Dan Halloran For New York City Council District 19

“Council undoes many of Bloomberg’s proposed cuts in budget vote”

By Connor Adams Sheets
Wednesday, July 7, 2010 10:08 PM EDT

Queens residents can breathe a sigh of relief along with the rest of the city, as the City Council passed by a vote of 48-1 a $63 billion budget Tuesday night that reversed many of the most feared cuts Mayor Michael Bloomberg included in his proposed budget.

The budget, which arose from a deal struck between Bloomberg and the City Council late last Thursday night, included $37.4 million in funding to keep 20 FDNY companies slated for closure under Bloomberg’s proposal and $38 million to avoid closing libraries.

“We’ve managed to get restorations for the firehouses, we’ve managed to get restorations for the libraries so there will be five-day-a-week operation in Queens,” Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) said. “All the city pools will stay open all summer. All the district attorneys, their funding will pretty much be restored and we’re working on addressing the disparities between the offices.”

Funding for district attorneys’ offices has long been distributed unevenly among the boroughs, with the Queens office traditionally getting less than its fair share, Halloran said. The Council plans to close that gap during negotiations.

Read more at: http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/06/30/queens/qns_city_budget_20100630.txt

Opinion

More than 80 “champions for cures” gathered at the Clearview Golf Course in Bayside recently, to kick off the 2010 “Light the Night” campaign for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

Since LLS conceived the idea in 1999, the all-night volunteer team walkathons have spread nationwide and to Canada, raising millions of dollars to help find a cure for blood cancers, including Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma.

On Wednesday, July 21, team organizers and supporters such as State Senator Frank Padavan and City Councilmember Dan Halloran networked and participated in a presentation dinner, learning new ways to make a difference in the fight against cancer.

This year, Queens participants hope to raise $223,000 through the Queens Light The Night Walk, in an effort to find cures and improve the lives of patients and their families, according to spokesperson Margaret Barng.

Last year, more than 11,500 people in the New York City area – 1,500 in Queens – participated in walks, raising more than $2.4 million. The hope is to far exceed the $215,976 raised in the borough in 2009.

“The Light The Night Kickoff events are our way to inspire participants in their fundraising efforts and to celebrate the beginning of a new Light The Night season,” said Michele Zellers, Senior Campaign Director for Light The Night. “The energy and emotion is palpable and we are so thankful for the tremendous support from our Queens walkers,” she added.

“We are the ones who should be thankful,” Halloran suggested. “The LLS does a spectacular job raising awareness and funds.” Padavan agreed, saying, “I’ve attended many such events over the years and it’s amazing how creative and dedicated they are.”

In Queens, the actual event will be on Saturday, October 16 at Forest Park.

Between then and now, expect to hear from friends and neighbors about Bowling Nights, Bar Party fundraisers, Ice Cream Socials and other creative fundraising ideas.

To learn more, visit www.lls.org or call 800-955-4572, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Opinion

“I am thrilled to see that the Taxi and Limousine Commission has intervened where the MTA came up short,” said Council Member Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone).  “This commuter van service will pick up many of the riders who were stranded when the Q79 was cut.  Many former Q79 riders were students and seniors who had no other ways to get from work to school.   I am confident this pilot program’s success will show how badly these underserved areas need transit options.”

Opinion

July 6, 2010

Council Member Dan Halloran celebrated his first City Council budgeting session by bringing home a record sum in discretionary funding for his Northeast Queens district. 

 Halloran delivered over $415,000 for the district – a whopping $57,000 more than the district received last year and the most it has received since records on the subject were first kept in 2007. 

 ”These monies make a huge difference,” Halloran said.  “In a recession, it’s harder than ever for nonprofits and community groups to keep making ends meet and keep serving our neighborhoods.”

 Halloran provided well-deserved discretionary funds, also known as member items, to active community groups serving all corners and many needs in his diverse district.  Many of the groups were receiving city funds for the first time, including the Chabad of Northeast Queens for its “Smile on Seniors” nursing home program and its youth program. 

 The Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Community Center, Inc. received $10,000 in city funds through Halloran’s office to operate a community center and provide recreational programs to Whitestone seniors, and another $12,500 for youth programming. 

 Halloran, an active Eagle Scout, also secured $7,500 for the Boy Scouts of America – Great New York Council, and another $5,000 for the Girl Scout Council of Great New York. 

 An alumnus of St. Andrew Avellino School, Halloran delivered funds for many local churches, including St. Kevin’s Senior Club, St. Luke’s Roman Catholic Church, and St. Mel’s Leisure Club a total of over $10,000 for various senior programs and youth recreational programs. 

 Other notable member items Halloran delivered include:
*$9,000 for Little League Baseball of College Point
*$3,400 for the Bay Community Volunteer Ambulance Corps to provide services to Bay Terrace
*$10,000 for the Bayside Historical Society
*$3,500 for the Bayside Village Business Improvement District
*$3,500 for Friends of Fort Totten Parks for youth programs
*$3,500 for Little Neck-Douglaston Community Ambulance Corps for supplies

“These deserving organizations work hard for Northeast Queens every day in our neighborhoods, churches, synagogues, classrooms and ball fields,” Halloran said.  “I’m working hard for them in City Hall every day to get them the support and resources they need.  I thank Speaker Quinn for helping me secure these much-needed funds and I look forward to seeing this money make a real difference for Northeast Queens.”

Opinion

July 12, 2010

Council Member Dan Halloran secured city grants for two leading Korean-American organizations in his Northeast Queens district. 

 The grants, also called member items, were delivered through the City’s budgeting process, which was finalized on June 30.

 The Korean-American Senior Citizens Society of Greater New York received $4,000 to assist in educating recent immigrants.  The Korean-American Community Center of New York was allotted $5,000 to operate its own education program.

 “I hope these funds will make a difference for these two outstanding organizations,” Halloran said.  “The Korean-American Senior Citizens Society and the Korean-American Community Center work hard to serve the Korean-American community in this neighborhood.  They help Korean-American immigrants learn to adjust to American society and develop work and language skills, all while fostering a sense of community for the hardworking Korean-Americans that have contributed so much to Northeast Queens.  I look forward to working with these groups in the next year to better serve the Korean-American community, and I thank them for their fine service.” 

Opinion

“I thank the NYPD for quickly making an arrest in this case.  The supervisor of the construction site at Belshire Manor allegedly permitted one of his workers to use a blowtorch on the building’s rooftop, causing the fire.  I hope this arrest will help prevent future corner cutting and rule breaking at our city’s construction sites.

 “I am working with the Red Cross to help the evacuated families find new homes.  Although this fire shocked an entire neighborhood, it is my hope that their lives will soon return to normalcy.”

Opinion

July 14, 2010

Rogue Ticket Agent Disciplined by NYPD

Council Member Dan Halloran had his June 14 parking ticket dismissed in Queens traffic court today by an administrative judge.

After reviewing photos and video from the scene, the judge ruled that Halloran’s car was idling, not parked, when he was given his ticket in Whitestone.  Additionally, Halloran’s City Council license plates prohibit him from getting certain parking tickets while on City Council duty, as Halloran was at the time of the incident. 

 The ticket was given by infamous rogue agent Daniel Chu, who has since been disciplined by the Department.

 Chu is undergoing sensitivity training, although he is still writing tickets in Queens – just not in Halloran’s Northeast Queens district.  Chu admitted in an internal NYPD review that he was speeding while talking on his cell phone on June 14, and that he parked illegally in front of the Dunkin Donuts.  As punishment, Chu has lost vacation time and had his NYPD vehicle taken away. 

 “The streets of Whitestone are a better place today, now that this agent has been removed from them,” Council Member Halloran said.  “Agent Chu has written countless questionable tickets, as my own ticket’s dismissal shows.  I am calling on every outstanding ticket he has written to be dismissed, just as mine was.”

 On June 14, Halloran and his chief of staff observed Agent Chu driving recklessly down residential streets in Whitestone, running stop signs while blaring his emergency lights.  They followed the agent a few blocks to a nearby Dunkin Donuts, where Halloran witnessed Chu illegally block a crosswalk in front of the store, then go inside to buy himself an iced coffee.  Uncoincidentally, Chu frequently tickets drivers for parking in this exact spot. 

 Since then, dozens of neighborhood residents have come forward with horror stories about the rogue agent – ranging from boxing in cars until the meter expired to ticketing mourners outside a funeral home. 

 “Overticketing has been a scourge of New York City neighborhoods for years now,” said Halloran.  “It is an obnoxious and irresponsible way to raise money for the City.  Ticket agents are here to make our streets safer, not to raise money or to abuse the taxpayers who pay their salaries.  I am introducing City Council legislation that will require a five-minute grace period for double parking.  And I am looking for other ways to protect the rights of New York City drivers and end the reign of ticketing terror.”

Opinion

June 29, 2010
***MEDIA ADVISORY***
Halloran Celebrates Saving Fort Totten Pool

Council Member Dan Halloran will join local residents to celebrate the saving of the Fort Totten Pool at a press conference.

Fort Totten Pool was one of four public pools threatened with closure in the city’s new budget. The Parks Department had claimed the pool was to be closed due to low attendance, despite the fact that it is regularly packed with swimmers and families in the summer months.

Closing the pool would have saved just $125,000, a small blip on the city’s enormous budget. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent renovating the pool just last year – money that would have been wasted had the pool closed.

But through the efforts of Halloran and concerned citizens, the City at the last minute allocated funding for the pool for the summer season, making sure Northeast Queens retains its only public swimming option.
WHERE: Fort Totten pool
Bayside, Queens, NY

WHEN: Thursday, July 1
12:00 p.m.

SPEAKERS: Council Member Dan Halloran
Warren Schreiber, president, Bay Terrace Community Alliance
Local residents who use the pool

VISUALS: Council Member Halloran speaking
Local residents speaking
Pool and swimmers in background

Opinion

June 2, 2010 – New York City Charter Commission Hearing

“I strongly believe that instituting nonpartisan elections in New York City is absolutely vital to ensuring that we have what the founding fathers envisioned – government by the people and for the people.

For too long now, New York City’s party driven elections have resulted in voter apathy and a lack of meaningful input in government for a large part of the population. This has oftentimes resulted in a non-representative government.

The numbers are frightening.

Only about 10% of eligible voters actually vote in party primaries. Even worse, approximately 800,000 voters, by virtue of not being members of a major party, are shut out of the primary system altogether. This, coupled with the fact that in the overwhelming majority of elections in this City, the Democratic Party nominee is virtually guaranteed victory, means that 800,000 citizens do not have a say on who their representatives are.

This cannot continue and I believe that nonpartisan elections are part of the answer. Nonpartisan elections will ensure that all our citizens have a say in government regardless of their party affiliation.

Additionally, nonpartisan elections will allow independent minded citizens to run for elected office without the need to be a member of a major political party. This will increase the number of citizens who can mount serious campaigns for elected office and will strengthen our democracy.

I strongly encourage the New York City Charter Commission to include nonpartisan elections as part of any ballot initiative.”

Opinion

July 1, 2010

Council Member Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) joined community leaders today to tell Northeast Queens swimmers they can keep splashing this summer.

Thanks to the work of Halloran, the City Council funded Fort Totten Pool, which had faced potential closure in the City’s budget crunch. The pool will be open all summer to serve the community.

In a last-minute budget maneuver a few weeks ago, Halloran was informed by the Parks Department that the pool was one of four city pools that would be closed in the new fiscal year.

“The Fort Totten pool is the only open-air pool in Northeast Queens,” said Halloran. “It serves my Council district and the two neighboring districts. Its closure would have deprived thousands of New Yorkers of their only public swimming option. By keeping it open, we’ve won a victory for the thousands of New Yorkers who use this pool and our other public pools as a source of recreation and exercise.

“At an annual operating cost of about $125,000 a year, the Fort Totten pool is barely a blip on the City’s budget,” Halloran said. “And I’ve seen how important the pool is to the neighborhood. Every time I’ve passed the Fort Totten pool on a summer day, it’s packed with kids and families enjoying the sun and the water.

“Through public pressure and creative budgeting, we kept the pool open,” Halloran said. “This victory shows the results we can achieve when we work together as a community. I thank the people from my district who called my office to voice their concerns about the pool. By telling the City what this pool meant to them and their families, they played a part in its rescue. To the swimmers of northeast Queens, I say, ‘Keep splashing!’”

Halloran was joined in celebration by Warren Schreiber, president of the Bay Terrace Community Alliance, representatives from Community Board 7, and many local swimmers and neighbors.

Opinion

June 29, 2010

“I am disappointed to see that the working people have Queens have lost the Q79 bus. Alongside other elected leaders in the area, we rallied and organized to save the bus, but again the MTA didn’t listen to us.

“While its ridership was relatively low, the people who rode the Q79 depended on this bus route. It was the only north-south bus route for Northeast Queens and it linked many underserved neighborhoods to the Long Island Railroad and many major roads. Our community provides one of the largest tax bases in New York City, but we continue to be underserved and ignored by the MTA. It is sadly ironic that at the same time we are told to use public transit, the MTA continue to take our public transit options away.”

Opinion

June 22, 2010

“This is not only a great chance for families to enjoy a host of activities for free at Francis Lewis Park, but it’s a wonderful opportunity to help the Whitestone Veterans’ Memorial Association,” Padavan said. “I urge all local families take a few hours and join Councilman Halloran, local veterans, civic leaders and myself on what will certainly be a fun-filled afternoon for all.”

Opinion

June 25, 2010

“As many of you know, the neighborhood of Douglaston was hit on Thursday night by a powerful thunderstorm. Many trees were knocked down and 763 households were left without power. As of 5:15 Friday morning, all power was restored and all downed poles were repaired. The FDNY is currently on the scene with two engines and one truck in case we hear of any emergencies related to the storm. Fortunately, at this point, it appears no one was injured.

“I thank Con Ed for their hard work in restoring power to Douglaston in a timely manner, the Parks Department for their continued efforts to remove the downed trees, and the FDNY for its vigilance. This is yet another stark reminder of the need to maintain strong and effective emergency services in our city. Incidents like this can happen at any time and with no notice. Through strong and decisive emergency response, we can limit the negative impacts on our quality of life.”

Opinion

Council Member Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone, on left) joined Bay Terrace Community Alliance president Warren Schreiber at the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) etching program on Saturday at the Bay Terrace Shopping Center. The 109th Precinct Community Council sponsored the program together with the Bay Terrace Community Alliance, the Broadway-Flushing Homeowners’ Association, the East Flushing Civic Association and the Queensboro Hill Civic Association. Through the free program, police officers etch the VIN on all the car’s windows, reducing the values of the doors and windshield and making the car less valuable to the potential thief. The process deters theft, helps identify parts in salvage yards, and can lower insurance costs.

Opinion

By Nathan Duke
Thursday, June 10, 2010 11:10 AM EDT

City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) said he was shocked to find out recently that the city Parks Department is planning to close down Fort Totten’s swimming pool as part of its 2011 fiscal year budget.

The agency said during a budgetary hearing last week that the fort’s pool would be one of four in the city to be shuttered. The councilman had been told several weeks ago that funding was in place for the site.

“I met with Parks weeks ago and there was no indication this was happening,” Halloran said. “This completely blindsided me. It’s the only open-air pool in eastern Queens.”

The pool had undergone upgrades, including resealing and landscaping, during the past two fiscal budget cycles. But it could close down as early as July 1 when the Parks Department’s new fiscal year begins, Halloran said.

“We just spent half a million dollars refurbishing this thing, so this is ludicrous,” he said. “It’s disingenuous they are doing this at the 11th hour. It was rehabilitated and allotted a whole lot of money.”

In a statement, Parks announced its plan to close the pool as well as shorten the swimming season for its other city pools by two weeks. The agency said the move would save the city $1.4 million.

