Dromm: A Strong Voice for Change

Dromm: A Strong Voice for Change from Visual Democracy on Vimeo.

JH Times: Dromm Strong in Council Race

from Jackson Heights Times:
by Jeremy Walsh

The dynamics of November’s City Council races were beginning to take shape in western Queens as candidates reported their fund−raising totals for the March 15 city Campaign Finance Board deadline.

The race in District 25, which includes Corona, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Woodside, was in limbo, although Democratic District Leader Daniel Dromm has raised $79,072.

It was unclear if Dromm would face incumbent Councilwoman Helen Sears (D−Jackson Heights), who is remaining coy over what seat she will seek in the upcoming election. Sears had raised $110,623 by March 15.

Third in the race is Con Edison spokesman Alfonso Quiroz, Sears’ former deputy chief of staff, who had raised $62,558 by March 15. Trailing Quiroz was Jackson Heights lawyer Stanley Kalathara, who had raised $29,632 by March 15.

Daniel Dromm "State of the District" Speech

Daniel Dromm "State of the District" from Visual Democracy on Vimeo.

City Council candidate Daniel Dromm addresses the "State of the District" for the 25th City Council District in Queens. Dromm spoke about the challenges facing our community and presented a vision for our future. Progress depends on the active participation of an awakened electorate. Please listen to the progressive policies and grassroots agenda that Daniel Dromm has planned for our community. To learn about Daniel Dromm's record of leadership, visit our website: www.DanielDromm.com

Dromm Wishes You A Happy St. Patricks Day

Dromm with St. Patrick's For All Parade organizers Kathleen Walsh-D'Arcy and Brendan Fay.
Daniel Dromm wishes you a Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Dromm On the Issues: Education

School Overcrowding
Our district has urgent needs in education. Now is the time for a leader to act boldly and wisely, to build a new foundation for progress. It's an agenda that begins with education.

We can not compete as a community with schools that are overcrowded. I conduced an analysis of public schools in our district and was alarmed at the extent of how overcrowded our schools truly are.

click on stats for larger view:
It is shameful that we have schools like PS 228 operated at 231% of capacity. Of the 18 schools serving our district, 13 are over-capacity. We need to immediately address this problem. As your City Council representative, I will make it a top priority to build more classrooms in our district. I will vigorously pursue federal recovery funds to expand schools in our area and to build new ones.

source: Dept of Education & insideschools.org

Dromm On The Issues: Mass Transit Funding

Our community benefits greatly from our various mass transit options. Studies have shown that the fastest and most effective way to reduce air pollution and dependence on foreign oil is to get more people out of cars and onto trains or buses. We need to prioritize mass transit funding.

NYC subways and buses require additional funding to maintain, improve, and expand services. Even with more and more people using public transportation, raising MTA fares will only hurt riders and will not help to sustain the system. We need to purchase additional subway cars, faster trains, and more reliable buses.

As your City Council representative, I will research and investigate all options in the pursuit of new funding for subways and buses. Mass Transit is a critical part of what makes our city great and, in particular, what makes our community an excellent place to live. I know that we can find a fair and reasonable way to find more funding for our buses and subways.

JH Times: Con Ed Must Prevent Eruptions

From Jackson Heights Times: After two manhole explosions rattled Queens over the past two weeks, state Sen. Hiram Monserrate (D−East Elmhurst), his elected Council successor Julissa Ferreras and Democratic District Leader Daniel Dromm gathered in Jackson Heights Friday to call on Consolidated Edison to step up its monitoring efforts.

Since January, there have been 40 electrical incidents reported in the city, including the explosions at 77th Street and 37th Road and at 40th Avenue and 43rd Street, Monserrate said. Con Ed spokesman Chris Olert said the number was probably accurate, but noted that the FDNY has recorded fewer manhole incidents this year than last.

Monserrate, Ferreras and Dromm suggested Con Ed was not putting any of the increased revenues it got from a recent rate hike into the infrastructure of communities like Jackson Heights. “If you’re going to increase your rates, you should have safety for your customer,” Ferreras said. She and Dromm also called on the utility to send out more inspectors to areas of aging infrastructure.

Queens Chronicle: Con Ed Endangering Queens Residents

From Queens Chronicle: For many pedestrians and motorists, traversing the streets and sidewalks of western Queens has turned into a game of Russian roulette. A manhole cover explosion last Thursday at 77th Street and 37th Road in Jackson Heights was the 13th incident in Queens linked to Con Edison since the beginning of the year, according to state Sen. Hiram Monserrate (D-East Elmhurst).

