Meet The Candidate: McArdle-Schulman For Congress In NY17

HUDSON VALLEY, NY - New Yorkers will choose their representatives to Congress Nov. 3 in the 2020 general election.

In anticipation of the election, Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Republican Maureen McArdle-Schulman is seeking to represent New York's District 17. The seat was long held by Rep. Nita Lowey, who is retiring. Her opponents are Mondaire Jones on the Democratic line, Yehudis Gottesfeld (Conservative), Joshua Eisen (Independent), and Michael Parietti on the Serve America Movement party line.

The district covers Rockland County and much of central and northwest Westchester County.

McArdle Schulman is a retired New York City firefighter. One of the city's first female firefighters, she spent her career in East Harlem at Engine 35. She has also run a business and worked as a substitute teacher. The 61-year-old has two daughters and three grandchildren. She and her husband live in Shrub Oak.

A cancer survivor, McArdle Schulman said her motivation to run for Congress is a direct result of her love of family and country.

Campaign website: www.maureen4congress.com

Check out Patch's full Q&A with Maureen McArdle-Schulman:

Why are you seeking elective office?

In January 2019, I stepped back from my retired life and watched as government representatives were not "representing" the best interest of my family, my community and our Nation. As a person who served in the FDNY for over 21 years I found that the behavior of the current politicians representing us was unacceptable as public servants. These politicians have forgotten that rather than serving the people that elect them, they voted based on special interest groups and identity politics. This is not how I was taught to serve.

Our country was founded on individual rights of each person to choose their lifestyle and religion and to governed not by mandate, but by law. We have seen in the past few months what happens when elected officials are weak, our once safe and welcoming communities have descended into anarchy and chaos. Our elected officials need to remember why they were elected, who elected them and the promises they made to their constituents of the safety of their citizens. They were elected to serve families, communities and the Nation.

My objective as the Representative for the 17th Congressional District is to "Bring Americans Together". I know that everyone in the District plays a key role in the survival and prosperity of the USA. We will always have differences in ideologies, but we can still work together, we will find out we have more in common, than we realize.

The single most pressing issue facing our nation/state/community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The issue I find most pressing is the attack on our personal civil liberties. My job as your representative will be be to secure your rights as and defend the Constitution! These rights include freedom of speech, the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of religion and the right to keep and bear arms. We all have the right to live in peaceful harmony in our community and be free from outside agitators.

My democratic opponent was out protesting a few months ago with a Marxist organization a few months ago. The same Marxist organization that wants to defund the police. If you check his Federal Election Commission filings most of his donations come from Act Blue PAC. The Act Blue PAC, is the donate button on BLM website. How can my opponent raise his hand swear allegiance to protect this country against enemies both foreign and domestic when he is actively protesting against this country with a Marxist organization? He will not, he will serve that organization that paid for his election.

As a former Firefighter who served in East Harlem, I knew who I served....The People! I never picked and chose who I would serve or or how I would serve them. I never told people to fall in line and fight their own fires. As your Congressional Representative my responsibility, as it has been in the past, is to secure your personal liberties and freedoms and I will do it again. I will never VOTE to take away YOUR personal freedoms and liberties.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

As a woman who broke the glass ceiling in 1982, by joining the New York City Fire Department, I have the experience of being a public servant. I know the that service is hard and it will take up much of my family life and at this time in my life I should be enjoying in retirement. I am willing to do the hard work because our families and our communities are worth it. I know that service to the public is a noble and humbling profession. As your Congressional representative I will not hide behind a social media feed. I will bring Americans together we have more in common than we know. I will address problems and learn about solutions to the challenges WE face.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

The other issue that are important to me, jobs, jobs and more jobs, the antipolice policies around the nation, AFFH, the New Way Forward Act, all life is precious from conception to end of life, Born Alive Protection Act.

Crimes rates in NYC have risen shootings are up 33% for example. As the crime rate in NYC has risen people and businesses are fleeing NYC. We want to welcome with open arms those people and business who are fleeing NYC to Westchester and Rockland County. We have the infrastructure, we have the safety for your businesses and employees, we have the room, we have the employees waiting for these jobs. We welcome you and your tax dollars.

The call to defund, dismantle, monies away from the Police. I feel is a major mistake. We as law abiding citizen need our police to protect us. I feel giving in to these radicals taking over sections of a city is a major mistake. I think of the irony of the occupy wall street protest, and how most of the protesters left the area to go wait on line for the latest iPhone to be purchased, hypocrisy at its finest. We are now finding out that some of the protestors in BLM are from out of our areas, went to very expensive universities, live in very rich areas and used to hold down very lucrative jobs. Yet, they come to our cities and create havoc in our communities, rioting, arson, destroying our businesses, many minority owned. How dare they..... go home stop destroying our communities.
My Democratic opponent has openly stated he wants to "dismantle and move funding away from Police Departments and toward programs that improve public safety by helping to address the roots of systemic inequality" How can money being taken from police departments improve public safety? My opponent has never WORKED in my Fire Boots. My Democratic opponent is an elitists' Marxist. He has never walked in the shoes of the many people who live and work in the 17th Congressional District. My Democratic opponent has been hiding behind Social media and is the darling of all the main stream media, including Teen Vogue, while I am out knocking on doors and meeting people face to face. Listening to their concerns.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

While being a Firefighter at the busiest fire department in the USA. I was putting out burning buildings and saving lives, which is very labor intensive work. I also had the worries of being a wife to a Police Officer and a mother to my two daughters. I commuted to my job in East Harlem and worked long hours which affected my family life. It was a delicate balance juggling act to provide for my family physically, emotionally, and spiritually but I did it. I learn to plan, organize and budget my family needs and I did it successfully. My daughter graduated from SUNY Stonybrook, without any debt. My husband and I worked many jobs to accomplish that endeavor. I have worked 21 days straight without a day off to accomplish that goal. I see those results today in my loving husband who would rather fish and golf than be a political figure, my hardworking daughter and my 3 precious grandchildren. I know as a public servant that the work of our government is essential to the Republic and the people it serves. As your Congressional Representative I plan to serve ALL those residing in the 17th Congressional District.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

On one hand my Mom always told me if you don't have something nice to say, say nothing at all. But Dad was a man of few words, boy he had a look that would stop you in your tracks. I have my Dad's look, I respond to questions sometimes without words. I am learning to to verbalize more and I do it with honesty, sometimes I am brutally honest to my own determent. That's the way I was raised. I will always be honest with my constituents, I will listen to them and defend them.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

As your next Congressional representative for NY-17 I pledge to always legislate in the best interest of our families, community and our nation. I want to use the knowledge I have gained over a lifetime of public service to make positive changes for the future generations of Americans. These changes are with eye to preserving the Republic and the protection of civil liberties as determined in the Constitution of the United States.
Please VOTE for Maureen McArdle Schulman on Tuesday November 3, 2020
Thank you.