“Our decision was based on our judgment of several factors, including attendance figures, proximity to other pools, access to public transit and the location of the pools relative to residential communities,” the statement read.

The agency told Halloran that the pool was not heavily used, but he said the site always seems to draw a crowd on hot summer days. The councilman said he has asked Parks for specific numbers at the pool, but he has n ot been given that information.

The pool had originally been built as part of Fort Totten, which is along the Cross Island Parkway in Bay Terrace.

It is primarily used by northeast Queens swimmers, but draws residents from two Council districts, five state Assembly districts and two state Senate districts.

Halloran is involved in discussions with Parks and Borough President Helen Marshall’s office on the matter, but he said he is upset because he could have arranged for separate funding through discretionary spending had he known the pool faced closure.

“They didn’t tell me about it,” he said of the Parks Department. “It’s hard to lobby for something when you’re not told about it.

Read the story here:

http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/06/10/queens/qns_fort_totten_pool_20100610.txt

Opinion

Halloran Leads Rally to Save the Q79

Council Member Dan Halloran (R-Little Neck) led a rally of elected officials, civic leaders, and labor activists to save the Q79 bus on Friday at the Little Neck Long Island Railroad Station.

Halloran’s constituent James Romano of Little Neck worked with the Council Member’s office to organize the rally. Romano, who relies on the Q79 to commute to work every day, collected over 400 signatures of fellow Q79 riders to present to the MTA.

The Q79 is the only true north-south bus route in northeast Queens. It connects Little Neck with Floral Park and eastern Queens residents to the Long Island Railroad’s Port Washington branch. It is the only way for eastern Queens commuters to reach Hillside Avenue, Jericho Turnpike/Jamaica Avenue, the Long Island Expressway and Northern Boulevard.

Halloran said:

“I refuse to let the MTA balance it books on the backs of middle class New Yorkers. Seniors, students and working people use the Q79 every day to commute to work, school, shop for groceries, and visit friends and family. Northeast Queens is badly underserved by public transit already. Our communities provide one of the largest tax bases in New York City, and we deserve our fair share of services from the city and state.

“In other neighborhoods, many commuters have options. They can take the subway or simply use another bus line. In northeast Queens, that is not the case. The Q79 is the only way for many Queens residents to reach the Long Island Railroad, which is vital for Northeast Queens. Without the Q79, commuters of Glen Oaks Village, Little Neck and Floral Park will be stranded.

“The MTA has one of the biggest, most inefficient bureaucracies in New York State. But instead of cutting its own bloated budget, the MTA would rather cut service to the hardworking New Yorkers who rely on its trains and buses. There are other ways for the MTA to cut costs than by eliminating vital bus lines.

“I commend James Romano for his grassroots leadership on this issue. I am committed to working with James and community leaders to fight the elimination of the Q79.”

State Senator Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) said:

“The Q79 bus line is a vital transportation line that links portions of Northeast Queens to the rest of the borough and to Long Island. The elimination of Q79 will severely impact the daily lives of thousands of seniors, students and workers who use the line to traverse Queens. The bus is also important for local commerce and economic development. It’s time for the MTA to listen to the thousands Queens residents who oppose this plan and ensure the Q79 Bus remains in operation.”

Assembly Member David I. Weprin (D-Little Neck) said:

“The elimination of the Q79 bus service is unacceptable. This leaves the riders of this bus line, many of whom are elderly, hard working or young students, stranded, with no other reasonable option for transportation in this area of Northeast Queens. These Queens residents deserve much better from the MTA.”

Council Member Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) said:

“Eliminating the Q79 bus is not an option. There is no other north/south public transportation service for the Glen Oaks, Floral Park, and Little Neck communities. This proposal would cut the lifeline of many seniors, students, and commuters living in the area.”

Opinion

Council Member Dan Halloran spoke out against yet another water hike at a New York City Water Board public hearing on Tuesday, May 11 in Flushing.

“For the fifth straight year, New York City homeowners are being forced to pay a double digit increase in their water rates. There simply isn’t sufficient justification that this increase is necessary,” Halloran said. “I oppose these arbitrary and misguided attempts to raise revenue. It is a tax, plain and simple, and yet another shot at middle class New Yorkers, who are already hurting enough in this economy.”

Halloran also noted the ballooning unfunded mandates imposed on the City by federal law, which have reached the $100 billion dollar mark in capital costs. In addition, the Council Member noted unnecessary mandates like the UV Water treatment plant that is costing over a billion dollars which is unnecessary in our water supply. He also decried a lack of public attendance at the meeting, for which he blamed a lack of promotion by the agency.

“All New York homeowners should have a fair chance to ask why their rates are going up and what the money is going toward,” Halloran said. “I’m a homeowner in Whitestone, and I know my water fees are going toward growing our government even more. We should focus on making the DEP smaller and more efficient, instead of stuffing it full of our hard-earned tax dollars.”

Halloran noted the DEP has seen a 30% increase in staffing costs over the last 5 years and the $200 million rental fees charged on intra-agency and budget transfers out of DEP to other city agencies, despite the use-fee intention of the Water Board.

Currently, the average yearly charge for a single-family home is about $911. According to a December 2009 Fiscal Brief released by the New York City Independent Budget Office (IBO), the projected annual water bill for a single family household will be more than $1,375 in 2015. The added fees will cost the average homeowner about $100 for the next fiscal year.

Opinion

“As a lifelong New Yorker, I share in the dismay and horror felt by so many of us this weekend. It is frightening to imagine what could have happened in Times Square if not for the heroism of our local police and a stroke of good fortune. As a former prosecutor and member of the NYPD, I commend law enforcement for arresting the suspected bomber on Monday night before he boarded a plane to Pakistan to flee like the coward he is. I hope that this arrest is the first step in uncovering the deeper roots of terrorist activities against our city and nation.

“New York City remains the most targeted city in the world due to our diversity, our prosperity and our unique prestige. This attempted act of terrorism is yet another sobering reminder that we must remain vigilant at all times. I pledge to do whatever I can as a member of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee to assist law enforcement and keep our city as safe as possible. We cannot afford to downsize or fiscally constrain our police, firefighters, emergency personnel or prosecutors. Just because we have once
again thwarted evil doesn’t mean we can be complacent. Our citizens deserve to be safe, and public safety officials need our continued support, as this stark reminder proves.”

Opinion

“The City Council could hardly pick a worse time to throw another expensive regulation at New York’s employers. It has never been harder to own a small business in New York City. Many small businesses can barely keep their doors open, make payroll and avoid laying off workers during this recession. And our city is already shedding jobs left and right.

“I strongly encourage employers to offer paid leave to their employees, and I support legislation that makes it easier for them to do so. I don’t support ironclad mandates that burden the small business owners who hold our communities together and keep our economy moving forward. The vast majority of American employees have some form of sick leave as it is. Many other employees might opt for higher pay in lieu of paid sick leave. This act only serves to slow job creation.

“We’ve learned the answer to a riddle: What do bureaucrats do when they get bored? Throw another burden at our city’s small business owners.”

Opinion

Council Member Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) congratulated new Eagle Scout Basile “Billy” Galitsis at the Eagle Court of Honor ceremony on Sunday in Bayside. Halloran, a fellow Eagle Scout, commended Galitsis on the leadership and hard work he displayed to earn the honor.

“Once an Eagle, always an Eagle,” said Halloran, who remains active in scouting.

Opinion

Council Member Dan Halloran joined organizers, children and State Sen. Frank Padavan at the Auburndale Soccer Club’s new special needs program on Sunday. The free program is sponsored by a grant from Halloran, fulfilling a campaign pledge.

Halloran thanked the club for its commitment to providing recreation and physical activity to the neighborhood’s children and told the kids to “keep kicking.”

Photographed here are (back row, left to right) Halloran, volunteer assistant coaches Louis Gonzalez, Teddy Matozzo, James Pyatsky, Danielle Magnozzi, Vincent Matozzo, Angelo Luongo and Cassandra Doepfner; and Mike D’Ambrosio of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association.

Opinion

By Nathan Duke
Bayside Times

City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) said city budget cuts could likely force firehouses throughout the five boroughs to shut down, but sites in his district have not been targeted at this point.

The councilman has been touring firehouses in northeast Queens to talk to firefighters about proposed city budget cuts. A total of 20 firehouses, most of which are in the Bronx or Brooklyn, could be shuttered across the city.

But Halloran said he believed shuttering firehouses in his district could be disastrous.

“Everyone is concerned about the pending closures,” he said. “None in my district are on the line. It would be far too dangerous to pull our companies because the district is primarily one- and two-family houses.”

Halloran covers a number of northeast Queens neighborhoods, including Bayside, Whitestone, East Flushing, College Point, Malba, Oakland Gardens, Little Neck and Douglaston.

On Friday afternoon, Halloran stopped by Bayside’s 152 H&L Co. Engine 306 along 214th Place to meet with firefighters. He said he believed the closure of any Queens firehouse could affect response times for sites across the borough.

“You pull out a house in western Queens, it will impact here,” he said. “Every second you delay, you increase the possibility that the loss of life will occur.”

Halloran said the budget cuts would not lead to layoffs within the city Fire Department. Firefighters from sites that were closed amid the cuts would be reassigned to other firehouses.

The closures would save the city $7.4 million, but Halloran said the city would not have to shutter the stations if they made cuts in other areas of city government.

“The city spends millions of dollars on silly pet projects that get nothing done for New Yorkers,” he said. “Our firefighters, on the other hand, save people’s lives. They should be immune from budget cuts at all times.”

James Long, an FDNY spokesman, said the department was would work within the constraints of the city budget.

“We will continue to operate and serve the community, but we may have to learn to do that with less,” he said. “It’s a difficult time.”

See story at: http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/04/22/bayside_times/news/bt_halloran_firehouses_20100422.txt

Opinion

By Lisa L. Colangelo
NY Daily News
Tuesday, April 20th 2010, 10:19 AM

More than 600 people in Queens serve on the borough’s 14 community boards. That means they often sit through hours of hearings that focus on the finer points of municipal planning and zoning.

But they also have a front-row seat for major projects that move through their neighborhoods, and it can be a dream gig for gadflies, civic leaders and the politically ambitious.

Even so, dozens of board members in Queens failed to show up for more than half of the regular community board meetings last year. And an even larger number barely hit the 50% attendance rate, according to statistics obtained by Queens News.

“They are given a position of authority,” said City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone), who ruffled some feathers earlier this year when he said it should be easier to replace members with poor attendance records.

He also drew some anger for asking board members to meet with him and send him letters explaining why they should be reappointed.

“Sometimes people feel that once they are on, they can stay forever,” Halloran said. “It’s not just what you have done in the past, but what you are expected to do in the future.”

Almost 60 people missed more than half of their regular board meetings in 2009.

“To me, 50% is not acceptable,” said Eugene Kelty, chairman of Community Board 7, which had five members who missed more than half of the board’s 13 meetings last year. “I always call members to find out what is going on.”

The largest numbers of low-attendees were on Community Boards 3, 4 and 10.

Community boards and their members may be feeling especially vulnerable these days. Their budgets are being slashed and their few advisory powers are under scrutiny by Mayor Bloomberg’s Charter Revision Commission.

“Community board members are volunteers, and sometimes they have work obligations,” said Betty Braton, chairwoman of Community Board 10, which covers Ozone Park and Howard Beach. “People let me know when they can’t make a meeting.”

Board members with poor attendance rates can be removed, according to the City Charter.

But officials said quietly that some people are reappointed despite poor attendance because they offer vital professional experience or help make the board more diverse.

Many are also reluctant to force out longtime members who are absent for health reasons.

“Unfortunately, there is a lot of illness out there,” said recently appointed Deputy Borough President Barry Grodenchik, who oversees the boards. “Seventy-five percent of the board members have good attendance.”

Board members serve staggered two-year terms. Each January, half of the approximately 640 members must reapply for their seats.

Borough President Helen Marshall appoints members, but half of them must be recommended by a Council member from their district.

In January, Grodenchik sent members a letter reminding them to reapply if they want to hold onto their seats. They were also told that attendance would be one of the factors used in Marshall’s decision.

About 30 people decided not to reapply.

“It’s a volunteer position,” said Jerry Iannece, chairman of Community Board 11, who attended all of his board’s regular meetings last year. “You have to be appreciative of what they do and maybe push them a little bit.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2010/04/20/2010-04-20_community_inactivists_dozens_of_board_members_absent_more_than_50_in_09.html#ixzz0lxATDuYg

Opinion

Council Member Dan Halloran met with Yane Yanev, chairman of the Bulgarian conservative party Order, Law and Justice, at his district office in Whitestone on Thursday. Halloran presented Yanev with a book on the American constitution and a New York City flag. The two leaders discussed constitutional reform and their efforts to fight government corruption.

Opinion

By Ivan Pereira
Bayside Times

Borough President Helen Marshall (c.) rallies the borough’s elected officials and community board members at a protest at Borough Hall.

The borough’s elected officials and community activists rallied on the steps of Borough Hall Tuesday to take a stand against the mayor’s proposal to significantly cut funding to the city’s community boards.

More than 100 board members from all over the borough showed up for the protest, shouting, “No Budget Cuts.” Under the city budget’s proposal, the overall budget for district managers would be cut from $200,000 to $144,000 — a 28 percent drop.

Borough President Helen Marshall, who led the rally, said those cuts would lead to serious problems for the people of Queens, since the boards would have less staff and fewer resources to handle the issues affecting the borough’s neighborhoods.

“Our community boards are integral parts of our city government and if they are to function with the effectiveness that we in Queens have come to expect from them, they cannot have their budgets cut anymore,” she said.

The borough president’s words were echoed by several elected officials, including City Council members Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), Jimmy van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), Peter Koo (R-Flushing), Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) and Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park).

Comrie said the cuts, which would go into effect July 1, were ridiculous because the boards served as the eyes and ears of the neighborhoods.

“It’s a horrible situation when you have to fight for something that makes sense,” he said.

All of the Council members vowed they would press for a way to prevent the cuts.

“We all understand that the government that governs best is close to you,” Halloran said. “To take that out of … our communities is a disgrace.”

City Comptroller John Liu also pledged his help during the Queens Civic Congress’s luncheon Sunday at Antun’s in Queens Village.

Liu, who used to serve as president of the North Flushing Civic Association and is a former member of Community Board 7, said City Hall could find other ways of balancing the budget without making the major cuts to the boards.

He noted several agencies have been spending their budgets unwisely and said he and his office would work hard to try to prevent the boards from suffering financial burdens.

“There is no accountability as to how agencies bypass the city processes,” the comptroller said.

The community boards were first created in 1975 during the adoption of the City Charter that year. Along with being an outreach center for residents’ questions and concerns, the boards were given some power in terms of the city’s land use, capital budget and expenses and delivery of city services, according to the borough president.

Most of the borough’s district managers and chairs were also on hand and emphasized that their staff are predominately volunteers giving up their time to do their part in the community.

Joe Conley, chairman of Community Board 2 in Woodside, said the mayor was thinking backward with the cuts, since he is always promoting New Yorkers to be volunteers.

“Mayor Bloomberg needs to remember in his first term he said how important community boards are,” he said.

Dolores Orr, chairwoman of CB 14 in the Rockaways, also stressed the importance of the boards being within the reach of residents’ homes. Since her neighborhood is cut off from the rest of Queens by a toll, Orr said her board has to solve the community’s problems on their own most of the time.

“Without the community board, we will be constitutionally isolated,” she said.

Opinion

By Connor Adams Sheets
Bayside Times

City Councilman Dan Halloran (l.) and state Sen. Frank Padavan are scheduled to be models in a fashion show at the Poppenhusen Institute. Photo by Christina Santucci
The elite members of northeastern Queens will be showing off the finest duds straight from wardrobes of the colonial era up through the boutiques of today April 24 and they want all the gentlemen and ladies of the community to come out for the fun.

