COMMON SENSE: Working families party

The Working Families Party is once again under investigation for a variety of alleged civil and criminal violations stemming from a for-profit division of the party that seemed to get hired by candidates after the party provides its endorsement. For-profit political party units are highly unusual and the very fact that that this left-leaning group maintained such a division had been a red flag from day one.

Previously the party — which was founded in Brooklyn and maintains its headquarters in the borough — was heavily fined and ordered to disband the for-profit unit. This new investigation, in which a special prosecutor has been named according to published reports, is aimed at possible criminal violations.

The Working Families Party almost exclusively cross endorses Democratic candidates. At present, it is considering requests from several candidates in southwest Brooklyn. It will be interesting to see if local Democrats are willing to risk the negative effect such an endorsement, that is certain to become a campaign issue, will have on their election efforts.

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U.S. Senate candidate Wendy Long came to Bay Ridge to discuss her candidacy with local media. Wendy — accompanied by Mike Long, Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis and myself — fielded wide-ranging questions on a variety of topics including the repeal of ObamaCare, the U.S. Supreme Court and keeping Fort Hamilton Army Base open.

Ms. Long, together with Assemblymember Malliotakis, had earlier in the day conducted a press conference on Staten Island in which they called for ObamaCare to be rejected and replaced with “a new fresh, constitutional approach to healthcare reform in Washington.”

Wendy Long, who has been endorsed by the Conservative Party, is in a June 26 Republican primary.

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In the mid-1980s, as a young man working for the State Assembly, I was placed in charge of organizing a hearing conducted by the Assembly Republicans in New York City on issues relating to missing children. That hearing caused me to have extensive contact with the Etan Patz family. To say that it was an emotional, draining experience would be a clear understatement.

Then eight years after Etan’s disappearance, Mr. Patz recounted every detail as if it had been the day before. Now almost 30 years later, I remember the hours I spent with him as though it were yesterday. Mr. Patz had many recommendations to respond better to the disappearance of a child. Over the years, many of these suggestions became law.

So, not surprisingly, like many New Yorkers we have been watching the comings and goings of the new search for the remains of Etan with great interest. My heart goes out for his parents, and Etan will always remain in my prayers.

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