Publication Date: Summer 2000
2000 Election Preview:
ELECTION TIME APPROACHES
ELECTIONS BRING OPPORTUNITIES
In the year 2000, voters in New York State have the opportunity to take
part in a controversial Senatorial election as well as the election of
their local Congressional representative, their State Senator, and State
Assembly representative.
ELECTIONS BRING CHANGE
In 2001 there will be elections in New York City, where term limits enacted
in 1993 require that the Mayor, the Comptroller, the Public Advocate,
four of the five Borough Presidents and 35 of the 51 City Council members
leave their present positions.
These promise to be very interesting elections in which every eligible
voter should participate.
LEARN ABOUT THE CANDIDATES
As election time approaches, candidates can be found everywhere, making
themselves available to talk with constituents as they seek their support.
This is an opportunity for you to make sure that the candidates know about
cooperatives and condominiums and that they will promote the issues important
to us. Where does this candidate stand on property tax equity? Will he
or she take the lead in working for the legislation we will need to extend
the abatement (see page 3)? Naturally, you will also want to make sure
that they are aware of neighborhood issues that you consider important.
Get to know the candidates; take advantage of every opportunity to make
them aware of your issues. CNYC will do its part by sending a questionnaire
to every candidate for public office in the five boroughs to elicit their
thoughts on tax reform on a separate part in housing court for cases relating
to cooperatives and condominiums, and on conversion of buildings to cooperative
and condominium status. Responses will be tallied and published in the
autumn issue of this Newsletter in time to help you with decisions in
the November elections.
CAST YOUR VOTE !!
New York Primary Day is September 12th
Election Day is November 7th
You must do your part by voting responsibly and encouraging everyone in
your cooperative or condominium to do the same. We in co-ops and condos
have a reputation for being conscientious voters. We know all too well
that failure to support like-minded candidates can result in the election
of a board that radically alters the quality of life in our building.
We have learned first hand the importance of bringing out the vote. And
we take this lesson from our homes into the wider political arena of public
life. Because it is so well known that citizens who live in cooperatives
and condominiums take their voting responsibilities quite seriously, local
candidates will generally be quite happy to accept an invitation to speak
at your building.
VAST TURNOVER IN CITY GOVERNMENT
In anticipation of next year's wholesale turnover in City government,
many people have already announced their candidacy for high office in
the city. As the year unfolds, there will be more announcements, more
solicitations of your support, and more opportunities to insert your needs
and those of your cooperative or condominium into the political debate.
CNYC and the Action Committee for Reasonable Real Estate Taxes are determined
that property tax reform should be kept prominent in the public eye. We
do not want to lose the momentum of our tax fairness crusade. With your
help, we are confident that we can persuade every candidate to focus on
this vital issue and others explored in the pages of this Newsletter.
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