Fashions of the Decades, a fund-raiser benefit event for the Poppenhusen Institute, is slated to be one of the year’s quirkiest and most entertaining evenings as government leaders, disc jockeys and business people bust out the waistcoats, tri-corners, poodle skirts and leg-warmers for a time-travel journey through America’s fashions.

Luminary models at the fete will include Marilyn Bitterman, district manager of Community Board 7; Joe Femenia, president of the College Point Civic Association, and his wife Laura; City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone); state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose); DJs Kim and Jim from 102.7 Lite FM; and more.

The celebration will include hot hors d’oeuvres, fancy desserts, hot and cold beverages, a raffle and live music.

The event, which is $35 per person — tickets must be purchased by Tuesday — will take place at 7 p.m. at the 142-year-old landmark Poppenhusen Institute building at 114-04 14th Road in College Point.

Built by College Point’s benefactor Conrad Poppenhusen, the original charter of the institute declared it open to all people. It has housed a bank, library, court room, sheriff’s office, two jail cells still in the building and more in its time, but is probably best known for opening he first free kindergarten in the United States in 1870.

Today the Poppenhusen Institute serves the College Point community by providing a variety of lessons, tours, lectures and rental space.

See full story at: http://www.boropolitics.com/stories/2/15/02_15_0416_poppenhusen_fashion.html

Opinion

Candidate for the 26th Assembly District, Vince Tabone, joined Michael Feiner, Bayside Hills Civic Association (BHCA) president, State Senator Frank Padavan – who also read a fairy tale to the children – Community Board 11 chair Jerry Iannece – who judged the Egg Rolling Contest – Councilmember Dan Halloran and the Easter Bunny at the BHCA Annual Spring Festival on Saturday, April 3 in Captain Dermody Square at 216th Street and 48th Avenue in Bayside to celebrate the holidays with area parents and their children.

From the Queens Courier; see story at http://www.queenscourier.com/articles/2010/04/12/news/making_a_buzz/doc4bc360996a20e305092691.prt

Opinion

By Nathan Duke
Thursday, April 8, 2010 11:22 AM EDT

U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (c.) joins City Councilman Dan Halloran (l.) and Kevin Kim to call on northeast Queens residents to fill out and return their census forms.

Bayside residents fell just below the national average for filling out census information, but Flushing’s denizens were much less diligent, U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside) said last week.

The congressman, who was flanked by the two former rivals of last fall’s fiercely contested City Council race for northeast Queens, called on borough residents to fill out and send in their 2010 census forms during a press conference last Thursday.

Ackerman said the number of forms returned determined how much federal funding the district would receive.

“We live in an interesting community that is very diverse,” Ackerman said in front of his Northern Boulevard office. “We have people from every country in the world in this district. So it’s critically important to get money to pave roads, fix bridges, improve education for our children and provide small business loans. With millions of dollars at stake, we cannot stress enough how important it is for all New Yorkers to participate in the census.”

During the 2000 census, an estimated 55 percent of New Yorkers returned their forms, but only 31 percent of Queens residents sent back their questionnaires.

Census workers said about 45 percent of Bayside residents filled out the census, but only 15 percent of Flushing residents sent back their forms.

An estimated 59 percent of Little Neck and Douglaston residents have turned in their forms.

Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) and Bayside attorney Kevin Kim, a Democrat who previously worked for Ackerman in community affairs, called on northeast Queens residents to send in the form. The two had faced off in last fall’s contentious Council election.

“Let’s give our children, family and friends the resources they deserve,” said Halloran. “This is probably the most important thing a citizen or non-citizen can do.”

Census questionnaires will continue to be accepted through April 15. More than $400 billion that the federal government gives out to state and local governments is based on population, Ackerman said. The census also determines congressional representation.

An estimated 52 percent of United States residents take part in the census, workers from the study said.

Kim said undocumented workers or illegal aliens need not fear participating in the census because information they provide could not be used against them.

Ackerman said Asians made up an estimated 26 percent of his district, while Latinos added up to 25 percent.

Opinion

By Nathan Duke

Youngsters compete in the Bayside Hills Civic Association’s annual Easter egg roll.

More than 40 children and their parents gathered last weekend at Bayside’s Captain Dermondy Square to watch a magic show and take part in an Easter egg roll as the Bayside Hills Civic Association hosted its second-annual spring festival.

The civic had started the festival last year as a means of providing outdoor activities for neighborhood children at the beginning of spring in early April.

“We thought it would be a great event to bring out children,” said William Liao, a civic member whose wife created the festival and gathered its sponsors. “Bayside is a great place to raise kids, but there are not many events for them. This is a great way for their parents to get to know each other.”

The festival, which was held at Captain Dermondy Square at the corner of 48th Avenue and 216th Street in Bayside, included a performance by Manhattan magician Seth Dale, who made bottles of water disappear but also, unfortunately, a $100 bill handed over by City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone).

Dale swore to reimburse the councilman after the money could not be retrieved.

“This is just like politics,” Halloran joked.

But the magician later made the councilman’s money reappear stuffed inside an orange.

Children from the community also participated in an Easter egg roll on the grass at the square.

Michael Feiner, president of the civic, said the event was one of the few of its kind in the neighborhood at this time of year.

“It has a lot of exciting activities for children,” he said.

A bevy of elected officials and political hopefuls turned out to watch the day’s events, including Halloran and state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) as well as Community Board 1 Chairman Jerry Iannece, former Councilman Tony Avella, former state Assembly contender Bob Friedrich and current Assembly candidate Vince Tabone.

But the event’s focus was on the neighborhood’s children, who said they were awed by Dale’s magic tricks.

“I liked how all the things disappeared,” said Bayside’s Kyle Chen, 7.

The festival, which began around noon Saturday, was sponsored by Liberty Mutual Bank, TD Bank, Starbucks, Queens Health Emporium, the city Community Emergency Response Team and Bayside nursery Keil Brothers.

Read the full story at: http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/04/08/queens/qns_bayside_easter_20100408.txt

Opinion

By Elizabeth Benjamin
NY Daily News

Freshman Queens GOP Councilman Dan Halloran, who is now strongly considering a challenge to Rep. Gary Ackerman this fall, has become a regular on “The Strategy Room,” a live FOX News webcast.

Here’s a clip of one of Halloran’s more recent appearances (March 31) in which he participates in a discussion about President Obama’s decision to approve new offshore oil and gas drilling for the first time in decades.

Unsurprisingly, Halloran is not at all complimentary about the idea.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2010/04/hallorans-profile.html#ixzz0lxGqELAq

Opinion

By Chris Bragg
City Hall News

City Council Member Dan Halloran, a Republican elected last year, said that he is now strongly considering challenging Rep. Gary Ackerman for Congress after Ackerman’s vote for the health care package passed last month and Ackerman’s behavior at the bill’s signing ceremony.

Halloran had been leaning against running, but said his interest had been renewed in recent days.

“It’s changed things a lot,” Halloran said, referring to the health care bill, “and it’s changed things a lot as I look at running.”

In a memorable moment during the bill’s signing ceremony, when President Barack Obama cited the “uncommon courage of the men and women of the United States Congress, who’ve taken their lumps during this difficult debate,” Ackerman yelled out, “Yes we did!”

Halloran said this shows Ackerman knows he voted against the wishes of his constituents.

“He knows that his constituents are not happy,” Halloran said. “Polling shows that 60 percent of the people in our area are not supportive of this.”

Halloran and Ackerman have a contentious personal history. Last year, Halloran won a bitter Council campaign against Kevin Kim, a former Ackerman staffer. During the campaign, the Queens Tribune—a newspaper Ackerman founded and still has a financial stake in— ran a front-page article describing Halloran as a “Pagan Lord,” referencing Halloran’s belief in a pre-Christian religion called Theodism.

Ackerman appears to be taking the threat seriously. On Tuesday, Halloran and Ackerman ate lunch together at Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse in Bayside. After the meeting, Ackerman’s staff contacted Halloran’s to arrange several upcoming joint press conferences, including one on Thursday at Ackerman’s office encouraging people to turn in their census forms. (That press conference Thursday, which will also include Kim, is billed in the press release from Ackerman’s office as the two former rivals “setting aside their hotly contested battle—at least for the moment.”)

Ackerman characterized the meeting and upcoming press conferences with Halloran as normal for two elected officials in the same area.

“I do that on a continuing basis with all elected officials,” Ackerman said. “I met with him once even before I heard he might be running.”

Ackerman, who had $1.1 million on hand as of the last campaign finance filing at the end of last year, also has scheduled a launch party for a new campaign website on April 19.

Ackerman said the health care bill was a “very easy vote” for him and that the bill was overwhelmingly popular in his district. Ackerman added that he was “not overly concerned” with a potential Halloran challenge, noting that the Council member represents only about 20 percent of Ackerman’s constituents, while Ackerman has represented all of Halloran’s constituents for decades.

Ackerman said he assumes they will stick to their roles.

“He’s out there working hard and he’s doing a good job,” Ackerman said. “I’m looking forward to working with him for the next four years when he’s a member of the City Council.”

Halloran has been holding frequent meetings with local Republican leaders about a potential run and has lined up local GOP support, including Queens Republican chair Phil Ragusa. According to the prospective candidate himself, the major barrier remains uncertainty over whether Halloran will land the Independence Party line.

Although the electorate in the district is fairly conservative by New York City standards, the voter registration still leans heavily Democratic. Winning without the Independence line could prove difficult, Halloran admitted.

“The stars have to be in alignment, so to speak,” Halloran said.

For years, Ackerman has run on the Independence line and he has good relations with downstate members of the party. Michael Niebauer, the Independence Party executive committee member from Queens, said he would continue to support Ackerman because the congressman has been a friend to the party. The other half of the Congressional district, meanwhile, is in Nassau County and the position of the party’s executive committee member there, Bobby Kumar, remains unclear.

Kumar did not return phone calls seeking comment.

But Halloran said he believes the passage of health care bill could spur the leadership of the Independence Party to back him despite their longstanding relationship with Ackerman. The executive committee has been known to overrule local leaders on nominations, as it did last year when it chose to back Halloran over Jerry Iannecce, whom Niebauer also personally supported.

Sources within the state leadership of the Independence Party said Halloran had not yet reached out to them about mounting a Congressional run, and noted that Ackerman had a long record with the party.

Michael Zumbluskas, an ally of Independence chair Frank MacKay and member of the Independence Party’s executive committee who headed downstate candidate recruitment last year, said the party would likely come out against the health care overhaul.

Still, Zumbluskas said the party’s longstanding good relationship with Ackerman could sway the party’s position on this particular race.

“He probably does have the inside track,” Zumbluskas said. “But you never know: Halloran could get in and things could change.”

Initially tapped to recruit a challenger for Ackerman by local Tea Party leaders, Halloran quickly emerged as the favorite for the race himself. Already, 384 people have become fans of the “Draft Dan Halloran for Congress” Facebook page.

Nonetheless, Halloran said he still has reservations about running for Congress so soon into his first term on the Council—especially during budget season—and said he would huddle with advisors this weekend in an effort to come to a final decision.

“I don’t want to abandon my post because the voters have put their trust in me to do a job,” Halloran said. “This is really about people speaking to me and telling me they want me to run. And this is definitely the climate for it.”

Opinion

BY Clare Trapasso
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Tuesday, March 30th 2010, 9:46 AM

Warning: Trying to find parking in Bayside and then feeding the meter once you do could be hazardous to your health.

Motorists parked along busy Bell Blvd. – one of the area’s main commercial drags – often play a heart-pounding game of chicken with oncoming traffic in their mad dash to cross the busy street to avoid getting parking tickets.

And those are the lucky ones, who managed to find a spot.

Many drivers said they grow so exasperated circling the same strip for a space that they give up and head to Long Island.

Add to that the agita of rushing to put muni-meter slips on dashboards, lest a vigilant traffic agent slap you with a ticket while you’re in between.

As with other trouble spots profiled in the Queens Parking Crunch series, merchants are among the most vocal about what they call the outdated rules and selective enforcement that leave many scratching their heads.

“People are hesitant to come to Bell Blvd. because there’s a big chance they’re going to get a ticket,” said James Riso, chairman of the Bayside Village Business Improvement District.

“People have to run out halfway between their meal to feed their meter, and by the time they get there they have a ticket.”

Parking is particularly problematic there because Bayside has no subway stations – only a Long Island Rail Road stop. Many residents rely on their cars to get around.

The situation got worse for businesses when the city switched from two-hour parking meters to one-hour muni-meters on Bell Blvd., locals said.

“[It] helps a little bit, because…you can squeeze in wherever you can,” Riso said of the muni-meters. But “people can’t do their business within the one-hour time.”

Riso is among those who would like the city to allow two-hour parking on Bell Blvd. and to expand a nearby municipal lot.

City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) said he is working with the city to get additional spots added to the lot.

But a Department of Transportation spokesman said the agency isn’t planning to expand the lot at this time. However, it is evaluating the proposal to allow two-hour parking on Bell Blvd.

Halloran said he has also reached out to local law enforcement, asking that the new five-minute grace period on expired meters be honored.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2010/03/30/2010-03-30_dodging_cars___fines_crossing_bell_blvd_is_risky.html?page=0#ixzz0lxJojLC8

“We need to expand parking options, and because Bell Blvd. isn’t wide enough, we can’t explore the option of angle parking,” Halloran said. “I’m going to continue to look for additional land to acquire for parking.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2010/03/30/2010-03-30_dodging_cars___fines_crossing_bell_blvd_is_risky.html?page=1#ixzz0lxJekOsg

Opinion

BY Leigh Remizowski
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Emotional speeches by City Councilmen Peter Koo and Dan Halloran bookended the back-and-forth between Community Board 7 and developers of Flushing Commons – the 5-acre complex of stores and condos set to be built atop a municipal lot on Union St.

Koo kicked off the jam-packed meeting, which marked the last chance for locals to speak out about the sprawling development that many of his constituents worry will worsen parking and traffic in the already congested area.

“During the most difficult time since the Great Depression, I find it extremely difficult to oppose this project,” said Koo, reiterating developers’ promises to create up to 1,900 permanent jobs and 2,600 construction jobs.

“It will be considered the crown jewel of not only our downtown area, but the entire borough of Queens,” he said.

He told audience members – some of whom waved signs with messages like, “Give us parking or give us death!” – that he knows the plan has shortcomings.

“I agree, and remain concerned as well,” he said of the project, slated to have a three-story garage with 1,600 spaces.

One additional underground parking level would be “technically feasible,” said Michael Meyer, president of TDC Development. But it would cost an additional $30 million on top of the $800 million price tag, he said.

“The principal reason we dropped [the level] is because it was not necessary,” Meyer said.

But making decisions about parking “unilaterally” doesn’t sit well with Councilman Dan Halloran, who stopped by the meeting to represent his district, which begins just blocks away from the lot.

“Just build it,” he said of the extra level. “I don’t care how many spots there are, there are never going to be enough.”

Halloran demanded that the city and developers “sit down and be transparent.”

“I don’t believe for a minute that this is something we don’t need,” he said. “But it’s got to be done right.”

Halloran was not the only one who came to the meeting demanding transparency. A group of locals held signs that read, “Koo and Lee? Just friends, or a conflict of interest?”

Michael Lee is the chairman of both TDC and the company’s umbrella organization, F&T Group. Koo received two campaign donations totaling $2,750 from F&T, campaign finance records show.

“We are friends,” Koo said of Lee, adding that they do not have a business relationship and that their friendship didn’t influence his backing of the project.

