JPCA EDITORIAL:
Council Member Elizabeth Crowley represents a district that has numerous issues and much work to be done. Among them are infrastructure issues, antiquated transit system, garbage CSX trains coming through the neighborhood to name just a few of our immediate problems.
Recently Council Member Crowley, with several aides from her office, was seen throughout the area campaigning for David Weprin in his bid to win the 9th Congressional seat vacated by disgraced Anthony Weiner.
We wonder if the aides were forced to campaign for Weprin because it is clearly not in their “job description” to campaign for candidates that their boss happens to support. Many were seen during business hours helping out with the Weprin campaign.
On the day of the Special Election –Tuesday, September 13th, Liz Crowley was seen with two of her aides at the Metropolitan Avenue station in Middle Village along with Comptroller John Liu, David Weprin, Assembly Member Markey and an army of aides, blocking the sidewalk and platform so passengers on the trains had to wait their turn passing them. The passengers were given palm cards by Crowley and others and told who to vote for. Some passengers described it as an assault.
We at the Juniper Park Civic Association suggest that Council Member Elizabeth Crowley concentrate more of her time and efforts on trying to solve the many problems in our neighborhood rather than campaigning for her political cronies like Dave Weprin whom her cousin, Congressman Joe Crowley, handpicked. Voters in the 9th CD are smart and saw right through the vacuous campaign of David Weprin and voted for Bob Turner.
Unlike Weprin, Turner a retired businessman, is not a career clubhouse politician and is a breath of fresh air in a district that is suffocating from the overbearing presence of “political boss” Congressman Joe Crowley. Mr. Crowley represents the 7th Congressional District (parts of the Bronx & Queens) but lives in Arlington, Virginia! Incidentally, David Weprin also lives outside the 9th Congressional seat he was running for which was vacated by disgraced Anthony Weiner.
The JPCA is calling for an investigation as to how city council aides on the taxpayer payroll, are used regularly for political campaigning by both parties during regular business hours. The days before the election many of Elizabeth Crowley’s aides were off campaigning and not at their desks in the office on Dry Harbor Road. That may explain why the JPCA received several calls from residents complaining about a lack of response from Council Member Crowley and her staff on a host of issues.
Ms. Crowley, stop the political campaigning and start to do the job you and your staff are getting paid tax dollars to do.
The JPCA has also asked the MTA for an official policy on campaign tactics such as taking over a subway platform and forcing commuters to walk through a gauntlet to get to trains as was done on September 13th by Weprin campaigners. The JPCA also wants answers as to why elected officials and staff were allowed to walk past turnstiles without paying to enter the platform area.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/azipaybarah/6143502507/in/photostream/
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2011/09/dispatches-from-the-field-david-weprin
