Paired Interviews with Republicans John Quaglione and Andrew Sullivan... (CONTINUED)

Part II  — Background and plans of John Quaglione, prospective Republican candidate for City Council from the 43rd Council District

Yesterday at the Bridgeview Diner, a top operative of this blog sat down and talked at some length with Republican City Council candidate John Quaglione.  As stated in an earlier blog below, by prior agreement, it was understood that what was said by Mr. John Q  yesterday was off the record and in the nature of background.  However, it had been made clear that other “on the record” material and any material available from other sources would be used in this introductory piece, whether or not it was specifically discussed by Mr. Quaglione at the Bridgeview.

It was immediately clear that John Quaglione was gratified and humbled at the turnout for his Kickoff-fundraiser Event at Vicolo last Monday, where he estimates that he was joined by about 150 of his friends and neighbors from Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst and other parts of Brooklyn. As planned, he both announced his plans to run and gave his vision for the 43rd Council District. In addition, to describing the size and enthusiasm of the crowd,  he wanted everybody to know right away that his campaign had raised, over $30,000 in donations from 162 individuals, 121 of whom live within the 43rd Council District  —  all significant factors when attempting to maximize municipal matching funds.

Even though the 43rd Council District has an incumbent Councilman, who is apparently popular and has handily won races over several other Republicans over the years, John Quaglione was neither discouraged nor deterred in anyway from his expected efforts to unseat Vincent Gentile. Quaglione believes that he and his campaign will able to distinguish those parts of the public’s view of the Councilman that are associated with Vinny Gentile’s general likeability from his general competence. Oddly, just about the first item that John Quaglione brings up sort of bridges Gentile’s likeability-competence gap — Quaglione’s pitch goes something like this: “To start with, Vinny Gentile voted against extending term limits and made a big deal about it, so how can he now justify running for a third term that puts him well beyond normal term limits?”

As a long-time aide to State Sen. Marty Golden, and also when Golden was the prior City Councilman from a district very similar the one in which he is now running, John Quaglione says that he is in a unique position to make very detailed observations and to accurately describe what is or isn’t being done by the current Councilman in and for his district.  According to Quaglione, there aren’t many people that he has talked to around the neighborhood that do not recognize or believe it is time for a Councilman to do better job throughout the district. For example, Mr. Q observed that in the last ten years, Councilman Gentile had only gotten ten of his proposed bills passed into law — an average of only one per year.  More important according to John Q,  funding for Gentile’s  district had slumped to 50th out of the 51 Council Districts in the City of New York, a dismal record that speaks for itself. Like a real John Q Public, John Q  Republican speaks forcefully when he says, “It is safe to say that in these past four years, we have sent more money to City Hall than City Hall has sent to us... and our community can’t afford four more years.”

John Quaglione can buttress his arguments about the competence of Councilman Gentile by going  through a very long list of specific complaints about a decline of various city services during  the incumbent Councilman’s term in office that, if fully written out, would almost resemble a complex Bill of Particulars in a lawsuit.

When questioned about his possible primary opponent, Quaglione answers that he knows Andy Sullivan, and that he had recently learned where Sullivan said he stands on some of the issues. However, John Quaglione thinks that down to earth reality and local issues are the most important things to know about, “I have a good read of what the real issues are in the neighborhood. And I put my garbage out, I change diapers, I go food shopping. I have a house here and a kid. I’m an average person. And that’s what people are looking for in their Councilman.” One wonders if John Quaglione is trying to make this a distinction between himself and Sullivan, or himself and Councilman Gentile, or both.