Meyer echoed Koo’s dismissal of the allegations, adding that the group also donated to Koo’s opponent, Yen Chou. “It’s a tight-knit community and to try and make this out as some unseemly alliance is silly,” he said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2010/03/24/2010-03-24_councilmens_voices_rise_above_din_at_parking_hearing.html#ixzz0lxWnzl5d

Opinion

by Liz Rhoades, Queens Chronicle

With a long wish list of things it wants done for Flushing, members of Community Board 7 on Monday night approved the contentious Flushing Commons mixed-use development project in a vote of 35 to 2.
The $850 million plan calls for a mix of 620 upscale condominiums, retail and commercial areas, a YMCA, a public green and 1,600 underground parking spaces. It will be built on Municipal Parking Lot 1, located west of Main Street, between Union and 138th streets and 37th and 39th avenues.

Also approved, but a separate project on the same five-acre site, are 140 units of affordable housing in a 14-story building to be developed by the Macedonia AME Church. It is located on the northeast corner of the parking lot.
Although community boards only have advisory power over land-use issues, CB 7 decided to issue a list of stipulations with its approval of the two developments. Vice Chairman Chuck Apelian said there are still many issues that need to be addressed. Among the recommendations were these:
• The city should cap parking rates in perpetuity, except for cost of living increases.
• The Department of Transportation should implement one-way street designations for Union and Main streets by the end of the year if its pilot plan, starting in July, does not work to alleviate traffic.
• Macedonia must provide parking; eliminate shops on the first level and replace them with additional housing units; and add some housing for seniors.
• The YMCA needs to provide subsidized programs for seniors, day care and free swim for Flushing residents.
• The city’s profit on selling the parking lot should go to improvements in Flushing.
• The MTA should extend the mezzanine platform underground for the No. 7 line to Prince Street on the west and Queens Crossing on Main Street to the east.
• The city should turn the old YMCA building on Northern Boulevard into a public school.
• The developers should add a movie theater to Flushing Commons.
Apelian told board members they would be approving the general concept of the two projects and that he knows the stipulations are not binding. “This project is smack in the center of Flushing and will have a meaningful impact on us,” he said.
But CB 7 member Josh Sussman believes the city does what it wants. “This is a wish list only,” Sussman said.
Joe Feminia, another board member, said it’s still important to push for the stipulations. “If we don’t, nothing will get done,” he said.
Supporting the project were Councilmen Peter Koo (R-Flushing) and Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone). Koo promised to work with all concerned parties. “I support the project because it will benefit Flushing,” he said.
The project is expected to generate 2,600 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent positions.
Halloran said Flushing can’t afford not to have construction workers working. “It’s a business opportunity that will bring in millions of dollars,” he said. “It’s not perfect … but if we can survive the next three years, we’ll reap the benefits in 10 years.”
He wants a sales tax amnesty for businesses affected during the construction phase and promises to work with Koo to address issues raised by the board. “We’re all in this together and we have to work for a better Flushing,” Halloran added.
The amount of parking spaces has been hotly debated in the past, with some asking for 2,000 slots. The city has promised to reconstruct Municipal Parking Lot 2 between 38th and 39th avenues with stackers to provide 275 valet parking spaces to help make up the difference. The lot now has 87 spaces and Lot 1 has 1,100 spaces.
During the construction phase, workers will be allowed to park on newly created temporary lots at 37-02 College Point Blvd. and at 133-41 39th Ave.
Michael Meyer, president of TDC, which is building Flushing Commons with the Rockefeller Group, said following the vote, “We are honored and flattered to have earned such a strong vote of confidence from Community Board 7 and we look forward to continuing to work with the board, Borough President Helen Marshall and Council Member Koo to ensure that Flushing Commons will be as beneficial and responsive to the surrounding community as possible.”
The project now moves on to the borough president, who will hold a hearing on April 20. A City Council vote is expected by summer. The developers hope to start construction next year and finish by 2013.

Opinion

“The Republican Party has long been a party of principles,” said Council Member Dan Halloran. “That’s why I am saddened that the Queens GOP has chosen to abandon its support of Rick Lazio’s campaign for governor. I am standing by Rick Lazio because he stands for real American values.

“In a time when Democrats have completed a huge federal takeover of our nation’s health care, comprising 20 percent of our country’s economy, we need Rick Lazio’s leadership more than ever. Washington Democrats turned their back on the will of the people and saddled our children and grandchildren with years of crushing debt. We need elected leaders who will push back. As governor, Rick Lazio will fight to reduce spending, lower taxes and create jobs for the working people of Queens.

“When Massachusetts, the bluest state in the country, elected Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate in February, it showed that no Democratic seat is safe. Americans are fed up with the Democrats’ hypocrisy. Senator Brown won because he campaigned on American principles of self-governance and freedom. Republicans offer New Yorkers a sharp contrast to the spend-happy, big-government Democrats in Washington. When we stand by our values, we win. That’s why I am standing by Rick Lazio, and that’s why he will win in November.”

http://www.urbanelephants.com/index.php/component/content/article/64/2413-council-member-halloran-stands-by-lazio.html

Opinion

By Connor Adams Sheets
Bayside Times

The city Department of Buildings is compiling documents and records to hand over to the Queens district attorney’s office in hopes of building a criminal case against two city construction companies that are suspected of reporting more than 1,000 Queens homeowners in recent months for building code violations to generate more business, City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) said.

As early as September, the companies have used the 311 call system to lodge hundreds of anonymous, unfounded complaints alleging that entire blocks of homes across the borough have been renting out their basements or performing work without a permit, according to Halloran.

After making the complaints, the companies blanket the neighborhoods with letters advertising their services, which include improving homes in order to avoid DOB fines, the councilman said.

Logs of 311 phone calls obtained by the DOB indicate that at least two-thirds of such complaints made in the past several months originated with either Ticket Busters Inc. of Flushing or Airitan Management Inc. of Brooklyn, said Halloran.

Representatives of both companies denied making the 311 complaints.

“We don’t report people, that’s not our job,” said Ronnie Tan, an auditor at Airitan, citing “company privacy” when asked how it determines where to send letters.

The DOB did not respond to numerous e-mails and phone calls requesting comment, although in December a spokesman said the agency was investigating the complaints.

“Alert your councilman if you get a letter like this so we can turn it over to the DA because they should be prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law companies that are attempting to basically extort money from citizens,” Halloran said.

The suspected scam was first reported last summer in northeast Queens neighborhoods like Whitestone, which Halloran said saw 540 DOB complaints in just one month, but it has since spread to Woodside, southern Queens and in the past two weeks Murray Hill, scam victims said.

The Dwhaj family of South Ozone Park, who requested that their first names and address be withheld, said their holidays were ruined Dec. 28, when a DOB inspector rang their doorbell. He said the city had received a tip that the Dwahjs were illegally renting their cellar.

“So innocently — we don’t have a tenant down there, we’re using it for our own purposes — we let him in,” one of the Dwhajs said.

The inspector did not find a tenant, but recorded other gripes against their dwelling, and the Dwhajs were hit with two violations, each carrying a fine of more than $2,000: work without a permit for installing a small bathroom with a shower and altering a residence to allow more than the legally approved number of tenants.

The inspector came Dec. 28 and a letter arrived Dec. 31 from Ticket Busters, followed two days later by one from Airitan Management.

The Dwhajs have since spent $1,200 to begin to fix the issues and are working to resolve them with the DOB, but the Dwhaj spokeswoman said her family never should have been targeted in the first place.

“Every day we’re coming home with letters coming from companies and notices from the Buildings Department. It’s harassment,” Dwhaj said in December.

Halloran and former Councilman Tony Avella say the scam wastes city time and money and is a costly nuisance for residents.

http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/03/04/queens/queensqmtzlmz03032010.txt

Opinion

Andy from Blue Collar corner talks to NYC Counciman Dan Halloran at the Lincoln Day Dinner at Antun’s on Sunday February 14, 2010 about the state of the GOP and the current Healthcare debate.

Opinion

By Connor Adams Sheets and Nathan Duke
Bayside Times

Tension is brewing between City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) and Community Board 11 Chairman Jerry Iannece over Halloran’s role in appointing members to the board, which covers Bayside, Douglaston and Little Neck.

Iannece complained Monday that Halloran, a freshman councilman who took office last month, is being too intrusive in the process to appoint board members by asking the board for attendance logs, requiring that nominees for board seats submit a résumé or letter to prove their credentials and meet informally with him before he will consider appointing them.

But Halloran, who promised during his campaign to bring transparency to city government, said Monday he wants to ensure community boards are populated with people who will actively work to improve their communities.

“The most important thing I can do right now is ensure that the community has faith in its community board,” he said. “I would like to have a good working relationship with Community Board 11, and I’m looking to work with them to keep them viable so the city of New York doesn’t turn around and abolish them when I think they’re a very valuable resource and vital to our community.”

Iannece, who lost to Kevin Kim in last year’s Democratic primary for the seat Halloran eventually won, questioned Halloran’s understanding of his role in the appointment process.

“I think he needs to understand the process a little bit more before he starts trying to question the credentials of people who’ve served the better of the community for 30 years,” Iannece said. “There’s a better way of doing it than the way he’s doing it. There’s a learning curve for everyone.”

Thirteen CB 11 members are up for reappointment this year, six of whom will be chosen by Borough President Helen Marshall, and seven of whom are selected by Halloran, whose district covers both CB 11 and parts of Community Board 7 in Whitestone, College Point and Bay Terrace. All are officially appointed by Marshall, but she is required to appoint the councilman’s selections.

So far, only one CB 11 nominee has spoken with Halloran, who approved her reappointment. He said a couple of others have scheduled times to talk with him but that the rest have not been in contact yet.

Halloran said his intention is not to insult the board but ensure the best people are representing the community, especially at a time when Mayor Michael Bloomberg is considering abolishing the bodies or halting their funding.

“I’m the new guy and this is the old board and the old board doesn’t want the new guy to tell them what to do,” he said. “[Appointment] is not a rubber stamp for what you’ve done in the past, it’s a trust given to you that you’re going to do things in the future to help their communities,”

But Iannece said Halloran is going about it all wrong.

“Is he trying to clean house?” he asked.

Halloran also appointed some of CB 7’s members since he represents 40 percent of the area, while Councilman Peter Koo (R-Flushing) covers the rest. Halloran requested letters or résumés and attendance charts from CB 7 members under his purview who were up for reappointment and has since met with and reappointed all of them.

http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/02/17/bayside_times/news/bayside_times_newsfnghnzs02112010.txt

Opinion

U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis claims the city favors white firefighters and turns minorities away, via its written exam. Photos by Michael Lanza

The FDNY may have to hire two black and one Hispanic applicant out of every five new firefighters chosen, after a federal judge ruled that the department had engaged in intentionally discriminatory hiring practices.
Last week U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis ruled that written exams administered to FDNY applicants in 1999 and 2002 were biased and ordered that the city create a new test and establish a process for the victims to receive monetary compensation and retroactive seniority.

Approximately 7,400 minority members took the exam, but of those only 293 — the number of applicants the judge says would have passed at the same rate as whites if the test had been fair — will be given priority hiring. Two blacks and one Hispanic from the pool will be chosen as part of every five new individuals hired by the FDNY.
The ruling came as a result of a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice and the Vulcan Society, a fraternal organization of black firefighters who have continuously criticized the lack of ethnic diversity in the FDNY and claim the exam is not the only reason why the disparity exists.
“They need to put some serious effort and resources into recruitment and getting the word out in the black community,” said Paul Washington, past president of the Vulcan Society. “It is not widely known in the black community how good the job is.”
Leroy Gadsden, the president of the Jamaica chapter of the NAACP, believes that the strong traditions associated with the FDNY have made the force resistant to change. “They don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” Gadsden said. “There are many states that have successfully integrated minorities into their fire departments. It’s simple. They just have to change their mindset.”
Area officials expressed mixed opinions about the outcome of the case.
City Councilman James Sanders (D-Laurelton) believes the FDNY is lagging behind other city agencies in diversifying its force. “The majority of people in New York are minorities and the FDNY is not reflecting that,” Sanders said. “It is the worst of the uniformed services in that respect.”
City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) disagrees, saying the FDNY “spends a considerable amount of time trying to diversify the department.” Ulrich believes the decision may anger others who will think they have been slighted by any “priority hiring.”

“A government mandate in the form of a quota or a system that gives a leg up to one person and not another will not solve the problem,” Ulrich said, adding that the department should not be “tailoring standards.”
City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) echoed Ulrich’s sentiments, saying the FDNY has consistently reached out to minority communities over the last 10 years. He disagrees with the judge’s ruling and believes the city should appeal and will win if it does. Halloran opined that the FDNY exam tests precisely the skills needed to perform the job.
“Being a firefighter is more than knocking down doors and carrying a hose,” he said. “They have to understand the science of fires and that requires academic training. They also have to be trained to handle terrorism issues as well as biological and radiological issues and that means reading books.”

In the 2009 case of Ricci v. Destefano the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that New Haven officials had violated the Civil Rights Act when they invalidated the test results for a management promotion because black firefighters hadn’t scored high enough. Because the test was thrown out 17 white firefighters and two Hispanic firefighters who did qualify didn’t get the job.
Inquiries about the New York case made to the FDNY and the city’s Department of Administrative Services — the agency that creates the exam — were referred to the city’s Law Department.
“Contrary to the Court’s opinion, it is the city’s view that there is simply no evidence that the city ever intended to discriminate against black applicants,” Georgia Pestana of the Chief, Labor & Employment Law Division of the NYC Law Department said in a prepared statement.
Darius Charney, an attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights, who is representing the Vulcan Society, says it isn’t any one particular question on the FDNY’s 107-page written exam that is racist, but rather that it fails to meet the validity criteria set forth by the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
In order to file a lawsuit, the plaintiffs must first prove that that there is a great disparity in the test results of white versus minority applicants. Of the approximately 11,000 members of the FDNY only 3 percent are black and 5 to 7 percent are Hispanic, Charney said. Next, the court must determine whether the exam is valid — that it tests knowledge necessary to be a firefighter.
In the case of the United States of America and Vulcan Society, Inc. v. the City of New York, the judge found the exam to be invalid because it only tested cognitive skills — reading and written comprehension. “The exam did not test oral comprehension and oral communication, which the FDNY says is more relevant to being a firefighter,” Charney said.
Other relevant skills include: integrity, cooperativeness, teamwork, interest in being a firefighter, physical ability and empathy, according to Richard Levy, a lawyer who is also representing the plaintiffs. He contends that firefighters do not need to read quickly or write extensively when rushing to a fire scene and therefore those abilities should not be the main focus of the FDNY exam.
When asked why minorities do not perform as well as their white counterparts, Levy said a multitude of factors including economic circumstances, schooling and income come into play.
“They can come up with a test for the Police Department and the Corrections Department — jobs that require carrying a gun and having a great deal of authority — that don’t discriminate, but they can’t do that with the Fire Department?” Levy asked.
If the judge had ruled that the FDNY exam was valid, the plaintiffs would have still had an opportunity to win their case by trying to prove that another test given by a city agency was equally valid and yet did not result in the same racial disparities.
As a result of the judge’s ruling, all the plaintiffs, not just the 293 selected for priority hiring, may be eligible to collect damages for the shame and humiliation they may have experienced as well as the back pay, health and pension benefits they would have received if they had been hired. They have the option of suing as a group or hiring their own lawyers to seek individual compensation.
City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) disagrees with the judge’s ruling and contended that there are many reasons why people gravitate toward different professions.
“The top requirement in a job involving saving lives should always be merit,” he said. “The test was examined by experts and there has been no proof that it is biased. The ruling went way too far. Taxpayer funded back pay without evidence of bias is absurd.”
City Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) is doing his part to ensure that the FDNY is more ethnically diverse. He has proposed legislation that would allow any New York City firefighter candidate who has a diploma or GED from a city high school or testing center to receive an additional eight-point credit on the firefighter exam. He will reintroduce the legislation at the next scheduled City Council meeting, which is at the end of the month, and he expects the bill will be passed in February.
Vallone supports the idea of giving test credits to city grads, but thinks the amount needs to be reworked.
“You can’t give eight points to a New York City High School graduate and only five points to a veteran,” Vallone said, but added that if too many credits are given out in general, it will void the exam’s attempt to gauge skill.
Comrie agrees with the federal judge’s ruling in the FDNY case and says that individual questions on the exam may have been the problem. “The focus of the questions were aimed at people who had inside knowledge of the Fire Department,” Comrie asserted. “They focused on questions that the average Joe wouldn’t know unless they had a father or brother or uncle who works for the Fire Department.” Comrie also added that the black and Hispanic caucus will ask the mayor not to appeal the decision.
The city will participate in discussions with the judge regarding his recommendations at a legal conference set for Thursday. After that, it will be placed on the court docket and the city will be forced to comply unless it chooses to appeal, a move Kate Ahlers, a spokeswoman for the city’s Law Department said officials are “contemplating.”

