Tony on the Issues
Councilman Tony Avella understands what makes our communities great places to live, work and raise a family. As Chair of Zoning and Franchises for the City Council, he has taken on the developers who threaten the very fabric of our neighborhoods. Tony Avella created new zoning laws to stop the proliferation of McMansions and passed
historic legislation that prevents the willful destruction of our precious landmark buildings. As Mayor, Tony Avella, will stop unscrupulous developers dead in their tracks, stop out-of character construction, and prevent once and for all the destruction of our neighborhoods.
Preserving Our Community
Councilman Tony Avella understands how we cherish our quality of life. He has fought to ensure that our parks and playgrounds are properly maintained and safe for our children. Since Tony Avella’s election, he has obtained millions of dollars to enhance parks and acquire new parkland in his Council District. As Mayor, Tony Avella will ensure that city-wide our parks receive the proper funding and that playground recreational programs, once a thing of the past, are an integral part of every community.
Protecting Our Families
As a leading member of the City Council’s Fire and Criminal Justice Services Committee, Councilman Tony Avella has fought hard to ensure that our firefighters have the resources and support they need and he has been a tireless advocate for additional police officers.
As Mayor, Tony Avella would ensure that our firefighters and police officers are paid salaries that match their metropolitan area counterparts, so that we do not lose our most experienced uniformed workforce to other municipalities.
Tony Avella, as Mayor, would restore police manpower levels and ensure that each precinct has sufficient police officers to properly patrol and respond to every emergency. Tony Avella will also re-open the closed firehouses to reduce emergency response time and fully restore Fire Marshall manpower levels so that arson fires are fully investigated.
Putting Education First
A lot of politicians talk about improving schools, but Councilman Tony Avella has actually delivered for the kids of his District in
Tony Avella, as Mayor, will also undo the current “teaching to the test” philosophy dictated by the Department of Education. Tony Avella will ensure that administrators, teachers and parents have a real say in the education process and that teachers are paid appropriately.
Thanks to Councilman Tony Avella’s hard work at City Hall, School Districts 25 and 26 in
Councilman Tony Avella is a middle class homeowner who is committed to keeping
taxes on New Yorkers as low as possible. So when a record-breaking 18.48% property tax increase was introduced, Councilman Tony Avella was the first of his colleagues to stand-up on the City Council floor and vote “no.”
He’s offered innovative solutions to help the City balance its books without burdening
taxpayers, such as ground-breaking legislation that would force vandals who damage City
property to foot the bill. After all, why should honest, hard working taxpayers have to pay for damages caused by the negligence or criminal activity of others? Those responsible for destroying City property should be held accountable. It’s a common-sense law that will save us money.
And he put his money where his mouth is, donating 5% of his salary back to the community each year to help support libraries and senior citizen programs. And he is the only Council Member to refuse the anti-good government “lulu,” which is used by the Council leadership to keep member’s votes in line.
Tony Avella will never stop fighting for taxpayers and as Mayor he will finally reduce the enormous tax burden that we all face.
Let’s send him to City Hall as the Mayor of New York City in the 2009 election.
Protecting Animals
Tony Avella is the leading advocate of animal rights and welfare in City government. In the 2007 League of Humane Voters of New York City (LOHV-NYC) New York City Council “Humane Scorecard” Tony received a 100% rating with two of his bills highlighted in their report: Reso. 497 “Humane Education” and Intro. “Pets in Housing.” In 2007, Tony received an award from the LOHV-NYC for his efforts on behalf of animals. In May 2008, Tony was honored by In Defense of Animals with a “Companion Animal Guardian Award.”
As a City Council Member, he authored several important pieces of legislation to protect animals.
Horse Drawn Carriage Ban: The purpose of Tony’s proposed Horse Drawn Carriage ban is to repeal all provisions within the administrative code that authorize the operation of horse-drawn carriages within New York City. Tony believes that the time has come to ban the operation of these businesses within New York City. The romanticized idea of enjoying a carriage horse ride through the streets of Manhattan can no longer justify the inhumane treatment and risk of serious injury or death to these animals or to the public at large.
Pets In Housing Bill: This legislation would clarify the rights of pet owners in New York City multiple dwellings. Currently, tenants who have had pets for years in the same apartment with the owners knowledge are not protected when they get a new pet. This legislation would restore, in part, the right of rental tenants in multiple dwellings to ensure that once the no-pet clause is waived for one pet, the rental tenant may replace that pet or pets without being subject to eviction for violating the no-pet lease clause.
HEART Resolution: This Resolution calls upon the New York City (NYC) Department of Education (DOE) to follow the New York State Education Law, which requires instruction on the humane treatment and protection of animals. Tony’s resolution directs DOE to require all NYC elementary schools to teach humane education as part of the yearly curriculum.
Nativity Scenes in NYC Schools
The New York City Department of Education (DOE) has a holiday display policy in public elementary and secondary schools that allows for the display of the Menorah and the Star and Crescent. Yet, for Christians during this important time of year, the only symbol DOE will allow is a Christmas tree.
Tony believes that DOE’s policy is discriminatory towards Christians. He believes, as many Christians do, that a Christmas tree is not representative of the religious significance of Christmas.
As Mayor, Tony will instruct DOE to allow the Nativity Scene to be displayed in city schools.
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Dear Tony,
Thank God a real representative of the middle class is about to run for Mayor of this City. Over the years you have proven that you are willing to do whatever it takes to help and protect New Yorkers. As an active civic leader I know first hand that you are dedicated to your job and the needs of the people. I am planning to be at your announcement on March 30th and will encourage others to do the same.
