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What I did not expect were the responses (or lack of responses) from the officials who all were sent basically the same letter:

1) Marty Golden had Joan Byrnes in his office send me a copy of the letter he sent to the MTA opposing the changes. I replied clarifying my actual questions and Ms. Byrnes looked into them all. In regards to the lack of information about the project she replied that, “The MTA informed the Community Board over two years ago.”

2) Marty Markowitz’s office replied to my questions on 9/18 by having someone in his office send me a copy of the letter from the MTA to CB 15 which explained the changes. I immediately replied clarifying my initial questions and concerns and have heard nothing since.

3) Lew Fidler replied on 9/11, “Thank you for your recent email regarding MTA issues. However, if you could provide me with your full name, home address and phone number in order to better address your concerns.” I replied immediately and have heard nothing since.

4) Alan Maisel replied on 9/24 – “Thank you for your correspondence concerning the B train. I have been working with Councilman fidler on this issue. He and I are trying to arrange a community meeting with MTA executives to resolve the problems people in Gerritsen Beach and Sheepshead Bay are having. I’ll keep you informed of our progress.” (That’s copied & pasted by the way.)

To date I have had no reply or even acknowledgement from: Carl Kruger, Steven Cymbrowitz, or Mike Nelson.

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I think we both know that relatives and politics don’t mix, right?. Heck, friends and politics don’t mix!

Now, drumroll please…. I am personally undecided on my vote for Mayor because, despite the barrage of ads and mailings, I want to give Bill Thompson a fair shake and listen to his positions and ideas – despite the fact that he stole “eight is enough” from my campaign (which I stole from the popular 70s sitcom!). I would encourage all voters to do the same – to make an informed decision based on the issues most important to them.

My vote is the most powerful thing I have – which is why your vote to overturn my vote on term limits is so abhorrent to me.

I noticed that you didn’t respond to my suggestion for an online debate on this site – how ’bout it?

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You might note that the fact that newspapers do not cover my every word to be a shock…but that does not mean that I did not take a position and speak out.

Your rendition of the SBPC downzoning is a work of fiction. I believe that I was the one who started the organization on the picture taking process. You might not know this as you admittedly were not there when I was first working on this…and no Gene one’s relatives are not a reliable source for your version of this reality.

Finally, rather than wax on about political lockstep, I am SURE that you would agree that the most important decision that the voters have to make in this election is who will be our next Mayor. Hey it is even more important than who the next Copuncilman is, well except to my mother….

So Gene, tell us once and for all….as the Republican Party candidate for the Council do you support the Republican Party candidate for Mayor, Mike Bloomberg? If not, who do you support? I thnk the voters are entitled to know…don’t you?

Lew from Brooklyn

1) Re: My position on congestion pricing – I said I would have voted against congestion pricing because I wasn’t sold on the technology to be used to track traffic – that does not diminish the fact that the Mayor’s plan has been recognized as the ONLY plan that actually reduced congestion, and that expeerts found that your plan promoted traffic, not prevented traffic.

2) Re: Hydrogen cars – I strongly believe in living “in the now”, not in testimony from years ago. If Scientific American isn’t your cup of tea, try the NY Times – in May 2009 the U.S. Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu announced that since fuel cell hydrogen vehicles “will not be practical over the next 10 to 20 years”, the U.S. government will “cut off funds” for development of hydrogen vehicles, although the DoE will continue to fund research related to stationary fuel cells. The difficulties in the development of the required infrastructure to distribute hydrogen was also mentioned as a justification for cutting research funds. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/science/earth/08energy.html?_r=1

3) Re: SB Re-Zoning – Yes, you talked… and talked… and did nothing to further the neighborhood’s needs. SB/PB Civic gave you the benefit of the doubt for almost a year (even before I got involved) At one point, you didn’t even know what “downzoning” was and told the SB/PB Civic that you would get back to us with your position on it. You never did – not until we picked up the ball you dropped.

Let’s deal in fact:

I and other members of SB/PB Civic got the attention of DCP. You didn’t.

We organized walking tours with DCP and other City officials. You didn’t even bother to attend.

We took hundreds of pictures all over Sheepshead Bay and Plumb Beach. You didn’t.

We organized complaint files on each out-of character building complete with violations. You didn’t.

We confronted developers and contractors on the street about illegal dumping groundwater seepage, flooding basements, localized utility outages, had all kinds of foul words, and in some cases construction debris, hurled at us. You didn’t.

All of that work resulted in a certified plan that you had nothing to do with creating. Then we got 30 days shaved off the ULURP process by getting DCP to waive notice as applicant at the CB15 public hearing.

And then after all that work, you talked some more.

4) Re: MTA – it’s funny… when I looked up to research “Lew Fidler” and “transit Strike” and /or “TWU”, all that comes up is talk of you carrying the TWU’s banner and talk of how the Council leadership was silent on the matter. Guess you didn’t make as much noise as you think. And you choose to deflect your accountability in the TWU’s illegal strike by asking policy points in the abstract with no context – of course no one would want to have their constituency used as “guinea pigs”, but to point to that one issue alone in the context of the entire city of New York being held hostage by the TWU and the fact that you supported what amounted to an illegal activity

5) Regarding taxes – I was indeed mistaken. When I looked up the vote tallies on Gotham Gazette, I see that I read your vote incorrectly, and I admit when I’m wrong.