Questions from the FDNY exam
The following are typical questions from the 107-page test that a federal judge determined to be discriminatory.
The correct answers are provided in informative paragraphs above the questions, as they are in many parts of the test.

You are a firefighter at a fire scene, and have been attempting to remove a conscious victim from the inside of the building that is on fire. As you prepare to descend the closest set of interior stairs with your victim, you notice that more fire is blocking your path. Which one of the following should you consider using to get out of the building?
a) The closest fire escape
b) A Fire Department issued life-saving rope
c) A nearby corridor that runs horizontal to another area of the fire building that is not on fire
d) A Fire Department ladder which is placed near a window on the outside of the building

Which of the following drills is the most useful for firefighters in terms of immediately evaluating their performance at a fire scene?
a) Field drill
b) Critique drill
c) Company drill
d) Multi-unit drill

Firefighter Jacobs has just come upon a young woman who has just started bleeding profusely from the lower part of her arm. Which one of the following actions should Firefighter Jacobs take first to control the bleeding?
a) Hold the woman’s right arm above her head.
b) Apply a tourniquet just below the woman’s right elbow.
c) Press the artery that is closest to the wound against a bone.
d) Use a sterile dressing to apply direct pressure to the wound.

Opinion

The NYPD and NYDOC Pipe & Drums, Boy Scouts Color Guard

Speeches of the Speaker of the City Council Christine Quinn and Minority Leader James Oddo

Senator Frank Padavan

Swearing In by Justice Robert Hanophy Dan Halloran Commentary

Opinion

The Halloran Victory Committee cordially Invites you to the Inauguration of Newly Elected Council Member:

Daniel J. Halloran, III

The event is the Swearing-In Ceremony for the City Councilman for the 19th Council District comprising the Northeast Queens communities of College Point, Auburndale-Flushing, Whitestone, Bay Terrace, Bayside, Little Neck and Douglaston in New York City.

Numerous elected officials and Guests will be on hand. Reception to follow.

Sunday, January 3rd

1:00 PM

Bayside Historical Society

at the Officers Club

208 Totten Avenue

Bayside, NY 11361

Inauguration

Opinion

Mayor Swears in Republican Delegation

Commentary By Councilman

Interviews

Opinion

Councilmember-elect Dan Halloran recognized outgoing Councilmember Tony Avella for his focus on eliminating graffiti in Northeast Queens at a press conference in College Point on Tuesday, and vowed to continue the fight after taking office in January.

“My predecessor, to his credit, understands that graffiti has an insidious affect on property values and the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” Halloran said. “Our city is asked to do so much with precious few resources. Community groups and the private sector must continue to play a vital role.”

The outgoing incumbent is to be commended for supporting a system allowing city residents to call in graffiti complaints, which are then cleaned up – free of charge. Additionally, maintenance teams regularly scour graffiti hotspots and remove any graffiti they may observe.

Halloran reminded constituents to contact his office when they see graffiti in the neighborhood. Halloran’s District Office can be reached in January at (718) 631-0328.

“If you see graffiti on your business or anywhere in our district, contact my office,” Halloran said. “Northeast Queens is the cleanest residential district in New York City, and I will do whatever it takes to keep it that way.

“We’re winning the fight against graffiti,” said Halloran. “But we have to keep working to preserve our community’s precious quality of life.”

Opinion

Regarding the Approval of the College Point Police Academy

“Today I am disappointed in the City Council, but sadly, I am not surprised. I attended the original subcommittee hearings at City Hall last month, where I was the only person to speak on the issue from the public. At the hearings, I advocated a long-range plan that remembers the needs of the College Point community. Our leaders have long thought only in the short-term. The police academy could have been a huge boon to College Point, but because of poor planning, it will cause numerous problems that could have been avoided.

“As anyone from College Point knows, there are only three roads in and out of the neighborhood. The police academy is at the intersection of two of them. This is going to have a serious impact on transit in the area. Northeast Queens drivers already have too few places to park their cars, and now hundreds of police cars will be added to our streets. The additional traffic will make it even harder to get in and out of College Point.

“I grew up here. My family has been here for five generations. We know what it means to be a member of this community. The police academy is good for College Point if and only if infrastructure is developed. This neighborhood’s small businesses just got 5,000 new potential customers, who happen to be police officers. Their presence will keep the community safer. But what the neighborhood really needs is good planning. That didn’t happen in City Hall this week.

“My hope is to develop this police academy with a $1.5 billion price tag, but to do that, we need real long-term planning. When I take office in January, I will bring a long-range view to solving problems. Leadership isn’t about quick political dividends or bringing home cushy member items. It’s about making this city better for our families today and our grandchildren’s families in the future.”

Opinion

Dan Halloran declared victory Tuesday night in his City Council campaign and pledged to move forward working to unify the district.

The following is a statement from Dan Halloran.

“On Tuesday night, the voters of Northeast Queens made a statement. We’ve had enough overdevelopment. We’ve had enough overtaxation. We’ve had enough of a government that barely seems to know we exist and acts without community input. Now, that all changes.

“I’m from this neighborhood – and I know that our community’s unique character is what makes it so special. Northeast Queens has quaint, tree-lined streets with historic one-family houses. We have bustling commercial centers and thriving schools. But we know that what makes our neighborhood so great is under threat right now – from developers who treat our neighborhoods as a cash box. This neighborhood is a part of me – and I will fight those who want to compromise it to make a dollar.

“I’m immensely proud of the campaign we ran. We proved you can win a City Council campaign not by mudslinging, but by earnestly talking about the issues that matter. We proved you can win running a grassroots campaign, supported by working people from the neighborhood.

“After the results were in, I received a gracious concession call from my opponent, and I appreciated that. It must be said that Kevin Kim ran a strong campaign. While Kevin and I disagree on many issues, we do share a passion for public service. I look forward to working with Kevin in the next four years on the issues that matter to northeast Queens, and I congratulate him for a spirited campaign.

“But the campaign is over now. Now, it’s time to govern. I pledge to work with everyone in my diverse district to move forward. I know that if we work together, we can preserve the character of northeast Queens. We can improve our schools, make our streets safer and reinvest in our small businesses. And our work begins today. I welcome everyone, from all parts of my district, to work with me for our neighborhood’s future.

“I am grateful to all the voters in the 19th Council District who voted on Tuesday and participated in the democratic process. Thank you for placing your trust in me. For those who did not vote for me, I will work hard to earn your trust. It is truly an honor and a privilege to serve and I look forward to giving it my all.”

Opinion

Hellas Weekly News and Diaspora FM Radio endorsed Council Candidate Dan Halloran this week and cited his knowldege of the Community at large, and specifically Greek traditional issues in their decision to “endorse this lifelong resident of the area.” This endorsement adds to the litany of Newpaper endorsements in the district for Halloran.

Opinion

City Council candidate Dan Halloran had a clear message for his opponent, Kevin Kim – end the desperate attacks and stick to the issues.

“All Kevin Kim wants to do is attack me, in a pathetic and desperate attempt to distract the voters from the real issues,” said Halloran. “Kevin Kim doesn’t talk about the issues that affect northeast Queens because he doesn’t understand those issues – not surprising, as he moved to the district just a few months ago, to run for City Council.

“Kevin Kim doesn’t want to talk about overdevelopment because he knows he’s funded by the same builders that overdeveloped downtown Flushing. Kevin Kim is itching to sell this neighborhood to the highest bidder. I’m from the neighborhood. My family has been here for five generations. I know how important it is to preserve the character of our community.”

Halloran spoke to the press outside the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Whitestone on the same day he was endorsed by the Greek newspaper Hellas News.

The candidate was joined by supporters including Glenn Berwin of Whitestone and Kimon Thermos, a parishioner at Holy Cross.

“If you’re a developer seeking to make a profit off Northeast Queens, by all means, vote for Kevin Kim,” Halloran said. “If you’re a homeowner trying to raise a family here in Northeast Queens, and you want to preserve the integrity of our neighborhoods, vote for me on November 3.”

Opinion

Candidate Makes Case for Safeguards in New Police Academy Proposal

Dan Halloran had a simple message for City Council Members on Monday at the Meeting of the Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses: College Point needs a police academy.

But Halloran cautioned we must listen carefully to the concerns expressed by the community and plan properly. The police academy is a $1.5 billion project, and it must be implemented with measures to mitigate adverse impacts on the community.

“This police academy could potentially be helpful to the area around College Point Boulevard, but only if the community’s recommendations are incorporated into the final project,” said Halloran.

Halloran warned that the City must do its due diligence in planning, or the new academy may actually hurt the neighborhood.

“There are only three roads in and out of College Point, and this station is going to be at the intersection of two of them,” Halloran said. “I have serious questions about the transit impact this will have on the community.

“I am joining with Council Member Tony Avella and civic leaders in cautioning that this has to be done right or not at all. If done right, there will be adequate mitigation measures, the opportunity for increased public safety, and even a police substation, which would ultimately benefit the neighborhood.”

Halloran pointed out that a police academy will add hundreds of police cars to the streets of College Point.

“The neighborhood already has very few parking spaces available for its residents,” Halloran said. “We have to have a plan in place – where are these extra cars going to go? The people of College Point deserve answers, and we owe it to them to think things through.”

As added benefits, the police academy will make the neighborhood safer and boost College Point’s economy, Halloran said.

“The small businesses of College Point just got 5,000 new potential customers,” Halloran said. “And those potential customers also happen to give the area a strong police presence. This will deter crime.”

Opinion

The Sergeants Benevolent Association became the latest union to endorse Dan Halloran’s City Council campaign on Friday.

“Dan’s commitment to the NYPD and the law enforcement profession is second to none,” said SBA President Edward D. Mullins. “His knowledge of local issues is unparalleled, and I am confident that he will serve his constituents in the 19th Council District with fresh and new ideas. It is my pleasure and honor to endorse Dan.”

“I’m proud to be endorsed by the Sergeants Benevolent Association,” Halloran said. “Our police officers are true heroes. In the City Council, I will focus on keeping our streets safe, and I will never forget the brave men and women in blue.”

Halloran, a former prosecutor and member of the NYPD, has deep roots in northeast Queens going back five generations and a legacy of public service. His great-grandfather was an NYPD chief, and his grandfather was an NYPD detective. Two of his brothers are firemen.

Dan Halloran is running on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Libertarian lines in the general election on Nov. 3. The 19th Council District includes Bayside, College Point, Auburndale, Beechhurst, Whitestone, Bay Terrace, Robinwood, and parts of Flushing, Douglaston and Little Neck

Opinion

Former Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Rick Lazio threw his support behind Dan Halloran’s City Council campaign on Thursday.

“New York needs Dan Halloran,” Lazio said. “We need someone who knows what it’s like to run a small business. We need someone who knows our government can’t be all things to all people. We need a fighter for the working class. That’s who Dan Halloran is, and that’s why I support his campaign for City Council.”

“I am proud to be endorsed by a great New Yorker, Rick Lazio,” Halloran said. “We share a vision of what New Yorkers want from their government. When I’m in the City Council, I look forward to working with leaders like Rick Lazio to make sure the middle class families of Queens have a seat at the table.”

Opinion

Gazette Endorses Mike Bloomberg for Mayor and Dan Halloran for City Council

Election Day 2009 will arrive in New York City six days from today. It is incumbent upon every qualified voter in Queens, regardless of political party affiliation, to go to the polls and cast a vote for the re-election of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

When the final count is made after the polls close at 9 p.m., the tally should provide a huge vote of confidence for our mayor and leader for the past eight years.

19th City Council District

Daniel Halloran, a lifelong resident of Bayside, has presented a community-oriented platform in his campaign and the Gazette endorses him for election.

Dan Halloran is running on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Libertarian lines in the general election on Nov. 3. The 19th Council District includes Bayside, College Point, Auburndale, Beechhurst, Whitestone, Bay Terrace, Robinwood, and parts of Flushing, Douglaston and Little Neck.

Opinion

“The Dan Halloran campaign commends five principled New Yorkers who filed a lawsuit against the Working Families Party. It’s about time someone else stood up to their brand of dirty politics. Dan Halloran exposed these shady deals back in July – when the Working Families Party’s shadowy for-profit affiliate company, Data and Field Services, was revealed to be illegally evading campaign finance laws.

“The WFP claims to care about grassroots change – but they endorse big-money candidates who are in bed with developers and political insiders. And they help their corrupt cronies by laundering money under the table and funneling campaign assistance for reduced prices, violating the trust of the voters and tainting our city’s elections. The Working Families Party and ACORN have hijacked the Democratic Party and replaced moderate Democrats with radicals.

“There is a pattern of deception at play with Kevin Kim. He accepted the Working Families Party line in a backroom deal – then bragged that he was proud to be endorsed by the scandal-riddled party, with its ties to ACORN. It should come as no surprise that Kevin Kim – whose campaign is funded by Flushing developers – would be the WFP candidate. Kevin Kim is itching to sell off our community to the highest bidder.

“The Halloran campaign calls on Kevin Kim to disclose any surreptitious help and to openly discuss the details surrounding his ‘bait and switch’ cross endorsement. What promises were made? What money changed hands?

“Dan Halloran is running a grassroots campaign, powered by the homeowners, small business owners, and working people of northeast Queens. He will fight to preserve the residential character of our neighborhoods because they are his neighborhoods. A vote for Dan Halloran is a vote to stop the Working Families Party’s radical anti-neighborhood agenda. A vote for Dan Halloran is a vote for the community.”

Opinion

HALLORAN CAMPAIGN CALLS FOR END TO SIGN THEFT

Dozens of Dan Halloran for City Council signs have been stolen and slashed in northeast Queens – and community residents have had enough.

Several residents of the neighborhood have filed police reports alleging signs were stolen from their private property. Community residents have expressed fears that Kevin Kim’s campaign or Kim supporters are stealing and destroying the signs in what appears to be an organized, systematic way throughout the district.

“I call on Kevin Kim to denounce this activity,” said Halloran. “This has no place in a campaign. The voters of Queens deserve to have their property rights respected and they deserve more civility and a real discussion of the issues. That’s what my campaign is all about.”

These crimes may be a continuation of a pattern of smears done by the Kim campaign, designed to distract voters from Kim’s ties to developers and his newness to the district.

“Kevin Kim will do and say anything to distract the voters from his lack of substance,” Halloran said. “In northeast Queens, we don’t stand for Kevin Kim’s brand of dirty politics. Of course, Kevin Kim just moved to this district in February, so maybe he just doesn’t know any better.”

Anthony Carollo, a former NYPD officer who volunteers for the Halloran campaign, pointed out that slashing a lawn sign require box cutters – and possession of box cutters is a felony. He called on Kim to investigate this vandalism.

“We believe the Kim campaign is behind these crimes,” Carollo said. “People are trespassing in the middle of the night with weapons. This activity is making our neighborhood unsafe, and it has to stop immediately.”

