Reform Needed At The Board Of Elections - Editorial - www.rockawave.com - Wave of Long Island

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The New York City Board of Elections is made up of ten political hacks. That is a fact of life and the real reason why both Frank Gulluscio and Glenn DiResto were knocked off the ballot for this week's special election to fill the vacancy that was created when Joseph Addabbo Jr. left to become a State Senator. The board is made up of ten people (two from each borough) who are selected by the two major political parties, the Democrats and Republicans. The ten are then approved by the City Council, who most often agree that each party can have its five representatives. That is considered a fair deal in our city. To say that the ten are selected by the political parties is to say that they are selected by the political boss of each borough after discussion with the local party leaders - two of whom are Geraldine Chapey and Lew Simon. You'll notice that neither the two Democratic District Leaders nor the Republican District Leader, Eric Ulrich, was thrown off the ballot. In addition, it is those party leaders that choose who will run for the numerous judgeships that become open each year. It is no surprise then, that Chapey, through her surrogates Harold Cornell and Noreen Ellis, was able to get quick action from both the Board of Elections and two judges to get two rivals thrown off the ballot. Chapey may consider that democracy in action, but we do not. There are several advocacy groups looking to change the process, to make it more fair and to ensure that viable candidates do not get thrown off the ballot for minor inconsistencies such as their party name being too close to another party or that the person collecting the petitions did not put Mr. or Mrs. in the proper space. We agree that it's time for a change. The public has the right to make a choice and party hacks such as Chapey should not be able to stop the public from electing " the candidate of its choice

DiResto Booted From Ballot by Dara Miles - Gotham Gazette - The Wonkster

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Sometimes the tricky part about getting elected in New York is
getting–and staying–on the ballot. Thanks to arcane election laws
and super-savvy election lawyers, would-be candidates find that they
are has-beens, even before the first yard sign goes up. And it’s
usually the newcomers to politics who learn the hard way.

Just ask Glen DiResto. He’s the latest victim of the ballot bounce.

Until this week, DiResto, a former NYPD lieutenant from Rockaway, was
running for City Council — the Queens District 32 seat recently vacated by now-Senator Joseph Addabbo. When DiResto filed his papers
with the Board of Elections, he touched off a legal skirmish that
would bounce around the courts for several weeks.

Another candidate, Geraldine Chapey, challenged DiResto’s candidacy,
arguing to the Board of Elections that DiResto violated the law when
he chose the name “Families First” as his party line for the otherwise
non-partisan special election. Chapey’s attorney, former state senator
and long-time election lawyer Marty Connor argued that state election
law bars a candidate from having a party name that “includes the name,
or part of the name, of an existing party”–like the Working Families
Party.

The Board of Elections agreed, and DiResto was off the ballot.

DiResto appealed to the New York Supreme Court, which overturned the
board’s decision. DiResto was back on the ballot. Chapey then took the
matter up to the Appellate Division. It sided with Chapey, and that
took DiResto off of the ballot once and for all–he has no avenues of
appeal left.

We could forgive DiResto–a first-time candidate–for being
frustrated and just a little jaded by the whole affair. When he called
the Gotham Gazette to say he had some “bad news” to report, his
disappointment with the process was palpable.

“Elections should be determined in the voting booth, not in the
courtroom,” he said. “It’s the people’s choice. It’s unfair that
candidates feel they can take democracy in their own hands. Isn’t
that tyranny?”

Don’t hold your breath waiting for DiResto to refile for the regular
city council primary in September. He said he’s not likely to run.

Whether you call it tyranny or technicality, the pre-election legal
wrangling is prevalent because it works. According to the New York
Daily News, six of the 22 city council hopefuls in three races were
knocked off the special election ballot in the last few weeks,
including the candidate who was considered the likely front-runner in
the 32nd district race, Frank Gulluscio. No stranger to politics,
Gulluscio nevertheless lost his spot on the ballot when Chapey charged
that his petition lacked the required number of valid signatures.

You can bet that’s a mistake Gulluscio won’t make the next time.

Candidates Play Hardball in Howard Beach Debate by Lee Landor - Queens Chronicle

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(photos by Julie Court; design by Ella Jipescu)

Finally, a debate that lived up to its title.

The 32nd Council District special election debate held last Thursday at St. Barnabas Church in Howard Beach began like any other candidates’ forum: one-minute introductions and a simple question-and-answer session set before a quiet and attentive audience.

But diplomacy and courteousness eventually dissipated and were replaced ith a heated and acerbic back-and-forth between one candidate and the audience.

Rockaway Democratic District Leader Geraldine Chapey clashed with many of the nearly 200 community members in attendance over her campaign’s successful push to remove former contender Frank Gulluscio from the ballot and her refusal to answer a question about her nonprofit organization, Trinity Services.

It all started when each candidate was given the chance to ask another a question. Ozone Park Republican District Leader Eric Ulrich was the first at the podium.

Addressing the “800-pound gorilla in the room,” as he put it, Ulrich asked Chapey: “Why do you feel that Frank did not have the right to run for City Council?” Chapey’s campaign had challenged nomination petitions Gulluscio filed with the city Board of Elections, which found that he had an insufficient number of valid signatures.

Ulrich’s question riled up the audience, which immediately applauded and loudly cheered. As soon as Chapey started to speak, attendees began booing.

Chapey attempted to answer, but the audience’s jeering cut her off. “You could shout up till tomorrow, it doesn’t matter,” Chapey said to the rowdy crowd, noting that the Board of Election ultimately made the decision.

Some audience members did not accept Chapey’s response. “Answer the question,” one woman shouted from the back of the room. “Why challenge? Why challenge?”

The moderator of the debate, which was sponsored by the Queens Chronicle and The Forum, had to step in and ask the audience to quiet down.

The tension didn’t end there. Two other candidates, retired NYPD lieutenant Glenn DiResto and Rockaway Democratic District Leader Lew Simon, each asked Chapey questions that further incited the audience, evoking an uproar.

DiResto wanted to to know which employees of Chapey’s Trinity Services — an organization she founded to provide transportation for seniors — were on the payroll in the last year. It was a question that went unanswered during an earlier debate held in Rockaway, DiResto said.

Chapey evaded the question, never actually providing numbers in her response. Instead she explained to the rambunctious audience that the city regulates Trinity’s budget. Unhappy with her answer, the audience got loud, shouting down the Kingsborough Community College professor.

Unwilling to accept what she called disrespect, Chapey told the audience to let her speak and said “If you don’t want to listen, then please go outside.”

As things quieted down, it was Simon’s turn to grill Chapey. He asked, who pays Trinity Services’ rent and why does Chapey hold Democratic Party meetings in her nonprofit group’s office. Trying, once again, to speak over the unruly crowd, Chapey ended up shouting her answer: her husband pays Trinity’s rent and her office is open to everyone who wants to hold meetings there.

The candidates weren’t the only ones grilling each other — area residents had questions of their own for the five hopefuls, some that stumped the contenders and others that showed their community involvement.

When asked a question by Donna Gilmartin, president of the Locust Grove Civic Association, Mike Ricatto admitted that he didn’t know what Locust Grove is. He, Chapey, Simon and DiResto said they were not familiar with the Bernard Fineson Center’s recently released request for proposals.

Ulrich was the only candidate who could answer Ozone Park resident Pat McCabe’s question about the RFP in detail and who interacted most with Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton.

