City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (pictured) was near the top of his class, according to the Urban Justice Center's Human Rights Report Card, whereas Councilman Peter Vallone's score indicated he could use some tutoring.

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) is going to have to make some room on his fridge.

The chairman of the Council Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations had the best record of the Queens delegation on human rights issues last year, according to the Urban Justice Center’s 2011 Human Rights Report Card.

The report card identified 72 bills introduced over the past year that focused on housing, voting, disability and workers’ rights as well as issues concerning criminal and juvenile justice, health and government accountability.

Each Council member was graded on his or her votes and sponsorship of these bills as well as their response to a questionnaire.

Van Bramer voted in favor of eight bills, sponsored 52 — including two he was the primary sponsor of — and returned his questionnaire, all of which earned him an “A-.”

He fared particularly well when it came to housing rights and government accountability.

On the other end of the spectrum, Councilman Peter Vallone’s (D-Astoria) score of 12 earned him a grade of “D+,” the lowest in the borough.

Vallone was the primary sponsor of two human rights bills and sponsored three others. He voted in favor of four bills and did not respond to the questionnaire.

The councilman criticized the methodology of the report, calling into question the voting records of other Council members who scored higher than he did.

“Apparently, supporting brutal and repressive dictators gets you an ‘A’ from this supposed human rights group. I’m proud to be at the bottom of any list Charles Barron is at the top of,” he said.

Councilman Barron (D-Brooklyn), who praised the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, earned an “A” on the report card.

Council members James Sanders (D-Laurelton) and Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst) both received a “B-” and Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) got a grade of “B.”

Receiving a grade of “C” were Council members Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) and Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans).

Councilmen Peter Koo (R-Flushing), Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) each scored slightly lower: a “C-.”

Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) got a “D+” and Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica), who took office last November, did not receive a grade.

While the report assigned each Council member a grade, its primary criticism was of the political power of the speaker and the Council’s failure to challenge that power.

Of the 72 bills introduced, only eight were brought to a vote, and the report implied this was because Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) did not support them.

Quinn’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The report cited two rules that allow the Council to advance the process of legislation that does not have the speaker’s support.

“There are no clear reasons for the Council’s reticence in taking advantage of these two rules. However, based [on] reports that the speaker readily wields political power internally, and on conversations with advocates, we speculate that failure to do so is linked with the desire of most Council members to maintain a relatively friendly relationship with the speaker,” the report read.

“However, given its impact on human rights in New York City, business as usual is not sufficient to protect our human rights. Council members should act — individually and as a collective — to challenge the status quo even in the face of political reprisals,” it continued.

Clifton Stanley Diaz (clockwise top l.), Allan Jennings, Ruben Wills and Michael Duvalle are the candidates listed on the ballot of the Democratic primary for the special election for the 28th Council district.

Voters in southeast Queens will be heading back to the polls Tuesday in the first step to determine who will be their City Hall representative for the next two years and the men who are vying for the spot are sparing no expense for the seat, according to campaign finance records.

City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) will be facing off against three candidates for the Democratic nod in the special election for the 28th Council District, which includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, South Ozone Park, Rochdale Village and Richmond Hill.

Former Councilman Allan Jennings, Rochdale Village board member Clifton Stanley Diaz and community activist Michael Duvalle are the other candidates who will be on the ballot, according to the city Board of Elections.

Wills, 40, was elected to office during a special election last year that decided who would fill the seat that was vacated by Tom White, who died less than a year into his second four-year term. As part of the rules for the special election, Wills had to run again during the 2011 election cycle to keep his seat for the remainder of the term.

There are no Republican candidates listed for the general election.

Despite being in the spotlight recently for a 15-year-old misdemeanor case in Manhattan Criminal Court and another misdemeanor case in Nassau County Criminal Court, Wills has received numerous endorsements and financial backing for his run.

Several Council members, including Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) and Councilwoman Karen Kozlowitz (D-Forest Hills), have supported Wills along with several unions, such as the United Federation of Teachers and SEIU Local 1199.

Campaign finance records show that he has collected $45,335 in donations for his campaign and received $76,465 in public funds. Wills has spent $71,147 on his re-election so far, according to campaign finance records.

Jennings, who served in the Council from 2002-06, is taking his third shot at returning to the seat. The former elected official, who was censured by the Council on sexual harassment charges, had vied for the seat during the 2009 Democratic primary and last year’s special election, but had back-to-back losses.

Jennings has collected $79,991 for his campaign, but $67,000 of that money came from loans, according to campaign finance records, and he is not receiving public funds. The challenger has spent $8,139 for his campaign, records show.

Diaz has not formally made a run for office prior to this election, but he has said that his years as a member of Rochdale Village’s board of directors and as a lifelong activist in southeast Queens would make him an ideal candidate. Diaz has collected $16,695 for his run and has spent $17,456, according to campaign finance records.

Duvalle is the fourth candidate in the race. Duvalle is a U.S. Navy veteran who worked as a small business owner and was president of the Rockaway Merchant Association, according to his campaign website.

The father of two, a lifelong resident of southeast Queens, has raised $1,364 and only spent $813 for his campaign, according to campaign finance records.

District Leader Martha Taylor (l.-r. front row), Assemblywoman Grace Meng, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney and City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz through their support behind Assemblyman David Weprin's (c.) Congressional campaign last week. Photo by Rebecca Henely

Many female elected officials at the city, state and federal levels endorsed state Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck) last Thursday at a news conference in front of Queens Borough Hall in Kew Gardens, saying the Democratic candidate for the sprawling congressional district is a tireless advocate for women’s rights.

