McLaughlin’s thesis: books over debate

John McLaughlin, the incumbent Republican city councilman who is running for re-election, may be kept from participating in the candidates forum the League of Women Voters of Long Beach will host on Oct. 28 at the Long Beach Library.

At the League’s Sept. 23 meeting at the library, members discussed a letter from McLaughlin, who is studying for a master’s degree in English at Queens College, informing them that he has class that night and asking whether he would be allowed to arrive late, about an hour after the forum’s scheduled 7:45 start.

Some league members initially suggested that McLaughlin could come late but would have to forfeit his opening statement, but others said that would be unfair to the five other council candidates, Democrats Fran Adelson, Mike Fagen and Len Torres and Republicans Maureen Doherty and Marvin Weiss. “You can’t do that,” said Secretary Janet Slavin, echoing the majority of members, who voted not to allow a tardy McLaughlin to take part. “It’s not an even playing field.”

Expressing disappointment at the League’s decision, McLaughlin told the Herald that he didn’t see why it was a problem to let the other candidates — and two candidates for City Court judge — make their opening statements without him. “Maybe I wouldn’t be able to make an opening statement,” McLaughlin said, “but if you just put me at the end of the line, I’d still field the same amount of questions.”

McLaughlin attends class on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. The League offered both party leaders two dates to choose from for the forum, Thursday, Oct. 22, and Wednesday, Oct. 28. Republican Committee leader Jim Moriarty opted for the later date. McLaughlin has classes on both days, but said that his thesis class on Oct. 28 is the more important of the two.

During their discussion, some League members questioned McLaughlin’s commitment to the City Council and to his community because he did not try to make up the class later in order to attend the forum. McLaughlin said he tries never to miss a class unless an urgent matter arises that would force him to. “If I just take off, I’m not going to be able to fulfill my commitments at school either,” he said. “ ... This is my thesis class. This is the culmination of my education now, and I have to prepare my thesis to defend it in May.”

He said his studies have nothing to do with his commitments as a council member, and that he invariably attends community events during the day and on his nights off. “I give up a lot of personal time for this,” he said of his council duties, “and I do make myself available for almost everything.”

The candidates are vying for three open council seats in the at-large election on Nov. 3. Democrats are hoping to recapture the majority.

Democratic Committee leader Michael Zapson accused Republicans of jumping on the Oct. 28 date for political purposes, claiming that having the forum a week earlier would give people time to read about it in the Herald and generate more interest in the campaigns, especially since five of the candidates are relative unknowns. Herald coverage of an Oct. 28 forum would not appear until after the election.

“They put it off because it keeps it out of the papers, and they want that because they’re scared,” said Zapson. “They’re scared to have honest and open discussions facing the city.” He noted that he and the Democratic candidates wanted to have two forums.

Moriarty called Zapson’s charge “political posturing” and “ridiculous,” and in response proposed two alternate dates. “When the League advised of these two dates, we immediately responded yes to Oct. 28, and historically the League’s form is about a week before the election, anyway,” Moriarty said. “Where Mr. Zapson’s logic comes from I don’t know, because these were the two dates the League gave to us. There wasn’t any real discussion between them.”

Moriarty said that with the forum a month away, the League has plenty of time to pick alternative dates and locations, and he proposed either Sunday afternoon, Oct. 25, or Tuesday night, Oct. 27, whether at the library, City Hall or the Recreation Center.

“These alternative dates will allow Mr. McLaughlin to participate and allow the Herald to cover the forum and give everyone sufficient time to schedule and advertise it so the League could have a successful forum,” Moriarty said.

League Co-President Veronica Gilligan, who was not permitted to vote on the McLaughlin matter but told the Herald she would have voted in his favor, said that it is unlikely the organization will change the date now, since it has already printed 700 fliers announcing the event. Gilligan noted that she and Co-President Vernonica Rosa have discussed the League’s decision with the forum’s moderator, Paula Bloom, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Nassau County, who told them she is considering allowing McLaughlin to make an opening statement even if he arrives late.

“There may be a door still open for him to present,” Gilligan said.

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