Capano takes on Mayor, CIty Council Speaker and local Dems over "Quality of Life" Crimes

IN PRESS RELEASE BOB CAPANO SAYS IT’S "TIME FOR CHOOSING" FOR LOCAL DEMOCRATS INCLUDING COUNCILMAN GENTILE AND OTHER DEMOCRATS OVER DE-CRIMINALIZING "QUALITY OF LIFE" CRIMES, WARRANT AMNESTY AND ENDING "BROKEN WINDOWS POLICING" 

From the rest of the Brooklyn GOP it's pretty much the sound of silence  (NOTE:  NOT THE SIMON  & GARFUNKEL SONG) 

According to the once and future Brooklyn GOP council candidate, Bob Capano  ---  “….  It is unfortunate that City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and her far-left colleagues [on the New York City Council] have officially begun the process to de-criminalize quality of life offenses with the ‘Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2016’. This would erode the broken windows policies that have made us safer. I know that the vast majority of residents of Dyker Heights, Bay Ridge, and Bensonhurst do not support this effort by Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. [and] Councilman Gentile needs to stand up to her on this issue….  The fact that the Council Speaker is also trying to erase open warrants for some offenders to clear a backlog is even more outrageous….”  [A copy of Bob Capano’s release follows this article below at *]

ISSUES FIRST RAISED BY CAPANO IN HIS EARLIER FACE BOOK EXCHANGE WITH LEADING DEMS

Capano’s earliest remarks on this issue were contained in a Face Book exchange with Democratic leader Kevin Peter Carroll.  [That exchange was then sent out to various Republicans and Democrats on Capano’s lists via E-mail]. 


Capano’s initial Face Book comment to Carroll asserted the following:   “I cannot believe that the City Council Speaker and Mayor have officially begun to introduce legislation to de-criminalize quality of life offenses and ‘broken windows’ policy. I wonder if Councilman Gentile and my local Bay Ridge Democrat friends like Kevin Peter Carroll will loudly oppose the Council Speaker and Mayor without reservations.”


About a half hour later, Democrat Kevin Peter Carroll responded with this:   “ I will tell you 1 thing I will not defend them when they are wrong. Unlike your defense of the national Republican Party when most of them vote against states hit by superstorm sandy, like you did last week by false claiming only some voted against support for the victims. FYI when calling me and the councilman out trying to tie us to this mayor and all the things he supports or opposes ,I for one don't blindly defend my party and you know that because of my questions of a former assemblywoman in public ( can you tell me when you publicly criticized a local republican in a tight local race)? I also missed you condemnation post of sen Rubio, sen Cruz, sen Paul , speaker Ryan and most of the other nation republicans who did not represent the areas hit by sandy. Your blind political attacks are sad bob and instead of just criticizing I would hope you would put forward positive ideas for the city, state and nation.”

Whereupon, Mr. Capano sent this E-mail, as his sur-reply to Mr. Carroll:   “Again Peter, of course i disagree, condemn, oppose whatever word you want to use, for those that did not support sandy relief for NY. Similarly, i hope you join me in applauding Congressmen Dan Donovan and Peter King for supporting the aid- can you do that or are you unable to commend local Republicans when they are right??? ….   Also, are you condemning Melissa Mark Viverito and Mayor deBlasio for their proposal to de- criminalize quality of life offenses? You said you would "not defend them when they are wrong". So stop the word games, do you think they are wrong here? Its a simple yes or no. If its a yes they are wrong how about taking it a step further than just "not defending them" and condemning them as i did when ted cruz attacked new york. People are tired of word games they want clarity from their leaders.”  

Capano quickly followed the Face Book comment above with this:  “By the way peter, when i was the district director for congressman bob turner i was with the congressman and FEMA officials in Brooklyn as we saw the areas hit by Sandy and fought with Turner for Sandy relief for Brooklyn & Queens” --  as his final postscript to the exchange on Face Book.

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*Capano Release,  1/26/15

FORMER OPPONENT CALLS ON COUNCILMAN GENTILE TO UNEQUIVOCALLY OPPOSE COUNCIL PROPOSAL TO DE-CRIMINALIZE QUALITY OF LIFE OFFENSES

CAPANO SAYS TIME FOR CHOOSING FOR LOCAL DEMOCRATS

(Brooklyn, NY) – Bob Capano, who was the Republican, Conservative, and Independence party candidate against Councilman Vincent Gentile in 2009, today called on the incumbent to use his influence as Deputy Majority Leader of the City Council to vociferously oppose proposed legislation to de-criminalize quality of life offenses.

Capano, who has served in senior positions for Brooklyn Democrat and Republican elected officials, stated, “It is unfortunate that City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and her far-left colleagues have officially begun the process to de-criminalize quality of life offenses with the ‘Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2016’. This would erode the broken windows policies that have made us safer. I know that the vast majority of residents of Dyker Heights, Bay Ridge, and Bensonhurst do not support this effort by Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. Councilman Gentile needs to stand up to her on this issue.”

The fact that the Council Speaker is also trying to erase open warrants for some offenders to clear a backlog is even more outrageous says Capano, who served as Director of Community Boards and Community Relations under former Democratic Borough President Marty Markowitz. Capano also said it is time for local Democrats to demonstrate if they are with the main stream of the community or aligned with the far-left agenda of Mark-Viverito. He stated, “This is a real test for all local Democratic leaders in Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst- are you going to march in lock-step with Melissa Mark Viverito to bring back policies from the David Dinkins days, or stand with the vast majority of the community who fully support our police and their efforts over the past two decades to make our communities safer.”

Capano concluded, “Throughout my long history of public and community service in Brooklyn I have always taken great pride in working for and with Democrats and Republicans and look forward to doing so in the future. I have taken on some of the extreme views of my own Republican party, and now I hope there are Democratic leaders in our community who will do the same here with this ill-advised legislation.”

Capano, who also served as District Director under former Republican Brooklyn Congressman Bob Turner and served as President of the 68^th Precinct Youth Council[.]