67th Assembly District candidates outline their views
Eugene Byrne
What makes you qualified to be an Assembly member?I am a native New Yorker. I was raised on the West Side, Amsterdam Avenue and 83rd Street. I was educated at Fordham University, class of ‘76, L.I.U. Graduate School of Business, CUNY Law School.
My professional life has been dedicated to public service. I worked eight years as an assistant district attorney in Richmond County. The last 17 years I have represented the indigent in courtrooms all over the city. I have seen this city and my district change quite a bit in the last few years. I would like to help District 67 continue to progress for the benefit of all people.
What are the three most pressing issues facing your district? Well, there are certainly more than three, but I think we all have concerns for affordable housing here on the West Side. There are options to getting affordable housing here on West Side. We need to be open to change and to keep an open mind.
Quality of life issues, to me, seem to have taken a back seat as of late. I’d like to see the bicycle traffic issue addressed. These new Wifi kiosks need to be policed so they can be used by all.
Mom and Pop stores are gone. I’d like to meet with real estate developers and see what positive action we can take to make the West Side a neighborhood again and not an advertisement for banks and big name retailers on every corner.
What’s your plan for dealing with gridlock in Albany? Gridlock in Albany. Gridlock in Washington. From my vantage point, it’s all special interest agendas being addressed and the constituent ignored. My special interest are the people of District 67.
What book has influenced you most? “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee” by Dee Brown,
Linda Rosenthal
What makes you qualified to be an Assembly member? I have been honored to represent the 67th Assembly District these past 10 years. I have always put my constituents first, fighting to protect them against harassing landlords and to help them make navigate the bureaucratic maze that is government. I have passed nearly 70 laws to protect my constituents and New Yorkers and am committed to continuing my work to achieve progressive reform.
What are the three most pressing issues facing your district? Rising rents and the lack of affordable housing remain among the most pressing issues facing this district and the city as a whole. I am the sponsor of the bill to repeal vacancy deregulation, which is responsible for the loss of countless units of affordable housing. I am also the sponsor of the bill to reform rent control and to crack down on illegal hotels.
We are facing an increase in development, which is straining our local infrastructure, particularly our public schools. The district is grappling with a controversial school rezoning plan, and I am working with parents to ensure the final plan reflects broad community consensus.
Pedestrian safety and noise are both issues I hear about consistently. Constituents are concerned about speeding and cyclist and pedestrian safety. Noise remains a top complaint, with community members raging against constant construction and traffic noise.
Our remaining small mom-and-pop shops help to preserve the neighborhood feel, but they are being pushed out by rising rents and big box and chain stores. The rising cost of health care is something people statewide are becoming increasingly more concerned about.
What’s your plan for dealing with gridlock in Albany? I have been outspoken in my calls for ethics and campaign finance reform to help restore the public’s trust in its elected representatives. Over the years, the actions of some corrupt politicians have cast a pall over the entire body. I am a full-time legislator with no outside income, and I support a ban on outside income for legislators. I will continue to push for campaign finance reform, and to close the LLC loophole to get the money out of politics, which will help to achieve a government that is responsible to all the people and not just to those who write the biggest checks.
I am committed to a Democratic Senate majority, though I have strong working relationships with senators from both sides of the aisle. These relationships, coupled with my determination to get things done despite the obstacles, have enabled me, over the years, to pass many laws. I continue to work toward positive change for New York and my constituents, and have not and will not allow Albany politics to distract me from our shared goals.
What book has influenced you most? My grandmother kept a collection of letters she sent or received after she immigrated from Germany in 1939. We were very close and after she was gone, I read every page and learned so much about the woman I thought I knew better than anyone. Her book taught me to always be curious, that things and people are rarely what they seem. That questioning spirit has served me well as an Assembly member, asking the tough questions or looking below the surface to find the truth.