School Scope - Politics is: A: Local B: Global C: Sleazy D: All of the Above by Columnist Norm Scott - www.rockawave.com | Wave of Long Island

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They say all politics is local. Or maybe in the flat world of Thomas Friedman and worldwide financial meltdowns, all politics is really global. Or both.

Politics, both global and local comes together in next week's election for the vacant City Council seat in Rockaway, Howard Beach and South Ozone Park. That the issue of education has been put on the table makes it all the more delicious. First, some facts.

Democratic District Leader Geraldine M. Chapey is running against Lew Simon and newcomer Glenn DiResto, amongst others. A DiResto ad in last week's Wave charged Chapey with underhanded tactics in challenging his petitions on a minor technicality, causing him to be tied up in Supreme Court and denying him public campaign funding. DiResto claims Chapey received $55,000 of these funds. He has since been restored to the ballot and The Wave is endorsing him, but his supporters are livid at Chapey's tactics, as evidenced by a number of letters to The Wave ("Chapey's Disgusting Tactics"). Hey, haven't I been telling you all politics, global or local, is sleazy? And so are most politicians. But that's an article for another time.

Then there is the little matter of Chapey's million-dollar taxpayer subsidized bus service and exactly how the public money is used. Add to that the fact that Chapey refused several times in two candidate forums to tell how the money is spent. (I'll leave those details for you to read elsewhere in The Wave.) Sleaze squared.

Now, onto the education connection. Chapey's mom, Geraldine D. Chapey, has been on the NY State Board of Regents since 1998. How did she get that seat? Wave editor Howie Schwach reports that when Floyd Flake gave up his congressional seat and wanted his assistant Greg Meeks to replace him, Chapey junior held the deciding vote and traded it in favor of Meeks in exchange for the Regent seat for her mom. Rudy Blagojevich, where are you when we need you? Sleaze to the third power.

Ah, it doesn't stop there. Let's look at the role Chapey the elder and the rest of the Regents have played in enabling the Michael Bloomberg/Joel Klein assault on the school system, part of the nationwide attack on urban public school systems and the rights of parents and community to make basic choices as to who will run their schools. Oh yes, and the focus on blaming teachers for all the failures of the system with the consequent assault on basic union rights.

Chapey senior and her buddies gave Joel Klein the lawyer his waiver to be chancellor and have supported BloomKlein in just about every scheme they have foisted on the public, from allowing the manipulation of tests that show phony results to the just as bogus graduation rates where teachers joke about drive-by diplomas - just leave your car window open as you drive by the school and they'll toss it in. And how about the worm-ridden state education department headed by Richard Mills, one of the worst commissioners in the nation, all supervised by the Regents? Chapey and her buddies at the Regents make basic decisions about approving charter schools.

Enter charter schools

Remember those old movies about the opening of the west where the settlers lined up behind a rope and made a mad dash to claim their land when the rope was dropped? Reminds me of how the charter school movement has led to the movement of public school buildings into the hands of private interests. That is the essence of the charter school movement where most schools are non-union and very unregulated. Think: Real Estate scam. Just in the last few weeks, we have heard of the announced closings of large high schools Brandeis (upper West Side) and Bayard Rustin (Chelsea) and the smaller Health Professionals (Gramercy Park). Guess in whose hands these massive buildings built and maintained with public funding, all in toney neighborhoods, will end up?

Add closing Catholic schools into the mix

Wait, we're not done yet. With the announced closing of many Catholic schools - to a great extent because the free charter schools have drained away so many students - Mayor Bloomberg has offered to come to their rescue by turning them into charters.

Now, I spent years working in Williamsburg and saw how parochial school interests - in that case the Hasidic community - glommed onto as much public money as they could. (At one point, $7 million just went up in smoke, a crime for which no one spent one day in jail.) They even managed to set up a bi-lingual Yiddish school, claiming it was open to all students. Somehow, they were not inundated by Black and Hispanic kids. Believe me, it won't be long before every denomination will seek to turn their religious schools into charters.

Now mind you, the NYC public schools are overflowing and could certainly use the often large buildings the Catholic schools occupy - remember all those arguments that there is not enough room to reduce class sizes in NYC schools to a limit that comes close to the suburbs. But instead of trying to lease these buildings or buy them outright, Bloomberg wants to turn them over to private interests. Maybe even the church itself. Mr. Archbishop, tear down that cross - or don't tear it down at all. Just cover it up from 8-4. There is a plan afoot for the Church to create a non-profit so they can continue to manage the schools, though, by law, no religious instruction could be offered. So, what exactly is the Church's purpose in trying to manage these schools?

Just as I'm sitting down to write this column, Lorri Giovinco-Harte, NY Education Examiner, sends this piece she wrote on the web, based on a February 17 Daily News article. Bishop's questionable 'donation' made to daughter of woman who assists in the approval of charters: Just one month before Mayor Mike Bloomberg made the announcement that some city Catholic schools would be converted to charters, Brooklyn/Queens Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio made his first ever donation to a political candidate - a political candidate whose mother is involved in the approval of charter schools. Bishop DiMarzio donated the money to Queens candidate, Geraldine M. Chapey, whose mother is a member of the Board of Regents; the governing body which approves the creation of charter schools in New York.

The Bishop dismissed accusations that there was a connection between the donation and the subsequent announcement that several struggling Catholic schools would be converted to charters.

The $250 is minor, but it is matched by over $500 in taxpayer money.

The Daily News quoted DiResto (I guess religion has a place in politics now), Simon (I've never seen the church speak out on a candidate before) and Chapey (The bishop is a citizen, and he's participating in the democratic process.)

She said there was no quid quo pro for her mother to ease the way for the funneling of massive amounts of public money into the hands of the archdiocese.

Is Chapey following the same script Illinois Senator Roland Burris is using on denying he made a deal with impeached Governor Rudy B who tried to sell the Obama seat? Sleaze to the - sorry, I've lost track.

Gee, politics really is global.

Norm writes more of this balderdash at his blog: http://ednotesonline.blogspot. com/ Email him at: normsco@- gmail.com

On Again, Off Again by Elizabeth Benjamin - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

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Two City Council candidates who have been struggling to remain on the ballot as next week's special elections loom have been bounced out of the running yet again.

Senator-turned-full-time-attorney Marty Connor, who is representing 32nd CD candidate Geraldine Chapey, called in to say an appellate court (second department) chucked Glenn DiResto back off the ballot - just three days after he was put back on by a state Supreme Court justice.

At issue was the fact that DiResto chose the name "Families First" for his ballot line in the nonpartisan Feb. 24 election. Connor argued this ran afoul of election law, which forbids the use of names of already existing parties (in this case, the Working Families Party).

The Board of Elections sided with Connor, the Supreme Court overturned that decision, and now the Appellate Division has said the Board of Elections was right all along. Dara Miles, a freelance writer and Columbia J-School student, caught up with DiResto, who said:

"Elections should be determined in the voting booth, not the courtroom. It's the people's choice. It's unfair that another candidate feels they can take democracy in their own hands. Isn't that tyranny?"

Meanwhile, over in Staten Island's 49th CD, the Advance is reporting a state Supreme Court justice accepted a special referee's finding that embattled candidate John Tabacco fell far short of meeting the 1,367-signature requirement to make it onto the ballot.

Tabacco has had the same on again, off again problem as DiResto due to his selection of a symbol (a star) that was too much like that of an existing party (Democrat) to represent his made-up ballot line.

He was given time to cure that problem by the Board of Elections - a point noted by DiResto's attorney - but then didn't make the signature cut.