“Some of the most impassioned speeches supporting women and children have come from David Weprin,” said Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas (D-Astoria).

Joined by his family — wife Ronni Weprin and daughters Stephanie Weprin and Lori Friedman — Weprin picked up the official support of electeds from Queens and beyond in his campaign to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner two months ago amid a sexting scandal.

Most said they supported Weprin over Republican candidate Bob Turner because of Weprin’s support for abortion rights and access to birth control.

“I will be a strong advocate for the women of the 9th Congressional District as well as our state, city and country,” Weprin said.

Britta Vander Linden, a spokeswoman for Turner’s campaign, said in a statement responding to the endorsements that district women would vote for Turner due to his platform to cut waste, lower taxes and improve the economy. She said the ability of American women to manage their families’ household budgets has been made impossible by “career politicians like Mr. Weprin.”

“Jobs and young people are fleeing New York because of the taxes and debt these politicians have piled on us,” Linden said. “These are the pocketbook issues women in Queens and Brooklyn care about.”

Those who endorsed Weprin included Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria), state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone), Simotas, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Councilwomen Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), Diana Reyna (D-Ridgewood), Julissa Ferreras (D-Jackson Heights) and Margaret Chin (D-Manhattan).

Weprin said he was “a little speechless and a little overwhelmed” by the endorsements.

Koslowitz said the members of Congress who have represented the Forest Hills district, from Weiner going back to as far as former Rep. Joseph Addabbo Sr.,? who began his career in the House of Representatives in 1961, have been pro-women’s rights.

“Every one of them helped women. They believed in women,” Koslowitz said.

Others said they were supporting Weprin for his other policy positions. Maloney praised Weprin’s work as chairman of the Finance Committee when he was in the Council and said his financial aptitude would be a boon in Congress.

“I wish he was the chair of the Finance Committee in Congress,” Maloney said.

Ferreras said she hoped the multitude of endorsements by women politicians would encourage women voters to vote for Weprin.

“Every time we send a Republican to Congress, we lose rights as women, we lose rights as families,” Ferreras said.

Turner has received high-profile endorsements from former Mayor Ed Koch and Rep. Peter King (R-Massapequa Park).

City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz collected both a pension and a salary from the city last year.

A report disclosing financial information found that City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills) gets both a retirement pension and a salary from the city, a controversial practice called “double dipping.”

She makes $122,500 as a Council member, but also receives a $60,000 pension, the document from the city Conflicts of Interest Board ?said.

Koslowitz began receiving her pension in 2001, after newly instated term limits forced her out of office. Previously, she had served on the Council for 10 years.

But Koslowitz never stopped receiving the pension when she came out of retirement in 2009 and began pulling down a six-figure salary.

Koslowitz declined to comment for this article.

The practice has been labeled unethical by other Queens lawmakers.

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) is a vehement critic of double-dipping politicians.

“To double dip at the taxpayer’s expense is just wrong,” he said. “We are asking the average New Yorker to cut back, pay more taxes and get less services … we should be held to the same rules.”

In February, Avella introduced legislation into the Senate that would seek to end the practice in Albany.

The bill states: “It is unfair to the general public and ethically inappropriate that an elected official who is eligible to receive a pension can retire, collect a government pension and still be re-elected to another position and collect an additional salary for the newly elected position.”

Another Queens councilwoman was still paying off student loans, according to the Conflict of Interest Board reports,

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) made roughly the same salary as Koslowitz in the Council last year and took out money from her personal IRA.

Crowley owed between $5,000 and $43,999.99 for a car loan from Ford, and between the same amount for a student loan.

She also made between the same amount in interest on two retirement accounts.?

Council members James Vacca (l.) and Karen Koslowitz (c.) stand on Austin Street and denounce parking meter increases with Robert Sinclair of New York AAA. Photo courtesy Office of Karen Koslowitz

A Forest Hills lawmaker blasted the city Sunday for planning to increase parking meter rates in the outer boroughs for the second time in a year.

“Here we go again! It was just a few months back that we had the same fight with the administration,” City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills) said in a statement. “Breaking the backs of the middle class and small businesses is the wrong way to fix our fiscal woes in the city.”

The proposal would increase the hourly rate from 75 cents to $1, which would bring the rate to double what it was two years ago. The proposal would also increase rates in Manhattan meters above 96th Street.

“Creating greater access to our business districts, such as Austin Street in Forest Hills, is crucial to the New York City economy,” Koslowitz said. “We have a responsibility to consumers and working people to make things easier for them during these tough times.”

Yet the city gets too much of its transportation budget from middle class drivers around the five boroughs, according to Koslowitz. The department expects to raise $700 million from meters and parking tickets, even while the city contributes $250 million.

Koslowitz was joined by Council members Diana Reyna (D-Brooklyn) and James Vacca (D-Bronx) on Austin Street, a commercial strip they said would be affected by the meter hikes.

The president of the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce said the hike would harm businesses by providing another reason not to come to the strip, which has a mix of small mom-and-pop stores and large retail giants.

“The consumer has to absorb all the costs,” Leslie Brown said. “It’s not fair, especially in these times when the smaller stores are struggling to stay afloat. We need as many reasons as possible to keep people coming here.”

The 25-cent increase might not seem like a lot, Brown said, but it adds up.

“I’m just hoping people can keep absorbing all these increases,” she said.

But the city Department of Transportation said the increases were designed to help small business.

The increases in meter rates will encourage more turnover in municipal parking spots along business corridors, the department said.

In addition, the rates for the meters are still far below private lots or parking garages, the department said.