Good luck and God Bless You.
Joe Amoroso
Kissena Park Civic Association Zoning Chair
Queens Civic Congress Zoning & Code Enforcement Co-Chair
I’m 100% with you on those points. But That’s not enough to be mayor of NYC. There’s infrastructure, the economy, conflicts from all over the world now playing out on these shores,as fast as the airplanes go back and forth and the media broadcast pictures, to say nothing of Albany and Wahington politics imploding on our little Hobbitville. That’s what bothers me.
wow, finally an elected political person who still believes in OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE. after 12 years under a republican governer and 16 years under republican mayors this city has gone to the rich, greedy and powerful.
Mayor Bloomberg a lame duck is getting even for not getting his stadium in Manhattan and propossing such a terribly worded legislation for congestion zone pricing that i believe it will not only fail but really hurt the working class in New York City. Go online CZP is failing in London, they have had to double the price to drive in the CZ and expand the area of the CZ. Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens will be included in time, not to mention how driving patterns will change and make the city more congested.
The number one cause of congestion in New York City is Mayor Bloomberg. I’ve been saying this should be an issue for the mext Mayoral election. No media has taken the issue to the public to show all the downside of this issue. The rich, greedy and powerful want this city for themselves.
I live in community board #3 you get my vote.
Today Mar 31st 08 i read in the news that people from New Jersey still get a free ride. The city is expected to get one billion dolars from the NYNJPA in exchange for not charging N.J.commuters and upstate commuters who use the tunnels and George Washington Bridge. If the commuters who use these bridges and tunnels don’t have to pay to drive into the congestion zone how is that going to halt congestion, Only NEW YORK CITY RESIDENT, Bklyn, Queens, Bronx,Staten Island and long Islanders will pay to drive into Manhattan, cost of all deliveries will increase. I guess also Connecticut commuters will also pay $8.00. Does Mayor Bloomberg believe he is the new head of the NYNJPA.I wonder,how is he going to discount the Connecticut commuters.
Is there no journalist or media out there to ask the hard questions anymore.
The head of this new CZP is the Governor of N.y who will appoint who will run this opperation, can you picture a committee from upstate overseeing driving in New York City. This Mayor is selling out New York City. Also in this plan is for any city with a population of one million to implement CZP,Yonkers, Albany,Buffalo, Syracuse, NEWARK ETC.
I find it hard to believe that all the communitiey boards are behind this, to vote to screw your neighbors and neighborhoods while anyone from the other side of the Hudson river gets a free ride in downtown Manhattan and only N.Y.C. residents have to pay the bill in crossing the east river not to mention higher prices for all deliveries into and thru Manhattan.
With a Mayor, Governor, Boro president and commmunity boards like this who has to worry about the enemy.
You seem to be genuine and I sincerely hope you are the real deal. I need to do more research on you, but you have so far impressed me. As a resident of Astoria, I have witnessed the destruction of the community due to the over development. Furthermore, I see the congestion pricing scheme as insultingly and akin to ghettoizing us. I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.
Salvatore D. Chiarelli
Political Action Club at Baruch College - President
Mr Avella ;
fights for the little guy against real-estate developers-who will kick me out of my own block to build condos!!!
[…] here to read more about Tony’s position on overdevelopment in our […]
[…] accidents to the high-profile resignation of Commissioner Patricia Lancaster. Tony has made overdevelopment a major issue in his Mayoral campaign and reforming the Department of Buildings is a key part of […]
[…] upon Governor David Paterson to call a time out on the Atlantic Yards Project. Tony has made Preventing Overdevelopment a major issue in his campaign for […]
It’s so refreshing to see a candidate who’s willing to stand up for working and middle class New Yorkers in the face of the overwhelming gentrification and overdevelopment that has blighted our city and pushed longtime residents and small businesses out. It will be an uphill battle but you have my support and my vote, Councilman.
[…] safely and easily.It will be interesting to see how the "close proximity" pitch plays to the anti-development, down-zoning crowd that is certain to be an energetic part of the 2009 election. The language is still pretty vague […]
A politician who doesn’t put up with games and stands up for what is right for the public including those without a voice (including animals which enrich our lives) is exactly what NYC and other US cities need! If I believed in cloning, Tony would be a perfect cloning candidate.
[…] To put an end to the “inhumane treatment and risk of serious injury or death” to both horses and people, Avella’s pending bill would “repeal all provisions within the administrative code that authorize the operation of horse-drawn carriages within New York City,” according to his website. […]
Fine, he wants to “revolutionize” city gov’t. But how does being the council member of a quasi-suburb (sorry, Bayside is more akin to a Long Island neighborhood than urban NYC) qualify Tony to shepherd NYC through this truly pivotal economic crisis? I see not a single remarkable achievement in the “Tony on the Issues” section pertaining to fiscal/economic experience–at least not one that meets the criteria for the difficult times ahead. Reducing or preventing increases to property taxes?? Please. That’s for the Staten Island Republicans or his constituents to cheerlead. If Tony forgot to cite his experience, well, I’d be interested in knowing it. Otherwise, he’s in over his head.
Dear Tony, Doubleday Books recently honored me by awarding me
the eternal cigarette. I would like to pass on my good fortune to other smokers. What we must do is repeal the $1.50 city excise tax on a pack, the state
$1.50 excise tax per pack and the federal excise tax somewhere between .61 and $1.00 per pack. Tobacco is a minor stimulant and minor tranquilizer. The best people have always used it. People like Ben Franklin, Andrew Jackson and Ronald Reagan were all smokers. signed, Scott Martin.