Douglaston resident David Gallagher filed a police report after a sign was stolen from his property on three separate occasions. Carollo pledged to work with the 111th Precinct to get to the bottom of this crime spree, which has hit all of the 19th District’s neighborhoods but is focused in Whitestone, Douglaston and Little Neck.

Dawn Anatra, a Halloran volunteer from Little Neck, presented a list of eight stolen signs and showed a photo of a sign slashed on Douglaston Parkway.

“These are crimes against our personal property,” Anatra said. “Elections should be decided by the voters, not by dangerous shenanigans.”

Opinion

State Senator Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn) endorsed Dan Halloran on Sunday, further cementing his status as the frontrunner for City Council in the 19th District.

“As a former police officer who was elected to the City Council myself, I know Dan, as a former prosecutor, can help clean up City Hall and deliver for this community,” Golden said. “We’ve got Republicans here, Conservatives, Independents, and Democrats. That’s how you win.”

Golden became the third current or former Senator from New York City to endorse Halloran’s campaign, joining respected leaders Frank Padavan (R-Queens) and Serf Maltese (R-Queens).

“I’ve a proud supporter of Dan because I know northeast Queens needs someone with deep roots here,” Padavan said. “Dan is from this community, and he loves this community. When elected, he will fight to preserve this community.”

“Our homeowners and small businesses have been crushed by taxes,” Maltese said. “I fought for years in Albany to reduce the heavy taxes that burden New Yorkers. Dan understands that to create jobs, we have to invest in our small businesses and working people. That’s why we need him in the City Council.”

“I am proud to be endorsed by three of our city’s strongest leaders,” Halloran said. “Senators Padavan, Golden and Maltese have fought for New York City in Albany for years. In City Hall, I’ll continue their work – to lower our taxes, clean up our streets and stand up to developers who see Queens as a cashbox and not a community.”

Opinion

City Council candidate Dan Halloran was honored with the endorsement of former New York Governor George Pataki on Friday.

“Governor Pataki worked hard for middle class New Yorkers who are crushed by repeated tax increases,” Halloran said. “I’ll fight for working New Yorkers in City Hall. We need a government that lets working families keep their hard-earned dollars and helps small businesses create jobs, instead of crushing them with burdensome regulations. I am proud to be supported by Governor Pataki, and when elected I will continue his work to make government work for the people.”

“As a former executive, I know you can’t do it all by yourself. You need help,” Pataki said. “Dan Halloran has a legacy of service to Queens. We need Dan in the City Council to make sure working people have a voice in city government.”

Halloran has also been endorsed by Senator Frank Padavan, Councilman James Oddo, former Councilman Mike Abel, the Carpenters Union and the Fire Marshals Benevolent Association.

Opinion

The Queens Examiner is the latest to decide what voters throughout Northeast Queens have decided – that Dan Halloran is the best choice for the City Council.

From the Examiner:

“We…were extremely impressed with Halloran’s grasp of the issues that face the district – from helping small businesses to the developments in the College Point Corporate Park to landmarking the neighborhood of Broadway-Flushing.

“An attorney who grew up in Northeast Queens and still calls it home, Halloran is a confident candidate who is well spoken and impressed us as an independent thinker. Despite the fact that he is running on the Republican line, Halloran convinced us that he would tackle issues on a case-by-case basis free of partisan politics.

“This paper believes that, in time, Halloran will become a highly respected member of the City Council, one who can deliver funds and services to the district by working to build positive relationships with his fellow City Council members.

“Halloran is an intelligent and honest candidate, and for that he deserves your vote to become the next council member in the 19th District.”

Opinion

The City Council campaign of Dan Halloran gained even more momentum on Saturday with the endorsement of City Council Minority Leader James Oddo of Staten Island.

“I’m proud to accept the endorsement of Councilman Oddo, a true warrior for New York City’s working families and small businesses,” Halloran said. “I look forward to working with Councilman Oddo to cut taxes and make our government responsive to the people.”

The following is a statement from Councilman Oddo:

“We need another fighter in City Hall to join us in our struggle to give middle and working class New Yorkers a greater voice in City government. After having the opportunity to speak with you on various occasions, I know that you agree our government spends too much of our money because it tries to be all things to all people.

“It is clear that tough budget choices will have to be made in the City Council in the coming months. This makes it imperative to elect candidates like you – fighters for New York City’s often forgotten working and middle class families – to the City Council.”

Opinion

Dan Halloran Candidate for NYC Council District 19- speaks with Andy Sullivan at his campaign headquartera in Bayside, Queens, NY. The interview covers a range of topics from local to international, where you can guage how he stands on the current issues. BCC proudly supports Dan Halloran because of his stance on limited gov’t, free market, and family values.

Opinion

On Friday I attended the birthday party of Mildred Gent, turning the ripe young age of 102, at the Donnelly Home in Flushing.

Mildred has led a truly wonderful life. She spent her whole life in queens – the last 60 or so years here in Flushing. Mildred worked as a bookkeeper for A&P supermarket for many years. Mildred’s father died when she was only 13 months old – and as an only child, she devoted much time to taking care of her mother.

Today, Mildred is healthy and spry, getting around with a walker. She enjoys reading the paper, and she never lost her sense of humor.

Seeing Mildred reminded me of all that seniors have done for our community. It’s critically important that our leadership remembers them – and rewards them with the basic services they need, such as safe sidewalks and well-funded senior centers.

The Donnelly Home provides wonderful services for our community’s seniors. And our seniors love being visited by friends, family and neighbors. I encourage New Yorkers to volunteer some time at their local senior center – you’ll be glad you did.

The Donnelly Home is at 34th Avenue and 147th Street. Feel free to contact them by emailing woodmanseniorliving@gmail.com or call (917) 805-6446.

Opinion

On Saturday, I took part in a parade and rally in College Point to support Jack Price. Jack is a longtime resident of the neighborhood who was nearly killed in a ruthless and savage attack here just a few weeks ago. The attackers took $10 and a pack of cigarettes – but that’s not why they targeted Jack.

No, they robbed and assaulted Jack because he is gay.

Queens is the most diverse place in the world. We have people of all walks of life here, people from all over the planet, of every creed and ethnicity you can imagine. In short, we’re all unique – and that’s one of the things that makes our community such a great place to live.

So when something like this happens in our backyard, we must all come together and reject hatred.

I showed support for Jack because all New Yorkers have the right to feel safe in their home neighborhoods.

I commend the police for making a swift arrest of the alleged perpetrators – and I’m thankful that security cameras in the area helped make the arrest happen. As a former prosecutor, I know how important it is to crack down on violent crime in every way we can.

The criminals who almost killed Jack Price deserve to be punished to the full extent of the law. And Jack and his friends and family deserve our thoughts and prayers in this difficult time.

Opinion

“As a former member of the NYPD and prosecutor, I know that people must feel safe in their homes. Like other New Yorkers, I am appalled at the recent ‘gay bashing’ incident in College Point, in my district.

“I was similarly appalled when Senator Hiram Monserrate got nothing more than a slap on the wrist for domestic violence against a woman. It’s all the more offensive when a politically connected insiders like Monserrate seems to get off easy.

“We must prosecute such violent crimes to the fullest extent of the law. My heart and prayers go out to the victims and their families.

“Senator Monserrate should resign immediately. Cleaning up Albany starts at the top – by electing leaders who are responsive to the people, who have values and integrity.

“Being an elected official is a privilege, not a right. As a former law enforcement official and officer of the court I want to make it clear: these crimes will not be tolerated. As a lawmaker and representative of the people, Monserrate has to be held to the highest standard. And crimes again women are especially vile.

“The College Point attack highlights the need for an increased police presence in College Point. When elected to the City Council I will fight for a police substation in that neighborhood to improve police response time.

“And we need Senator Monserrate to step down today – so that victims of domestic violence and other violent crimes do not have to watch a convicted criminal sit in our state government’s inner circles.”

Opinion

William Kregler (left), president of the Fire Marshals Benevolent Association, presents a plaque of endorsement to Dan Halloran (center), candidate for City Council.

City Council candidate Dan Halloran proudly accepted the endorsement of the New York City Fire Marshals Benevolent Association on Thursday.

“I come from a working class background in this neighborhood,” said Halloran. “In City Hall, I’ll fight for the working families who are the backbone of our city.”

A practicing attorney, Halloran is a former prosecutor and member of the NYPD. He is running to end overdevelopment, cut taxes and invest in our small businesses and working people.

The following is a statement from William Kregler, President of the New York City Fire Marshals Benevolent Association:

“District 19 covers some of the best working class family neighborhoods in New York City. We have seen other neighborhoods adversely affected by uncontrolled and unmonitored development and its negative effects on quality of life.

“[As a former member of the NYPD,] Dan will ensure the quality of life in District 19 by ensuring necessary infrastructure enhancements coincide with responsible development. As an attorney, Dan will ensure the zoning laws are adhered to so that the working class neighborhoods he serves will continue to exist and not fall victim to overdevelopment.

“We look forward to Dan’s commitment to preserving the middle class neighborhoods of the 19th District in his role as City Councilmember.”

Dan Halloran is the Republican, Independence, Conservative and Libertarian nominee for the City Council in Queens’ 19th District, which includes all or parts of Bayside, Auburndale, Bay Terrace, Little Neck, Douglaston, Whitestone, Beechhurst, Robinwood, Flushing and College Point.

The New York City Fire Marshals Benevolent Association, established in 1966, is comprised of over 500 active and retired New York City fire marshals.

Opinion

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I recently attended a series of fundraisers for my campaign at Monahan and Fitzgerald, BBQ Village and at our Grand opening, where I was feted by numerous community leaders. The support of leaders such as Senator Frank Padavan, and of the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Libertarian parties, means so much to me – and thanks to their help, I have a great chance to win on November 3.

Leaders of the Independence Party, like Frank McKay and Milke Niebauer have shown their support, and the Conservative Party, and its Chair, Tom Long. John Procida and the Libertarian Party has been assisting us and giving us on the ground support, while the GOP and Chairman Phil Ragusa have been working in the field and at our Headquarters. Great support has come in from the Whitestone Republicans under Tony Carolla, and the candidates unit of the GOP under Kimon Theormos has gone to the extra mile for us.

But the backbone of my campaign has been the support I’ve received from regular folks like me – people who call this neighborhood home, who own their homes here, many of whom have lived here for generations.

I’ve been overwhelmed by the local support from my campaign. The vast majority of my campaign donations have come in small amounts from members of the community – my neighbors and friends.

There’s something to be said for raising money in the district, from people who are invested in the community. I’m not taking money from the developers who have plundered downtown Flushing, just a few miles to our west. My contributions are from people who believe in me, who believe in my vision for a New York City government that works for middle class families.

And every dollar from a New York City resident up to $175 is matched by the city eight times.

Thanks to their help, I will have over $200,000 to tell members of the community about my commitment to the middle class and my history of fighting for our neighborhoods.

Opinion

A 5th generation Flushing native, Dan Halloran is the 19th Council District’s best bet to preserve the character and quality of life unique to our neighborhood. The lifelong New Yorker is able to explain to the community why the imprudent planning of New York City has negatively affected the College Point area. He offers real solutions to the problems, and identifies the means to reach them. His grasp of the powers of the Council, the law, and the structure of our government.

Vote Halloran on Election Day

Opinion

Dan Halloran, the Independence, Republican, Conservative and Libertarian party candidate for City Council held a party Saturday afternoon to celebrate the opening of his new Campaign offices in Bayside at the Old Chase Bank on Bell Boulevard.

Several hundred of Halloran’s volunteers and supporters turned out at 43-01 Bell Blvd in Bayside and promised to help the candidate in the final push before he faces his opponent in November’s election. “It’s a great location, because it is the heart of the district,” Halloran said, which covers Bayside, Little Neck, Douglaston, College Point, East Flushing, Malba and Whitestone. The Republican Candidate has had a satellite office on Francis Lewis Boulevard for access to the other parts of the district since April.

On hand were State Senator Frank Padavan, former City Councilman Mike Able, GOP Chairman Phil Ragusa and Indpendence Party Representative Mike Niebauer, as well as a host of party officials and supporters. The Campaign raised well over $10,000.00 over the week and recieved heavy press attention. With over 100 volunteers on staff, the race for November is moving along with great success.

Opinion

The GOP’s candidate for City Council in the 19th Councilmanic, Dan Halloran, appeared on Queens Public Television tonight during the primary election. He spoke about the opportunities for the upcoming election cycle and the Republican Party in Queens. Afterward he released the following statement:

“I congratulate each and every candidate in the democratic primary, who fought hard, brought out the issues, and has worked to make our community a better place. I particularly thank my life-long friend Tom Cooke for caring and showing what can be done with dedication, and bringing sensibility to the dialogue. I am grateful for the efforts of Debra Markell in serving our City, and of course, Jerry Iannece who has done a good job as Chair of Community Board 11 – I am sure he will continue to be an important voice on Zoning issues in the District. Steve Behar has motivated a great group of young people and helped renew interest in politics for them, Kudos Steve. Paul Vallone has proven not only to be a tough competitor, but more importantly, a friend who never had an unkind word for anyone, through it all.”

Halloran then went on to address the news that Kevin Kim had won the Democratic line, “I am honored to be running against Kevin. He has proven able to get out the vote; I have no doubt that I face a tough opponent in him. Kevin has stayed with the issues throughout the campaign, and while I disagree with him ideologically on many points, I can not fault his commitment to serve, nor his credentials to do so. I wish him the best of luck as the race progresses and hope he and I will be able to stay on target in addressing the problems facing the community. I look forward to debating the problems and the solutions so that our community will reap the benefits!”

Dan Halloran will be running on the Republican, Conservative, Independence, and Libertarian lines in November and has been endorsed by the district’s State Senator Frank Padavan, and former Councilman Mike Abel among many others.

Opinion

On September 12, 2009, the DWARF GIRAFFE ATHLETIC LEAGUE PICNIC at Harvey Park was held despite overcast skies. Hotdogs, Hamburgers, Refreshments, Family Games & Prizes marked the occasion for the youth atheletic program. State Senator Frank Padavan and City Council Candidate Dan Halloran joined the board of the DG’s at the event. Halloran and his brothers participated in the DG program in theiryouth.

The program, founded in 1955, when some young men who played softball together, called the smaller guys “Dwarfs” and the taller “Giraffes”, decided to form a social club and try to help the youth in the community. They went to a local parish priest, the late Reverend O’Connell of St. Luke’s Church, with the idea of fielding one or two baseball teams for youngsters. The turnout was overwhelming, with over 200 boys signing up. Thus the Dwarf-Giraffe Boy’s League was born. In 1966, the League purchased its present site at 149-50 15th Road. It was formally the Rialto Theater, known by some in the neighborhood as the “Itch”. A Jewish congregation had earlier purchased the building, establishing it as Temple Hillel. The theater floor was gutted and the room converted into the gymnasium and basketball court. The non-profit, non-sectarian organization then began to expand in the late 60’s into football, basketball, bowling and soccer. The youths ranged in age from 8 to 25. A public bingo program was run once a week which enabled the organization to pay off the $50,000 mortgage for its building in less than six years. Grants and sponsorships in addition to other fund raising activities have allowed the league to maintain and improve its facilities over the years.

DG currently offers member participation for boys and girls from age 5 to 18 in five major sports programs – baseball, girls’ softball, basketball, tackle football and roller hockey. Over the years DG has offered programs to thousands of youngsters with an emphasis on instruction, sportsmanship and teamwork. DG would like to enhance its programs and if possible expand and offer additional programs. The operations of DG are community oriented and strive to serve the athletic and social needs of the boys and girls in our community. Business owners are strongly encouraged to become team or corporate sponsors to future this endeavor.

Opinion

Local attorney Dan Halloran, who has worked in several District Attorneys’ offices and a former member of the NYPD, joined the 109th Police Precinct Community Council in Presenting Police Officer of the Month last evening. The award was shared by two officers who, in separate incidents, prevented suicides in two parts of Flushing.