Rockaway Resentment May Tip Special Election to Republican in Queens by Nicole Turso - City Hall News

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With Democratic District Leader Frank Gulluscio out of the running thanks to Geraldine Chapey’s successful challenge at the Board of Elections, the momentum in the special election to succeed Joe Addabbo in the City Council that Gulluscio once commanded now seems to be shifting to Republican District Leader Eric Ulrich—not Chapey.

Much of this newfound support for Ulrich and seeming abandon of party loyalty has to do with distaste for Chapey’s brand of politics, and the long standing rivalry between mainland communities like Howard Beach and Ozone Park, and the Rockaway peninsula.

Even long time Democratic supporters have begun to sense a problem, perhaps most evident in last week’s debate. Chapey was heckled by the audience at St. Barnabas Church in Howard Beach for what they called “dirty” political tactics. Ulrich, meanwhile, was applauded for his defense of Gulluscio’s right to run for the seat.

“There seemed to be a dynamic in the room that people were coalescing to Eric,” said Betty Braton, chair of Community Board 10 in Queens. “There is some undercurrent of feeling that Rockaway politicians don’t recognize issues that are important to mainland residents.”

Rockaway residents complain that because it is more densely populated with voters, Council members pay disproportionate attention to the mainland at the expense of the Rockaways. Addabbo and his predecessor, former Republican Council member Al Stabile, were both mainlanders themselves. But for those in the mainland communities, the problem rests with Rockaway politicians failing to reach out to those more populous communities.

Frank Dardani, a Gulluscio supporter and Ozone Park resident, said he has not seen an effort made by either Rockaway candidate, Chapey or Democratic District Leader Lew Simon, to connect with mainland voters.

Though he would not admit to supporting a specific candidate, he was quick to say political party would not influence his decision.

“I’ve voted for Republicans in the past if I thought they would do a good job—I would do the same today,” he said.

Rockaway residents seem to have the reverse reaction. Instead of sticking to peninsula candidates, they are also joining with mainlanders in support of Ulrich for the seat.

“Many favored Eric coming out of [the debate],” said Stuart Mirsky, founding member of the Rockaway Republicans Club. “I was surprised because he’s not a Rockaway boy, and people around here like to go for their favorite sons.”

Referring to Chapey and Simon, Mirsky said, “both have their following, but they also both come with some antagonism and strong antagonism from other groups in the community.”

Ulrich declined to accept his status as the new front-runner, but recognizes the voter shift—attributing it to Chapey’s political attack on the other candidates.

“I may not be in the same party, but I don’t think people are looking at the party labels right now,” he said. “The system has been used against them. People are very angry that the ball has been taken out of their court.”

Even if he wins the Feb. 24 special election, Ulrich’s time on the Council may be short-lived. In a neighboring, much more traditionally Republican district, Anthony Como got only five months in the Council succeeding Dennis Gallagher before being defeated in his rematch against Democrat Elizabeth Crowley.

And Gulluscio has already posted a message for supporters on his Facebook page indicating he is already looking forward to November:

“Frank Gulluscio is re-grouping so we can win in November,” the message read. “Expect to hear about the reinvigorated campaign real soon and thanks to all for your support.”

Ulrich said he has not planned that far ahead, but thinks he will have the advantage.

“I will have more than eight months to prove myself to the voters,” said Ulrich. “If I am elected, I intend to be re-elected.”

Ex-Finest Glenn Diresto is Back on the Ballot by John Lauinger - NY Daily News

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Glenn Diresto is back on the ballot in Tuesday's special election - but his battle with candidate Geraldine Chapey is not over.

A judge ruled Tuesday that DiResto, a retired NYPD lieutenant, must be given a chance to change his party's name because the Board of Elections gave another candidate in the nonpartisan contest in the 32nd Council District the same opportunity.

The board previously ruled that DiResto's party name, Families First, violated election law because it shared a word in common with the existing Working Families Party.

Chapey is appealing the decision in the New York State Court of Appeals, her campaign said.

The Wave Endorses Glenn DiResto For City Council - www.rockawave.com - Wave of Long Island

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Change is in the air. It is not a time for the tried and tired political hacks that have represented Rockaway in the past. It is a time for new blood, for the banishment of old line politics and smoke-filled rooms. It is a time for a City Council candidate to represent Rockaway who does not represent the past. Up until Tuesday, when the court ordered that Glenn DiResto be put back on the ballot, Rockaway residents were offered a poor choice between two mainland candidates, neither of whom knows nor cares much about Rockaway, and two Rockaway candidates who represent the old-line political hacks who have always represented us in the past: Lew Simon and Geraldine Chapey. Now, with Rockaway resident DiResto back on the ballot, we are presented with a real choice. DiResto, a retired NYPD lieutenant with a love for Rockaway and a desire to serve the public, is our candidate of choice. He represents the anti-political, the new breath of fresh air that could invigorate the council the same way that our new administration in Washington, D.C. seems to be invigorating the federal government. We urge you all to get out and vote next Tuesday, February 24, and we urge you to pull the lever for Glenn DiResto.

EDITORIAL COMMENT BY ELGIN BOLLING

Candidates Challenge Each Others Petitions in Court; Not All Survive by Lee Landor - Queens Chronicle

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Everybody’s doing it. Challenging nominating petitions is part of the political process — it’s even expected, according to several participants in the 32nd Council District special election.

Still, it appears those who use petition challenging as a campaign strategy are met with resentment. Such was the case in this election, when objections filed by Rockaway Democratic District Leader Geraldine Chapey got two of her competitors, Glenn DiResto and Frank Gulluscio, taken off the ballot.

The objections generated criticism from the two, who called Chapey’s actions disgraceful, undemocratic cheap tricks.

The reality is their petitions were simply “no good,” according to Chapey spokesman James Wu. “This is the first thing you need to do to become a candidate for City Council, for the voters to consider you for office. If you cannot fulfill this requirement, it would be a reasonable belief that you can’t do what we need you to do for us in city council,” Wu said.

He called filing of petitions with voters’ signatures “a fundamental test of a candidate’s competency,” and noted that those who made it on the ballot fulfilled their requirements. “The challenge process is an ordinary component of elections throughout the country,” Wu wrote in a statement. “It measures the functional competence of a candidate to attain ballot [by] obtaining signatures to demonstrate the support of the voters and to comply with simple rules.”

DiResto, a retired NYPD lieutenant and political newbie, disagreed. He was able to gather the required number of signatures needed to file a petition (1,098), meet deadlines, fill out paperwork and obtain certifications, among other things.

The only thing DiResto failed to do was choose the right party name. Chapey challenged the name DiResto chose, Families First, saying it was too similar to the name of an established party, the Working Families Party.

A judge agreed and took him off the ballot, but DiResto quickly returned to court to make his case. “I don’t have these high-powered, expensive attorneys, I don’t have these expensive political consulting companies, I don’t have an expensive billboard on Liberty Avenue,” DiResto said. “But what I do have is a lot of support in grassroots, from people in the community who want to vote for change, a new direction, who are sick of city politics.”

As of press time, a judge had not yet ruled on whether DiResto would be placed back on the ballot. Spokesman Steven Stites said DiResto was continuing his campaign activities and meeting with voters on Wednesday afternoon.

Gulluscio, who spent less than an hour in court before the judge made his ruling, also has tremendous support in the community, particularly in Howard Beach. Gulluscio was a Democratic Party favorite and received an endorsement from state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Ozone Park) who was the 32nd Council District representative for seven years.

