On a warm Tuesday night, a small crowd trickled into the 33rd district candidates forum at PS 282. At 7 p.m., (when the event was scheduled to begin) representatives of the Park Slope Civic Council, sponsors of the event, were just putting up their banner in front of the stage in the school auditorium. Three of the candidates were introducing themselves to individuals in the crowd; the rest didn't arrive until ten past.

Word traveled around the room that Steve Levin, who works for democratic leader Vito Lopez (seemingly the Darth Vader of Brooklyn politics) would not be in attendance. Rumors began to circulate immediately. He didn't attend  the  Brooklyn Heights forum at St. Francis College claiming that he had "a fund raising event that night.

What was going to be his excuse this time I wondered.

Steven Summerstein, a Civic Council member in a tidy gray suit, bounced into the room holding a letter and whispered intently to Ken Freeman, president of the Civic Council. The man then told the audience that he was a member of the Civic Council and took full responsibility for neglecting to invite Steve Levin.

Forgot to invite him?

Summerstein told the crowd that as consolation, he offered Levin the opportunity to fax him his "opening statement" and Ken Freeman agreed to let him read it during that segment of the program.

Freeman, who wore a bright red Civic Council t-shirt and jeans, ran the forum with the grudging leadership of a P.E. teacher. "Everyone on stage. Candidate: get up there." Eric McClure of Park Slope Neighbors was the expert time keeper and members of the audience were asked to submit questions "which will be a lot more interesting than my questions,": Freeman told the small crowd.

OPENING STATEMENTS

Freeman told the candidates that they had two minutes for opening statements. "Go," he said brusquely to Evan Thies, who was sitting on the far right. A former aide to  David Yassky, he opened with "Government is the most powerful and effective forum we have…" and recited a list of issues, includingExxon Mobil oil spill in Greenpoint that he "worked on" while in Yassky's office.

Jo Anne Simon, the only woman on the stage, said she was running "to give voice to people whose voices haven't been heard." In a sense she was speaking literally as she is a civil rights lawyer who advocates on behalf of the deaf, the learning disabled and the handicapped.

"Government is where the rubber meets the road. Where you have a voice. I want to listen to you, listen to you listen to you."

I counted. She said it three times.

Next up was Ken Diamondstone, a developer of affordable housing who calls himself "the seasoned progressive" of the group. Reading from his notes he intoned seriously, "I want to make New York free of its pay-to-play and slush fund culture." He cautioned those in attendance to notice the important differences between the candidates (translation: Jo Anne Simon  and I disagree on a lot). "The Gowanus Canal is a Superfund site. Let's not risk another Love Canal." Later he said he was one of the  first to speak out against the Atlantic Yards. "It's been a land grab from the start."

Ken Baer, an environmentalist, who chaired the Sierra Club in Brooklyn and Manhattan, decided to do his opening statement on the floor of the auditorium (as opposed to on the stage) because "I'm a grass roots kind of guy and I don't want to fall off the stage and break a leg."

Rim shot.

I thought we were in for a little candidate stand-up but Baer regained his dignity and quickly outlined his priorities including, community control of development; the down-zoning of Fourth Avenue; the creation of business incubators in all boroughs; and lighting a fire under the Landmarks Preservation Commission to triple the size of Park Slope's landmark district.

Issac Abraham, the first Hasidic candidate to run for  City Council told those assembled with a believable fierceness that he's willing to stand up to the mayor and the speaker. Born in Vienna, "Schwarzenegger and I are from the same place but we haven't spoken since."

Rim shot

Abraham, who has some Borscht Belt charm, can be quite captivating. His calling card is his 35 years of volunteerism in  Williamburg, including work as an EMT for the Volunteer Ambulance service there and leadership on behalf of tenant's rights. .

Finally, Summerstein read Levin's polite statement from the auditorium floor. He said he was going to paraphrase a bit by which he meant turning Levin's first person voice into a third person voice as in "Levin was a community organizer in Bushwick; the organizer of a lead safe house program and instigator of an anti predatory lending program in a community that was red-lined by traditional mortgage brokers."

WHAT'S THE BIGGEST ISSUE IN PARK SLOPE?

Abraham, who  is clearly unfamiliar with brownstone Brooklyn, got the nod from Freeman to answer this first question: "parking, housing and housing." Ken Baer recited his mantra of community control of development, downzoning of Fourth Avenue, lack of school seats, and the landmarking of the southern part of the Slope.

Diamondstone said to be careful if the DOT tries to turn 6th and 7th Avenues into one-way streets again. "It happened in Bay Ridge," he said ominously.

Simon cited development and its attendant consequences, economic dispairty, small business, traffic and preservation were tops for her.

Thies described his proposal for the 360 Degree Planning Process, which would require a discussion about infrastructure, education, affordable housing, transportation and parking before development begins.

PLANS TO DEMOLISH PS 133 ON FOURTH AVENUE

Next up was a question about plans to demolish P.S. 133, a 100-year-old school on Fourth Avenue at Butler Street. The School
Construction Authority (SCA) wants to build a  new building in the  footprint of the existing school, the schoolyard and a community garden The Gothic-style building is currently being
considered for the state's list of historic places. 

