Republican mayoral hopefuls Bo Dietl and Michel Faulkner made their pitch yesterday on why they deserve Brooklyn Conservative Party votes at yesterday’s Kings County Conservative Party annual brunch held at the Bay Ridge Manor, 476, 76th Street in Bay Ridge yesterday.
Fran Vella-Marrone, who serves as the vice-chair of the Brooklyn Conservative Party and the Brooklyn District Director for Congressman Daniel Donovan (R-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) introduced Faulkner, a Harlem minister and a former New York Jet, who spoke openly about his views, stating simply, “I hate big government.”
Faulkner, a Bushwick resident, touched on a variety of issues from taxes to education to the NYPD. He put his support behind charter schools, condemning the “pro-union” system, looking instead towards a market-driven solution. Faulkner was a commissioner for the City Charter Revision Commission.
“When you see the city, when you talk to people, we have very similar views on so much,” said Faulkner. “We have the right message, but not the right messenger.”
Dietl, a former New York City Police Department detective, made an appearance at the brunch later in the afternoon. Dietl held no punches when discussing Mayor Bill DeBlasio, condemning his “anti-police” attitude and his leniency toward repeat offenders.
Dietl, who was nominated for Congress by the Republican and Conservative parties of New York State for the 6th Congressional District back in 1986, affirmed his love for the city and his ability to beat “Big Bird” DeBlasio, as he calls the current mayor.
When asked about his stance on gun control, Dietl opened his suit jacket and gestured towards his concealed weapon, for which he said he has a license. “I am totally for protecting your family,” said Dietl.
Both mayoral candidates took a question or two from the crowd. The hot topic of the day was CitiBike, the City’s privately owned public bicycle sharing system. Residents lamented about how much of the already limited parking has been taken away by CitiBike stations. While there are no CitiBike stations in Bay Ridge, a CitiBike expansion took place over the summer.
A total of 78 new stations were added in six Brooklyn neighborhoods, from Park Slope to Red Hook.
Both Faulkner and Dietl both took a stance against CitiBike, calling the public bikes unsafe. “These bike lanes are unsafe. The community doesn’t want them. And I will definitely oppose them,” said Faulkner. “Truth be told, I think people should ride bikes. It’s good exercise. But commuting in New York City [on a bike], other than as a professional delivery person, I don’t think so. It just doesn’t work.”
Transportation issues took center stage during the Q&A portion. A long-standing problem in South Brooklyn has been the rising toll on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. It is currently at $17 per car without an E-Z pass for Brooklynites to go over the bridge to Staten Island. Many residents have family in nearby Staten Island and the barrier to entry rises with each toll hike.
Dietl spoke about the wealthy financial district and the real estate industry, demanding that they start to contribute their fair share to the City. Dietl said he will look into an MTA subsidy for working families making under $35,000 a year, suggesting that cutting “wasteful programs” may be another source of funding for this program.
The event, which drew about 100 people also awarded State Sen. Simcha Felder (D-Boro Park, Midwood, Flatbush, Bensonhurst) with the Best Conservative Party Rating among New York State Senators award. Felder, who caucuses with Senate Republicans depiste being a registered Democrat, could not attend the meeting as he was in Albany as part of the ongoing state budget negotiations.
Also honored was Sandy Vallas, who Brooklyn Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar presented with the Ronald Reagan Americanism Award. Vallas is a local real estate broker who belongs to several community organizations, including the Dyker Heights Civic Association and the Fort Hamilton Parents Association. Vallas is the also President of the Greek American Property Owners Association and a Trustee to Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church.
“Sandy is what Ronald Reagan was talking about. You make the community a better place,” Kassar in give Vallas the award.
Other in attendance included Republican candidates for the 43rd District City Council Seat Liam McCabe and Bob Capano, as well as City Councilman David Greenfield (D-Boro Park, Midwood, Bensonhurst, Sunset Park).
