10 Questions for State Senate Candidate John Chromczak

As a preview of tonight's State Senate debate at St. Francis College between Democratic nominee Dan Squadron and his Republican challenger John Chromczak, The Optimist presents the following interview. While some may perceive the fact that I have only interviewed one of the candidates as bias on my part, to be accurate, this interview stemmed from an earlier blog posting in which I had stated that it was a foregone conclusion that Squadron would win this race after besting longtime Democratic incumbent Marty Connor in the primary.

It was then that I received an email from Chromczak's spokesman, reminding me that Squadron had a Republican opponent and that it would be both unfair and undemocratic to simply count him out of the race. I agreed with this reasoning. Despite the overwhelming statistical odds of a Republican winning in Brownstone Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, particularly in a year that is shaping up to be so profoundly anti-Republican, it is always in the best interest of the people for us to understand all our options in the voting booth, so we can make the most educated decision possible.

Hence, the following interview. For my part, I am happy to have conducted it. Chromczak, an unconventional candidate in many ways, gave frank answers to all of my tough questions, which ranged from the recent extension of term limits to how Chromczak can reconcile being openly gay with being a Republican. Give Chromczak's answers a read. I think you might be surprised with what he has to say.

The Optimist: One of your most prominent campaign promises entails fighting for term limits in Albany. Does this mean that you are appalled by Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council's move to extend their time in office for another four years?

John Chromczak: Appalled isn’t the word, it’s more like disgusted. I personally believe that nothing is more sacred in a secular society than the right of a person, in the privacy of a voting booth, to have their voices heard and their vote count. The mayor and the City Council have disrespected the people of New York by ignoring their decision on this issue. I believe it undermines the democratic process. If they wanted to extend their terms they should have put it before the voters and let us make the decision.

The Optimist: Why do you think of your opponent Daniel Squadron and why do you believe you'll be a better State Senator than him?

Chromczak: I have meet Dan a few times and also debated him once. [Chromczak and Squadron will meet for another debate at St. Francis College tonight at 8 p.m. – Ed.] He seems to be a nice person but I believe he’s running for office for all the wrong reasons. I’m running because I’m tired of all the political pandering, the selling out to special interests, and the abysmal economic policies promoted by both parties. I don’t come from a political family or class; I haven’t sought the endorsements of any unions – including my own 1199/UFCW and AFM – or other groups because I want to run a clean campaign. I want to be free of any undue influence that truly doesn’t help the community, the city, or the state. Unlike my opponent, nearly all of my volunteers come from people within the community.

I would be a better State Senator because I will bring real world experience, as opposed to bureaucratic experience, to Albany. I live the blue-collar middle class life. I see how failed policies affect me, my family, and my neighbors. I also have the benefit of having lived in different parts of the state, so I have a better understanding of how the different regional socioeconomic realities are intertwined with one another. That’s a perspective that is sorely needed in Albany.

The Optimist: You only moved to New York City three years ago. What makes you think that you know the City well enough to represent it in government?

Chromczak: Like millions of others, I moved to NYC to create a better life for myself and to explore all the possibilities that the city could provide. I live in one of the fastest growing residential communities in the U.S. I want to help shape what it is going to become in the future. I’ve meet thousands of people from very different neighborhoods across the Senate district and I’ve listened to what their concerns are; some are the same (education, housing, transportation), while others are different (views on congestion pricing). My opponent has said that once he’s elected, “He’s going to go across the district to hear what people’s concerns are.” Isn’t that something he should have been doing already? My point is, I’ve lived hear for nearly four years, I’m a native New Yorker, I understand the issues because I’ve talked to voters, I’ve studied the issues, and I’ve tried to develop policies that find solutions to our problems. I believe that is what makes a strong leader, someone who has the will to make a difference.

The Optimist: The majority of the issues and videos on your website focus either on citywide concerns or the Manhattan portion of your district. What specifically would you do for Brooklyn?

Chromczak: Since I’m running for state office I have tried to emphasize those areas that a State Senator could have influence over. Some of the issues that would specifically affect Brooklyn are:

1) Removing the cap on the number of charter schools. The fact is charter schools have show to be highly effective, especially in minority communities.

2) Fighting for stronger legislation that imposes stronger prison terms on sex offenders. According to a study performed by Rep. Weiner’s office last year, there are nearly 2200 registered L2 and L3 sex offenders in NYC, over 700 of those live within Kings County, and over 200 of those offenders live within five hundred feet of a school. This is highly disturbing to me. There is nothing more precious or important in a society than the safety of our children, yet Albany has not had the courage to deal with this issue more effectively.