City Councilmen Robert Jackson (l.) and Leroy Comrie show off Happy Meals and a study Comrie conducted on their nutritional value for children. Photo courtesy Comrie's office

City Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans) acknowledged that his recent crusade against childhood obesity would result in some shots at his own weight problems, but he is determined to make a difference and give his constituents healthier choices.

Comrie’s Happy Meal legislation, which he introduced into the Council last week, would fine restaurants that give children toys with meals that have high fat, salt and unhealthy ingredients.

Kids have started on their path to childhood obesity with Happy Meals at McDonald’s restaurants and similar promotions at other fast food joints, according to the councilman.

“The children start eating these toy meals as early as 2 years old and they associate eating a high-sodium, high-fat meal with getting a toy,” he said.

The bill, which has the support of several Council members, including Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica), Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) and Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), would fine the restaurants anywhere from $200 to $2,500 for including toys in meal packages that have more than 500 calories, 600 milligrams of sodium and high percentages of saturated fat.

Comrie said that in many parts of the city, especially southeast Queens, there are not that many healthy restaurants or stores stocked with fresh foods. The city is planning to give incentives to business owners to open up healthy supermarkets in parts of South Jamaica as part of a rezoning project, but the councilman said further steps needed to be taken.

“We don’t have a salad bar restaurant in southeast Queens, we don’t have juice bars,” he said.

But not everyone is lining up to support Comrie’s plan. Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) blasted Comrie’s initiative.

“This is yet another step too far. We already require restaurants to disclose calorie counts. If people want to buy their kids a Happy Meal, it is their right to make that choice.,” he said in a statement.

McDonald’s sided with the husky Halloran and released a statement contending that removing the toys from the menu would not stop childhood obesity.

“On average, kids eat at McDonald’s about three times a month,” the company said. “ That means about 87 other meals are eaten at home, school or elsewhere. That adds up to a discussion larger than toys.”

Happy Meal menus at McDonald’s include the option for eaters to have apple slices as a side order to the hamburger, cheeseburger or chicken nuggets instead of fries.

McDonald’s Happy Meals currently include toys featuring the popular characters that appear in the animated family movie “Rio.”

Since the bill’s introduction, Comrie has been the butt of many jokes from various media outlets due to his own weight, which he would not disclose but has been reported to be around 300 pounds.? A few years ago, he took part in a national diet movement known as “50 million pound challenge,” but the councilman admitted that he was still struggling to lose weight.

The councilman said he has been open about his own personal battle against obesity and expected there to be plenty of personal jabs at his size. However, at the end of the day, he said he was focused on improving the health of his constituents.

“I expected people tried to twist it, but I think we’ve brought up a necessary topic and we’re proud that we’ve gotten some people to talk,”? he said.

Cars buried in the snow along Calamus Avenue in Elmhurst, Queens. Photo by An Rong Xu

The thick blanket of snow that covered the Queens this week had residents furious at the pace of the city’s response, and borough politicians recalled a similar situation that occurred in 1969, when a blizzard took the city by surprise on former Mayor John Lindsay’s watch.

“The city was basically crippled. We couldn’t get around,” said Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills), who was a working single mother at the time. “I remember at that time not being able to get to work for a few days, and if I didn’t go to work I couldn’t paid. It’s no different today.”

Weatherman predicted rain on Feb. 9, 1969, but the resulting deluge of snow took everyone in the city — and Lindsay’s political career — by surprise.

The 15 inches of snow that fell remained unplowed in many areas of Queens for days as residents accused the former mayor of favoring the thoroughfares of Manhattan over the outer boroughs.

The late United Nations Undersecretary General Ralph Bunche wrote the mayor from his home of 17 years in Kew Gardens, where a single plow had not been seen for three days, saying “we have never experienced such neglect in snow removal as now.”

After the Nobel Peace Prize winner sent the letter, which also said “I may as well be in the Alps,” the mayor make a sojourn to the snowy dunes of the borough.

Upon reaching Rego Park, Lindsay had to exchange his limo for four-wheel drive vehicles to overcome the piles of snow. In Kew Gardens, he was booed. One woman told the former mayor, “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

In Fresh Meadows, Lindsay was called a bum.

When the catastrophe was over, 42 people had died citywide. Some streets in the borough remained unplowed for a week, causing a fierce political backlash that stuck with the mayor for years.

Many politicans are relating the blizzard of ‘69, which is synonymous with Lindsay’s name, with Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s handling of the holiday weekend storm.

Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) was 13 years old when the blizzard of ‘69 hit his Queens home.

“I remember how horrible it was, and the anger people had,” he said. “But what I remember most is that Lindsay was thinking about running for president at that time, and it had a huge impact on his career.”

The blizzard has even stuck with Lindsay until the present day, Dromm added.

“A woman stopped me on the street today and said ‘there’s another Lindsay in the office!’” he said.

But Dromm saw the parallels as well.

“This is Bloomberg’s Lindsay moment,” he said. “This is like ‘69, but we’re not going to forget this. We want to hold the mayor directly responsible for his lack of concern.”

Koslowitz also saw deja vu in the snowy streets of Forest Hills, and she denounced the mayor’s response.

“It’s just a shame that 41 years later we’re almost in the same mess,” she said. “I think if the mayor walked through the city today, he would get booed just like Lindsay.”

State Sen. Toby Stavisky (l. to r.), Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz, U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner and West Side Tennis Club member Christine Schott speak outside the club’s stadium Wednesday about the possibility of landmarking the structure that once housed the U.S. Open. Photo by Anna Gustafson

U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills), City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz and state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) on Wednesday urged West Side Tennis Club members to include elected officials and community members in their plans for the club’s stadium that is for sale.