All of the candidates oppose the demolition off PS 133. Diamondstone attacked the SCA and the way that it "operates in secret with no oversight…Their process is unknown to us, to all of you…the planning of new schools has be be determined by the folks in this room."

YES AND NO QUESTIONS

I love the rapid fire yes/no questions. The candidates didn't seem to actually believe that Freeman really meant yes or no and he was particularly good at reminding the candidates of that.

Mayoral Control:
–Most of the candidates said something like "Mend it don't end it," which was Thies' line. Ken Baer is opposed.

Gowanus Superfund status?
–All support it except Jo Anne Simon who still isn't sure if Superfund will actually fund it.

Cars in Prospect Park?
–All said no except Abraham.

Residentail Parking?
–All said yes.

Congestion Pricing?
–All yes.

East River Tolls?
–All yes except Abraham

Term Limits?

All said yes to term limits.

SUFFERING OF LOCAL BUSINESSES

Diamondstone, like most of the candidates, believes in some kind of commercial rent control as a way to stem the loss of mom and pop shops. Baer supports commercial rent stabilization (stabilization or rent control, which one is it, does it matter?) and asking people to refrain from shopping at Costco and other large box stores. Abraham said, erroneously, that Park Slope has no merchant associations. "They need one here so you're not one little voice, one bodga, one little cleaners." Thies also supports commercial rent control as a way to keep business local. "When local business takes in $1 they send it out to the community." He also talked about micro loans for small businesses and reminded the audience to remember that freelancers are also small business people and they need help sustaining annd growing their businesses.

SHOULD CITY COUNCIL BE A FULL TIME JOB?

Most of the candidates agree that the job of a City Council member should be a full time.  Diamondstone said he's already taken himself out of the day to day running of his affordable housing development business. Jo Ann Simon said that her nationally recognized law firm needs to stay open "because it is serving an important purpose." So I guess she plans to still keep her day job.

DISCUSSION OF YASSKY'S PERFORMANCE

At this point  in the forum, things got fiesty and fun. Needless to say, Abraham had a lot to say:  "In eight years Yassky never called, never responded to Williamsburg's crime, garbage, tenant issues. He was never there. It's good — that he's leaving."

Diamondstone started slowly with: "Yassky likes to have it both ways on issues." But then he got going and didn't let up: "When he was running for congress he was pro-Atlantic Yards because  he was taking development money for the campaign. After he lost that campaign, he suddenly got religion and opposed the project…at one of the  first meetings about Atlantic Yards he spoke for ten minutes and finally  someone said, 'so which side are you on?' And Yassky said, "If it's a good project I support it, if it's a bad project, I don't."

The Yassky bashing was a little awkward for Thies, who worked for the council member for five years. "I am proud of the work I did with David Yassky…but we disagree on a lot of things. I disagreed strongly on Atlantic Yards and his vote against term limits." Thies added that he thinks he was a good council member and will be a good comptroller.

THE CANDIDATES ASK THE QUESTIONS

Freeman reprised the hit question of the 39th district Civic Council forum, the opportunity for the candidates to pose a question to one of the other candidates (plus a quick rebuttal). None of the candiates expected it for some reason. Thies told me that Freeman told him that they might not do it. No one was prepared; maybe that's why it made for some interesting fireworks.

Thies asked Simon why  the Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND), a group that she is affiliated with, endorsed John Heyer  for Council in the 39th District as he is anti-choice and anti-same sex marriage.

Simon was incensed. She claimed that IND has not endorsed anyone. "I am pro-choice. I am not an officer  in IND. And they are not supporting John Heyer."

Simon's question went to Evan and it was payback time. "Will you continue to head a committee on Community Board 1? My question goes to the propriety of being on that board. Thies' reply: "The Community Board doesn't have binding power in the land use process."

Touche.

Diamondstone directed his question to Simon: Develop Don't Destroy wants to take Atlantic Yards away from Forest City Ratner (FCR). Brooklyn Speaks, a group you helped to form has said on its web site that if there are dramatic changes to the Atlantic Yards project, Forest City Ratner can keep control of the project. Why do you support this?

Simon, who was now clearly on the defensive (and sick and tired of having to defend positions she doesn't hold) wondered why he neglected to mention Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods which Simon thinks helped to expand the discussion. "Everyone needs to be at the table to  talk to each other."

ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN AN OWNER OF A CAR?

Cars are so un-P.C. these days.

Baer asked Diamondstone if he owned a car and when does he use it. Diamondstone said that he has a 1991 5 speed turbo car (he didn't say Volvo but it's a Volvo, right?) and he uses it to travel to Vermont with his partner to visit his nieces and nephews. (Having a gay partner may outweigh the stigma of having a car). The other candidates admitted to using a car to get around on the campaign. Baer told the audience that he takes the G train to get to places like Williamsburg.