In a statement made Tuesday, Gulluscio said he was taken off the ballot because of a legal technicality about the nature in which his validating petition was served.

Both Wu and candidate Eric Ulrich, who was challenged by Chapey and candidate Michael Ricatto, said Gulluscio failed to meet certain deadlines and the signature requirement, and that he used the symbol of the Democratic Party on his documents.

But Gulluscio cried foul. “Geraldine Chapey has been on what can only be described as a witch hunt, dragging her opponents into court, causing us hours of wasted time and thousands of dollars in lawyer’s fees,” the Howard Beach Democratic district leader said.

“She obviously feels that the only way she can win is to eliminate the competition using her lawyer rather than in a fair election by the will of the people. I cannot imagine that the voters of the 32nd Council District would want to be represented by someone like that,” he added.

Agreeing with the sentiment, DiResto said, “I think her strategy is actually backfiring on her — she’s going to create a lot of resentment among other voters.” He, too, criticized Chapey’s successful challenges, saying “She is trying to control the political process in the courtroom as opposed to in the voting booth.”

Although he made it onto the ballot, Ricatto, a Howard Beach businessman whose petitions were challenged by Ulrich’s campaign said in a statement, “I am extremely disappointed that some candidates have been thrown off the ballot.”

Expressing his opposition to the elimination of candidates from the ballot for legal technicalities, Ricatto said, “The democratic process is about giving voters a choice and the opportunity to vote for candidates who share their values, ideals and vision for better government.”

Ricatto also criticized both the Chapey and Ulrich campaigns for having “successfully tied up candidates in court, preventing them from reaching their voters.”

Ulrich claims he had no intention of tying up anyone anywhere. He said there was a legitimate reason to challenge Ricatto: his petition was fraudulent.

A judge agreed — to an extent — and found that about two-thirds of Ricatto’s petition was invalid, as it contained illegible signatures or those of people who weren’t registered to vote or didn’t live in the district. Still, Ricatto survived the challenge, ending up with about 100 more signatures than required.

With some 1,280 signatures on his petition, Ulrich escaped removal from the ballot: Chapey’s campaign recognized there was nothing on which to challenge the young candidate and withdrew its opposition, according to Ulrich.

While he admitted that Gulluscio’s removal from the ballot is a benefit to his campaign, Ulrich expressed regret about the situation. “[Voters are] being denied the opportunity to vote for their candidate. I think, philosophically, that’s wrong,” the Ozone Park Republican District Leader said. “It’s just not right. They use all these antiquated rules and laws to slice and dice and divide people.”

Speculating on whether he believes any of his competitors will run again in the November election for the seat, Ulrich said he doubted it. “This whole process taught a lot of people a lot.”

None of the candidates challenged Rockaway Democratic District Leader Lew Simon, who collected more than 4,100 signatures. “I’ve been doing this for many, many years,” Simon said. “When you know what you’re doing and you’re out there ... and you know who’s registered to vote, you should not have a problem.” Simon did not challenge any of his competitors.

Another candidate who escaped challenge is Sam DiBernardo, a 74-year-old retired Howard Beach teacher. He never even made it past the Board of Elections: taking his petition of only 250 signatures, on face value, the board removed DiBernardo almost immediately.

Those who remain on the ballot will campaign until Feb. 24, when the voters will choose the new council member.

Ballot Challenges in 32nd District Stun Voters, Candidates by Patricia Adams - Forum News

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The supposed front runner for Joe Addabbo's council seat, Frank Gulluscio, was thrown off of the ballot by his opponent, Geraldine Chapey on Monday because of a legal technicality about the nature in which his validating petition was served.

The candidate quickly cried foul stating that, "the idea that this is a system meant to uphold democracy is preposterous when the signatures of thousands of voters can be rendered meaningless by a legal technicality. We must demand that we have a system where the will of the people cannot be overturned by lawyers."

"Geraldine Chapey has been on what can only be described as a witch hunt, dragging her opponents into court, causing us hours of wasted time and thousands of dollars in lawyer’s fees. She obviously feels that the only way she can win is to eliminate the competition using her lawyer, rather than in a fair election by the will of the people. I cannot imagine that the voters of the 32nd Council District would want to be represented by someone like that."

Also among the candidates not to survive the challenge was former NYPD Officer Glenn DiResto.

The hearing was originally scheduled today because Chapey's team was claiming Gulluscio did not have enough signatures to make it on the ballot. Gulluscio had vehemently denied this claim and came into court prepared with hundreds of signatures that he felt had been knocked off erroneously. However, before they had the chance to make their case, the judge threw out the entire case because of what she felt was an error in the service of the validating petition.

Gulluscio commented that, "Although I am disappointed by the tactics employed by my opponent, I look forward to pursuing all options to allow me to continue to serve the people of the 32nd Council District."

James Wu, a spokesperson for the Chapey campaign explained the matter this way, “Frank Gulluscio did not attain the ballot because he had insufficient signatures.”

Some confusion seems to have existed regarding what challenges were filed and what was ruled upon. While a challenge to the legality of Gulluscio’s use of a star on his petition was filed, that issue ultimately was never considered or ruled on. The objection to the use of the five-point star was that it’s a recognized symbol of the Democratic party, which is not allowed in the non-partisan special election petition process.

As the Elections Commissioners resumed with their regular meeting on Monday morning, before the Executive Session, there was a second call in which they decided that Gulluscio simply did not make the signature requirement. And so it was, with a swift and final decision that the candidacy of Frank Guluuscio was ended on a technicality, that which the candidate continues to maintain was in no way a fair representation afforded to the voters of the 32 Council District in the upcoming special election.

With the field now narrowed to four candidates, one of the remaining contenders, Mike Ricatto had this to say, "I am extremely disappointed that some candidates have been thrown off the ballot for the upcoming 32nd Council District Special election. The democratic process is about giving voters a choice and the opportunity to vote for candidates who share their values, ideals and vision for better government. I am against eliminating candidates from the ballot for legal technicalities. Geraldine Chapey and her legal team along with Eric Ulrich and his handlers Tom Ognibene and the Haggerty's have successfully tied up candidates in court preventing them from reaching voters. I am glad this unfortunate episode is over and I can continue my efforts to speak to voters throughout the district about the important issues that concern them."

The third candidate who remains on the ballot is Democratic District Leader Lew Simon, Geraldine Chapey’s co-leader on the Rockaway Peninsula. There is much speculation as to why Simon’s petition volume did not fall prey to Chapey’s challenge axe, but nonetheless, Simon is very disturbed over the fact that any candidates were removed from the ballot during the process of the special election.

“I have been co-leaders with Geraldine for the last 15 years. Never once during that time did she produce more than 100 signatures for the district leader race. I find it shocking that she was able to gather these many signatures but I firmly believe that there should have been no challenges in the special election, especially due to the time constraints of the process. The bottom line, according to Simon is that he was disappointed and shocked to see that people were knocked off the ballot.

Simon also raised serious questions about why there has been no record of filings at the Campaign Finance Board. “It’s obvious that Geraldine has spent money on posters, literature, mailing and staff and that nothing has been reported. I would be most interested to see an audit conducted to see if these expenditures are in tact.”

The fourth and remaining candidate, Republican District Leader Eric Ulrich was quick to express that his feelings about the process is that it is “antiquated and that our state officials really need to re-examine the rules so that citizens have the right to get on the ballot and run in an election.”

