NYC Council Election: Vickie Paladino Seeks Bayside Seat

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Republican voters in New York City's 19th Council district, which includes College Point, Whitestone, Malba, Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, North Flushing, and Auburndale, will see 2 names on their ballots when they vote in the June 22 primary election.

One of those names will be Vickie Paladino, a business owner and activist.

Patch reached out to all candidates in the election to create these profiles. Paladino's responses are below.

<b>Age (as of Election Day)</b>

67

<b>Position Sought</b>

City Council, District 19

<b>Party Affiliation</b>

Republican

<b>Neighborhood of residence (i.e., East Village, Astoria, etc.)</b>

Whitestone

<b>Family</b>

Husband, two sons, two sisters, and over a dozen nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces and nephews.

<b>Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?</b>

No.

<b>Education</b>

High School.

<b>Occupation</b>

Small business owner of over thirty years, and COO of local manufacturing business for an additional 15 years.

<b>Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office</b>

None.

<b>Campaign website</b>

VickieForNYC.com

<b>Why are you seeking elective office?</b>

Because years of mismanagement on the part of our elected officials has led to an undeniable and precipitous decline in our quality of life, public safety, and overall health of our communities. I simply could not stand by anymore as our district and our city is destroyed right before our eyes as a corrupt and unaccountable political monopoly makes life worse in every measurable way for the hard working, law abiding citizens of New York.

<b>The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.</b>

Public safety. Nothing else matters policy-wise if crime continues to spiral out of control and people are scared in their own neighborhoods. We cannot recover the economy or get businesses back on track or address the housing crisis without first building upon a foundation of public safety. It is simply the single greatest issue we face in this city today, and it is one which the Democrat political monopoly is completely unable to address in any serious manner, because it's the very policies implemented by the Democrat monopoly that are entirely responsible for the unprecedented spike in crime we are now experiencing.
The very first order of business must be the full re-funding of the NYPD, the redeployment of plainclothes anti-crime units throughout the city, and the restoration of qualified immunity. But that is only the beginning. We need a comprehensive restoration of criminal justice from top to bottom, including a return to cash bail, strict sentencing guidelines, reopening Rikers Island and abandoning plans for borough jails, as well as district attorneys who will aggressively pursue charges against lawbreakers. We also need to end the insane and cruel hands-off homeless policy that has seen our streets flooded with dangerous mentally ill and drug-addicted derelicts. There are several large-scale institutional facilities in New York that sit mostly unused, which could be employed for the much-needed care and housing of these people.

<b>What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?</b>

The Democrats running for this council seat are only there to bolster the corrupt political monopoly that has already failed our district and our city miserably. There simply is no comparison between myself, a 67-year resident of this district with a lifetime of experience and a comprehensive reform agenda that will restore bipartisanship and accountability to our government, and yet another rubber-stamp Democrat who will simply continue the failures that are already destroying everything we've worked hard for.

<b>If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)</b>

The current occupant of this council seat has failed our district on every level. He has overseen the opening of homeless shelters in our communities, he has voted to defund the police, voted in favor of closing Rikers Island, and worked to keep our constituents in the dark about all of it every step of the way. Because as a part of the Democrat monopoly, his job was not to represent this community, it was to further the radical agenda of the party despite the wishes of the voters. And while he is thankfully term-limited out of his seat, the Democrats now running will simply continue more of the same.

<b>How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?</b>

Horribly. Officials in New York destroyed our economy, closed our schools, and threw the population into a state of terror over a virus that was virtually harmless to the vast majority of the healthy population, while simultaneously neglecting the one demographic most vulnerable to it -- our elderly. It was, and continues to be, a disgrace. Meanwhile other states took a much lighter touch on regulations and restrictions and saw outcomes similar or better than ours.
There is no sugarcoating this -- our officials got it wrong, and states like Florida got it right. That's why we're losing over 900 people PER DAY to Florida, and will continue to hemorrhage residents and tax revenue until we bring some kind of common sense back to our government. This is no small issue, and we cannot simply write these people off -- these losses are unsustainable, and we need to pay attention to the reasons people are fleeing our city and rectify them quickly.

<b>Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.</b>

I'm dedicated to restoring our education system by ending poisonous Critical Race Theory in our schools, reinstituting merit-based placement like the SHSAT, supporting charter schools and vouchers as well as private education, and breaking the back of the corrupt and reprehensible teachers union.
It is also critical that we support our small business community at this time with every tool available to us. This includes grants, tax abatements, low-interest loans, and rent/mortgage assistance. And importantly, we need to forgive ALL covid-era fines levied on businesses and any business or entity which has already paid a fine should have those fines refunded
Overdevelopment of our neighborhoods is also a major issue here in District 19. And the Democrats in City Hall have further targeted this district for further overdevelopment in the form of 'upzoning' and the total elimination of single-family housing. This is completely unacceptable and will lead to the total destruction of our neighborhoods. Nevertheless, this is now the official position of the Democratic party, and the election of another Democrat to this council seat will guarantee it's passage.

<b>What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?</b>

I have been an activist in this community my entire life. I've been married for 37 years and raised a family and run two businesses right here in this district. I've seen the good and the bad here, and I've been through it all. There is nobody better qualified or more prepared to represent the people of this district than me.

<b>The best advice ever shared with me was:</b>

<b>What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?</b>

I'm an open book, and I'm happy to speak with anyone about their concerns for our district or answer questions about my candidacy. I urge all voters who want to get to know me to stop by my office at 20-15 Francis Lewis Boulevard in Whitestone anytime between 12pm-8pm seven days a week for a conversation. No appointment necessary, just stop by.