“Why would any official ... not be as strong on this issue as possible?” asked Mario Mazzoni, a member of the Metropolitan Council on Housing. “The answer is you follow the money.”
Mazzoni and others pointed out that Sears has accepted more than $70,000 from the real estate industry, which opposed the lead poisoning bill. They claim Sears’ ties to real estate interests caused her to ignore the problems many lower-income tenants face at the hands of large landowners, such as Vantage Properties.
Sears said in a statement that she voted against the bill because it was flawed. “Nobody cares more about the health of our children than I do, but a well-intentioned bill is not necessarily a good one,” Sears said, adding that she opposed the bill “because it would stifle the creation of affordable housing and divert resources away from the neighborhoods most affected by the dangers of lead paint.”
Sears feared that if property owners had to comply with more stringent restrictions vis-a-vis lead paint, it would be more expensive to renovate old buildings, which would make it less cost effective to create additional affordable housing units.
Sears’ spokesman also said the $71,000 she received from the real estate industry was collected over four election cycles and includes personal donations from anyone connected with that industry, including secretaries.
Mike McKee, treasurer of the Tenants Political Action Committee, said that since the lead paint law was passed, the number of poisoning cases has dropped dramatically. The issue isn’t totally resolved, though, Dromm said, which is why he is bringing it up now.
“Children are still being affected by lead paint poisoning,” the candidate said, adding that he knows of 250 cases of lead poisoning in Queens. The main problem, he said, is inadequate enforcement of the 2003 law. Dromm said he wants to increase the Buildings Department budget so that more inspectors can be hired, and he pledged to work tirelessly to protect the rights and safety of low-income tenants.
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