3) Congestion Pricing. I have no doubt that this issue will come up again in the future. I don’t support it because I haven’t seen one published economic impact study for the residents that would be affected by such a fee. It also isn’t going to decreases the amount of traffic on the BQE, which, according to some studies, is a cause of high asthma rates in certain areas of Brooklyn.

4) I would pressure City Hall to stop the opening of the Brooklyn HOD. This is a perfect example of government not keeping up with the changing demographics of local communities. The area surround the HOD has become increasingly more residential with more retail businesses opening up. I believe reopening the prison is going to detrimental to the growing Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill community.

The Optimist: Ground Zero is within your Senate district and you say in one of your YouTube videos that you will make sure that Lower Manhattan is rebuilt properly if you are elected. Who do you think is to blame for the fact that seven years after 9/11 so little reconstruction has been accomplished?

Chromczak: The mayor, the governor (Pataki and Spitzer), Speaker Silver, State Senator Connor. All of these elected officials had numerous opportunities to ensure that the construction and development of the WTC site (and the Fulton Street Subway Station) was done within specific budget outlines and within a certain time frame. Instead, all we had was talk, talk, talk. The right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing. Everyone wanted to go to ribbon cuttings, but nobody wanted to take any responsibility for what was happening at the site. The LMDC has been a complete and total waste of taxpayers’ money with nearly no oversight by the elected officials, who represent the community. The bottom line is the development of the WTC has been mismanaged by both the city and state governments. I’ve supported Gov. Paterson in his leadership to move the project along and I’m looking forward to learning more about PA Director Ward’s reports on defining the problems and subsequent solutions to the WTC development.

The Optimist: Statistically, registered Democrats in Brooklyn and, to a lesser extent, Manhattan overwhelmingly outnumber Republicans. The majority is so great that it is widely believed that, with the exception of the Bay Ridge area and the Mayoralty, whoever wins the Democratic Primary is the de facto winner of the General Election. With the numbers so staggeringly against you, why bother running as a Republican?

Chromczak: I’m a Republican because I believe in certain ideals and values that the Republican Party has always supported: fiscal responsibility, strong public safety policies, supporting small businesses, and individual freedoms. There are roughly 200,000 registered voters in the 25^th SD, yet only 30 to 40% have come out to vote in any given election for State Senator. That means the majority of voters really don’t identify with the candidates on the ballot, so they don’t come out to vote. Also, I think the Democratic Party has disenfranchised some of their own voters in the district, so there is an opportunity to get some crossover support for a Republican candidate.

There are also an increasingly large number of registered blank (independents) who may not necessarily support a Democratic agenda, yet have no choice in who they would vote for. There hasn’t been a serious Republican candidate in the 25^th Senate District in over 30 years. I’ve changed that. I’ve given people a choice. I’ve put forward issues that are important to me and to many people across Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan.

The Optimist: In recent years, the New York State Republican Party has suffered a series of devastating blows. Democrats regained the governorship, the lone New York City Republican in Congress was brought down by scandal, and now the GOP is in real danger of losing control of the State Senate for the first time in decades. What does the State Republican Party have to do to revitalize itself and stay relevant?

Chromczak: Fred U. Dicker wrote in a column in the New York Post a while back that the Republicans have become “doppelgangers” of the Democratic Party. In many respects, that is true. Voters across the state don’t see a difference between one or the other, so their votes are based on personality over policy differences. I’m working to change that.

The governorship has always flipped back and forth between Republican and Democrat so chances are there will be another Republican governor at some point. As for the Senate, I think in many areas the party has lost touch not only with our base, but also with the voters. Until we come back to our roots and show the people of NY that there are significant differences between our two parties Republicans are going to continue to lose elections across the state.

The Optimist: As a Republican, did you feel betrayed by Mayor Bloomberg's decision to leave your party?

Chromczak: Mike wasn’t a Republican until he decided to run for mayor. After he won a second election he had no use for the Republican brand, so he dumped it. I don’t feel betrayed, but I am disappointed. But, what can I say, money has a lot of influence in politics.

The Optimist: Although groups like the Log Cabin Republicans exist, the national platform of your party has been consistently intolerant of homosexuality. How do you reconcile being gay and being a Republican?

