Dan Halloran For New York City Council District 19

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