However, upon further review, you seem to vote “yes” to all kinds of taxes, including the sales tax (twice), the cell phone tax and the 911 phone fee. Apparently, the city can’t even fund 911 without charging us $1 per month! See: Gotham Gazette’s vote tallies.

And by the way Lew, I have no candidate for Mayor – I am not a politician or a cog in a political machine walking in lock step behind a standard bearer. I have no problem telling you, the Mayor or anyone for that matter that you all dropped the ball, and we had to pay for it with more taxes for less service. But if I choose to endorse someone, I’ll make sure you’re the first to know.

6) Re: Your Blessed Payroll Tax – This quote takes the cake – “Finally, obviously my 9 point plan in response to congestion pricing was workable because we were able to avert a large fare increase and huge service cuts when it was implem,ented. Had it been implemented earlier, the threat never would ahve been raised.”

Forgive the John MacEnroe moment, but you cannot be serious!

You’re actually going to say that because you suggested a tax on businesses to pay for your fanciful, unrealistic, no-short-term-fix to traffic congestion that was ultimately used in a totally different emergency plan that had NOTHING to do with cutting congestion and EVERYTHING to do with bailing out the MTA money pit is proof positive that your congestion plan was realistic?

The spin going on here is dizzying!

One has nothing to do with the other – it was simply an expeditious cut-and-paste job that gave New Yorkers the “gift” of decreased service at a higher price , and it proves nothing about your plan to reduce congestion.

In closing, your comment about making up my own facts is – once again – amusing, considering that I provide source material while you provide rhetoric and chest-thumping about your resume. I at least admit when I’m mistaken, you’re still clinging to your hydrogen-mobile that’s 20 years in the offing.

If conversations like this prove anything, it’s the need for community debates – maybe even organized by a forum like GB.net.

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First, I have to admit to being confused as to your piosition on congestion pricing….for example you said you “probbly” would have voted against it….then argue strenuously FOR it. You cite numerous “facts” to say my plan was unworkable, but these “facts” were from lobbyists who were working FOR congestion pricing.

I voted for one property tax increase, and that was the one after 9/11 when the City was in dire straits. It was a tough call. How would you have filled a $6 billion budget hole? And pls don’t tell me simply by cutting waste…because $6 billion would have fired cops, teachers, firefighters, closed firehouses, closed senior centers and after school programs. When you are in office, you don’t get to vote “probably”.

BTW, I was publicly credited with leading the fight for a propertytax reduction two years ago. We reduced property tax rates by 7 1/2 percent, I cut that your Mayoral candidate reversed a eyar later…right after he reneged on sending folks their $400 property tax rebate check. As you recall, he only sent them out after I an d two of my Republican colleagues sued him.

As was demonstrated at the hearing of the Environmental Protection Committee, hydrogen fuel cells are highly practical. In fact, they are in broad use for bus service in several European countries and yes, your party’s standard bearer for Mayor, Mike Bloomberg, is even doing a hydrogen test for sanitation vehicles right now. Feel free to quote the pro-oil Bush Administration as to why we should not try to move to a system of vehicle fueling that is totally pollution free.

Your revisionist history on the SB Plumb Beach zoning is just that. The first person to call for a downzoning there was Steve Barrison. As a result of HIS call, I initiated a public debate as to how we could get it done. The record is clear that I was the first elected official to speak of it and advocate for it. I had BP Markowitz’ office directly involved and I believe Jon Benguet, Marty’s chief planner, came to SBPC before I heard a peep from you to discuss how we could get it done.

Back to the MTA, I absolutely did scream and yell about the MTA’s finances. And I am pleased that my candidate for Mayor, Bill Thompson, ALREADY HAS exposed the two sets of books at the MTA. Now, if we could get YOUR candidate for Mayor who has four appointees to the MTA Board to actually oppose any of the fare increases, two sets of books and huge cost overruns, that would be helpful.

I will not apologize for standing with working men and women like the Transit Workers. One of the important issues in that strike was the MTA’s desire to break a binding agreement with them and run the L train, which services Canarsie btw, without a live conductor on board. I would not and will not allow my constituents to be guinea pigs for proposals like this, to run the trains like they were some Lionel train set, by computer. It was far too dangerous. Do you not agree?

Finally, obviously my 9 point plan in response to congestion pricing was workable because we were able to avert a large fare increase and huge service cuts when it was implem,ented. Had it been implemented earlier, the threat never would ahve been raised.

As to taxing businesses, please see my co-sponsorship of legislation which would in fact reduce the tax burden on small business in this City thru comprehensive business tax reform. We have asked Albany to authorize it and we are awaiting State Senate action.

It is pontificating to say that you are going to use the bully pulpit to change things but offer no plans for actual change.

Gene, you are entititled to speak, you are entitled to your own opinion. What you are not entitled to is your own facts.

Please rest assured that when you re-write facts and revise history I will endeavor to correct the record.

Lew from Brooklyn

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