Chromczak: There isn’t anything to reconcile. I’m a Republican, because of my views on the function and purpose of government, on taxes, on public safety, on the role of the courts, etc. Like any family, we, Republicans, have some family disputes or disagreements. But I’m not going to abandon my party over one or two specific issues. I’m going to work from within to change those attitudes in my own party.

Who supports continuing the cycle of shame and staying “in the closet” by supporting the federal policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”? The Democrats. Is that inclusive? Who voted for and signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act? Senator Schumer and President Clinton. I don’t know of one legislative body controlled by Democrats (Massachusetts, for example) who have written, passed, and signed into law a gay marriage equality bill. They’ve abdicated their legislative responsibility and given it to the courts in hopes that they won’t have to deal with the issue. That’s not standing up for the gay community.

At least I’m not afraid to fight for my own community on this issue. I’m not saying one thing and doing another.

The Optimist: Like many Republicans, you call yourself a fiscal conservative, yet under the stewardship of the Bush Administration; America has run up record deficits and fallen into its worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Do you think that the Republican Party still represents fiscal conservatism?

Chromczak: The President and Congress are both equally responsible for the current economic crisis that we’re experiencing. Congress got lax on their oversight of Fannie and Freddie and the President let government spending on pork barrel projects get completely out of control.

As for Republicans living up to their mantra of fiscal conservatism and responsibility? They’ve let much to be desired and it’s shown in losses at the voting booth.

Brooklyn Politics: Who are Brooklyn's New York State Senators? (2008)

As Part II of the Optimist's public service series to his fellow Brooklynites, the following is a current list of Brooklyn's State Senators. To make the list as helpful as possible, I've linked each name to the elected officials' homepage.

If you don't know in what district you live, you can find out everything you need to know by entering your address into the New York City Board of Elections' website right here.

STATE SENATORS REPRESENTING KINGS COUNTY (9 Total):

17th SD: Martin Malavé Dilan
18th SD: Velmanette Montgomery
19th SD: John Sampson
20th SD: Eric Adams
21st SD: Kevin Parker
22nd SD: Martin Golden
23rd SD: Diane Savino (also represents Staten Island)
25th SD: Martin Connor (NOTE: Connor was defeated in the 2008 Democratic Primary by Daniel Squadron, which will bring an end to his 30-year incumbency in January 2009. Given the fact that Brooklyn is heavily Democratic, Squadron is virtually assured of winning the general election, despite the fact that he has a Republican challenger.)
27th SD: Carl Kruger

The 475 Kent Catastrophe

The Gowanus Lounge has provided excellent coverage of the suffering the residents of 475 Kent Avenue in South Williamsburg have had to endure since they were forcibly evacuated from their homes by City officials earlier this week because of a whole host of building violations at 475 which were potentially jeopardizing their lives.

Since the tenants of 475 Kent were ordered from their homes this past Sunday on a particularly cold night, The Gowanus Lounge has reported the dramatic travails from the point of view of the affected tenants, including a filmmaker named Phillip Anderson who hid out in his apartment with his dog while cops went down the building's hallways pounding on its doors to make sure the residents complied.

In part, GL's insights can be attributed to the proactive stand the residents of 475 Kent have taken in bringing the case of their mistreatment to the public. They have had a website going all week to share information with the media and local elected officials, as well as with one another. The site's message board has helped coordinate the roughly 150 residents of 475 Kent, who as of this evening's latest news will all likely have to empty their apartments this weekend in a mass move without any inkling of when, if ever, they will be allowed to return.

Though Councilman David Yassky, who represent the districts in which 475 Kent stands, has made public statements in support of the displaced tenants, a number of the building's residents appear unsatisfied with the response of their local elected officials. GL quotes one resident's post on the 475 Kent website who argues:

"we need to start a coordinated effort to pressure our electeds to take this issue on. i am very encouraged by councilman yassky's statement from last night. now we need to get assemblyman lentol and our state senator, marty connor, who is facing a well financed primary fight, involved as well. one side note: connor is being challenged by a man named dan squadron. he's young, but he's pretty sharp. if he decides to make an issue out of this, which is a very smart thing for him to do, connor will absolutely have to address it as well."

As residents consult with lawyers to weigh their legal options, it will be interesting to see what will be the political ramifications, if any, of 475 Kent's mistreatment. Will Daniel Squadron try to assail State Senator Martin Connor's dedication to his constituents by accusing Connor of indifference to 475's struggle?