The three legislators gathered outside the stadium Wednesday afternoon and said they have felt left out of the discussion about the future of the iconic, but now dilapidated, stadium that has not been used for about 17 years.

“We love that the tennis club is our neighbor,” Weiner said. “In the midst of rural Queens, a stone’s throw from the Long Island Expressway, we have grass tennis courts. We have a place that has history that goes back generations. As there are conversations about how to deal with the stadium, the community needs to have a voice.”

The lawmakers, along with Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills), sent a letter Wednesday to the city Landmarks Preservation Commission asking that city officials study whether the stadium that housed the U.S. Open for more than 60 years should be protected under landmark status.

“The Forest Hills community deserves to know whether landmarking parts or all of the West Side Tennis Stadium are a possibility,” the letter states. “We feel strongly that the commission should conduct a study as to whether landmarking the West Side Tennis Stadium would be in the best interest of the future of the structure.”

The West Side Tennis Club members are expected to vote on Sept. 23 on the sale of the stadium. Sources have said the club wants to sell it because it is operating in the red.

The Forest Hills-based Cord Meyer Development Company hopes to transform the 2.5 acres on which the stadium is located into luxury apartments and town homes, according to plans presented by company officials to club members Tuesday night.

Cord Meyer representatives said they have plans to build about 75 units on five floors at the stadium site.

“The question and answer session was constructive for both the members and Cord Meyer. We are looking forward to the opportunity of continuing the dialogue with West Side Tennis and Forest Hills Gardens,” Cord Meyer President Sal Panico said of Tuesday’s meeting.

Koslowitz criticized the proposal and said “it didn’t look that nice to me.”

Bobbie Jaray, who lives across the street from the stadium, also said she and her neighbors do not want to see condominiums replace the stadium.

“I want the stadium as a landmark,” said Jaray, who has lived in the neighborhood for 56 years. “I’d hate to see it torn down.”

The tennis club was founded at the end of the 19th century and the 15,000-seat stadium began hosting the US Open around 1915. The stadium became too small for the US Open and the event moved to Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the late 1970s.

“Queens has the fewest landmarks in New York City other than Staten Island,” Stavisky said. “It’s time to preserve the rich cultural traditions that happen here.”

Besides hosting tennis matches, the stadium has been the site of a number of concerts, including The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and the Talking Heads’ “Stop Making Sense” concert film. Portions of the 2001 Wes Anderson film “The Royal Tenenbaums” were shot there.

City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (c.), joined by Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz and Councilman Dan Halloran, speaks in Maspeth about her recently introduced legislation cracking down on illegally operating commuter vans. Photo by Rebecca Henely

City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), flanked by Council members Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills) and Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone), announced at Calamus Avenue and 72nd Street in Maspeth Friday the new legislation she has introduced, which calls for crackdowns on illegal commuter vans.

“This is a public safety issue,” Crowley said.

Crowley said she wrote the bill in response to complaints from local residents, who protest the use of both unauthorized and uninsured private companies operating vans in Maspeth, as well as legitimate commuter van companies coming into the community when they are not authorized to operate in the Maspeth area.

“There’s not a need for them to be here,” said Roe Daraio, a lifelong resident of Maspeth and president of the civic group Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together. She said the area is in the vicinity of five bus lines and two train routes.

Crowley said hundreds of commuter vans work in the area without permits and insurance. In response, she introduced a bill in the Council last Thursday requesting the city Taxi and Limousine Commission to conduct training sessions with the city Police Department at a minimum of two times a year about how to recognize unlicensed commuter vans.

Local residents, such as Richard Gundlach, a member of Community Board 2 and COMET, said congestion is part of the impetus behind the bill.

“We get so many vans going down side streets,” he said. “It’s ridiculous.”

Yet Koslowitz and Halloran said that while there is no need for commuter vans in Maspeth, their districts can benefit from commuter sources independent of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

“We are far from mass transit,” Koslowitz said. “People get tired of waiting for the buses.”

Yet Koslowitz wanted those who ride as passengers in the vans and get in an accident to be properly compensated.

“We need to make sure that those are authorized vehicles playing by the rules,” Crowley said.

Halloran said two bus lines have been cut in his district and that people need alternatives.

“This is not about stamping out the free market,” Halloran said.

But he also said this bill was a “bipartisan effort” to make sure the commuter van drivers are competent, insured and held accountable if they get in an accident.

“This legislation is aimed primarily at education,” Halloran said.

Crowley said she expects to have a hearing on this bill in the fall.

Melinda Katz holds her son, Carter, on Election Day in September. Photo by Christina Santucci

City Councilwoman Melinda Katz (D-Forest Hills) announced last week she will join one of the country’s largest law firms, Greenberg Traurig, after leaving public office at the end of December.

“I’m very excited about it,” said Katz, who lost her bid for city comptroller in September’s Democratic primary.

Katz, whose Council term will end Dec. 31, will be working for her new law firm’s government relations department and will split her time between New York City and Albany. Katz said she will practice law and lobby while at the firm.

Greenberg Traurig is the eighth-largest law firm in the United States with more than 1,750 lawyers, 300 of whom are in New York.

“Greenberg Traurig is a firm of global reach with a strong local commitment to New York City and Albany,” Katz said. “My early experience in a respected national law firm made me a stronger public servant. I now have the ability to bring that perspective to the practice of law at another great firm where clients can benefit from my understanding of the government process.”

The group is known as one of the largest lobbying firms in the city, and they have had such high-profile clients as Cisco Systems, American Medical Alert Corp., Extell Development Co. and Bovis Lend Lease.

