DANIEL DROMM, Democrat for City Council

From TimesLedger: by Anna Gustafson
Rego Center spurs worries, Dromm visits Community Board 6

Mitigating traffic around Rego Center should be a top priority for City Councilman-elect Danny Dromm, members of Community Board 6 told the incoming legislator at their meeting last week.

CB 6 Chairman Joseph Hennessy, other members and area resident Hersh Parekh said they were worried that the Rego Park shopping center slated to open in February could bring with it burdensome traffic. Rego Center will include such stores as Costco, T.J. Maxx and Kohl’s.

“We’re very concerned about the traffic,” Hennessy told Dromm. “We’d like to meet with the developer and the [city] Department of Transportation.”

Dromm, who will replace outgoing Councilwoman Helen Sears (D-Jackson Heights), attended the CB 6 meeting Dec. 9 to introduce himself to board members. Councilwoman-elect Karen Koslowitz represents the majority of the area covered by CB 6, but Dromm has constituents in part of Rego Park. He will represent the area where Rego Center will be located.

The center is a 6.6-acre site at the intersection of Junction Boulevard and 62nd Drive next to the Long Island Expressway and directly behind the Rego Park Mall, which includes an Old Navy, a Sears and a Bed, Bath & Beyond. The site is managed by Vornado but owned by Alexander’s Inc.

According to a Nov. 2 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the development will be a 600,000-square-foot shopping center on four levels and will include a parking deck with about 1,400 spaces. As of October, 138,000 square feet had been leased to Costco, 134,000 square feet leased to Century 21 and 132,000 square feet leased to Kohl’s.

District Manager Frank Gulluscio and Hennessy said Vornado officials told them T.J. Maxx had also signed a lease.

Parekh, a Rego Park resident, said at the meeting he wasworried that traffic from the center could make parking impossible for residents.

“I know traffic is a very, very big concern for people,” Dromm said. “We need to get on top of that.”

Dromm told community board members that education was one of his main concerns and said he hoped to work to bring more seats to a district notorious for its crowded classrooms.

“Education has always been my passion,” said Dromm, a former public school teacher.

The incoming lawmaker said he also wanted to work on health care issues in the borough, particularly in light of the closure of St. John’s Hospital in Elmhurst. Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica closed at the same time as St. John’s last February. Parkway Hospital in Forest Hills closed not long before St. John’s and Mary Immaculate shut their doors.

Dromm said he is looking into bringing in health facilities to “alleviate overcrowding in area hospitals.”

Labels: CommunityOrganizing, Education, HealthCare, Transportation

From Queens Gazette:
In the expected-to-be close Democratic Party primary in the 25th Council District (Jackson Heights), school teacher and gay advocate Daniel Dromm has received an important endorsement from former Assemblymember Ivan Lafayette.

In choosing Dromm, Lafayette, one of the highest-ranked regular Democratic former office holders in the district, bypassed another longtime regular Democratic official, incumbent Councilmember Helen Sears. For many years both Lafayette and Sears served as Democratic district leaders in Jackson Heights. Lafayette, who served for 32 years in the Assembly before retiring, said he endorsed Dromm after years of working personally with him and also because of Dromm's "commitment and effectiveness on the issues that matter most to me, —better schools, more access to doctors and health care, and improved quality of life".

Dromm also was recently endorsed by the Citizens Union, United Auto Workers and the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys. Also in the 25th district primary is Stanley Joseph Kalathara.

Labels: Education, Endorsements, HealthCare, Press

From Gotham Gazette: by Candice Brown

Any number of potential City Council candidates saw their plans thrown into turmoil in late 2008 when the City Council voted to extend term limits and allow incumbents, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, to run for a third term in their respective New York City offices.

The move whittled away a number of challengers in District 25, which encompasses Jackson Heights, Corona and East Elmhurst. But two -- Daniel Dromm and Stanley Kalathara -- have remained in the primary race to challenge incumbent Helen Sears. With a spirited primary race underway, the conventional wisdom -- that an incumbent always wins -- might not hold true here. The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican Mujib Rahman in November.

The diverse district faces an array of problems, including a lack of health facilities, development and overcrowded schools. While the candidates all seek to address those issues, their platforms emphasize different areas. Sears, who was first elected in 2001, is taking on the district's health care dilemmas; Dromm, a schoolteacher and union leader who is also a gay activist, is focusing on education reform; Kalathara, a lawyer and businessman, wants to clean up the neighborhood by improving the quality of life and attract dollars that would otherwise be spent in Manhattan.

