Common Sense: End Game

September 8, 2014 JERRY KASSAR
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The grand opening of the campaign office at 9712 Third Avenue for State Senator Marty Golden  (whom I serve as chief of staff) and Republican-Conservative 46th Assembly District candidate  Stamatis Lilikakis was a standing-room-only affair.

The crowded room which overflowed  into the hallways and onto the sidewalk was filled with plenty of energy and a whole bunch of journalists who came to hear Congressmember Michael Grimm, Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis, State Senator Marty Golden and Stamatis Lilikakis talk about their campaigns and future plans.

All four candidates are running very active campaign efforts in our community which I think is evidenced by the many lawn signs and posters throughout Southwest Brooklyn. In contrast, the local Democrats seem almost asleep, not being able to guess the winners as well as they did last year.

I doubt anyone in Bay Ridge or Dyker Heights could tell you who comprises most of  the local Democratic slate. And it remains to be seen if the few local elected Democrats are willing to put their name on the line by actively campaigning in print for what could be, in several cases, landslide Republican-Conservative victories.

It does take money and the most recent candidate financial reports filed with the New York State Board of Elections show that people are not contributing to the local Democratic candidates. It must be why so many Democrats want taxpayer-funded elections. And I guess, when you really come down to it, President Obama and Mayor de Blasio have not really helped out the local Democratic brand much these past few months.

In football, it’s the two minute warning to remind all sides that the game is near the end.  In politics, it is the two-month warning that comes with the passing of the primaries. The 2014 political contests are coming to an end, and it seems that on a local level and national level the Republicans are holding the ball with a definite advantage, so much so that more than a few pundits are predicting 245 Republican Congressional seats to fewer than 200 Democratic, a gain of more than 10 Republican seats, and a 51-seat Republican majority in the U.S. Senate.

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I had the privilege of attending the Go Gold for Pediatric Cancer lighting of Time Square on Tuesday evening, September 2. Needless to say, it was an awesome moment when so many of the large marquee type displays turned to gold at what many would consider the crossroads of the world.

I want to thank my good friend George Lence who, working with the Time Square Advertising Coalition, made it happen, and, of course, Camille Loccisano on behalf of Frankie’s Mission, and so many of the families that came in from destinations far and near that evening for keeping the spotlight on this devastating set of diseases. Although the remarks from all the elected officials in attendance were outstanding, the comments by the families and children who spoke tugged at your heart.

The World Trade Center and the Parachute Jump have also gone gold.  And let us not forget, in going gold, the intent is to bring awareness to the issue in hopes that private donations and government support for research to find cures will be increased.

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