The Optimist hopes that our elected officials will be above such divisive political posturing and instead use their clout to ensure the residents of 475 can get back into their homes as soon as it is safely possible for them to do so.

Spare a Quarter for Senator Connor?

The Optimist reported earlier this week State Senator Martin Connor bemoaning that he would have to spend $300K-$400K to stave off a challenge from Daniel Squadron.

Well, he better get fund-raising.

Campaign finance reports show that young Squadron is dramatically out fund-raising the incumbent, having raised $199,296 by the end of 2007. Connor, on the other hand, had a closing balance of -$38,217.60. That's "-" as in negative.

According to a 2006 article in the Observer, Connor complained that the negative figure is owing to an accounting glitch perpetrated by the computers at the Board of Elections. When The Optimist spoke to Connor's consultant Evan Stavisky today for comment, his campaign stuck to the story, even though a year and a half has passed since the alleged problems first surfaced.

Stavisky said that in actuality the campaign's records demonstrate that the Senator's bank account is in the black but, owing to a software error, the numbers have been tabulated incorrectly by the Board of Elections. Asked if the Board of Elections was incorrect in denying an error on their end, Stavisky challenged the logic of their figures. "[State Sen. Connor] clearly does not have negative money in the bank," argued Stavisky. "You can’t have a negative amount of money in the bank."

When The Optimist protested that he personally has had negative money in the bank on several occasions, Stavisky responded, "Not for two years."

Stavisky explained that Connor would rectify the incongruence in the accounting numbers by starting a new committee to receive money for his campaign and eliminating the old one.

Asked how much money the Senator did have on hand, Stavisky admitted that it was "less than $5,000". Nonetheless, Connor has no immediate plans to start fund-raising. Stavisky said that Connor was concentrating on his legislative work and wouldn't start dealing with "politics" until the new Senate session is farther underway.

Despite the late start, Stavisky is confident that the Senator will not be penniless by the time of the primary: "Unlike his opponent two years ago and his opponent now, Senator Connor did not inherit a great deal of money, but when the time comes he will raise the money that he needs to successfully defend his seat."

As for Squadron, his records list 352 contributors to his campaign, including a number of big-money donors. By the Optimist's count, 12 of Squadron's donors gave him $6,000, the maximum amount an individual can give to a State Senate primary campaign. Among those with deep pockets were Democratic mega-donor S. Donald Sussman, a resident of the Virgin Islands; Alice Rosenwald, daughter of Julius Rosenwald, the renowned Jewish philanthropist and president of Sears, Roebuck and Co.; and Judy Wilpon, wife of New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon - who also handed over $3,500, bringing their family total to $9,500.

Despite the largess Squadron has enjoyed so far, The Optimist advises his readers not to put too much stake in these numbers so far in advance of the September 9th, 2008 primary. This year marks Connor's 30th year in the Senate and a formidable incumbent of his tenure is always a force to be reckoned with.

The Optimist has little doubt that Connor will find as much money as he thinks he needs to battle Squadron.

Squadron To Challenge Connor

In yesterday's Daily News, State Senator Martin Connor bemoaned the fact that once again he's not going to be running unopposed for his seat in the 25th District. Connor, who overcame Ken Diamondstone in the 2006 primary, thinks it a shame that he'll have to spend $300K-$400K defending his seat against a Democrat when he could be better allocating his war chest helping longtime incumbent Democrats like himself fend off Republican hopefuls.

Connor deserves commendation for his selfless party loyalty.

Though Diamondstone has not yet announced whether he will make another bid at defiling the democratic process by, well, participating in it, Connor already has a fresh upstart to contend with this time around. The obstinate candidate is Chuck Schumer protegee Daniel Squadron, a political neophyte whose claim to fame to date is co-authoring Senator Schumer's recent book Positively American: Winning Back the Middle Class Majority One Family at a Time.

Squadron's going to have to win over middle class families to his candidacy at a slightly faster pace than his book aims to do if he wants to make any significant showing in the race, but he has already demonstrated that he has a legitimate following - at least among donors. The Carroll Gardens resident has banked more than $200,000 since November without accepting contributions from PACs, corporations, or lobbyists.

According to the News, Connor was quick to write off Squadron, who is 28. "It's nice that he wants to get involved. But he's a kid," said Connor, 62, author of no books.

The 29-year-old Brooklyn Optimist wonders if Squadron ends up with $400K instead of $200K in his ample coffers whether Connor will start him as an "infant".