NYC Votes: Terrorism and Transportation among Important Issues for Voters, Candidates

By Neil A. Carousso

On Tuesday, New Yorkers will vote for mayor, comptroller, public advocate, borough presidents and city council members a week after the deadliest terrorist attack in the Big Apple since 9/11.

“Tell those eight people who were killed, mowed down and those other 15 people seriously hurt that we cannot surveil people, we can’t monitor people that are suspected of being involved in terrorism,” said Independent Mayoral Candidate Bo Dietl. “This political correctness sucks and we have to stop it. Again, to me, the safety of New Yorkers and Americans are at stake here.”

Dietl is a retired New York Police Department detective, a private investigator and entrepreneur. He’s running against Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), who is up for re-election, and New York State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R).

“I hope they say to themselves wow this guy is somebody I want to lead this city. This guy will help my kids. This guy will help me get affordable housing,” said Dietl of why New York residents should vote for him.

WATCH:  Bo Dietl Opens Up about NYC Mayoral Race, His Friendship with President Trump and More in Rare Substantive Video Interview

“You got to remember my last case was the Palm Sunday Massacre. Ten Puerto Ricans, eight of them were children under the age of 12 years old, all shot in the head. [I have] vivid memories of those kids being shot in the head and I cried,” Dietl said with passion, adding, “That’s what I want to prevent and I want to help the people of New York. That’s who’s running for mayor: A caring guy against some egotistical, thieving, corrupt pay-for-play guy who wants to get re-elected. That’s your choice.”

Dietl blames Mayor de Blasio for the rising homeless rate, which is up 39 percent since last year, and division in the community and within his former police department.

“You know there’s a reason why cops turn their back on him during the funerals,” said Dietl of the NYPD demonstrations in the wake of politicized police-involved shootings. “They don’t respect them. Nine out of 10 cops said they would find another job tomorrow because of him that they feel as though they don’t have the support of this Mayor and he takes credit for the great work.”

While rape crimes climbed 16.7 percent in October, the NYPD reported a significant 18 percent reduction in murders that the de Blasio Administration touts with an overall decline in crime over the past 4 years, according to data released by the Police Department. There are 225 homicides year-to-date, including last week’s terror attack victims. That’s on pace to be the lowest murder rate since the 1950s. By comparison, there were 2,262 murders in 1990.

Aside from security, commuters are struggling with widespread MTA delays. A recent NYC Independent Budget Office report reveals a 237.25 percent increase in monthly delays and a massive economic impact – costing riders $1.23 million in “lost work.”

“I believe that we should support the Governor’s $850 million emergency plan to fix the signals and the tracks and I think the City should contribute some money towards that with a guarantee that any City money goes directly towards specific projects,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer of New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s plan to modernize the subway system.

Mr. Stringer is up for re-election on Tuesday. Rev. Michel Faulkner is Mr. Stringer’s Republican opponent.

Faulkner is a retired NFL defensive lineman who played for the New York Jets in 1981 and a member of former-Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s task force on Police Community Relations.

“We pay more federal taxes than anybody else,” emphasized Rev. Faulkner. “Most of our $56 billion more goes out than goes back in terms of federal goods and services. Why can’t we balance some of that for our MTA, for health and hospital services, for our homeless problems? We’ve got to solve these problems and simple raising taxes is not going to solve that problem.”

For information about where to vote and the candidates and proposals on Tuesday’s ballot, visit the New York City Board of Elections website.