Democratic District Leader Danny Dromm, who plans to run against Councilwoman Helen Sears (D-Jackson Heights) in September’s primary, joined Monseratte and Ferreras at the site of last week’s 77th Street blast, demanding more oversight of a utility giant responsible for repairing and maintaining 93,000 miles of underground electrical cable throughout the city and upstate Westchester County.

“Queens residents want to know what is going on and why this is happening with such frequency in our borough,” Dromm said.

Queens Gazette: Pols Want Con Ed Investigated For Flying Manhole Covers In J.H.

From Queens Gazette:Following two manhole explosions in Jackson Heights and Elmhurst last week, state Senator Hiram Monserrate and City Councilmember-elect Julissa Ferreras called on Con Edison to investigate the incidents. Monserrate (D- Jackson Heights), who was joined in the request by local Democratic District Leader Daniel Dromm, said that in working with the state Public Service Commission (PSC), he had uncovered more than 40 "electrical incidents" throughout the five boroughs since January.

Dromm said, "Queens residents want to know what is going on and why this is happening with such frequency in the borough."

A Con Ed spokesman explained that the company has undertaken a program to replace the present manhole covers with vented ones to prevent smoke from smoldering cables from building up, causing fires and sending the manhole covers flying.

Daily News: Leaders want Con Ed answers

From NY Daily News:
Con Edison must step up to the plate following a week of two separate manhole explosions in Jackson Heights and Elmhurst, elected officials said.

New state Sen. Hiram Monserrate, City Councilwoman-elect Julissa Ferreras and District Leader Daniel Dromm on Friday demanded an investigation into the utility giant's infrastructure.

Monserrate accused the company of repeatedly putting residents in harm's way. This year alone, there have been more than 40 reported incidents citywide - 13 of them in Queens, he said. These included power outages, electrical fires and carbon monoxide scares that have forced residents to evacuate their homes in the middle of the night.

Ferreras noted the last manhole explosion happened in the early morning hours of March 5, just steps from Public School 69 in Jackson Heights.

"This could have been a tragedy. A school bus could've been right there," she said.

Recent power outages left (parts of) Jackson Heights without lights and oil burners for more than 12 hours, Dromm said.

"We're demanding that Con Ed give us answers and shed light on their future plans to provide reliable service," he said. "We want them to put some of their billion-dollar profit back into the communities they serve."

AreaNewYork: Latinos for Dromm Event

from AreaNewYork.com:

En la velada del 5 de marzo del 2009, Latinos residentes de Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, y Corona juntos respaldaron a Daniel Dromm, candidato al Concejo Municipal de la Ciudad de Nueva York por el Distrito 25. Daniel Dromm, actual lider del distrito en Jackson Heights, ha sido avalado por el Asambelista Jose Peralta y la Concejal Julissa Ferreras, entre otros oficiales electos de la Ciudad de Nueva York. Ver mas fotos click AQUI

Dromm to Address "State of the District"

City Council candidate Daniel Dromm will address the "State of the District". Dromm will speak about the challenges facing our community and a vision for our future. Please join us on Thursday, March 12th at 8pm at the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights, 37-06 77th Street. Progress depends on the active participation of an awakened electorate. Get involved!

St. Patrick's Event to Support Dromm Run

Come out to celebrate St. Patrick's and help the grassroots and progressive campaign of Daniel Dromm for City Council. Join us at Saints and Sinners in Woodside on Sunday, March 15 from 3pm-6pm.

Daniel Dromm for City Council
St. Patrick's Day Celebration
Sunday, March 15th 3pm-6pm
Saints & Sinners
59-21 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside, NY

Dromm Organizes Teachers for Fair Share Tax Reform Rally at City Hall

Daniel Dromm, City Council candidate and UFT chapter leader, organized a large group of teachers to attend the Fair Share Tax Reform Rally at City Hall on Thursday, March 5th.

From WNYC.ORG:

Grassroots Effort is Key to Dromm Campaign

People For Daniel Dromm is happy to report another successful fundraising period. We have built a grassroots organization that brings hundreds of people into the political process. Our campaign for the City Council 25th District is centered around bringing progressive changes to our community. Over 75% of the contributions to our campaign are from Queens residents. The majority of those contributions are from people who live in the council district giving small donations.