The Hospital Closing

The fault line of this campaign is the recent closing of St. John's Hospital. When Caritas Healthcare, the company that ran St. John's Hospital and Mary Immaculate Hospital, also in Queens, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy early in 2009, the hospitals were unable to keep their doors open. Even before Caritas' bankruptcy, St. Johns had been plagued by a shortage of beds and outdated equipment.

Consequently, the 100,000 patients serviced in their emergency rooms must now go to other medical centers. Residents of Corona, East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights have to use the already strained resources of the two remaining neighborhood hospitals, Holliswood and Queens Hospital Center.

Sears' opponents hold her responsible for the closure of St. John's. Sears maintains that she moved quickly to keep the health center open. New York State extended money to the hospital, but said it could not make regular contributions.

"She only showed up at a protest at the very end. She should have started [taking measures to avoid this] since her election," said Dromm.

Kalathara said, "I am not going to play the blame game." But he cited his concern about the impact of any re-emergence of swine flu this fall, noting that the two remaining hospitals serving the densely packed district were already seeing a doubling in cases

Sears, a former healthcare professional, has spent a great deal of time defending her past two terms in local debates, rather than speaking of her aspirations for a third term. During her two terms, she said, the Corner Care Pavillion opened as a health center for neighborhood residents. Now she said, it will add a woman's health clinic. "This district is incredibly diverse -- every country in the world is represented here," she said. "A woman's clinic will bridge cultural differences and will provide and teach women how to seek healthcare."

Interviewed in a restaurant where the waitress speaks Spanish, Dromm cites his experience in advocacy and community affairs. "I recently organized a documentary screening about Muslim Sikhs to be shown in a Jewish center," he said.

His self-titled Dromm Plan vies to improve life for community residents with measures such as ending the self-certification practiced by real estate contractors and reducing noise pollution by pushing through legislation. He also proposes measures to help the area's many immigrants, such as addressing the employment scams which they too often face. "A center for day-laborers where they could meet potential employers would create safer situations and ensure union jobs by bringing immigrants into them," he said.

Kalathara, a self-made man who prides himself on his awareness of neighborhood difficulties, holds his interview in his neighborhood law office where the clientele are of Indian and Latino origin. He said he wants to address foreclosures, job loss and safety on Roosevelt Avenue and Junction Boulevard. "Installing lights, on stretches of blocks that often go without them is another plan to ease crime," he said.

He plans to push legislation to secure daily garbage pickup for his district and proposes the widespread use of charter schools to improve the education standards in city schools. "I will donate 10 percent of my salary to give funds to the most worthy community organization or school in this district," he said.

Kalathara extols his campaign as "a message of belief, opportunity." Holding himself up as an example of the American dream -- Kalathara worked his way up from an Indian immigrant-busboy to a lawyer -- he said, "I want to set an example for others." Indignant about the economic disparities between his district and many Manhattan neighborhoods, he said, "Queens is not a second class world. I want to make sure Queens citizens are treated first class,"

On the day of his interview, Kalathara was fighting to stay on the ballot. He sat, confident behind his desk in his Queens law office. "I've sent one of my lawyers to handle the case," he said. When questioned about the validity of the signatures on his ballot petitions, he said simply that Dromm, who had challenged them, "is a sour grape."

Votes for Immigrants

In this district of many immigrants, there is debate about Resolution 245, which would give non-citizens the right to vote in New York City elections. Dromm strongly supports the act, while Kalathara merely agreed. At a recent debate, Sears had no opinion to give, saying, "I'm here to tell you that I'm not sure where I'm on this. I haven't given it much consideration."

The passage of resolution 245 would have an enormous impact on the political landscape of New York City, particularly in this heavily immigrant Queens District. Estimates place those who are of age but cannot vote in New York City elections at 1.3 million, easily more than one-eighth of the city's overall population.

Explaining his support for the resolution, Dromm said, "There should be no taxation without representation. This is a basic American tenant, and it's the key to ones destiny."

Money and Support

Sears remains the campaign heavyweight in terms of budget. She leads with $128,493. Dromm is second in funds with $103,958 and Kalathara with $92,489.

Dromm has endorsements from the Working Families Party; Service Employees Union Local 1199, which represents healthcare workers; the United Federation of Teachers, as well as by local politicians including state Sen. Tom Duane and three City Council members from Queens.

