City Council District 50 – Democratic Primary 2013

 
★Preferred Candidate★
 
John M. Mancuso – Dem
Candidate Questionnaire
Age: 32
Occupation: Full-time candidate
Education: Urban Politics and Policy (degree and name of degree granting institution not provided) / Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts (degree and name of degree granting institution not provided)
Campaign Website
Campaign Finance Filings
 
John Mancuso, an auxiliary police officer and former small business owner, is running for City Council to ensure Staten Island gets its fair share in the city budget and to ensure the Island is prepared to weather another superstorm like Hurricane Sandy. He believes his private sector experience along with being a staffer for former State Senator Seymour Lachman and Councilmember Vincent Gentile make him the most well-rounded candidate in the race. On reform issues, Mancuso believes every district should receive the same amount of discretionary funding. He wants to get rid of lulus and believes all the positions should be made full time with lower salaries. Mancuso is open to reducing the number of committees in the City Council, noting that some do not even meet annually. He additionally supports nonpartisan elections. Beyond good government issues, Mancuso opposes mayoral control and calls for the return of school boards albeit with members appointed by borough presidents. He wants to expand transportation options for the island, including the disabled, and improve the quality of roads by purchasing equipment that can both pave and grade roads. Citizens Union believes Mancuso brings a thoughtful approach to all issues, and his genuine commitment to reform gives him the edge over his primary opponent. We prefer him in the Democratic primary.
 
 
Mendy Mirocznik – Dem
Age: 40
Occupation: Court Attorney, New York Civil Court
Education: Touro College (BA), CUNY School of Law (JD)
 

Mendy Mirocznik is a political newcomer who entered politics because of the inadequate response to Hurricane Sandy. He has been an attorney for the civil court for thirteen years, is a member of Staten Island Community Board 2, and brings a civic-minded perspective to politics. On reform issues, Mirocznik believes the City Council Speaker has too much power, and supports rotating chairmanships and an independent office for bill drafting. He believes voter-initiated referenda should only be changed by the voters rather than the City Council. He supports abolishing lulus and reforming discretionary funding. Beyond reform, Mirocznik wants to ensure Staten Island is not the “forgotten borough” and gets its fair share in the city budget. He opposes mayoral control of schools, and wants to restore critical thinking instead of test focused instruction. He believes retirees should be utilized to conduct teacher evaluations. Mirocznik wants to increase the number of express buses on the island. Citizens Union believes Mirocznik shows an impressive grasp of the issues for a first-time candidate, but we believe his opponent is more independently positioned to deliver much-needed reform in the City Council.

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