Notes on Last Night's Meeting

I'd like to thank the Q at Parkside's highly paid intern for taking notes at last night's Candidate Forum. To the haters who say I'm biased against the incumbent (guilty as charged), I bear no responsibility for the below comments, though I do trust the writer to stick to the facts. By the way, don't blame me if mine is the only blog or media outlet covering this election. It's a sad state of affairs when you Google this election and come up with zip, save some dorky blog.

The four candidates for City Council in the 40th District met Thursday night for a "Candidates Forum" that was notable for the broad agreement expressed, and for one pointed and baffling exchange between the incumbent and his best-funded challenger.


Two candidates arrived on time: John Grant, an engineer with the New York Transit Authority, and Sylvia Kinard, an attorney who formerly worked for the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal. The forum began only with the arrival, a few minutes late, of Saundra Thomas, the former President of Community Affairs with WABC and the only candidate in the 40th District to qualify for New York City matching funds.


Mr. Grant, Ms. Kinard and Ms. Thomas were in broad agreement about the needs of the district, but disagreed on the correct approach.


All three agreed on the need for a City Councilperson who would encourage small business in the district. Ms. Kinard emphasized the need for a greater presence in the district by the New York City Department of Small Business Services; Ms. Thomas emphasized the need for new BIDS, or business improvement districts, on local avenues; Mr. Grant emphasized the need for more credit to be made available to local small business owners.


Likewise, all three agreed on the need for affordable housing in the district. Ms. Kinard emphasized the need for tax incentives for working and middle income developments; Ms. Thomas emphasized that plenty of affordable housing stock exists, but that residents are being illegally displaced, and that better advocacy was needed to make sure that existing laws are enforced; Mr. Grant again emphasized the need for more credit, this time to potential home buyers.


Likewise, all three agreed that something needed to be done to improve access to healthcare in the district, and all three believed that this was largely an issue outside of City Council's control.


And then, an hour after the starting time, the incumbent, Dr. Mathieu Eugene, arrived.


The theme of the night for Dr. Eugene was, "You name it, I am doing it." Small business? "We just held a small business forum," which was why he was late to the debate. Affordable housing? Dr. Eugene said, "I created hundreds and hundreds of affordable housing units." Hospitals? Dr. Eugene said he gave $10 million to Downstate and Kings County Hospitals. The candidates were asked about the need for zoning changes to preserve the nature of residential blocks in the neighborhood. Ms. Kinard and Ms. Thomas both spoke of the need for a City Councilmember who would work better with the Planning Commission. Dr. Eugene replied that he just "sent a letter to the Commissioner right now."


"I am doing it, I know how to do it, every time there is an issue, I am there at the forefront," Dr. Eugene said.


The challengers seemed reluctant to challenge Dr. Eugene. An anonymous question from the audience pointed out a statistic, recently reported by the Gotham Gazette, that between fiscal years 2009 and 2014 only three City Councilmembers had brought less discretionary spending to their districts than had Dr. Eugene. Dr. Eugene called the report false; none of his challengers spoke up. Asked about what could be done to improve conditions at Wingate Park, Dr. Eugene spoke of the money he had directed to the Parks Department, and "also to the Prospect Park Alliance, I gave them millions of dollars." It was unclear what monies Dr. Eugene was referring to; none of his challengers spoke up.


Dr. Eugene's brother was in the audience, as were two women whom Dr. Eugene identified alternately as "on my staff," and as youth who had benefited from his work with neighborhood youth. Each time he finished speaking, the three applauded passionately and volubly.


The evening's most pointed and most baffling exchange occurred when the moderater, Pia Raymond, offered the candidates the chance to ask one another questions.


Saundra Thomas asked Dr. Eugene about term limits as they applied to his own potential candidacy in 2017—but she flubbed her own question. She may have meant to ask why, if Eugene voted against the possibility of a third term for Michael Bloomberg, Eugene wanted a third term for himself? But what she actually asked was, "Is it true that you voted for a third term for Bloomberg, and do you plan to seek a third term in 2017?"


Dr. Eugene saw his chance, and he pounced. He had voted against a third term for Bloomberg, he declared. He chided Ms. Thomas for not doing her homework. As for a third term for himself? Grinning broadly, he said that was in God's hands. And the voters' hands.


John Grant provided the evening's scant moments of humor. When asked what he would do to stop gang activity in the neighborhood, Mr. Grant, who has lived in the neighborhood for fifty-three years, recounted how when he was a boy, the two gangs in the neighborhood were the Jollystoppers and the Tomahawks. "And I was a member of the Jollystoppers," he said, quickly adding that what the neighborhood needed to do was call in the gang members, and "bring them to the table." When asked what he would do to make Wingate Park safer, he said the park was already safer than it was when he was a kid, this time making no mention of the Jollystoppers.


John Grant also provided some of the most specific answers of the evening. What is the neighborhood's greatest need? Security cameras and speed bumps. How should discretionary funds be spent in our district? Solar panels. Does he support contextual zoning? Yes, because "I have a ham radio" and permitting tall buildings to come in "screws up my signal."


The forum was organized by the Nostrand Avenue Merchants' Association, the Visionary Political Action Committee, and the Prospect Lefferts Gardens Neighborhood Association, and took place in the basement hall of St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church on Hawthorne Street. The Rev. Eddie Alleyne graciously concluded the evening with a reminder that there were refreshments, at the back.