Labels: HealthCare, Press

From Queens Ledger: by Daniel Bush

Before Danny Dromm got his hands on it, there was nothing remarkable about the first Sunday in June in Jackson Heights.

Now, each year on that day, Jackson Heights and Dromm play host to the Queens LGBT Pride Parade and Festival, a vibrant annual event born of the organizing work Dromm started there in the early 1990’s.

The parade exemplifies Dromm’s special brand of activism in Queens, where Dromm, who is gay, is best known as a champion of gay rights.

Yet there is much more to Dromm’s candidacy than this aspect of his work, something he acknowledged he must prove in order to win the City Council’s 25th District seat.

Dromm - a decorated public school teacher and Democratic district leader - is running against Councilwoman Helen Sears, who is seeking a third term, and Stanley Kalathara, a community activist.

“I have been a strong advocate for my community for twenty years,” said Dromm. He said his consistent track record of challenging the status quo is “one of my greatest assets in running for City council.”

Dromm said if elected he would apply his community organizing to solve issues across the district - from sanitation services to crime, education, and small business growth.

“I’ve crossed bridges,” said Dromm, who was elected to the post of 39th Assembly District Leader, Part A, in 2002. He has since been re-elected three times. “That’s what needs to be done in our community. [We need to] bring people together.”

Dromm supports directing more resources towards community-based health initiatives. He said he would build local health centers for uninsured and low-income residents, so they no longer have to go to Elmhurst Hospital’s emergency room for primary care service.

Dromm criticized Sears for not doing more to save St. John’s Hospital, which closed earlier this year.

“How could she have allowed St. John’s to close?” said Dromm. “Someone should have been out there screaming and yelling.”

Likewise, he said the district - which is small, geographically, but has a dense, largely immigrant population - needs more city resources to improve education, sanitation services, and traffic congestion and help struggling small business whether the recession.

Dromm noted that securing funding for these and other projects, including efforts to reduce crime and encourage the development of affordable housing, will be harder than ever, but said that doesn’t mean they can’t be done.

“I know we have a budget crisis, but we still need someone” to fight for the district’s needs, Dromm said. He said his relationship with elected officials in Queens and throughout the city would help him advocate for his district and achieve immediate results.

Indeed, Dromm has racked up a list of important endorsements that could give the incumbent Sears, the Democratic party candidate, pause for worry.

Dromm has been endorsed by Assemblyman Jose Peralta, Queens Council members Julissa Ferreras and Eric Gioia, and the Working Families Party, among others.

The Democratic primary will be held on September 15.

© queensledger.com 2009

Labels: CivilRights, CommunityOrganizing, HealthCare, Press

Support of 1199 SEIU boosts Democrat's primary challenge to Helen Sears

QUEENS - In a major development in the race for the 25th City Council District, 1199 SEIU announced today that it is backing Democratic challenger Daniel Dromm over incumbent Councilwoman Helen Sears. The influential healthcare workers' union endorsed Dromm for his commitment to improving quality healthcare in the district, a contrast with the current Councilmember's disappointing record.

"Daniel Dromm is a true community leader who understands what's at stake when it comes to the current healthcare crisis in Queens," said Kevin Finnegan, 1199 Political Director. "Since last Fall, 3 Queens hospitals have closed their doors. We need a City Councilmember who's going to fight to keep local hospitals open and expand healthcare services that will improve access to medical care and create jobs. Danny's decades of advocacy prove that he knows how to do that."

With roughly 250,000 members in New York City, 1199 SEIU's endorsement can be heavily influential in contested races like the one between Dromm and Sears. The union can mobilize thousands of members to help elect its endorsed candidates.

"It's a huge honor to receive 1199's support," Dromm said in response to the endorsement announcement. "The nurses and healthcare workers who are members of this union go to heroic lengths every day to make sure we have high quality care, and it's time our community had a City Council member who is on their side. I know how much needs to be done to improve healthcare in our area, and I look forward to working with 1199 SEIU to make that happen."

The state of healthcare in the 25th Council District was dealt a major blow recently with the recent closing of St. John's Hospital, and wait times at Elmhurst Hospital are increasing dangerously. Daniel Dromm is calling for the opening of community clinics to reduce overcrowding and expand care, and has pledged to fight to reopen St. John's as a public or private facility.

Councilwoman Sears, meanwhile, took little action to prevent the St. John's shutdown. More egregiously, she sided with real estate industry lobbyists over the community's health by voting "no" on the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act (Intro 101A, 2004).