State law prohibits Katz from ever lobbying on behalf of issues she worked on in the Council, which includes land use matters.

“We are pleased to bring Melinda on board and believe that her unique position in New York and her reputation for substance and understanding of the law will serve our clients well as she re-enters private practice,” said Richard Rosenbaum, president of Greenberg Traurig.

Katz began her legal career at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in 1990 and practiced as a securities litigator. She was elected to the state Assembly in 1994, where she served until 1998. Katz then worked in the Queens borough president’s office from 1999-2001 before being elected and serving in the Council from 2002 to the end of this month.

Katz was involved in moving a number of redevelopment projects through the Council Land Use Committee, which she has chaired for eight years, including initiatives in Forest Hills, Jamaica, Williamsburg in Brooklyn and Harlem.

The councilwoman said she is not ruling out another bid for office.

“You keep all options open,” Katz said. “I am still the Democratic district leader of this area. I still have my fund-raising operation in place. We plan to raise money for candidates across the United States, especially female candidates, so I’m looking forward to that.”

Lynn Schulman Karen Koslowitz

Karen Koslowitz defeated Lynn Schulman and Bartholomew Bruno Tuesday in the race to replace City Councilwoman Melinda Katz (D-Forest Hills), claiming a victory that sends the former councilwoman back to City Hall, according to unofficial results reported by NY1.

Koslowitz, a Democrat, beat Schulman, a Democrat running in the general election on the Working Families line, and Bruno, a Republican, garnering 11,170 votes, or 63.40 percent, according to unofficial results.

“I worked hard in this election, and the people realized it,” Koslowitz said Tuesday night. “I was very happy that all these people came out to support me.”

Bruno, not listed as a candidate by the city Campaign Finance Board but who appeared on the ballot, came in second with 3,752 votes, or 21.3 percent. Schulman, a member of Community Board 6 and community activist, received 2,697 votes, or 15.31 percent.

The win brings Koslowitz back to a place she knows well: City Hall. Koslowitz, currently president of community boards at Queens Borough Hall, represented District 29 for 11 years until 2001, when she was forced out of office by term limits. District 29 covers Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens and parts of Richmond Hill, Maspeth and Elmhurst.

Koslowitz said she plans to address education, senior issues and health care in the district.

“If we can help to open Parkway Hospital, that would be wonderful,” Koslowitz said of the hospital that was closed by the state in November 2008.”If not, we want more medical care in the community.”

“I’m going to stay active in the community,” Schulman said. “I’ve always wanted to help the community and that’s something I’m going to continue to do. I met a lot of different people that want to work with me in the future, and I look forward to working with Karen Koslowitz.”

Koslowitz ran a campaign that focused on health care, education and senior issues, all of which she said she plans to emphasize when she takes office. The former councilwoman said additional health care services are needed in a borough that recently lost Parkway in Forest Hills, St. John’s in Elmhurst and Mary Immaculate in Jamaica.

She has also said school overcrowding needs to be addressed and called for additional classrooms to be created. Koslowitz also said she planned to look at quality-of-life issues, such as traffic on Austin Street and Queens Boulevard and empty storefronts throughout the district.

Schulman, a senior associate executive director of business affairs at Woodhull Medical Center in Brooklyn, had focused much of her campaign on similar issues and called for additional health care services and classrooms.

Schulman said she wanted to create a 24-hour constituent service line and to increase affordable housing for seniors.

Reach reporter Anna Gustafson by e-mail at agustafson@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 174.

Lynn Schulman (l.) and Karen Koslowitz (r.) are running against each other in the Nov. 3 general election.

The two candidates running to replace City Councilwoman Melinda Katz (D-Forest Hills) are continuing their efforts to woo voters before the Nov. 3 general election  in a race that Karen Koslowitz and Lynn Schulman do not expect to be an easy win for either of them.

Koslowitz, who is running on the Democratic and Independent party lines, won the primary with 25.89 percent of the vote. Schulman, a Democrat running on the Working Families Party line in the general election, came in second with 22.49 percent of the vote.

“You’re asking people to vote on the third party line, which is always a challenge,” said Schulman, who decided to enter the general election on the WFP line earlier this month. “We’ll do what we can to educate people. It will be challenging, and I’m looking to reach out to different people. It’s a grassroots effort.”

Greg Lavine, a spokesman for Koslowitz, said while he believes the former councilwoman will win, her campaign is in high gear.

“In any election, whether it’s a presidential year when Barack Obama is running and there’s a huge, huge turnout, or not a huge turnout as we saw in the Democratic primary this year, if you take any election for granted, you’re not running a wise campaign,” Lavine said.

Schulman said she decided earlier this month to run on the line of the Working Families Party, which endorsed her before the primary, because numerous residents in the 29th Council District told her they thought she should stay in the race. District 29 covers Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens and parts of Richmond Hill, Maspeth and Elmhurst.

Koslowitz is the director of constituent services and community boards at Queens Borough Hall and former deputy borough president. She represented Council District 29 from 1991 to 2001. She could not run again in 2001 because of term limits.

Koslowitz’s campaign is focusing on quality-of-life issues, such as mitigating traffic and working to fill empty storefronts along such shopping hubs as Austin Street. She has emphasized bringing new and better technology to the district’s police precincts.

“We’re running a positive-oriented campaign that Karen has done before and she can do it again,” Lavine said. “She has a proven record and served as deputy borough president and she has new ideas. She understands the changing dynamics of the district.”

Schulman is a senior associate executive director of business affairs at Woodhull Medical Center in Brooklyn, a member of CB 6 and has served two terms on the 112th Precinct Community Council. She has said she would create a 24-hour constituent service line and said she would work to increase affordable housing, particularly for seniors, in the district.