Ulrich maintains that one of the first steps toward ensuring better government in the city and state is to make ballot requirements less stringent. “It is truly unfortunate that Geraldine felt it was up to her to select her opposition instead of affording that opportunity to the voters in the 32nd to whom it truly belongs. She felt it was her choice and not theirs.”

Citizens Union For Moya, Chapey, Rose by Elizabeth Benjamin - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

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After interviewing 10 candidates running in the three Feb. 24 City Council special elections, the good government group Citizens Union has announced its endorsements.

Unlike union endorsements, the CU's backing doesn't come with any campaign help with GOTV efforts or phone banks or door knocking. It basically gives candidates bragging rights and the ability to claim the reform mantle.

The CU's choices are:

- Francisco Moya (21st CD). The CU also evaluated Moya's opponents Julissa Ferreras and Jose Eduardo Giraldo, but not George Dixon. The organization called Ferreras "qualified" and praised Giraldo's "business perspective," but ultimately decided on Moya because of his "admirable history of community involvement in the district and his diverse experience at the local, state and federal level."

- Geraldine Chapey (32nd CD). Chapey has been under fire for her aggressive (and successful) efforts to get some of her opponents bounced off the ballot. The CU didn't mention that in its press release, but said it selected Chapey because of her "extensive experience on state and local issues."

Eric Ulrich was also interviewed, and the CU liked his "driven nature, fresh perspective and energetic presence." Two other candidates, Mike Ricatto (who is ON the ballot; it's Glenn DiResto and Sam DiBernardo who are off (fixed)) and Lew Simon were not evaluated.

- Debi Rose (49th CD). After interviewing five candidates, the CU settled on Rose because of her "vibrant presence," ability to serve as an "inspiring advocate" on health care and community issues, knowledge of the district and "strong support" of the organization's reform agenda.

The CU also endorsed Rose's unsuccessful 2001 Council bid.

The other candidates - Rev. Tony Baker, Kenneth Mitchell, Paul Saryian and John Tabacco (now off the ballot) - "also demonstrated a thorough understanding of the needs of the district," the CU stated.

Bare-Knuckled Ballot Challenges Jumble Queens, Staten Island Races by Sal Gentile - City Hall News

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The hardest thing about getting elected to the City Council in this month’s special elections may be keeping the election lawyers at bay.



At a rowdy Board of Elections hearing earlier this month, a swarm of high-powered attorneys tangled over obscure statutes, mangled signatures and fudged math.

In the end, seven of the 22 candidates who filed to run in the three special elections were knocked off the ballot, and several more withstood aggressive challenges.

All of the hardball left at least one race—the one to succeed Queens State Sen. Joseph Addabbo—without a clear front-runner. There, former Addabbo aide Frank Gulluscio was removed when Democratic district leader Geraldine Chapey objected to his petitions and those of two other of her opponents.

Her attorney, bulldozing election lawyer and former State Sen. Martin Connor, single-handedly cleared half the field, arguing at one point that the five-point star Gulluscio had chosen as a symbol for his ballot line was illegal because it too closely resembled the symbol of the Democratic Party. Special elections by law must be non-partisan, and party affiliations cannot be evident in any way.

“She brought out the juggernaut,” said Eric Ulrich, a 24-year-old Republican district leader and one of the few candidates who remains in the race.

Former police officer Glenn DiResto and former real estate broker Sam DiBernardo were also bounced from the ballot, leaving Chapey in the enviable position, her opponents say, of facing off against a Republican in a three-way race along with perennial candidate Lew Simon.

But if anything, her hard-charging tactics may have further fractured a race that was already divided along regional lines.

Chapey is from Rockaway, an area that has been isolated geographically and politically from the rest of the district. Some mainlanders have even said they would rather a Republican represent them than someone from the other side of Jamaica Bay.

“I think she may have done me a favor in getting Gulluscio off the ballot, because now there’s another mainlander, so to speak, out of the race,” Ulrich said. “And I can imagine that a good number of his supporters will switch their support to me.”

Chapey, for her part, refused even to entertain the notion of a regional divide and said her ballot objections were based on legal grounds.

“Can you tell me what’s different about a person who lives in Rockaway over someone who lives in Howard Beach?” she said.

And while Chapey’s challenges may have positioned her as the unexpected front-runner, those who she tripped up with her legal maneuverings have said they will return for the September primary.

DiResto, the former police officer, said to count him among the ones who will be back. He was removed from the ballot after Connor objected to his party line, “Families First,” because it was too similar to the name of an existing party, the Working Families Party.

Asked if his supporters would turn to Chapey now that he was out of the race, DiResto laughed, and said, “No.”

But the election in Queens is not the only one in which the field has been jumbled by bare-knuckled petition challenges.

In the race to succeed Rep. Mike McMahon (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn), his longtime chief of staff Kenneth Mitchell has objected to four of his opponents’ petitions. Three of them have already been knocked off the ballot, and one more who was fighting the objections is taking the dispute to court.

Mitchell has long been seen as McMahon’s heir apparent, and in the early stages of the campaign he added to that sense of inevitability by piling up the endorsements of local unions and political clubs affiliated with McMahon.

But Debi Rose, a local activist and Obama convention delegate, has surged in recent weeks, picking up key support from the Working Families Party, 1199/SEIU, the Hotel and Motel Trades Union, and D.C. 37.

Rose, who lost to McMahon in 2001 by 170 votes, would be the borough’s first black Council member. But she has been competing for the support of the growing black population on the North Shore with Rev. Tony Baker, a longtime pastor at St. Phillips Baptist Church.

Mitchell has been accused of challenging the petitions of four of the white candidates in the race so that Rose and Baker will split the black vote.

“I perceive part of that as a move to affect my voter turnout,” said Rose. “Because then the race becomes one between Reverend Baker and I … one where my base of supporters are being split or divided, and [Mitchell’s] are not.”

Mitchell denied that race was a factor and said his objections were based entirely on a vetting process conducted by his lawyers.

“I find it interesting that people who want to be lawmakers don’t want to follow the law,” he said, defending the challenges.

The challenges may further other ethnic divisions apparent in the race as well. One of the candidates removed from the ballot, Rajiv Gowda, had raised a sizable war chest from the growing South Asian community on the North Shore.

That group of voters would be up for grabs if Gowda abandons his candidacy.

After learning that he had been bounced from the ballot, Gowda swore to continue his campaign and challenge whoever wins the special election again in the primary.

“My campaign started long back, and it’s going all the way to September,” he said. “Whatever I have to do, I will do.”

Star-Stuck Pol Knocked Out of Council Ring by John Lauinger - NY Daily News

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SOME PEOPLE try to soften the blow of defeat with a fatalistic adage: It just wasn't in the stars.

But it was in the stars for City Council hopeful Frank Gulluscio - and that was the problem.

The Howard Beach Democrat was yanked from the ballot in the Feb. 24 special election because his petitions featured a star and were printed on green paper - similar to those of the Democratic Party - a no-no in the nonpartisan contest, officials said.

Board of Elections commissioners ruled Tuesday that Gulluscio's petitions violated election law because the "five-point star is the recognized symbol of the Democratic Party," said board spokeswoman Valerie Vasquez-Rivera.

Gulluscio, a Democratic district leader running in the 32nd Council District, also had 1,436 signatures tossed out, leaving him with 69 fewer than the 1,098 needed to qualify to be on the ballot.

Gulluscio vowed to appeal in a hearing scheduled Monday in Queens Supreme Court. He blasted fellow candidate Geraldine Chapey, who hired former state senator and election lawyer Marty Connor to challenge petitions.