Labels: Endorsements, HealthCare, Unions

From Jackson Heights Times: by Jeremy Walsh
"Dromm Touts Activist Past"
When Daniel Dromm launched his bid for the City Council last year, he did not expect to be the underdog. But when Mayor Michael Bloomberg succeeded in extending term limits, the public school teacher and Democratic district leader found himself pitted against incumbent Councilwoman Helen Sears (D-Jackson Heights).

“It does change my strategy,” he said. “But that’s going to be a problem for her, because I disagree with her a lot.”

Dromm said as a councilman, he would focus on overcrowding in schools, traffic congestion and health care.

He criticized Sears for not bringing additional school seats to her Council district, noting that Districts 24 and 30 are two of the most overcrowded in the city.

“We’ve got to build up [on existing sites] or we find other places to do it,” he said. “Just saying that we can’t do something is not acceptable.”

To alleviate traffic congestion, Dromm proposed redirecting and extending some one-way streets in the Jackson Heights Historic District, as well as commissioning a traffic impact study for the LeFrak City area, which he fears will be overwhelmed by vehicles traveling to and from the new shopping center along Junction Boulevard in Rego Park.

Labels: CommunityOrganizing, Education, HealthCare, Press, Transportation

HEALTH CARE
The lack of access to quality health care is a major challenge to our community. Our district has been hard hit by rising unemployment (which increases the number of uninsured residents) and by sky-rocketing medical costs. In March, St. John's Hospital on Queens Blvd, a major provider of emergency care in our district, was closed because of government inaction. We now have a recipe for disaster. Elmhurst Hospital, already a overwhelmed facility, is now the sole emergency department in the district. We must improve access to good medical care with new health clinics in our district.


Access to good medical care helps people prevent illnesses, identify health conditions early, and treat health problems. Some conditions can and should be managed regularly outside the hospital. Having a personal doctor, or local health clinic, is a critical component of good health care access. In our district, residents are much more likely to be without a regular doctor than adults in Queens or NYC overall. In addition, Western Queens residents are more likely to go to the Emergency Room when they are sick or need health advnce than those in Queens overall.


Health insurance is important for access to health care. Residents in Western Queens are 60% more likely to be uninsured than those in Queens or New York City overall. In addition to the currently uninsured (35%), another 12% of residents in this community went without health insurance at some time during the past year.

As a community, we must work together to face the challenges of this economic crisis and its impact on health care. We need a change in leadership to produce results, not excuses. I have a plan to open a new health care clinic in our district to alleviate the severe overcrowding problems at Elmhurst Hospital. I will also fight to re-open St. John's Hospital either as a private institution or a public facility. We can not allow a bad situation to get worse. Now is the time for action. Join me in making tomorrow better than today.

Labels: CommunityOrganizing, HealthCare

Senator Tom Duane (D-New York) has endorsed Daniel Dromm for the City Council, 25th District. State Senator Thomas K. Duane represents New York's 29th State Senatorial District since 1998. Prior to his election to the State Senate, Duane served for seven years in the New York City Council. Senator Duane serves as Chair of the Senate Health Committee. In this role Senator Duane is committed to promoting sound health care policy and quality, affordable health care for all New Yorkers. Daniel Dromm has made improving and expanding health care access a centerpiece of his campaign.

Labels: Endorsements, HealthCare

From Jackson Heights Times:
by Jeremy Walsh

Challengers to City Councilwoman Helen Sears’ (D−Jackson Heights) seat wasted no time in tearing into the incumbent at a candidates’ forum last Thursday as she publicly indicated her interest in re−election.

Speaking in front of the New Visions Democratic Club, Sears, Democratic District Leader Daniel Dromm and Jackson Heights attorney Stanley Kalathara spent 90 minutes exchanging criticism of one another and ideas for the district in the first face−to−face discussion of the race.

Sears, who was first elected in 2000, touted her experience as she asked the club to re−elect her to a third term. Representatives from Sears’ office did not confirm whether it was the first time she publicly announced her interest in re−election.

Dromm, a gay rights activist and public school teacher, attacked Sears for inadequate leadership. “I have some skills in the community that I have shown to bring people together,” he said.

Dromm took Sears to task for not doing more for the struggling hospital in Elmhurst (St. Johns) when its parent company went bankrupt in 2005.

“St. John’s was ready to close a number of years ago,” he said. “We should have been on top of that years ago.”

Labels: CommunityOrganizing, Debate, HealthCare, Press