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Addabbo’s opponent is real estate lawyer Michael Mossa of Howard Beach, a Conservative running on the Republican and Conservative lines. He called the hike irresponsible and damaging to the middle class.
“Our council member put that burden on homeowners. We are not going to pay for New York City’s mistakes. To own a piece of property is the American dream. This tax is an attack on the American dream,” he said.
Mossa was “shocked” that Addabbo voted for the tax hike. “There is a failure to stand up for the people who pay taxes. Joe Addabbo thinks it’s New York City’s money. It’s the people’s money, and the city works for us,” he said.
Mossa, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1996 against Charles Schumer, is a graduate of St. Francis Prep High School in Fresh Meadows and of Western New England University Law School in Springfield, Massachusetts.
If elected, he would like to work on traffic issues. He does not think there should be two-way streets in old Howard Beach and more speed control devices should be put in place throughout the district. “The way the streets line up, it’s naturally conducive to speeding. We can put speed bumps where there are usually kids in the streets. Outside of the avenues, nobody should have a two-way street in old Howard Beach.”
Mossa said one challenge of running for council is visiting all corners of the 32nd District, which stretches from Woodhaven to Breezy Point in the Rockaways. “It’s tough because it’s a big district. I believe it’s the largest council district in terms of land mass in the city. It’s not going to be easy to get everywhere, but my goal is to make it a competitive election.”
Addabbo was one of 14 new Queens council members who were elected shortly after the World Trade Center attacks and were immediately charged with turning around the largest deficit in city history.
Faced with budget cuts, Addabbo successfully rallied against the closing of Engine 293 in Woodhaven. He said saving city services is the highlight of his term. “The high point is going into a senior center you’ve just saved, going into a school with new books, saving a firehouse, or adding hours to libraries.”
As chairman of the council’s Parks Committee, Addabbo wrote Adopt-A-Park legislation which will allow citizens to donate money or work-time to refurbish any park of their choosing. The mayor recently signed the bill.
He said he was frustrated by the number of unemployed workers in his largely residential district. He was also frustrated by city regulations that make changing traffic patterns on dangerous streets difficult, and said he would continue to work to improve traffic safety.
There is no debate planned, but Addabbo and Mossa will appear at a Candidate’s Night at the October meeting of the Howard Beach Civic Forum. Mossa would prefer a debate, but Addabbo believes allowing audience participation is important.
Mossa will step up his campaign in the coming weeks. He has held several meet-the-candidate nights, and is confident that voters will come forward to rebel against the property tax. “On a philosophical basis, I haven’t met many people who agree with it,” he said.
According to the most recent filings by the Campaign Finance Board, Addabbo has raised $69,075 for the race while Mossa has raised $14,499.
Addabbo is balancing his job as councilman and candidate for the first time. He is both dealing with constituents with his 24-hour hotline and making time to press the flesh. But he is confident of his public service record as community leader and elected official.
“Prior to running, I had a community record. Now I have a record on the council level. But when I was running before, I was still a lawyer. Now it’s a dual life that I lead. I have to be a councilman and a candidate. The fact is, we take this race very seriously, and we will be out there.”