"It is a shame that other candidates need to use cheap tricks to win elections," Gulluscio said.

Connor, who Chapey had paid $3,500 as of Jan. 15, also knocked retired Police Department lieutenant Glenn DiResto off the 32nd District ballot.

The name of DiResto's party, "Families First," was deemed to violate election law because it shares a word in common with the name of the existing Working Families Party.

DiResto accused Chapey of engaging in electoral "shenanigans," and said he would also appeal at Monday's court hearing.

"She looks at me as a threat because of my lifelong public service," DiResto said of Chapey, adding that he chose the name because government needs "to keep families in our city."

Chapey's campaign defended its actions.

"If an individual wants to seek office, they have to have a competent campaign," spokesman James Wu said.

Sam Dibernardo, a candidate in the 32nd District, and Angel Del Villar, a candidate in the 21st District, also were disqualified for not having sufficient signatures.

The board's rulings leave four candidates in the 32nd District field: Eric Ulrich, Mike Ricatto, Lew Simon and Chapey.

At Monday's hearing, Ulrich is set to make an unusual challenge to Ricatto's petitions, which state his name as "Mike Ricatto." Ulrich's attorney, former Councilman Tom Ognibene, said the petitions are "misleading" because two people named Mike Ricatto live at the candidate's address - the candidate, Michael P. Ricatto Sr., and his son, Michael P. Ricatto Jr.

"It's impossible to tell which Michael P. Ricatto is the actual candidate," Ognibene charged.

Ricatto spokesman James McClelland called the argument a "last-ditch effort," and said the campaign is confident it will prevail in court.

jlauinger@nydailynews.com

Attempting to Buy A Local Election? - Editorial - www.rockawave.com - Wave of Long Island

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The upcoming special election to fill, for less than a year, the City Council seat vacated by Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. when he won election to the State Senate, is like no other election. Because there are typically only 5,000 or so votes cast in such an election; and because there is no incumbent involved; and because there are seven people in the race, whoever can turn out a relatively small number of supporters can win. There is no run-off in this election. The one with the most votes wins, even should that person not get a majority. Do the math yourself. Five thousand votes divided by seven candidates equals approximately 700 votes per candidate. In a situation such as that, the candidate that can poll 850 votes wins. That is why it is disturbing that one candidate seems to be willing to outspend all the others combined, which touches off a fear in some that the candidate, virtually unknown prior to the election, is trying to buy the election. That candidate is Mike Ricatto, who has raised $98,085 in public funds for the special election and has already spent $96,190. That is more than all the other five candidates who have disclosed, combined. Money buys advertising and exposure, two things that are necessary in a quick and intense campaign. It also buys access to the halls of power and endorsements. The second highest amount of money spent so far was by Eric Ulrich, the mainland Republican leader, who spent nearly $50,000. Of the Rockaway candidates, Lew Simon has spent $11,218 at press time, Glenn DiResto has spent $3,644 and Geraldine Chapey, who has raised more than $21,000, has not spent a penny, according to her filings with the Campaign Finance Board. Sam DiBernardo's fundraising and spending are "undisclosed" because he is not participating in the Campaign Finance Board program. We hope that the best man or woman wins, but we hope more fervently that it is not possible to buy a City Council seat simply by outspending all of your rivals.

Hotel Workers For Gulluscio by Elizabeth Benjamin - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

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The Hotel and Motel Trades Council, which has been steadily beefing up its political profile over the past year, has issued its second endorsement in the Feb. 24 City Council special elections, backing Frank Gulluscio in the 32nd CD.

Gulluscio is former aide to the man whose seat he's trying to land, now-Sen. Joe Addabbo, and district manager of Community Board 6. The HTC's decision to support him should come as no surprise, as the union was a big supporter of Addabbo, who has endorsed his former staffer.

Also running in the 32nd are: Geraldine Chapey, Glenn DiResto, Mike Ricatto (although his bid has been hobbled by a recent fatal accident in which a 9-year-old boy was struck and killed by his campaign bus), Lew Simon and Eric Ulrich.

The special elections are nonpartisan, but the GOP is hoping it has a shot at boosting its numbers on the Council back to three with Ulrich's candidacy.

The HTC has 30,000 members in the metro area, including 12,000 in Queens and some 600 in the 32nd CD.

Earlier this month, the union announced its endorsement of Julissa Ferreras, a former aide to Sen. Hiram Monserrate, who is running for the seat he departed in the 21st CD.

The HTC was the first union to endorse Ferreras. She's also being supported by the labor-backed Working Families Party and UFCW Local 1500.

NOTE: The press release misspelled Gulluscio's name as "Galluscio." This post has been corrected to reflect the appropriate spelling.

Candidates Hustling as Election Day Nears by Lee Landor - Queens Chronicle

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It’s crunch time for the seven candidates competing in the race for the 32nd Council District seat: they have five weeks to get signatures, file petitions, complete paperwork and become household names.

While the pressure is on and time is running out, the contenders are toughing it out and channeling all their energy into their campaigns. Former NYPD lieutenant Glenn DiResto, a Rockaway resident and political newbie, admitted that running in the Feb. 24 non-partisan special election is “a lot of hard work.”

But he and his group of family, friends and volunteers are relentless in their drive to earn the self-proclaimed “political unknown” recognition. “We’re plugging away hard here, every day. Everybody is pitching in ... it’s a real grassroots effort,” DiResto said. “Hopefully, in the end, it will pay off.”

Making it onto the ballot looks promising to the 38-year-old, who is racking up the signatures needed to qualify and has already filed his certification with the city Campaign Finance Board. “It looks like we will definitely have the number [of signatures required], it’s just a matter of what will be litigated,” DiResto said, noting that one of his competitors, also from Rockaway, has already informed him that he will challenge the retired cop’s petition.

But, DiResto is not worried. “I’m not a political machine, but, you know what, we’re getting the job done,” he said. Even his 74-year-old father is braving the cold and getting signatures “because he believes in me and, more importantly, he believes in our community and our city.”

Candidate Eric Ulrich, a Republican District Leader from Ozone Park, is
also completing his petitions. Although the city Board of Elections requires only 1,059 signatures, Ulrich and his team are prepared to get 2,000, just to be safe.

Like DiResto, Ulrich, president of the Our Neighbors Civic Association of Ozone Park, believes the Feb. 24 special election date will benefit him, providing enough time to “get my message out there and show people what it’s all about.”

The biggest hindrance, according to both candidates, won’t be the date, but rather the weather. Each said he hopes to inspire voters to come out and vote, regardless of the forecast.

Sam DiBernardo, one of the first to announce his candidacy in the race, agreed that the weather could be problematic, but he said the entire special election schedule is “a mishmash. You’re putting people in extremely difficult positions because of the weather, because of the time constraints and because of the number of signatures involved.”

He complained that the Board of Elections only allowed a seven- or eight-day window for candidates to collect the required number of signatures, which had to be filed Thursday, Jan. 15 by midnight.

In order to meet the deadline, the 74-year-old said he has been “busy as a one-armed paper hanger,” filling out and filing necessary paperwork, and knocking on doors. DiBernardo said he isn’t sure if he’ll collect the required number of signatures by the deadline.

While worrying about getting his own name on the ballot, DiBernardo imparted some advice for his fellow contenders: “Don’t challenge each other’s petitions. Let the voters decide.” Otherwise, everyone will get involved in legal disputes and, in the end, no one will get on the ballot, he said.