“Karen represents a time in the past, and I represent the future of the community,” Schulman said. “I want to make the Internet part of the process with constituents in the district. I want to hold town hall meetings in every part of the district. City government is a lot different now than it was eight years ago. The problems are more complex, the challenges are more daunting.”

Both candidates have received a slew of endorsements. Koslowitz has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Katz and all her former primary challengers except for Schulman. Schulman has received the backing of The New York Times, former Mayor Ed Koch and the Citizen’s Union, a nonprofit group that promotes good government.

Reach reporter Anna Gustafson by e-mail at agustafson@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 174.

Koslowitz, a Democrat, is running against Lynn Schulman, a Democrat who lost in the primary and is now running on the Working Families Party line.

“Karen has a proven track record of supporting the men and women of organized labor, and we look forward to working with her in the years ahead,” said Neal Kwatra, director of political affairs of the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council.

The council is a 30,0000-member union representing hotel workers in the city.

“I am honored today to have received the support of the New  York Hotel and Motel Trades Council,” Koslowitz said. “In order to get this city moving again, we need to have an economic recovery with strong, well-paying jobs that help to promote New York City to the world. The work done by the Hotel and Motel Trades Council and its members are invaluable to our city, and I am excited to work with them.”

District 29 covers Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens and parts of Richmond Hill, Maspeth and Elmhurst.

Lynn Schulman (c.) greets poll workers on Primary Day at PS 144 in Forest Hills. Schulman is running in the general election on the Working Families Party line. Photo by Christina Santucci

Community Board 6 member Lynn Schulman gave Queens Democratic Party-supported Karen Koslowitz a run for her money in the race for City Councilwoman Melinda Katz’s (D-Forest Hills) seat last month in the primary.

Now Schulman is poised to take her on again in the general election as she gears up to run on the Working Families Party line.

“They had endorsed me a long time ago, so I was going to be on the line regardless,” Schulman said. But she noted after the primary that she was approached by a number of people who thought there would be a runoff between the top Council contenders.

Koslowitz, who held the Council seat for 11 years until 2001, took in 1,834 votes, or 25.89 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results from the city Board of Elections. Schulman came in second with 1,593 votes, or 22.49 percent of the vote.

Heidi Harrison Chain, president of the 112th Precinct Community Council, received 1,347 votes, or 19 percent.

On Monday, Koslowitz was endorsed by all her other primary opponents: Chain, Mel Gagarin, Michael Cohen and Albert Cohen.

“This is democratic process and everybody involved respects that,” said Koslowitz’s campaign manager, Greg Lavine. “Karen won a hard-fought primary and because of her past work as a council member plus her work as deputy borough president … we are confident on Nov. 3 that Karen will once again get elected to the City Council.

Schulman believes she has her work cut out for her.

“Getting elected on a different party line is very much a challenge,” she said. “But I want to make the effort because I think it’s important for the community to at least have a choice. There were very few people that came out to vote for the primary, which was unfortunate.”

Just how much help the Working Families Party will be able to give Schulman remains to be seen. The organization was involved in the successful Democratic primary wins of John Liu, Bill de Blasio, Daniel Dromm and Jimmy Van Bramer among others.

“I think it’s something we’re figuring out in the course of the next couple of weeks here,” spokesman Bryan Collinsworth said.

Schulman cited the victories of Liu for comptroller and de Blasio for public advocate as encouraging signs.
“All of a sudden people who weren’t that tuned into the Working Families Party now know the Working Families Party, so there’s a heightened awareness and I think that’s a plus,” she said.

Shulman had raised $204,043 in combined private and public matching funds and spent $169,181 by the most recent city Campaign Finance Board filing deadline Oct. 2. Koslowitz had raised a combined $283,855 and spent $191,259 during the same period.

District 29 covers Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens and parts of Richmond Hill, Maspeth and Elmhurst.

Reach reporter Jeremy Walsh by e-mail at jewalsh@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.

Albert Cohen. Photo by Christina Santucci

Former City Council candidate Albert Cohen’s camp dismissed reports his campaign had sent in numerous voter registration forms fraught with errors, including the names of dead people, saying any mistakes were growing pains in a massive effort to register voters who Cohen officials called disenfranchised.

“The Cohen campaign registered over 3,000 new voters in a community that had been largely ignored by City Hall for decades,” said Steven Stites, a spokesman for Cohen. “Many of these people were completely new to the political process. Any small errors that were made are the result of getting people involved in democracy for the first time. Last Tuesday’s results show that the Bukharian community is ready to have the place at the table it deserves.”

Cohen was one of six Democrats running to replace Councilwoman Melinda Katz (D-Forest Hills). Former Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz won the election, capturing a little more than 25 percent of the vote. Cohen placed fourth in the race, receiving more than 13 percent of the vote. He attracted more votes than former state Assemblyman Michael Cohen and Mel Gagarin.

Albert Cohen said he supports Koslowitz and he will do anything to help her while she is in office.

The New York Post reported on Primary Day that city Board of Elections officials said 1,037 voter registration forms sent by the Cohen campaign had missing information. When board officials sent letters asking registrants for more information to complete the forms prior to the primary, 92 of them were returned as undeliverable and three of the registrants’ names belonged to dead individuals.

The board said it removed those names from the voter rolls and Elections officials said they would further review the matter after November, the Post reported.

A BOE spokeswoman did not return repeated phone calls for comment.

