During this election season, which will culminate in the Nov. 3 vote, the Herald has asked the Long Beach City Council candidates for their view on topics of concern to residents. This is the final quesition in a series we have posed to the six candidates who are vying for three seats on the council.
Comments about this Q&A? JKellard@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
If you could ask your opponents one question, what would it be and how would you answer it?
The following three Democrats are running on the Democratic line
Fran Adelson
As a Republican Coalition candidate, how would you insure that party politics not come into play when governing Long Beach?
I would insist that our city manager be non-political and be responsible to all. He or she should not be used to do the bidding of the majority party, but be accountable to all our citizens. That person would not be sent out to forward the majority party's agenda, but the public's. The city manager should not be involved in party politics. It's just not good government. I would insist that the city manager live and be able to vote in Long Beach on critical issues that affect the daily quality of our lives.
I would appoint zoning board members based on their qualifications and experience, and not by party affiliation. I would look to see who has been promoted or hired in our city government based on political contribution, family, or party majority rather than through legal hiring laws. I would not use party politics to harass or threaten people based on what party affiliation they have.
The laws and codes of our city should apply the same to all. I would insist that all citizens of Long Beach be treated equally, with fairness, honesty and respect, regardless of party affiliation.
Mike Fagen
I would ask John McLaughlin how he intends to restore honesty and integrity to this city’s government.
The “Friends and Family” culture in City Hall must end. Hiring and promotions must be based on merit and fitness, as required by Article V, Section 6 of the New York State Constitution. The Republican “coalition” has systematically abused the Long Beach Civil Service system by manipulating candidates’ standings on eligiblity lists, hiring in the face of mandatory eligible lists, and allowing part-time employees to exceed the amount of hours worked.
The city has been run as a family business for far too long and it’s time for that to stop. Employees should not be hired based on who they are related to, or promoted based upon how much money they donate to McLaughlin's campaign. It’s time to end the friends and family program which the Republican “coalition” has perfected. This will create efficiency and morale in the work force, and it will save the city millions of dollars.
The Democratic candidates have no family members working for the city and pledge not to hire any when elected. Help us deliver the city back to you.
Len Torres
My question to my opponents is: What managerial and fiscal experience do you bring to municipal government? Although this might appear to be an unfair question, the fact is that very few people have had the opportunity to run the second largest school district in New York City, and very few people have negotiated successfully with major labor unions for fair and equitable contracts. And certainly very few people have managed budgets over $200 million.
I have developed managerial skills and foresight under the best administrators, but it would all be in vain without the key ingredient of integrity. Earning and maintaining public trust has been my lifelong mission. My record attests to this over the course of a successful 35 year period. Yet the most distinguishing quality of my managerial and fiscal history is my ability to bring civility, consensus and hope to the people I serve. This is something no community can do without. For this reason, I respectfully ask my opponents to sincerely review and inventory their career records for these qualities. Public trust demands nothing less from us.
The City of Long Beach deserves the best trustees experience can provide. Long Beach deserves a fiscally sound future. All of the candidates desire the best for Long Beach, but which candidates have the skills and abilities to make it happen?
The following three coalition candidates are running on the Republican line
Maureen Doherty
My question: Should it be mandatory that the city manager reside in Long Beach?
My answer: The goal is to provide the city with a capable manager, not a limiting factor. By enlarging the hiring pool, we can provide Long Beach with a city manager who has the abilities and skills to manage a city with unique needs. Previously, the tendency to lean toward "homegrown" managers has left our city with an unbearable 25 percent tax increase and overdevelopment which has stifled our city with unregulated growth. Locally bred managers of the past have been mere figureheads led by the Democratic leader. They oversaw a broken and corrupt civil service system.
Our present city manager has cut city property taxes two years in a row. He has given our civil service workers full-time status. Under his administration, overdevelopment has been controlled, infrastructure and parks have been improved, along with the Recreation Center, boardwalk, and beach entrances. On top of that, our bond rating has been the highest in two decades. Please let us allow the facts to speak for themselves!
John McLaughlin
My question would be, “In what direction would you take the city in the future?” I will work to keep the city on its present course. The coalition has cut taxes for the past two years, we have instituted unprecedented renovation of our infrastructure with the reconstruction of six blocks, our New York Avenue pump station, the West End Firehouse, rehabilitation of the Recreation Center and Martin Luther King Center, refurbishment of our beach entrances and boardwalk and ramps, a splash park at the West End playground and the renovation of the Clark Street playground and bulkhead.
Our work force is capable, fully manned, and performing at its highest levels ever. My Democratic opponents label themselves the “New Democrats” and call for change. Change? The last time they called for change, the taxpayers were walloped with a 25 percent tax increase. Our government reverted to the “clubhouse” policies of old, with their party leader calling the shots instead of the City Council! Infrastructure renovations were bogged down and our bond rating was dreadful.
We have set a responsible course which has Long Beach running true for the second time in many generations. Let’s not be fooled by empty rhetoric, but rather be steered by concrete results.
Marvin Weiss
My question: What would you do to further improve the quality of life in Long Beach?
I will continue to support the improvements made by the current administration. Property taxes have been cut two years in a row, the city’s streets and water-sewer system have been improved, the boardwalk and beach entrances have been renovated. The work accomplished by the current City Council has made Long Beach one of the most desirable places to live in the nation. Despite the economic recession, property values in Long Beach have remained strong, as has the city’s bond rating.
The city must continue in its direction of cutting taxes, controlling overdevelopment and upgrading recreational facilities. The overdevelopment of the city that occurred under the Democratic administration directly resulted in the traffic congestion and parking problems we face today. The coalition is addressing these and other issues that are important to our residents. Let us continue what we’ve started. Let’s move ahead, not backward.
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