With Just Days To Go: Final Thoughts From Bob Zuckerman (39th)

I asked Bob Zuckerman, who is running for City Council in the 39th district, some questions in an email about what he considered highlights and low points of the campaign. I asked him about lessons learned. This was his free flowing response.

You're right about it being a little too soon to reflect on the campaign.  I haven't had adequate time to catch up on sleep yet – much less, reflect on what I regret, or what I'd do differently; right now, I'm focused on the finish line.  I'll be happy to sit down with you and reflect on the race after September 15^th.   I will say that I’ve been impressed and humbled by the people I’ve spoken with all over this district – from Columbia Street to Fort Hamilton –and by how much they love and care about their neighborhoods and their communities.

As far as a high point in the campaign, one small, yet sweet moment stands out.  While calling voters in Windsor Terrace last week, I spoke to a man whose door I had knocked on months before.  He told me his 8 year-old son Zack had met me at the subway station and that I was a "minor celebrity" in their household.  Zack and I chatted briefly on the phone, and bonded about having names that start with the letter Z.

The accomplishment I'm most proud of is having received the endorsement of Congressman Anthony Weiner, someone I have respected and admired for years as a champion for the progressive values I hold close to my heart.  Congressman Weiner is a tireless fighter for middle-class families, affordable health insurance and small businesses.  To have him come to Park Slope, the neighborhood he grew up in, to support my candidacy was a real honor. 

What makes me stand out from the rest of the pack is that I'm offering bold ideas for Brooklyn and a new vision for how we govern in City Hall.  I have innovative ideas for solving problems in our communities and improving our quality of life. 

I'm the only candidate in this race focusing on how to bring jobs back to Brooklyn and how to re-open our closing storefronts.  I’m running to help the mom and pop shops on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, not the big corporations on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.  I have a plan to help small business owners purchase their storefronts so they aren’t subject to escalating rents. 

 In the next few years, we have the chance to improve our environment and our economy at the same time.  I want to create New York’s first Green District around the Gowanus canal - bringing in thousands of new green jobs in alternative energies, and serving as a model for sustainable development and design.

Speaking of the environment, I will fix the parking mess and the congestion that’s choking our streets by creating a borough-wide residential parking permit plan that will allow residents to find parking near their homes.  The money from the permits would be reinvested into new transportation alternatives, including free shuttle buses for our neighborhoods. 

 You hear a lot of talk about reform these days, but I'm the only candidate in this race with the ideas, passion, and know-how for bringing real reform to City Hall.  I was the first candidate in the race to organize against the extension of term limits – calling a press conference for all City Council candidates at City Hall -- the first candidate in the race to call for making City Council a full-time position, and the only candidate with who will bring the City Council to you with a mobile office that will visit a different neighborhood one night a week.