Much of the Bukharian community had rallied around Cohen’s bid for office and Stites said many Bukharians were coming out to vote for the first time. Language barriers and an unfamiliarity with the election process, Stites said, led to the mistakes on the registration forms, as well as to much frustration for Bukharians at the polls.  The Bukharians emigrated from Central Asia, where they lived in two Soviet republics.

“Albert Cohen, a first-time candidate, received over 13 percent of the vote, despite many Bukharians being turned away at the polls due to small flaws in their registrations,” Stites said. “We hope this will be the beginning of a new era for Queens, and that city government will realize it can no longer ignore middle-class and immigrant communities that have been left on the outside looking in for so many years.”

Ari Kagan, an independent poll watcher at PS 175 in Rego Park, said there was no Russian translator at the voting site despite a large Russian population in the area, which led to many Bukharian voters becoming frustrated and leaving the school without voting.

“They had Chinese and Korean translators,” Kagan said. “I was there the whole day, and I saw maybe 10 or 15 Chinese people, and I’m not sure there was a single Korean voter. At the same time, they were totally swamped by Russian-speaking voters, Bukharians and non-Bukharians.”

Kagan said he believes Cohen would have received at least another 60 or 70 votes at PS 175 had there been a Russian translator who could have helped the individuals who ended up not voting because of the language barrier.

“The Board of Elections was totally unprepared for this election,” Kagan said.

Karen Koslowitz leaves the voting booth after casting her ballot at the Forest Hills library Tuesday afternoon. Photo by Anna Gustafson

Karen Koslowitz is headed back to a place she knows well: City Hall.

Koslowitz beat her five challengers in the Democratic primary for City Councilwoman Melinda Katz’s (D-Forest Hills) seat as of Tuesday night, garnering 1,834 votes, or 25.89 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results from the city Board of Elections.

The former Councilwoman will go to City Hall in January because there is no registered Republican in the race.

“I’m just so happy, and I’m looking forward to going back to the Council and doing good things for the people of my district,” Koslowitz said. “I was there for them before, and I’ll continue to do the job I’ve done before.”

Koslowitz, currently the president of community boards at Borough Hall, represented District 29 for 11 years until 2001, when she was forced out by term limits. District 29 covers Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens, and parts of Richmond Hill, Maspeth, and Elmhurst.

Lynn Schulman, a member of Community Board 6 and community activist, came in second with 1,593 votes, or 22.49 percent of the vote. Heidi Harrison Chain, the president of the 112th Police Precinct Community Council, received 1,347 votes, or 19 percent. Albert Cohen, the first Bukharian to run for Council, had 946 individuals, or 13.35 percent cast their ballots for him. Former state Assemblyman Michael Cohen garnered 12.49 percent of the vote, or 885 votes, and Mel Gagarin, a former community representative for U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) received 479 vote, or 6.76 percent.

“We ran a good race, and it was close,” Schulman said. “I will continue to work on behalf of the community as I’ve done before.”

Schulman said she was disappointed by the “ election’s low turnout.”

Gagarin said he knew the campaign would be tough.

“But it was always an honor to run against people with civility and a high level of class,” he said. “It was a great experience.”

Koslowitz ran a campaign that focused on health care, education, and senior issues, all of which she said she plans to focus on when she takes office.

Koslowitz said more health care services are needed in a borough that recently lost Parkway in Forest Hills, St. John’s in Elmhurst, and Mary Immaculate in Jamaica.

She has also said school overcrowding needs to be addressed and called for additional classrooms to be created. Koslowitz said quality-of-life issues need to be addressed, such as traffic on Austin Street and Queens Boulevard and empty storefronts.

Around noon on Tuesday, a lone man hurried along the sidewalk to the school and fended off volunteers’ requests to give him brochures about the six Democratic candidates running for Councilwoman Melinda Katz’s (D-Forest Hills) seat representing District 29.

“Sir! Sir! Are you voting today?” one worker called to him.

“Please, I already know who I’m voting for,” the man said as he shook his head at the volunteer.
Candidates’ volunteers and poll workers far outnumbered voters at the high school for part of Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s slower than normal,” Eileen Simon, the co-coordinator of the Forest Hills High School voting site, said around midday. “When it’s an off election, things are slow like this.”

Lois Lumberger, who has been a poll clerk since the 1970s, said she had seen 19 people since the polls opened.

“Not many people come out for primaries,” Lumberger said. “They figure it doesn’t matter until November.”

The new council members will be faced with the challenge of balancing the growth the borough needs to keep the economy strong with the need to preserve the values that have made Queens the best borough in the city in which to raise a family. Healthcare, housing, public safety and education reform will top the agenda. We urge our readers to vote and we hope our endorsements in six of the 10 council races in the Queens Democratic primary will guide them in making their decisions as a prelude to the general election in November.

District 19: Jerry Iannece

In District 19, which stretches from working-class College Point to Douglaston and Little Neck, six highly qualified candidates are vying for the opportunity to replace Councilman Tony Avella, who opposed the extension of term limits and is running in the mayoral primary. The candidates include Steve Behar, Tom Cooke, Jerry Iannece, Kevin Kim, Debra Markell and Paul Vallone.

Whoever wins must bring together the residents whose families have lived here for generations with emerging ethnic groups, in particular the Chinese Americans and Korean Americans. These new Americans have become a powerful economic force in northeast Queens and they are now becoming a political force.

After much deliberation, we are giving our endorsement to Iannece. He has distinguished himself as the chairman of Community Board 11 and he understands the problems of overdevelopment and overcrowded schools that threaten the quality of life in this district. As councilman he will have the chance to fight for some of the projects in the Council that he worked for at the community board.

In this district, in particular, we hope the candidates who fail to win the nomination will remain active in public life.