On hand, at the Community Council meeting, chaired by Chrissy Voskerichian was the 109th Executive Officer, as Deputy Inspector Matthew Whelan was unavailable.

Opinion

Press Release: September 5, 2009
Committee to Elect Dan Halloran

24-55 Francis Lewis Boulevard
Whitestone, NY 11357
718 690-3803
press@danhalloran.org
www.electdanhalloran.org

Council Candidate Halloran calls for a probe into ACORN & the Working Families Party amid Discovery of Corruption in Not For Profits tied to them

New York, New York: Council Candidate Halloran once again calls for reform of the allocation and member item process in government amid the recent revelations about ACORN and the WFP in New York City. Time and again a public funds scandal plagues the halls of New York City relating to the abuse of taxpayer funds and party politics. Regrettably, many of our elected officials are strangely silent. Perhaps they have turned a blind eye because of where the money trail leads. The New York Agency for Community Affairs (NYACA), a not-for-profit prohibited from political activities whose mission was to be “a vehicle for community organizations to assist low and moderate income families” is the latest organization to be outed as an apparent front for diverting taxpayer money to the political campaigns of local politicians. Why a not-for-profit was ever allowed to operate under a name that makes it sound like an arm of the government is a question for another day.

This week it was uncovered that NYACA, a public charity, shares more than just address with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) the lobbying group that has come under intense scrutiny for election fraud and is currently under fire for breach of federal and state regulation of political activities. During the 2008 election season, ACORN gathered over 1.3 million voter registration forms in 21 states; 400,000 being ultimately rejected as incomplete, duplicated or fraudulent (approximately one-third). The fact that ACORN shared an address with NYACA is something that should have sent up red flags long before the financial irregularity was exposed. Now it seems that millions of public dollars were diverted by NYACA directly to ACORN to engage in political campaign activity for dozens of candidates in New York City. The quid-pro-quo: campaign operations and electioneering for local candidates, more dirty politics as usual.

Estimates place diverted funds in the last three years at no less than $3.5 million dollars. This year alone NYACA funneled to ACORN $175,000.00 from eight State Senators, $240,500.00 from ten State Assembly Members and $85,000.00 from four City Council Members. ACORN went on to provide canvassing and other political work for those politicians -clearly crossing the line between the apolitical not-for-profit world and the political campaigns of these politicians. Not surprisingly, one of those funding NYACA is Senator Hiram Monserrate, already under investigation, Assemblyman, Speaker Sheldon Silver, councilmen Palma, DiBlasio, Mark-Viverito, and Sanders also funded the activities of NYACA and gained benefits from them.

This revelation comes on the heels of the discovery that the Working Families Party (WFP) has secretly been channeling money to avoid conflicts with New York State and City Campaign Finance Laws through the use of Data and Field Services (DFS), which shares its in house counsel with the political director a powerful healthcare workers union and a heavily connected WFP supporter.

These conflicts were so severe that the NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB) issued a harsh warning statement to candidates that anyone who had the assistance of the WFP or DFS would be scrutinized severely to ensure strict compliance with the law. It also went on to declare DFS an “arm of the WFP” for campaign finance purposes, calling into question the corporate status of the two entities and whether they are operating within the scope of federal and state election law.

This sort of political backstage shenanigans is precisely why more open and transparent government is needed- and line by line explication of budget items is critical to maintaining integrity in our government. Once again Councilman De Blasio finds himself in the middle of this controversy as well as the one with NYACA. The tangled web of abuse and misuse of taxpayer funds continues to ensnare public officials at all levels here in New York.

Due to these unfortunate events I am calling on the City Department of Investigation and New York State Attorney General to investigate both ACORN’s and the WFP’s expenditures of taxpayer funds and the ties they share to DFS and NYACA, and if necessary, prosecute the violators of the firewall between campaigns and civic foundations and public charities. The Attorney General has a Charities Bureau with both the statutory authority and institutional competency to investigate this kind of abuse of the public trusts.

I also call on my Democrat opponents to renounce the Working Families Party and ACORN’s use of taxpayer monies for political purposes and make a public pledge to refuse to take the WFP line or their tainted financial or political support if offered. I call on the Mayor to ensure the Department of Investigation pursues the local officials who have violated the public trust, and ask the State Attorney General to review the conflicts and prosecute the organizations and persons responsible for eroding the integrity of our government.

Dan Halloran
City Council Candidate, 19th CD

Opinion

Dan Halloran talks to the Community and gives real answers to the questions posed from his hometown civic association. Dan tackles tough Zoning issues, campaign matters, and his GOP endorsement, while outlining his community involvement.

Dan also talks about the impact of Scouting in his experience growing up in NYC and Queens.

Opinion

Dan Halloran stood out as the only truly honest and forthright candidate in the debates. He called out his opponents on their support of the NYC Clinic Access bill- which restricts freedom of speech. Public Advocate candidate Norman Siegel, head of the ACLU applauded Halloran for having the courage to stand up against the bill, as he did. Halloran’s no-nonsense and realistic answers proved why he is the ONLY choice for Queens in the City Council.

Opinion

Dan Halloran addresses the media and related issues in Obamacare and the abuse of the Constitution that is at the heart of the Town Hall movement in the United States. The reception in Bayside New York (NYC) was phenomenal.

Opinion

Town Hall against the Obama Healthcare “reform”- Congressman Gary Ackerman No Show – Dan Halloran Moderates the Discussions Part 2 Queens NYC with Betsy McCaughey and other guests, plus the People sounding off.

Opinion

Town Hall on Healthcare reform, but Congressman Gary Ackerman was a No Show – Dan Halloran moderates the discussion and former Lieutenant Govenor, Dr. Betsy McCaughey- Queens NYC- part 1

Opinion

On Tuesday, the Halloran Campaign announced that it had achieved another election milestone, securing the independent petition signatures needed to add the Libertarian line to the November Ballot.

Halloran has the endorsements of the Republican, Independence, Conservative and Libertarian parties. He has now secured all four of those lines, an impressive victory for any candidate, let alone a first-timer. Drawing on his wide ranging support, and the many independent voters in the district who signed the election petitions, the Halloran Campaign is on track and building momentum.

Opinion

Council Candidate Dan Halloran joined Councilman Tony Avella in presenting the Bayside Raiders Football Organiztion with an award for 25 years of service to the community. The organization which has helped children from Northeast Queens engage in football programs and promoting sportsmanship celebrated its 25th year and was honored with a City Council Citation.

Halloran, who’s family has been part of the Raiders tradition for the last two decades was on hand to salute the teams, the coaches, and the organization’s many volunteers.

Bayside Raiders 25 years – Dan Halloran Pledges Support

Opinion

August 22, 2009
Bayside, New York

Dan Halloran and members of the North Queens Community came out in force to join Tea Party and Liberty protestors to rally against the Obamacare Healthcare proposals that could undermine the Nation’s healtcare system and impose socialized medicine. Congressman Gary Ackerman’s office was innundated with protestors and media because he has ignored the calls of his constitutents and repeated requests for a town-hall meeting to discuss the matter.

Conservative party Mayoral candidate Terrance M. Gray joined Conservative Party Chairman Tom Long, Queens County GOP Executive Vice Chairman Vince Tabone, Queens County Libertarian Party Chairman John Procida, Tea Party activist Phil Orenstein, and New York City Council Candidate Dan Halloran at the protest. With over 50 protestors on site, the Ackerman office attempted to call in support but wound up with only 8 senior citizens who had been scared by the tactics of the AARP and other left-wing groups that erroneously tie the Healthcare reform to their Medicare survival.

Halloran said, ” When the tactics of this administration are to scare the elderly to prevent them from knowing the truth about the socialization of medicine and hides behind 1000 pages of a bill to prevent the common man from understanding it…. you know they are trying to pull the wool over our eyes. Fortunately, American Patriots won’t stand for it and are fighting back!”

Opinion

The Committee To Elect Dan Halloran successfully held its 14° Below Lounge fundraiser on Sunday August 30 at
150-33 14th Avenue Whitestone, New York 11357 (718) 747-1414

Candidate Halloran raised all funds from within NYC and continued to build his CFB Matching funds- and was joined by Conservative Party Chair, Tom Long, Councilman Eric Ulrich, Queens GOP Executive Vice Chair Vince Tabone, Whitestone Republican Club Vice President Anthony Carolla and Northeast Queens Republican Club President Janet Malone, and other community notables such as Frank Skala and Dee Richards.

The Queens Republican party continues the 2009 campaign season in style at 14° Below and supported our council candidate in the 19th Council District serving the communities of Auburndale, Bayside, Whitestone, College Point, Beechhurst,Malba, Little Neck, and Douglaston.

The St. John’s Young Republicans were ably represented by Meaghan Mapes

and Theresia Merkel.

Opinion

The Station Road Civic Association is hosting the 19th Council District Candidates in a forum at the Emanuel Lutheran Church located at 165th Street and Sanford Avenue at the Intersection of Northern Boulevard tonight at 7PM.

Join the Republican, Conservative, Independence, and Libertarian candidate Dan Halloran in meeting the public to discuss the issues.

Opinion

TUESDAY AUGUST 25, 2009
7:30-9:30 PM
AT THE
VFW HALL
242-37 BRADDOCK AV.
BELLEROSE, NY
(NEAR INTERSECTION OF CROSS ISLAND PKWY AND BRADDOCK)
PARKING LOT AVAILABLE

FOR ALL CONCERNED CITIZENS IN THE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF REP. GARY ACKERMAN (D-05). SINCE HE HAS REFUSED TO SCHEDULE A TOWNHALL TO ANSWER CONSTIUENTS’ QUESTIONS ON THE HEALTHCARE LEGISLATION NOW IN CONGRESS, CONCERNED NEIGHBORS HAVE SET ONE UP TO SEND A MESSAGE IN PROTEST OF THE 1000+ PAGE BILL THAT WILL PERMANENTLY CHANGE HEALTHCARE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. TO CONGRESSMAN ACKERMAN:

VOTE NO ON THIS DANGEROUS HEALTHCARE BILL
AFTER THE RECESS OR WE WILL VOTE YOU OUT IN 2010!!

Featured Speaker: Dr. Betsy McCaughey
Former Lt. Governor of New York State and Health Policy Expert
Founder and Chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths

MODERATED BY: Daniel J. Halloran, Esq.

Doctors, nurse and patients will present testimonials and the public will have an opportunity to express their grievances and say no to socialized healthcare. Please join your fellow citizens in sending Congress a message on this most critical national healthcare issue that has galvanized all Americans!

For more information, please contact organizers:
Jim Trent: 718-343-8830 JTrent8830@aol.com
Phil Orenstein: 718-465-2481 maduroman@att.net

Individuals United for Freedom
www.individualsunitedforfreedom.com

Opinion

The New York City District Council of Carpenters and Joiners proudly endorsed Dan Halloran in the 19th City Council District race. The Carpenters, one of the largest unions represented in the district, gave the nod to Halloran on Friday, and pledged their support to the Independent Republican.

Halloran said, ” I am very grateful for the endorsement of the District Council of Carpenters and pledge to work tirelessly to ensure that our working middle-class is not forgotten by City Hall.”

In this hotly contested race, where 6 Democrats are vying to run against Halloran in November, the Union’s endorsement is a major victory in Halloran’s effort to shake up the establishment at the City Council. Halloran has vowed to be a bridge between the working middle class and transparent government.

Opinion

LIBERTY NEWSWIRE:
8/12/2009 Kew Gardens, New York
On Wednesday evening the Board of Elections ruled on the Opportunity to Ballot Petitions filed for the Independence Party line in the 19th Council District. After reviewing the Petitions, the Clerk’s report found that the Petition did not have a sufficient number of valid signatures. The Commissioners of Queens and their respective Clerks, unanimously tossed out the Opportunity to Ballot.

As a result of the Board’s decision the Opportunity to Ballot Petition has been dismissed and Dan Halloran will be the candidate on the Independence Party line, in addition he will be running on the Republican, Conservative, and Libertarian lines, also without challenge. When asked for comment members of the Committee to Elect Dan Halloran said they had no comment, except to say they are looking forward to November and the General Election.

Opinion

At the Night Out Against Crime, Council Candidate Dan Halloran, a former member of the NYPD and prosecutor, and current of counsel PBA Attorney, joined the the community in commending members of the NYPD at the 109th and 111th Precincts. The Tuesday evening events were attended by hundreds of residents of the 19th Council District at both ends of the District; Flushing and Douglaston respectively. Halloran, who comes from a long line of NYPD officers and officials, joined State Senator Frank Padavan in praising the two police precincts and their commanding officers, Deputy Inspectors Whalen and Hanover. The community spent an evening alongside the New York’s Finest and enjoyed a relaxing and festive night which was also full of informative booths and neighborhood sponsors.

Opinion

Council Candidate Halloran Salutes Mayor’s MTA Plan But Calls for Further Development of the Proposal to Include Audit and Accountability

Today, the Mayor proposed a sweeping overhaul of the MTA; ranging from common sense practical programs onto realistic renovations of older and underused resources that will improve ridership throughout the City. His specific programs to expand the CityTicket program to include LIRR and Metro North stations so that Bronx and Queens riders pay reduced fares will be of great benefit to those boroughs and has an eye for moving the MTA towards a unified pay-system. Other portions of the Bloomberg plan include a reopening of the Staten Island North Shore Rail, countdown clocks on subway routes, and Pilot light rail and street-car services in North Brooklyn and Western Queens waterfront neighborhoods. The proposal also deals with the Bus and Toll portions of the MTA’s reach by expanding Rapid Transit to reduce travel times on bus routes in congested areas, providing free cross-town buses, commuter vans, improvements to the ParaTransit services to provide better transportation for handicapped and elderly riders and using tracking technology and reductions during slower periods and increased evening service to ease congestion, overcrowding and underutilization. The Mayor also suggests gateless tolls at the crossings, and expanded Ferry systems and even HOV improvements and expansions.

In addition to these functional improvements, Mike Bloomberg correctly posits the need for a unified Police presence overseeing the safety and security of the MTA system, and improved public-private partnerships to maintain and improve the stations and lines. The most significant aspect of his plan revolves around an overhaul of the MTA’s bureaucracy. It is here that I believe the Mayor must reach further and force Albany to open the books on the MTA and make it a more transparent authority.

While I salute the Mayor for his vision and organized plan to cut the bloated bureaucracy and restore services that are cost-effective and responsible his plan to merge overlapping administrative functions and to eliminate bureaucratic redundancy (something that I may add could be done to the general City government as well), is just the beginning. The MTA should have its books comprehensively audited and a thorough cost-cutting analysis done top to bottom. The MTA was originally formed some 30 years ago; Albany chartered it to be a cost savings authority, to make the rapid transit systems more efficient, and to eliminate redundancy and duplicative costs, it has devolved into quite the opposite: inefficient, bloated, and unresponsive. If the Mayor is to succeed in a long term solution to the transit crisis, it will require a complete make-over at the MTA and the public will need to feel they can TRUST that their money is being spent wisely. The rapid transit system must be clean, efficient, on-time, and cost-effective. Anything less simply punts the problem to the future. We cannot afford another overrun and a Hudson-River-Two-Step from Albany. Open the Books, Audit the Budget, and Set the MTA right side up now, since we are likely starting from near scratch.

If anyone can force Albany to listen, it is Mayor Mike; it’s a fight worth taking on if the mayor is serious about fixing the MTA.