Democratic District Leaders Lew Simon and Frank Gulluscio, of Rockaway and Howard Beach, respectively, haven’t even considered the possibility of not making it onto the ballot.

Both have long been involved in local politics and community organizations for many years, and each has significant name recognition in the district, which includes the neighborhoods of Woodhaven, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Howard Beach and Rockaway. It appears their primary concern, like most of their competitors,’ is the weather.

In addition to the recognition he’s earned on his own, Gulluscio, the district manager of Community Board 6, got a boost in publicity when he got the support of former City Councilman Joseph Addabbo Jr., who defeated Serphin Maltese in the race for the 15th Senatorial District seat in November.

Simon, a long-time community activist, has had his name in local papers for decades — both in articles about him and those by him. In at least one newspaper, Simon regularly published a column for some time, expanding his communication with area residents, civic leaders and elected officials, including Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Ozone Park).

Candidate Michael Ricatto, an Ozone Park business man, got his name in the paper, too, but that wasn’t exactly good publicity.

Last week, the driver of Ricatto’s campaign bus, 22-year-old Alexander Aponte, accidentally struck and killed 9-year-old Ibrihim Ahmed as he was crossing the intersection of Cross Bay Boulevard and Liberty Avenue — a junction known by area residents to be problematic and dangerous.

Ricatto’s name was all over the news, making headlines across the country. He expressed sadness about the tragedy and suspended all campaign activities until further notice. There was speculation that Ricatto would even drop out of the race altogether.

But, it appears he decided to go ahead with his campaign. According to published reports, Ricatto resumed his campaign after Ibrihim’s funeral, which was on Saturday morning.

“Mr. Ricatto’s out there, actively meeting people, getting signatures,” his spokesman, James McLelland, said. “We’re happy with the way the campaign has progressed up until this point.”

Ricatto filed his first batch of petitions on Monday, Jan. 5. He was the first of the competitors to file, which means his name will be first on the ballot.

“It’s been a very fast-paced campaign,” McLelland said, adding, “We have a lot of good people around us, a lot of good volunteers.” And, although they stopped the campaign for four full days and, as McLelland put it, “were behind the eight ball ... we were able to pick it up and move forward.”

The seventh candidate, Rockaway Democratic District Leader Geraldine Chapey, who is well-known in the peninsula, also has not returned numerous calls since announcing her candidacy.

City Council Races Heating Up 13 Hopefuls Jockey for 2 Seats in Feb. 24 Election by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Daily News

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CANDIDATES FOR two vacant City Council seats in Queens are revving up their campaigns, pushing for donations and starting to spend cash as the Feb. 24 special election draws near.

According to documents filed last week with the city Campaign Finance Board, businessman Michael Ricatto tops the list, having already spent $96,190 in the race for the 32nd District slot.

Seven candidates are running for the seat held by Joseph Addabbo Jr., who was elected to the state Senate in November.

Ricatto has financed thousands of dollars in local newspaper ads out of his own deep pockets.

Local activist Eric Ulrich has spent $47,436 so far. Frank Gulluscio, a former top aide to Addabbo, has raised more than $40,000 but only spent about $5,800.

Former NYPD lieutenant Glenn DiResto has raised $8,196 and spent $3,644, while Democratic District Leader Geraldine Chapey has not spent any of the $21,760 she has raised.

Candidate Sam DiBernardo has elected not to participate in the public financing system. Candidate Lew Simon was unable to provide figures last week.

Six candidates have lined up to fill Councilman Hiram Monserrate's 21st District seat.

Julissa Ferreras, Monserrate's former chief of staff, is leading the pack in fund-raising. She received $50,772 and spent $27,456.

Democratic District Leader Francisco Moya has raised $38,518 and spent $16,781. Carlos Pena has raised $13,882 and not yet spent any of it.

Candidate Jose Eduardo Giraldo raised $19,600 and spent $12,990, George Dixon raised $11,545 and spent $2,005, and Angel Del Villar raised $2,977 and spent $4,938.

In the race for public advocate, Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing) has maxed out on the fund-raising he can do for the Democratic primary election.

Public Advocate candidates can each spend as much as $3,850,000 for the primary, and Liu has already raised more than he can spend, based on his private contributions and his claimed public matching funds - a total of $4.6 million. Coming close to the same more-than-he-can-spend plateau is Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Sunnyside), who has raised a combined $3.5 million in private contributions and claimed matching funds.

With Frank Lombardi

lcolangelo@nydailynews.com

UP FOR GRABS: Special Election Set for Addabbo’s Council Seat by Pete Davis - The Queens Courier

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It’s off to the races in south Queens with the special election to replace former City Councilmember turned State Senator Joseph Addabbo only seven weeks away.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for the special election in the 32nd City Council District to take place on Tuesday, February 24, and there is no shortage of candidates actively seeking the position to replace Addabbo.

At least seven candidates - former teacher and real estate executive Sam Di Bernardo, City University of New York (CUNY) professor Geraldine Chapey, retired NYPD Lieutenant Glenn DiResto, Community Board 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio, businessperson Michael Ricatto, Democratic District Leader Lew Simon and Republican District Leader Eric Ulrich - have all expressed interest in the seat, and the campaigning is expected to intensify during the upcoming weeks.

While each of the candidates has a close connection and affinity to different neighborhoods inside the 32nd Council District, the special election is very different from a normal campaign starting with the shorter campaign season.

“There are so many variables that are going to come in, it’s going to come down to the person with the best pull operation and the best name recognition,” said Gulluscio, who many pundits deem the favorite after he received Addabbo’s endorsement for the seat.

All candidates are required to file 1,100 signatures - equal to five percent of the total votes cast in the 32nd City Council District during the last gubernatorial election - with the city’s Board of Elections (BOE) by midnight on January 15 in order to get their name on the ballot.

“We’re out there pounding the pavement trying to get the ample signatures,” said DiResto, who already has been told that another candidate plans to challenge his signatures.

If the BOE approves the candidates’ signatures, his name will appear on the ballot regardless of party affiliation - something very different from a general election where a candidate’s name is listed next to a political party. All of the candidates on the ballot will be listed as an Independent in the special election.

“It’s a great time,” said Ulrich, who said his campaign has been preparing for the race for nearly eight months is very happy with its position. “It’s very exciting. Everyone has worked very hard, and now we are going to see the fruits of our labor.”

Meanwhile, another element of the short campaign is fundraising, and Ulrich and Gulluscio lead the way in fundraising filed with the city’s Campaign Finance Board (CFB) - something required for the candidates to receive matching public funds. DiResto and Simon have both filed the paperwork with the CFB, but as of July 15, 2008 - the last reporting period - neither candidate reported any money raised.

If the candidates meet certain fundraising thresholds, they can qualify for a maximum of $88,500 in public funds from the CFB for the special election.

Ricatto, the newest addition to the already crowded field, said he planned to run for the seat in November expecting former State Senator Serphin Maltese to defeat Addabbo. However, the President of Ricatto Enterprises - which consists of seven different business interests - believes that his district and the city need his leadership and business acumen to help with the continued financial crisis.

“I think I could do an excellent job as a businessman with a businessman’s outlook in helping the city get over this rough time,” Ricatto said.

Ricatto to Run for 32nd Council District Seat by Lee Landor - Queens Chronicle

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Ozone Park businessman Mike Ricatto is the sixth candidate in the race for the 32nd Council District seat. The special election for the seat will take place on Feb. 24.