District 20: John Choe

In District 20 Flushing Democrats will nominate a candidate to replace Councilman John Liu. Liu, who is running in the Democratic primary for city comptroller, was the first Chinese American elected to the Council. The crowded field in this race includes John Choe, Yen Chou, S.J. Jung, Isaac Sasson and James Wu. The person chosen to represent this district will need to weigh the concerns of the growing Korean-American and Chinese-American populations in Queens with those of residents who see themselves becoming the district’s new minority.

We believe Choe, Liu’s former chief of staff, is the candidate best prepared to represent this district. As the community liaison for Liu’s office, he dealt daily with constituent complaints. He has extensive experience and understands the complex issues facing the district. We believe he is ready to step up to the plate as the representative for the diverse Flushing neighborhood.

District 23: Mark Weprin

District 23 was yet another tough call. We admire the work of Swaranjit Singh, a community board member who has served as the unofficial ambassador of the borough’s Sikh community. If he is elected in November, he will be the first Sikh to hold public office in New York City.

Likewise we are impressed by Bob Friedrich’s activism and his commitment to the people of this district. He has served as president of Glen Oaks Village, a large co-op community in Queens. Even if he fails to win the Democratic nomination, he will remain on the ballot as the Republican candidate.

With some reservations about establishing a political dynasty, TimesLedger Newspapers endorses Mark Weprin. He is seeking to replace his brother, David, who is running for the comptroller nomination. Their father, Saul, served in the state Assembly for years, including a stint as speaker. When Saul died, Mark won his seat.

During his 15 years in Albany, Mark has helped author 62 laws. He understands the pressing issues facing his district, including education and the illegal conversion of houses.

Although we respect his opponents, Mark Weprin has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to get things done in public office.

District 25: Danny Dromm

In the three-way race in District 25, voters will choose between the two-term incumbent Councilwoman Helen Sears; Danny Dromm, a school teacher and community activist; and Stanley Kalathara, an immigration lawyer who is a relative newcomer to local politics.

Sears is running on the strength of her experience in the Council as a budget negotiator and has defended her vote to extend term limits by saying more than eight years is needed to complete long-term capital projects.

Dromm has touted his history as an activist on gay rights and immigration issues as well as his knowledge of education after decades of teaching in city schools, while Kalathara has focused largely on Sears’ vote in favor of extending term limits.

TimesLedger is giving its endorsement to Dromm, who has proven to be a passionate fighter for issues important to the community and is expected to be a more visible member of the Council if elected.

District 26: Jimmy Van Bramer

Four Democratic candidates are hoping to replace Councilman Eric Gioia in Sunnyside. Gioia is seeking the nomination for public advocate. The contenders in District 26 include attorney Deirdre Feerick; Queens Library External Affairs Director Jimmy Van Bramer; Bloomberg LP attorney Brent O’Leary; and Woodside translator David Rosasco, who is running as a write-in candidate after his petitions were challenged and he was removed from the ballot.

In a field of passionate candidates with deep local roots, Van Bramer stands out for his work as a community activist and organizer, including most notably his involvement in the city campaign finance reform effort of the late 1990s. TimesLedger endorses Van Bramer.

District 29: Karen Koslowitz

In District 29 an impressive roster of Democratic candidates is hoping to replace Councilwoman Melinda Katz in Forest Hills. Katz is running for comptroller. These are big shoes to fill. On the Democratic ticket are Bukharian lawyer Albert Cohen, former Assemblyman Michael Cohen, community activist Heidi Chain, former congressional aide Mel Gagarin, Queens Community Boards Director Karen Koslowitz and community activist Lynn Shulman.

We have decided to back Koslowitz, who served on the Council and was forced out by term limits. Her many years in public service and her commitment to making Queens a better place to live for people of all backgrounds make her an exceptional candidate. In particular, we have been impressed by her involvement in the borough’s hospital crisis, which is far from over.

The union represents 9,000 members of the city Fire Department.

“We are proud to endorse Karen Koslowitz for City Council based on her strong track record in public safety and her history of fighting for the FDNY,” said UFA President Stephen Cassidy. “Karen Koslowitz used her clout at City Hall to reopen firehouses and keep our neighborhoods safe. For Karen’s commitment to her community, we support her.”

Koslowitz said she was “grateful” for the endorsement.

“The support of this union means a great deal to me because it shows that its members appreciate my commitment to keeping our communities safe,” Koslowitz said. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think of the thousands of firefighters in New York City who give their strength, their energy, and sometimes their lives to put out fires, rescue our citizens, teach safety courses and administer emergency medical treatment.”

Schulman is running for Councilwoman Melinda Katz’s seat representing the 29th District, which includes Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens, and parts of Richmond Hill, Maspeth, and Elmhurst.

“There are two top contenders to replace Councilwoman Melinda Katz, who’s running for comptroller,” the Times stated in their endorsement. “They are Karen Koslowitz, the councilwoman before Ms. Katz, and Lynn Schulman. Ms. Schulman argues more powerfully for better access to schools and more affordable housing and health care. We endorse Ms. Schulman.”

El Diario La Prensa, the city’s oldest and largest Spanish-language daily paper, too threw its weight behind Schulman.

“Lynn Schulman is a life-long resident of Queens and a committed progressive who will fight for her community,” the El Diario endorsement states. “Schulman has had a career as an activist, health care executive and a non-profit leader. She has built her campaign around the issues of affordability for New York’s working families including calling for more accessible housing in her district and increased transportation options. She would be a great new voice in the City Council.”

Schulman also landed an endorsement from the Transport Workers Union, Local 100. The union represents the city’s transit workers.