Just answer the question!
Bay Ridge politicos are calling out their Republican Council nominee — John Quaglione — for avoiding the question of whether or not he still collects a government salary, especially since it’s public information and funded by the voters themselves.
Quaglione was still raking in his $3,804 biweekly salary as of Oct. 18 — and received his most recent check on Nov. 1 — according to state records. But he’s repeatedly ignored direct questions from debate moderators, this paper, and constituents about the nature of his “leave” from state Sen. Marty Golden’s (R–Bay Ridge) office, and whether he’s still taking home a taxpayer funded paycheck while on the campaign trail.
During an Oct. 17 debate at Xaverian High School, moderator Alex Conti relayed a question from the audience, asking each candidate: “Are any of you currently on the city or state payroll?”
Both Reform Party candidate Bob Capano and Democratic Party candidate Justin Brannan — who resigned from his gig in Councilman Vincent Gentile’s (D–Bay Ridge) office in July — answered a definitive “no,” but Quaglione beat around the bush and responded “I’m on a leave.”
His evasive answers are not doing his candidacy any good, said Bay Ridgite Dan Hetteix, author of the satirical political blog, “The Ambrose Light.”
“He’s known that people have been asking for a while, I’m surprised he hasn’t come up with a better answer than just repeating the same thing over and over. He’s just been getting more and more terse as the campaign goes on,” said Hetteix. “It takes five seconds to explain and it becomes a non-issue, but the more they don’t answer it, the more it sounds bad.”
And since his salary is public information, the only explanation for avoiding the question is that Quaglione recognizes it makes him seem like he’s not fully invested in his candidacy, said Hetteix.
“My theory is it makes it look like he’s not terribly serious about the run, because it’s basically not quitting your day job. He hasn’t distanced himself in any way and can just go right back to working for Golden,” he said. “He’s not putting any stakes down behind his candidacy.”
But regardless of motives, political candidates should always tell the truth, said a spokeswoman for Justin Brannan’s campaign.
“John Quaglione shouldn’t lie to voters about the fact that he’s still collecting a salary and if he’s willing to dodge questions like this while campaigning, how can we trust him to be honest if he’s elected?” said Daniele de Groot. “This is just another reason why our community deserves better than another career politician.”
Quaglione’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
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Two longtime political rivals are shaking hands.
In a move that seems to mend old wounds between two competing Southern Brooklyn political clubs, Councilman Mark Treyger (D–Coney Island) endorsed Justin Brannan for the Bay Ridge Council seat.
“I appreciate his willingness to roll up his sleeves and get things done, and we need more leaders like that in our local government,” Treyger said in a press release “We will work closely to better the lives of the people who call Southern Brooklyn home.”
Treyger’s home-turf club, the United Progressive Democratic club, had a long history of animosity with Brannan’s Bay Ridge Democrats — and that only deepened last year when Treyger ran against Brannan ally and current Bay Ridge Democrats president Chris McCreight for the unpaid, low-level position of district leader — a gig some say Treyger only went after to expand his influence in Southern Brooklyn from Coney Island all the way up to Bay Ridge.
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Give him a hand.
A convicted felon running for his old Ridge-to-Rock congressional seat complimented President Trump for having “massive hands.”
“I remember saying to myself, I never realized what a large man — I mean stature-wise, he’s a big man, with massive hands,” the former pol, who held the seat until he was sent to jail for seven months, said in an interview with New York Magazine. “I don’t have small hands, but when I shook hands with him, the first time I shook hands with him, I realized he was a big man.”
The convicted tax-doger is running to take back his seat from Rep. Dan Donovan (R–Bay Ridge).
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Endorsement roundup:
Midwood Council candidate Yoni Hikind, who is running on the independent “Our Neighborhood” ballot line, picked up the endorsements of three former Republicans politicians, including Gov. George Pataki, Sen. Al D’Amato (R–Brooklyn), and Rep. Bob Turner (R–Brooklyn). He also got the support of both the Jewish Press and the Jewish Voice.
Hikind’s competitor, Democratic Council candidate Kalman Yeger, received the support of all four Democratic Borough Presidents, including Eric Adams, Gale Brewer (D–Manhattan), Ruben Diaz Jr. (D–Bronx), and Melinda Katz (D–Queens).
Democratic Bay Ridge Council candidate Justin Brannan got the endorsement of Rev. Khader El-Yateem, his leading opponent in the Democratic primary.
The Jewish Voice threw its support behind Republican Bay Ridge Council candidate John Quaglione.
The Working Families Party endorsed Reform Party candidate Brian Cunningham in his campaign to oust Councilman Mathieu Eugene (D–Flatbush).
State Sen. Marty Golden (R–Marine Park) and the Jewish Voice endorsed Republican Council candidate Steve Saperstein in his race against incumbent Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D–Sheepshead Bay).
Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D–Sheepshead Bay) picked up the support of the Jewish Press.