The interview with Michael Ricatto conducted for this story took place on Monday, Jan. 5. The article was written on Tuesday afternoon, prior to a fatal accident in which Ricatto’s campaign bus struck and killed a 9-year-old boy in Ozone Park around 3:40 p.m. Tuesday. Ricatto has since suspended all campaign activities.

Michael Ricatto spent practically all of Monday talking. He introduced himself to hundreds of people, chatted with acquaintances and consulted with dozens of volunteers, who had, that morning, kicked off his campaign.

The 52-year-old Republican businessman still has a lot of talking left to do: just one month after Ricatto officially announced his run for the 32nd Council District seat, Mayor Michael Bloomberg set a date for the non-partisan special election.

Ricatto and at least five others have until Feb. 24 to gain recognition and earn the confidence — and votes — of residents of Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven and Rockaway.

They are competing for the seat vacated on Jan. 1 by state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), who served as the district’s councilman for seven years before defeating former Sen. Serphin Maltese on Nov. 4.

Although he decided to run about a year ago, Ricatto didn’t publicize his intentions until mid-December, leaving him in a position where he now has to play catch up. But he claims that in the short time since he announced his candidacy, “name recognition is getting to be quite good.” The reason, Ricatto said; “People like what I have to say.”

One thing he repeatedly says is no to tax increases. “I don’t believe we should have tax increases on property taxes now. The economy can’t afford it,” Ricatto said. “We’re going to drive people and industry further away from New York by doing that.”

Already, the city is competing with some “very fine” areas, including Long Island and New Jersey, for both their populations and industry, according to Ricatto, a former Long Island resident.

“We can’t make it too expensive for people to live here and that’s what we’re doing,” he said. “Instead of increasing our base for taxes, we’re increasing taxes on our base and making our base smaller.”

The city has to put an end to this, the former exporter said. It has to “invite industry and people back to the neighborhood because that’s where they belong.”

Citing planned tax increases and recent talk of toll placement on the East River bridges, Ricatto said he thinks the government is “trying to overextend its bounds.” As someone who has always believed in small government and low taxes, Ricatto refuses to stand for that. “If I’m in City Council I’m going to do my utmost to make sure that it doesn’t happen,” he said.

Excited for the election and to do what he calls a “civic duty,” Ricatto is giving the campaign his all. And, he is confident it’s going to pay off. “I’m a businessman. I’m not a gambler,” he said.

“Being a businessman, you tend to put your money where you think you’re going to have success. Well, I’m putting my time, effort, energy into something where I believe I am going to have success. I wouldn’t do it otherwise.”

Ricatto was set to hold a meet-and-greet event at his campaign headquarters, located at 161-08 Cross Bay Blvd. in Howard Beach, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8. Due to the fatal accident in which his campaign bus was involved, Ricatto suspended all campaign activities, including this event.

Among the contenders competing with Ricatto are Democratic District Leaders Frank Gulluscio of Howard Beach and Lew Simon of Rockaway, and Ozone Park Republican District Leader Eric Ulrich.

Rockaway resident and retired NYPD lieutenant Glenn DiResto, and Sal DiBernardo, who is running as an independent, also declared their participation in the 32nd Council District seat special election.

Another likely candidate who has not yet officially declared a run is Democratic District Leader Geraldine Chapey of Rockaway.

The candidate elected in February will serve as a City Council member until the term ends next January. He or she must get re-elected Nov. 3 in order to serve the next four-year term.

Special Election List Keeps Growing By Nicholas Briano - www.rockawave.com - The Wave

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If you live in the west end of Rockaway and plan to vote in the upcoming special election, there are at present at least five people from whom you can choose on the February ballot to fill the 32nd City Council District seat vacated by Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., and the list seems to be continually growing.

The city council seat represents the western end of Rockaway, Broad Channel, Howard Beach, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park and Woodhaven. It becomes open on January 1, the day that Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., the present councilman who defeated longtime State Senate Republican incumbent Serphin Maltese in November's general election, gets sworn into his new position.

Three of the five present candidates for the seat are Rockaway residents. Two are familiar in local politics, Democratic District Leaders Lew Simon and Geraldine Chapey, but the other is a bit of an unknown quantity to many, even in Rockaway.

This is something candidate Glenn DiResto, a retired NYPD lieutenant, hopes to change by the time local residents go to the polls.

DiResto, 38, retired from the NYPD in April and he says that he immediately began thinking about what it would be like to represent the residents of this district.

"This is a great opportunity to serve the community I was born and raised in as well as the surrounding neighborhoods," DiResto said.

The fact that DiResto has no political experience, he says, will actually help the community, because he will be more likely to listen and respond to their needs.

"My inspiration has always been the people who share the same vision as me," he continued. "The people want a politician that serves and listens to the people, without having to give political favors."

As Democratic District Leader since 1994, Lew Simon, on the other hand, is neither a new face in the crowd, nor inexperienced around local politics. Simon, who was also born and raised in Rockaway, feels the election will come down to name recognition. As Democratic District Leader for nearly 15 years, Simon believes that gives him a significant edge over the other candidates and makes him more ready to serve the public.

"People know that they can call me and that I am always there for them," Simon said. "I have great name recognition in the district."

Simon, just as confident about his chances as the others, says he would be proud to represent the district and expects to hit the ground running.

Simon ran for the same seat back in 2001, losing in the Democratic primary when he received 22 percent of the vote compared to Addabbo's 43 percent. Addabbo then won the general election.

In a special election, however, there are no primaries or party regulations. It is every candidate for him or herself, and the number of them has a tendency to grow quickly. The only Republican in the race, though, is Eric Ulrich. He is by far the youngest of the candidates at 23 and feels his age and lack of experience, much like DiResto, could actually turn out to be his greatest strength in the election.

"I feel confident about my chances because this had traditionally been a conservative district," he said. "And I'm the only Republican running."

Ulrich, from Ozone Park, is Republican District Leader. He states that his chances of winning increase as the number of Democratic candidates entering the race increases. That, he says, would split the Democrat vote and increase his chances of winning, even if he received a relatively small percentage of the total votes.

"People are looking for fresh faces in politics and fresh ideas are what the city council needs now," he said. "It is not about what you have done in the past but what you will do in the future for the district and the neighborhoods."

Unlike Ulrich, Howard Beach candidate, Frank Gulluscio, 60, has years of experience that he says warrants his election to the council seat. As a retired schoolteacher, he served as Addabbo's education director for several years before leaving to become the District Manager of Community Board 6.

The last of the candidates is another recognizable name to many, throughout the district. Rockaway's female Democratic District Leader, Geraldine Chapey, announced her candidacy this week, bringing the total number of candidates to five. Three are from Rockaway, which constitutes about half of the district's registered voters. Both Chapey and Gulluscio were unavailable for comment to The Wave.

Voter turnout, despite how many candidates enter the race, is often a major determinant of which candidate is elected, because the great majority of registered voters fail to come out to vote on the day of the special election.

The last special election held in June for the City Council's 30th District seat in Queens involved four candidates. Out of the 68,112 registered voters within that district, only 11 percent made their way to the polls.

Those numbers were similar to the vote in a February 2007 special election in Staten Island's 51st City Council District when six percent of more than 90,000 registered voters chose a new councilmember.

As of March of this year, the 32nd Council District registered 74,619 voters. Fifty-seven percent of the registered voters are Democrats, 20 percent are registered as Republicans, and nearly 20 percent are registered as having no party affiliation.

The number of people who turn out for their choice of candidate will have a significant role in determining the next city councilmember, especially if voter turnout follows tradition and remains low.