Brandeis study, a follow-up to a report released last year, was conducted by the Steinhardt Social Research Institute at the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies and represented 150,000 American Jewish undergraduates.
