Instead of cleaning up the waters of Sheepshead Bay, City Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest) should be cleaning up the local streets of homeless people.
So said Deutsch’s Republican opponent Steve Saperstein, after several local residents witnessed a homeless woman performing a sex act on a homeless man in broad daylight in the parking lot between Sheepshead Bay Road and Avenue Z near the popular Bagel Boy deli.
The lewd act reportedly occurred two days ago – the same day that Deutsch held a press conference of him cleaning litter up in the Sheepshead Bay waters off Emmons Avenue. Meanwhile, homeless people continue to inhabit the parking lot and under the Belt Parkway overpass, among other places in the district, sometimes urinating in public and causing other general nuisances, Saperstein said.
“I am fed up with politicians and their tactics during election season. For Deutsch to do a photo-op and tidy the place up is an insult to the people of our community. The conditions are just as bad as before and nothing has changed except Deutsch has a few pretty photos for his re-election campaign,” said Saperstein.
“Mayor De Blasio seems more concerned with protecting the rights of people to sleep on the sidewalks in extreme weather than what is in their general interest. It is somehow a progressive fetish to allow the homeless to injure themselves in such a public and dramatic fashion. There has been a gross mismanagement of the $1.77 billion in funds directed towards the homeless crisis while the current councilman has done nothing but cozy up to this mayor,” he added.
“The root problems of homeless people must be addressed,” said Saperstein, “Some are just folks down on their luck. Others have chemical dependencies. There are those with mental health issues. All of these individual issues must be addressed, and the homeless shelter intake must filter people according to what their core problem is.
“Where is this [homeless allocation] money going? There is no accountability. The underlying problem is that the mayor’s actions and policies conflict with his core philosophies letting people live in the street is not compassionate. It’s not my style to go negative, but Chaim and Mayor de Blasio are working hand to hand. We need balance and Chaim never spoke out against the mayor,” he added.
Deutsch responded that residents in the district know his record of unwavering dedication to cleaning up the streets and tackling homelessness. This includes working in partnership with city agencies and the NYPD to successfully reduce the homeless population in the district, he said.
“Growing up impoverished, I remember the feeling when my parents did not know where the next rent check would come from, or how they would put food on the table the next day. I have every sympathy for those New Yorkers who are struggling to the extent that they are living on the streets. This is why I have set up many homeless individuals with City services to assist with financial benefits,” said Deutsch, adding that when former Mayor Giuliani cleaned up the streets and subways in the 90s, he effectively addressed the homeless problem.
“Since he left office, homelessness has been on the rise and we are in desperate need of reform. This is an issue that I have repeatedly brought up to this administration, and I remain committed to making real, sustainable change,” said Deutsch.
“In my three and a half years in office, I have never received a single complaint from my opponent about an issue in our community. If he does call, he will find that I am not one to play politics, but instead to tackle concerns head-on. As always, I invite my constituents to reach out to me with their specific issues, so I may follow-up.”