Our success requires additional resources. Grassroots volunteers will play a major role in the ground efforts to generate turnout and to educate voters about our campaign. Get involved today. To join us, click here.

photo credit: creativecommons/wikispace

Dromm Attends Citizens Budget Commission Event

City Council candidate Daniel Dromm attended the Citizens Budget Commission event last night (March 3rd) which emphasized the great work that CBC does for our city. The Citizens Budget Commission is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civic organization devoted to influencing constructive change in the finances and services of New York City and New York State government. The CBC is a watchdog. The Commission's scrutiny of the efficiency and fiscal standing of government provides a continuous and reliable presence. To learn more about the Citizens Budget Commission, click here.

Dromm On the Issues: Sanitation

Cleaning Up Our Streets
Dirty streets are a serious public health problem. As well as being unpleasant for residents and visitors, a run-down appearance encourages vandalism and abuse. The Jackson Heights Beautification Group has been a leading voice in illustrating this problem. As your city council representative, Daniel Dromm will fight to secure funding that would allow the Department of Sanitation to double the number of trash cans and trash pick-ups in the commercial districts including 37th Avenue, Roosevelt Avenue, Northern Blvd, Broadway, Queens Blvd and 57th Avenue. He will also be instrumental in getting a Business Improvement District for 73rd and 74th Streets. We live in a beautiful neighborhood; we deserve adequate city services to keep it that way.

Queens Courier: Dromm Marches in St. Pat's For All Parade

From Queens Courier:
One day a year, on St. Patrick’s Day, the Irish and non-Irish alike wear green, sing jigs and show off their buttons that say “Kiss Me I’m Irish.”

Everybody can be Irish on that day unless, according to the organizers of the Fifth Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade, you are a gay or lesbian. Ten years ago this weekend, the all-inclusive St. Pat’s For All Parade and Festival in Sunnyside was born and organizers believe that the theme of inclusiveness has been the reason for the parade’s success.

Latinos, Choctaw Native Americans, Tibetans, school bands, girl scouts, bag pipers, puppeteers, gays and lesbians, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, will march alongside Irish men and women on Sunday, March 1 beginning at 1:30 p.m. on 43rd Street and Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside and ending at 61st Street and Woodside. Other political leaders marching will include Representative Joseph Crowley, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, Councilmembers David Weprin and Tony Avella, and District Leader Danny Dromm.

“What we were doing was trying to find an alternative to the Hibernian parade in Manhattan,” said Dromm, a co-founder of the parade and a proud gay Irish Catholic. “What better place to have an inclusive St. Patrick’s Day Parade than in Queens, the borough of nations.”

photo credit: flickr/afulki

Dromm Receives Corona Lion's Club Community Advocate Award

Daniel Dromm received the Community Advocate Award from Corona Lion's Club President Joseph DeGaetano at an award ceremony at Russo's on the Bay on March 1st. In his speech, Dromm thanked Hon. James C. Lisa, immediate past president of the Corona Lion's Club and a Democratic district leader in Corona for all of his dedication and hard work for the community.

Also, present at the event was United States Senator Charles Schumer who posed with Dromm for this photo. Mayor Bloomberg also stopped by to wish the honorees and the organization well.

Dromm Celebrates Dominican Heritage Month

Photo caption: Dromm, Yonel Letellier Sosa, Ana Lopez and others join Queens BP Helen Marshall (fourth from right to second from right) Council Member Julissa Ferreras and Assembly Member Jose Peralta at the annual salute to the Dominican Republic.

Democratic District Leader Daniel Dromm saluted the Dominican community and recognized their contributions to New York City when he attended the annual Dominican Heritage Month celebration held at PS 19 in Corona on February 26th. The event was sponsored by Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and Assembly Member Jose Peralta. The celebration recognized the 165th anniversary of independence for the Dominican Republic.

photo credit: Dominick Totino Photography

Austin Armitstead Memorial

We are sad to hear of the death of Rev. Austin H. Armitstead, former pastor of Community United Methodist Church, 1974-1995.

Friends from the community, parishioners, and colleagues will join in a Methodist service of tribute on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 7pm. Your presence is invited and appreciated.

If you wish to sign a guest book for Rev. Armitstead, there is an obituary listed here with a place to offer tributes that are available to the family.

-Dr. Ron Tompkins