"Bravo. You must have more trust in the MTA than I do," was Abraham's comic comeback.

Finally, Abraham question went to Evan: "You talk about working for Yassky. I work for the people for no pay…Just because you're a passenger on a plane, does that mean you can be a pilot? I've worked on every issue in Williamsburg wtihout getting paid. You got paid and I congratulate you." Abraham clearly had it in for Thies because of his affiliation with Yassky.

"I'm sorry you couldn't make it to those meeting and that you didn't get the service you were looking for," Thies said somewhat officiously. "We've met  you many times over the years. Yes, I got paid to do public service, which is something I believe in. I've worked inside and outside the City Council. I've also worked for Senator Clinton and Andrew Cuomo…There are too many people on the council who have no idea how the council works. I wouldn't want to elect someone who will spend the first few months looking for the bathroom.

"I didn't show up?" Abraham said angrily. "There are thousands of events every night in New York City. I wasn't invited. There were major environmental health issues,tenant issues,  faulty elevators, I represent 5000 families and your boss never showed up."

MY PEN STOPPED WORKING

I know, I should have asked Noticing New York, who had a pocketful. But it was time for the closing remarks and instead of writing I decided to listen and look.

In his low key way, Evan talked about reform of the City Council process as key to getting many of his goals accomplished. Simon talked about the unique way that women work t
ogether. "We have a tensile strength." Diamondstone said that his progressive core values have a place on the Council. Baer says he'll represent the issues that matter to this neighborhood. And Abraham said he has the strength to talk back to the King and the Quinn.

NOTEBOOK CLOSED/ SOME THOUGHTS

Kudos to Ken Freeman, Eric McClure and others from the Civic Council for conducting the forum in an thoughtful and efficient way and ending at EXACTLY 9 p.m.

About the candidates: this is a contentious group and that came out big time at last night's forum.

–There's antipathy between Diamondstone and Simon. Or should I say, Diamondstone digs at Simon every chance he gets. He seems intent on exposing her as a hypocrite regarding her stance on the Atlantic Yards and Superfund. They've obviously been in community politics together for a long time and have a history of disagreements. I heard that at one time they were friends and allies. And that can make for an even more intense animosity.

–There's nasty from Abraham toward Thies, who he views has Yassky's paid operative. From Abraham's vantage point in Williamsburg, Yassky was out of pocket unless something terrible happened like when 5-year-old Jacob Neuman died last summer while trying to escape from a
jammed elevator in the Taylor-Wythe housing complex in South
Williamsburg. Tenants have been complaining about those elevators  for years. According to the New York Times, the elevators were set to be completely overhauled in 2004, but the
work was delayed because of budget cuts. Abrahams wants a proactive council member not a reactive one.

–There was some nasty between Thies and Simon when he asked her about IND's support of John Heyer for City Council in the 39th. According to Simon, Thies was mis-informed. I will look into that. He seemed to be jumping on Diamondstone's  "Simon is hypocrite" bandwagon.

–Simon understandably gets agitated when she is asked to defend viewpoints she doesn't hold (or doesn't want to hold anymore). Maybe a little too agitated. Perhaps she needs to rehearse a way to respond that doesn't make her look quite so apoplectic.

–Baer stays out of the frey. Interestingly he made many more substantive points than he did at the previous forum. Even his: "Are you now or have you ever been the driver of a car?" question was fairly good natured. Luckily he ditched the Eliot Spitzer joke (I stood up to Eliot Spitzer even before he wasn't standing up…" ) that was so embarrassing last time. 

UNSOLICITIED ADVICE:

Thies: You can be way more than just Yassky's guy. A little more inspiring. please. Lead with your family passion for public service, your interest in reforming the process, your experience and your interest in small business and freelancers.

Simon: It's easy to get agitated when you're being asked to defend yourself all the time. But you need to find a way to take the high road and lead with your passion for education, neighborhood preservation, and core belief in the collaborative process.

Diamondstone: Your core values are good and you've been fighting the good fight for a long time. But your politics of attack may backfire because people may not be as interested in longtime vendettas as you think. Lead with your good ideas, your core values and your progressive ideals.

Baer: Your presentation has improved. Keep going. Stay on issues and less of the stand-up style that can make you seem unserious.

Abraham: You are fierce and clearly know how to speak truth to power. But your issues don't translate beyond Williamsburg. Do your homework about the rest of the district and show how you can be fiesty for the whole constituency.

ALL IN ALL

Not a very inspiring Forum though there was some drama which
definitely adds to the entertainment value. Stay tuned for upcoming
Breakfast of Candidates with the 33s. I've already done Thies and Simon
and I look forward to Baer, Daimondstone, Abraham, Levin and Bivano.

And what about Bivano? Where was Bivano? Is he still in the race or did Summerstein
forget to invite him, too ? A Brooklyn Heights resident, he's an
engineer/businessman who is Brooklyn-born and bred. Lived in Colorado
for years and then came back because he loves the idea of public
education and wanted to educate his kids here. At the last forum he was
articulate, forceful and impressive.