100 PERCENT

100 PERCENT

By Robert Press

Parkchester 87th A.D. Debate

  Before I begin about the debate, I must relay what Ms. Jill Furillo the head of the NY Nurses Union said to me at an announcement that Nurse Karines Reyes was running for the 87th Assembly seat. Ms. Furillo told me of the problems that nurses are having in hospitals as to staffing, work loads, patient care, and other items related to nursing in hospitals. She then told me that Karines Reyes will go to Albany to push the agenda of the NY State Nurses Union. There were no other topics mentioned, just the agenda of the NY State Nurses Union to get more nurses hired, reducing work loads, and getting a fair contract from the hospitals. The Nurses union contract expires in December of this year. 

  This was evident as the small crowd who came to view the Parkchester Times 87th A.D. debate was mostly either nurses or people who were on the Reyes slate as they put on her t-shirts when they arrived. This was also evident by the questions from the audience with one of the first questions having to do with Montefiore Hospital where Nurse Reyes works. Then more questions about the Healthcare industry, and I noticed that candidate Reyes was not talking to the audience every time a healthcare question came up like candidates John Perez or Farah Despeignes, but instead Ms. Reyes was looking down as if she was reading her answer giving the impression that she knew what questions were going to be asked when it came to certain questions that would be handed in by her supporters. 

  Sergeant John Perez answered each question no matter what the topic was, and really took command of the debate when he said to a question on public safety that he had warned certain trouble makers in his neighborhood that he had better be next or he would come after thoise troublemakers after a young lady was shot and killed. He also stated that since then there has been much less trouble in his area of the district. 

  Farah Despeignes spoke mostly of how good her experience on a CEC was, but could not describe what her duties were. When a question of Mayoral Control of the public schools came up she said she was against Mayoral Control however as the other two candidates did. 

 What may have been the downfall for candidate Reyes came in what appeared to be a question from one of her supporters aimed at Sergeant John Perez who was in in Army uniform. The question asked why Army recruiting are needed Ms. Reyes appeared to say that the Army is not needed. Sergeant Perez said as a former recruiter he found the educational weaknesses of the public school system. 

  When ever it came to a question that was not about the healthcare industry Ms. Reyes seemed puzzled as she did not have her answer written down. To a question of education Ms. Reyes said that education is not a part of the Assembly, while both her opponents contradicted her saying that education is an important part of the Assembly. Ms. Reyes later in another question said that her children go to a charter school. 

  The hands down winner of this debate was Sergeant John Perez who answered all the questions as he was very knowledgeable on all different subjects that were asked. Ms. Reyes was a one topic candidate that being the nursing and healthcare area, and Ms. Despeignes also was a one topic candidate continuously bringing up that she was a member of CEC 8. 

  I had moderated the very successful Parkchester Times debate for the 14th Congressional District, and was told by more than one supporter of Ms. Reyes that they did not want me to be the moderator of this debate. One said to one person, was that because I found numerous instances of fraud on the Karines Reyes petition. It had to be that I testified in court that I had seen the Reyes petition on line one week before the first legal day to collect signatures. That I had taken a photo of a man collecting undated signatures and the page on June 15th, only to find the page given in with the date of June 25th, and not signed by a man, but by a woman. I then said even if Ms. Reyes was to win the U.S. Attorney's office would take over due to that and all the other fraud that was proven in court. 

This column is the opinion of the writer and not necessary that of this newspaper. If you have any comments about this column you can e-mail the writer at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com . You may also want to check the writers blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com .