Opinion

Caption for Photo: Dan Halloran Senator Dean Skellos, Councilman Eric Ulrich, and Senator Frank Padavan at the Conservative Party Dinner

Dan Halloran joined Senator Frank Padavan, Councilman Eric Ulrich at the Annual Kings-Queens Conservative Party Dinner, which honored State Senate Minorty Leader, Dean Skellos. The event, hosted by Tom Long, Queens County Conservative Party Chairman, at Russo’s By the Bay was well attended and full of praise for the Conservative and Republican candidates this election cycle. Senator Skelos pledged his support for the election of the Republican slate in Queens and to Councilman Ulrich and Candidate Halloran in particular who he praised for bring up the next generation of the GOP team in the County.

Opinion

Caption for Photo- Candidate Dan Halloran (r) stands with the Indpendence Party Peitioning Team who vow to fight the OTB Challenge by Democrat Kim

City Hall Press reported this week that Democratic Party Candidate Kevin Kim is using an election loophole to attempt to force a primary in the Independence Party against the IP Candidate Dan Halloran, who has cross endorsements of the Republican, Conservative, Independence, and Libertarian Parties.

Fearing the successful cross-party Candidate, they are attempting to use an Opportunity to Ballot Petition which is called the “Pandora’s Box” of politics. Independence Party Vice Chairman Tom Conolly gave Halloran the party’s “Full Support” and is standing by the Party Candidate. Kathy Stewart and Molly Honingsfeld, who were involved in the local Petitioning for Halloran have likewise stepped forward to suppor their candidate and fend off the party raid by the tactic of Kim.

See the City Hall News Article:

Opinion

Council Candidate Dan Halloran joined Congressman Peter King at the Federalist Society Annual Summer Barbeque hosted this year at the home of the Lally Family in Oyster Bay the weekend of August 1.
Several dozen members of the Federalists enjoyed spirited discussions and the presentation of Congressman King, who rallied support for Council Candidate Halloran in Queens, and Joy Watson, the GOP District Attorney candidate in Nassau County. Host Grant Lally brought together a great program, fantastic venue, and excellent food, keeping the crowds engaged throught the afternoon event.

Opinion

Council Candidate Dan Halloran joined members of the New York City Sanitation Department at Memorial Field on Saturday at their Annual Softball Tournament and Barbeque. The day’s events included the softball tournament itself, and DJ/Karaoke, and several local bands. DJ “Jimmy James” emceed the event as New York’s Strongest took to the field and enjoyed a day of softball and music.

Opinion

City Council Candidate Dan Halloran a former law enforcement official and prosecutor as well as accomplished trial lawyer in a move that is sure to unnerve incumbent City Council Members throughout the City called for expanding the Federal investigation of corrupt City Council Members caught embezzling taxpayer funds in the so-called “Slush Fund” scandal that reach as high as the Speaker’s office.

It was reported yesterday that authorities continue to investigate the spending of about a dozen city members to see if they are guilty of absconding with tax payer funds like former City Councilman Miguel Martinez, who admitted stealing from taxpayers yesterday. With over a dozen public officials under investigation in a Chamber with only 51 members it is extremely alarming that perhaps 20% of the Council is under suspicion. With Council staff and others reportedly steering clear of suspected members for fear of being caught up in the scandal or caught on tape, this truly outrageous chapter in New York City’s history is only likely to grow. Such a scandal smacks of Tammany Hall and the voters of the City must insist on real change and real accountability.

City Council Candidate Dan Halloran stated “How can the hard working taxpayers of Queens, seniors on a fixed income and families struggling to make ends meet have any kind of comfort level that public funds are being wisely or even legally spent with this kind of record? This never could have happened if there were tighter controls in place. It also could not have happened but for out of control partisanship that rewards party loyalty and legislative bossism over independence and constituent services. I would wager even incumbent Council Member Tony Avella would agree with me on this.”

Mayor Bloomberg said he was as “shocked as anybody else” by the ever widening City Council sweeping investigation. Halloran, echoing the sentiment went on to say, “It is high time we elect new independent fiscally responsible Council members who can restore public confidence in our local government and safeguard taxpayers from this kind of blatant theft. In a time where folks are out of work and elected officials keep raising taxes instead of prioritizing spending and accountability it is exceedingly important we can trust that they do not have their hands in the cookie jar. We need a comprehensive audit and financial controls to ensure there is no opportunity for this kind of scandal to be replicated. We need to ensure that taxpayer monies are always properly accounted for and we need to make sure member items are not being funneled to groups that are shams or are otherwise compromised. We deserve good government we can trust in.”

Dan Halloran was endorsed by the Conservative Party because of his law enforcement background and commitment to fiscal responsibility and by Independence because of his non-partisan commitment to reform. A lifelong Republican and resident of the district, Halloran has garnered the support of a wide range of groups, including even the Libertarians. His commitment to integrity in government is a central focus of his council platform.

Opinion

Halloran Files Petitions at Board of Elections

Dan Halloran the Independence, Conservative and Republican candidate in the race for the 19th Councilmanic in Queens filed his Candidate Petitions with the Board of Elections in New York City at 4:15PM Monday.

The Auburndale attorney and lifelong Northeast-Queens resident is running on a platform emphasizing responsive and efficient government and respect for community values and concerns. The candidate stated he was exceedingly grateful to his volunteers for their tremendous effort in assembling thousands of signatures representing over 229% of the number required by law.

“I am humbled by the strong support of my campaign, and enjoyed going door to door meeting with my neighbors to discuss their concerns. Folks are worried about taxes, the economy, jobs, and healthcare – and they shared their ideas and concerns, as well as support, with me over the past few weeks. I am deeply honored to have this level of enthusiasm and response.”

“I would like to personally thank everyone who volunteered to carry our petitions and each and every one of our friends and neighbors who have given me this great opportunity; this is a true, grass roots effort one that we can all be proud of.”

The 19th Council District which encompasses the neighborhoods of College Point, Whitestone, Auburndale, Bayside, Bay Terrace, Douglaston, and Little Neck, is one of the most closely watched races in the City. Earlier in the month, the campaign’s new web-site launched at: www.electdanhalloran.com.

Opinion

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The Tea Party movement continues to gain steam, as over 80 people rallied at Bowne Park in Auburndale-Flushing at 10 AM Independence Day morning to support the true meaning of the Constitution and to preserve our Liberty. With a half-dozen speakers organized by John Procida, chairman of the Queens Libertarian Party and Tea Party Organizer, the event drew people from across the political spectrum; Conservative, Independence, Libertarian, Republican, and Democrat alike.

City Council Candidate Halloran, longtime “liberty caucus” republican, who studied Post-Doctorally, in an LLM program in Constitutional Criminal Law was tapped to speak on the failures of the Supreme Court to uphold the plain meaning of the Constitution and the Liberty it represents. Halloran explained to the crowd the dangers of recent Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor’s position on “compassionate” juris prudence, and the failures of the Court in the Kelo decision in Connecticut.

The rally was about the fundamental meaning of our Constitution and the obligation of our government to adhere to the principles on which this great Nation was built but evolved into a showing of support for Candidate Halloran who has the support of the Republican, Independence, Conservative, and Libertarian Parties, and a broad spectrum of Independent Democrats. The community has seen Halloran and his family, which are 5 generations deep in the Flushing-Auburndale neighborhood, part of its civic and social fabric.

Opinion

Come and take a stand just like those brave souls who declared our Independence from tyranny on the first 4th of July. Send a Message to Washington, Albany and City Hall we won’t stand for taxation without representation let alone trillon dollar expenditures mortgaging our future and that of our children’s children. Sign a petition, and enjoy a 4th of July BBQ with folks like you who care about our Country, our City and our neighborhood!

Opinion

Opinion

CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE DAN HALLORAN
INVITES YOU TO: A YOUNG REPUBLICANS VOLUNTEER TRAINING NIGHT
Wednesday June 17th 2009 8:00 PM
Queens GOP Headquarters

24-55 Francis Lewis Blvd
Whitestone, NY 11357
718 690-3803 / dan@danhalloran.org
www.danhalloran.org

Finger Food and Beverages will be provided

Paid For By Committee to Elect Dan Halloran PO Box 570102 Whitestone, NY 11357

Opinion

The QUEENS GOP was on the move in Council District 19 as it sent out its petitioners this weekend. Meanwhile, City Council candidate Dan Halloran moved forward with his campaign, bolstered by his four-party endorsements; Republican, Conservative, Independence & Libertarian. The campaign workers gathered at Halloran’s headquarters on Francis Lewis Boulevard in Whitestone to divide up the petitions between Notaries and Party members Thursday evening and then hit the ground running over the weekend. Representatives of the Independence and Conservative parties joined the Republican Chairman Phil Ragusa and Libertarian Party Chair, John Procida in guiding assignments and reviewing materials for the all-volunteer staff.

Executive Vice Chair of the Queens GOP Vince Tabone remarked that Halloran had gathered an incredibly broad base of support and network of workers, “It’s a testament to Dan’s vast appeal as a candidate and as a lifelong resident of this neighborhood he truly connects to a variety of people and groups in a way no other candidate can- he truly is a product of the 19th Council District for five generations. As a Bayside resident and homeowner I am looking forward to having Dan Halloran represent me in City Hall.”

Kimon Thermos, GOP Coordinator for the Council races has a speacial interest in the 19th council District as it is his home district. Thermos has been working alongside party officials all week getting the packets together for the petitions, while assisting the Halloran Campaign on its carriers inside the district. Hard work throughout the week by many people ensured a smooth handoff and the Campaign expects to successfully complete all four ballot lines in a timely manner.

Opinion

Annual Bowne Park Civic – Halloran Joins Senator Padavan at Concert in the Park

Caption for attached photos: City Council Candidate Dan Halloran, (l), stands with Senator Frank Padavan (c), and president of the Bowne Park Civic Association Wanda Beck Antosh (c-l) at the annual Bowne Park Concert in the Park; Photo (2) Senator Padavan playing with Halloran’s Great Dane Dasher at the park.

Council Candidate Dan Halloran took to Bowne Park with his mantle Great Dane Dasher to join State Senator Frank Padavan at the Annual Bowne Park Civic Concert. Together with hundreds of local residents, and wonderful sunny weather, the festivities and concert were one more success for the civic organization and its community, which benefited from the many hours of fun and great music.

Halloran, who grew up in the area, and owns a home a block from the park, is a frequent visitor to the park with his two Great Danes, Dasher and Daisy; the two dogs are gentle giants and well known in the Park as “canine good citizens”. The Halloran family has bred and shown Great Danes for three generations, having champion lines since the 1960’s. State Senator Padavan who co-sponsored the event at the park enjoyed the company of Dan and Dasher, and was seen playing with Dasher and quipped “all that Dasher needs is a saddle to give the kids pony-rides.”

Halloran commended president of the Bowne Park Civic Association, Wanda Beck Antosh, and her efforts on behalf of the neighborhood, which is his home civic. “The Bowne Park Civic has been and continues to be a bright spot in the history of this historic park, the roots of which stretch back to Mayor Walter Bowne, descendant of John Bowne, a founder of Religious Freedom in Flushing, and his great contributions to our community” Halloran said. “This event draws our community together and reminds us of our connection to each other and our green-spaces.”

Opinion

Thursday June 11, 2009 at 7:30pm in County Headquarters – Petition Drive

To all of our friends:

Dan Halloran, here, Chair of the New York State Republican Liberty Caucus. As you know, NYS Petitioning started yesterday, June 9th of 2009, in our city wide and council races. The Committee to Elect Dan Halloran would like to ask help in ensuring we are on the ballot in all FOUR of our endorsed parties! As you know we have received the endorsements of the Republican, Conservative, Independence, and Libertarian parties in Council District 19 and are backed by State Senator Frank Padavan!

We need notaries & party members to be available Thursday June 11, 2009 at 7:30pm in County Headquarters, (24-55 Francis Lewis Boulevard., Whitestone, NY 11357), for a general meeting and assignment. Refreshments will be served.
We will be petitioning over the next month and any assistance 7 days a week 9AM to 9PM would be greatly appreciated!

Please contact Amanda Meli at Campaign Headquarters, by phone: 718.690.3803 or
or Dan Halloran by email : dan@danhalloran.org

Help us make a difference for Liberty and our party!

PS If you can’t help personally, donations can be made by mail or paypal at our website:

Dan-O

Opinion

HOLY CROSS GREEK ORTHODOX FESTIVAL TURNS OUT WHITESTONE COMMUNITY

Caption for attached photo: City Council Candidate Dan Halloran, (c), stands with V. Rev. Fr. Dionysios Anagnostopoulos (r) pastor of Holy Cross parish, under the big-tent of the Greek Festival June 8, 2009.

City Council Candidate Dan Halloran who is running in the 19th Councilmanic District (College Point, Auburndale, Whitestone, Bay Terrace, Bayside, Douglaston, and Little Neck) joined with the Whitestone community to celebrate the Annual Greek Festival, sponsored by the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church of Whitestone, and Pastor, V. Rev. Fr. Dionysios Anagnostopoulos.

“The contribution of the Greek community in Queens is immeasurable, and Holy Cross Parish in Whitestone is a cornerstone of family values and committed to outreach and assistance in the neighborhood. This festival and the celebration of Greek culture that it represents are emblematic of the diversity of our district.” remarked Halloran.

Halloran was joined by Mayor Bloomberg, Senator Frank Padavan, and other community leaders at the festival. Each wished the parish and its pastor the best during the gala week-long celebrations.

Saturday night Halloran joined the Fr. Anagnostopoulos and his staff for dinner under the big-tent, and Democratic candidates Paul Vallone and Debbie Markel joined in a lively discussion and food sampling from the many vendors. A wonderful time was had by all the community and parishioners of Holy Cross.

Opinion

Independence Party Cross-Endorses Halloran for City Council

The New York State Independence Party has joined the political endorsements for Auburndale attorney and lifelong Northeast-Queens resident Dan Halloran in the New York City Council 19th Council District race in Queens. The district was previously represented by popular independent Republican Mike Abel until he was term limited out of office and is currently represented by Tony Avella who is not seeking reelection. The District encompasses the neighborhoods of College Point, Whitestone, Auburndale, Bayside, Bay Terrace, Douglaston, and Little Neck.

State Chairman Frank MacKay through his Queens committeemen, met with a number of prospective candidates seeking the Party’s endorsement for the 19th Councilmanic. Local Queens Committeeman Mike Niebauer said that all the candidates interviewed were strong and well-spoken, and the response to the Party was overwhelming.

In accepting the endorsement, Halloran said, “I am truly honored by the Independence Party and their support, I will dedicate myself to restoring responsibility, ethics, and accountability to our government and will continue to be an independent minded candidate and honor the values of the Independence Party and the trust they have put in me to represent our local community.”

Vice-Chairman Tom Connolly, who delivered the news, commended the candidate and his run for office, “Dan is our Candidate and we are proud to support his Independent message.” Candidate Halloran, in speaking with Chairman Frank MacKay, expressed his gratitude and support.

Halloran, a member of the Queens GOP, was formally endorsed by the Republican Party in March and will be running with the Cross-Endorsement of the Independence Party in the November 3, 2009 election. More information on the Independence Party can be found at: http://www.independencepartyny.com and Dan Halloran’s Campaign is available at www.danhalloran.org.

Opinion

Mayor Rallies Queens GOP Candidates

Mayor Mike Bloomberg joined the Queens County Republican Party at their annual Petition kickoff breakfast, in Northeast Queens, Saturday June 6, 2009. Standing before a crowd of over 250 campaign and election volunteers from the Northeastern Queens GOP the Mayor encouraged 19th City Council District Candidate Dan Halloran and the slate of the 2009 GOP to take back seats and restore responsible government to the City. Mayor Bloomberg went on to praise the work of Chairman Phil Ragusa, the elections team of Executive Vice Chairman Vince Tabone, Candidate Coordinator Kimon Thermos, and the District leaders in the area. He sponsored the breakfast and saluted the district’s State Senator Frank Padavan as an exemplar of Republican fiscal discipline and responsible government advocacy.

Mayor with Candidates

Opinion