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15 Candidates Have Filed To Run For JVB’s Seat

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Bella Via Long Island City
rock on

“ACCORDING to the New York City Campaign Finance Board, 15 candidates have filed so far to run for term-limited City Council member Jimmy Van Bramer’s (D-Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, Astoria, Dutch Kills) seat in 2021.”

QueensCountyPolitics.com – Clarissa Sosin

Wow that’s some field, the only thing missing is a celebrity. What has spurred this civic call to action for a relatively minor position, the chance to make an impact? The seat does enjoy some considerable local oversight as well as fund dispersal, but with 51 city council members not much sway outside of one’s district. There’s a bit of prestige, more so here in District 26 than other locations, particularly Manhattan. A touch of hobnobbing, shoulder-rubbing, political clout, and a possible jumping off point for higher office. Oh, and the salary was upped to $148k from $112k a year back in 2016, that’s probably an added incentive for some of the candidates. It also comes with government benefits and a discretionary office budget. All-in-all not a bad gig.

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The Apologists Vs. The Naysayers In LIC

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DOE building Long Island City

Over the last two months various cheerleaders and detractors have stated their cases as to why they are for/against the Waterfront Master Plan. The latter group seems to be spearheaded by Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer on behalf of various groups created during HQ2, aka the Amazon Naysayers. The cheerleaders are a seemingly disparate collection of voices looking to bless the Plan exactly as it is, let’s call them the Amazon Apologists.

Well Amazon isn’t coming to LIC, and neither is its 25,000 jobs. I think most would agree that the Naysayers are fully responsible for that. While that is a terrible shame, more now than ever, it is completely irrelevant in terms of assessing how much and what type of upzoning should be allowed now. It certainly does not mean completely unfettered approval of the full density, developer-friendly amenity package put forth in the initial Plan.

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Where’s The Plan Jimmy V & Mikey G?*

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St. Mary's Church Long Island City
A wing and a prayer

“To destroy is easier than to create, and that is why so many people are ready to demonstrate against what they reject. But what would they say if one asked them what they wanted instead?”

Ivan Klima – Love and Garbage

A little over a year ago I gave my opinion on the Amazon HQ2 deal struck by the Mayor and Governor. My conclusion was that while the two leaders were not very good poker-players and could have offered less, the overall deal as struck was worth taking a chance on.1 I even-handedly acknowledged that not everyone in LIC would be a winner from the deal, and some of the biggest winners would be those already well-entrenched (and well-heeled). Most importantly, the physical presence of Amazon being located in LIC would be transformational for us and the rest of Western Queens. Heretofore a backwater of NYC, hence the cradle of growth.

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  1. No matter what either side says, like any investment you don’t know until later if it will be a good one. [↩]