Fox criticizes Hevesi for failing to attend debate
Posted on August 23, 2010 by Anna Gustafson in Assembly, District 28
Joe Fox, a Democrat running against state Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills), criticized the legislator for not attending a debate scheduled for last week.
“I was disappointed but not surprised,” Fox said of Hevesi’s absence in a press release Friday. “Hevesi has a history of not going there for issues that really concern out community. Perhaps he’s hiding. Hevesi speaks only through a spokesman and other than a few photo ops, he has not appeared in public throughout this campaign.”
Hevesi, who represents the 28th Assembly District, said Monday that he did not attend the debate, which was to be aired in the beginning of September on Queens Public Television, because a member of his wife’s family was in the hospital.
Hevesi’s spokesman, Doug Forand, said Fox’s accusation was “completely untrue.”
“The assemblyman has an aggressive public schedule,” Forand said. “He’s knocking on doors literally every night. He’s all over the district. For Mr. Fox to indicate otherwise is simply false, but it’s the nature of political campaigns that people start to throw out desperate lines. The problem with him doing that is that people see that it’s not true and it belies his credibility.”
Hevesi said he would be happy to debate Fox before the Democratic primary on Sept. 14.
“We’re happy to debate Mr. Fox at any time, that particular time just couldn’t work,” Forand said.
Fox too said he would attend a debate with the Assemblyman.
“I’ll be glad to debate my opponent,” Fox said. “I’d even debate his spokesman.”
The 28th Assembly District includes Forest Hills, Rego Park, Middle Village, Maspeth, Glendale, and Kew Gardens.
I have lived in Forest Hills for over twenty years. In all that time I have never heard of joe fox. I never read anything about him in any of the local media. I talk to people all around our community and have never has anyone ever mentioned joe fox. Who is joe fox?