Dan Halloran For New York City Council District 19

Opinion

[caption id="attachment_135" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Party at Uncle Jacks"][/caption]The City Council Republican candidate for the 19th Councilmanic District (the Queens communities of Auburndale, College Point, Whitestone, Bayside, Douglaston and Little Neck), Dan Halloran, had his first fundraiser at Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse, the upscale Bell Boulevard eatery April 5, 2009; the event was a tremendous success by every measure. With over a hundred attendees, including State Senator Frank Padavan, the Queens GOP Chair Phil Ragusa, the NY Irish GOP Chair and former Congressional candidate, Grant Lally, the Chair of the NY State Liberty Caucus of the Republican Party, Carl Svensson, and the heads of 5 Republican Clubs from around Queens, the event proved the effectiveness of the campaign committee’s efforts in the early going just three weeks after the Party’s official endorsement.

Uncle Jack’s devoted their entire facility for the event so that it could accommodate the Queens Republicans in style. The open bar gala boasted a parade of fine appetizers from the posh steakhouse ranging from Kobe beef skewers and crabcakes, to lobster and shrimp cocktails and the typical walkabout wait service that Uncle Jack’s does second to none. Although the event officially started at 2PM the main bar was full by 1:30 and the crowd endured well past the 5PM scheduled end. About mid-way through the festivities the floor was given over to the speakers who have rallied to support Candidate Halloran. Campaign Chairman Vito Palmieri, an attorney and former president of the Nassau County Criminal Courts Bar Association emceed the event. After a brief introduction he turned to the guests of honor, beginning with Senator Frank Padavan whose Senate District overlaps the 19th Council District. Padavan reminded the crowd of the long tradition of service by the Halloran family in north Queens, spanning over a hundred years, and specifically recalled that it was 20 years ago when a somewhat younger Dan Halloran received his Eagle Scout award at a ceremony that the senator attended in Troop 589 of Flushing. “Dan’s deep connection to the community and commitment to public service is why we are all here to support his candidacy,” said the Senator.

Next up, Queens GOP Leader Phil Ragusa stepped to the front and praised his candidate, “Dan Halloran, who was born and raised here, and whose family has been a part of the civic life of the Flushing community for a century, exemplifies the spirit and intelligence needed to bring reason back to the City Council.”

NY’s Irish GOP head and former congressional candidate, Grant Lally then took center stage and spoke of Dan’s contributions to the community as an attorney, Scouter, and leader, “From Boy Scouts to assisting our volunteer ambulance corps as legal counsel, to inside the Courts aiding financially disadvantaged clients, Dan represents what true leaders should be, willing to serve the People day in and day out.” Vince Tabone, Executive Vice-Chair of the Queens GOP also spoke of Dan’s drive and enthusiasm and his core values and principles which are so desperately needed in our elected officials.

Numerous of the Queens County local Republican Clubs, who had all endorsed Halloran, were represented at the event, including the Northeast Queens, Whitestone, Auburndale, Queens Village, Old Glory, Forest Park, Little Neck-Douglaston clubs to name just a few. Former 19th CD Candidate Dennis Saffran was in attendance as was Board of Elections Commissioner Judy Stupp, community activist Frank Skala, former Assembly candidate Rob Speranzza. The Libertarian Party mayoral candidate John Finan was there to lend Dan support as was the head of Mayor Bloomberg’s Campaign, Bart Haggerty.

The candidate, whose family was on hand, including mother Ellen, widow of Daniel J. Halloran, Jr., a Deputy Commissioner of the NYC-HPD, and brothers Lieutenant Pat Halloran, NYFD, brother Firefighter Terrence Halloran, NYFD, and wife Cynthia Massimo-Halloran, expressed overwhelming gratitude for the support. Halloran pledged to uphold the middle class values that growing up in Auburndale imparted in him. He promised to fight the fundamental problems of a “runaway bureaucracy” which costs the taxpayers so much, and vowed to fight the tax and toll efforts underway. “New York City should be a beacon of economic prosperity and security by seeking to encourage its small business owners and families to remain a part of city life through tax relief and incentives. Our Police and Firefighters should be given the resources they need to keep us safe, and the government should be more transparent and responsible,” said Halloran.

The candidate is participating in the NYC Campaign finance Matching Funds Program, and donations can be sent to: Committee to Elect Dan Halloran POB 570102 Whitestone, NY 11357 or online at www.danhalloran.org.

Opinion