Common Sense: DA Hynes

DA Hynes will be appearing on the Republican and Conservative ballot lines this November 5. These are the same two ballot lines he has appeared on since 2005. They are the lines of the two parties that endorsed him earlier this year without a primary. And they are the ballot lines that a majority of Brooklynites will certainly vote on to return him to office in many Brooklyn communities.

If you listened to the local Democratic Party, you would think that Hynes is doing something wrong in continuing to run for office after losing a Democratic primary in which only 18 percent of the enrolled Democrats voted. You would think that the local Democrats do not live in Brooklyn since they obviously have concluded that public safety should play second fiddle to politics.

You see, on that one, it is not a close call between Hynes and his opponent Ken Thompson. Thompson sees things differently on a number of important public safety issues. Namely, he is an opponent of stop, question and frisk.

He also has stated that he will place a prosecutor in each police precinct to review cases to look right over the shoulder of the police. I think it quite likely that this would have a negative impact on public safety.

Hynes came into office having been the former city fire commissioner and a senior ADA in Brooklyn for many years. Thompson has literally no managerial experience as he looks to take over an office that employs hundreds of attorneys and support staff.

Interestingly, these are not new arguments made by Republican and Conservative supporters of Hynes. These are the actual arguments made by many leaders of the Democratic Party in support of Hynes prior to the primary. The only difference now is that he is not the candidate that will appear on the Democratic Party line.

Hynes has his reasons for seeking another term. Clearly he feels that he is best qualified to keep Brooklyn safe. I suspect he strongly feels that only a small segment of Brooklyn’s overall voting population has been heard and the great remainder should be given the opportunity.

And I know he is greatly troubled by the knowledge that Clarence Norman, the former chairperson of the Brooklyn Democratic Party who Hynes sent to jail, played a role in Thompson’s campaign.

Several hundred people showed up at a rally for the district attorney last week on the steps of Borough Hall. They represented every ethnic, religious and political affiliation one can find in a very diverse borough. And they all certainly knew he was continuing his fight for re-election on the Republican and Conservative lines.

Sure, for some, it will be the first time they voted Republican or Conservative. But more importantly, for all there that day, it will be just another time they voted for Joe Hynes. This is the same Joe Hynes who has run for public office many times successfully in Brooklyn. This is the same Joe Hynes that they believe will keep them safe. It is simply Joe Hynes for DA running on two of the three ballot lines he has held for the past two elections

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One person who apparently is not voting for Joe Hynes is Councilmember Vincent Gentile who affirmed his support for Ken Thompson at the Dyker Heights Civic Association debate vs. John Quaglione. John is supporting Hynes for re-election.

There were a lot of fireworks at the debate which was moderated by longtime association President Fran Vella-Marrone. Many of the issues and questions focused on Gentile’s ability to deliver for the community and the overall quality of life. John was certainly pulling no punches in making his case that we could be better served.

As always, as the chairperson of the Conservative Party in Brooklyn, and as chief of staff for State Senator Marty Golden, for whom John Quaglione also works, I do not claim to be non-partisan. Even so I think most observers would agree that John Quaglione makes strong, well-prepared presentations. He has earned the consideration of all voters.

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