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The Race ...

City Council
District 5

Roosevelt Island and The Upper East Side

Know something we should know? Let us know at campaign05@gothamgazette.com

Election Results ...

General Election Results

Jessica Lappin

Primary Results

Jessica Lappin

Candidates...

The Incumbent:
There is no Incumbent posted for this race.

General Election Challenger(s):
Jessica Lappin
Joel M. Zinberg

Primary Election Challenger(s):
Eric Cesnik
Jessica Lappin
Dan Quart

(Candidate Biographies below)

Campaign Finance Board General Election Voter Guide for District 5

Campaign Finance Board Voter Guide for District 5

Feature Articles ...

District 5 General Election Update: An Insider Versus an Outsider on the Upper East Side

October 23, 2005

The race on the Upper East Side to succeed Gifford Miller, the council speaker who has to step down because of term limits, seems to hinge more on the candidates' resumes than on their stands on the issues.

After graduating from college, Democrat Jessica Lappin, who also appears on the Working Families Party line, had a brief stint in the private sector and then went to work as an aide to Gifford Miller, serving on his staff until she left to run for the council last spring. Her experience as a staff member, as well as her extensive knowledge of the district, would enable her to operate effectively in the council and "be an independent voice for progress and reform in the community," she said at a recent candidate's debate (click here for a transcript of the debate)

But Republican Joel Zinberg, who is also the Liberal and the Independence Party candidate, sees Jessica Lappin's background as a liability. He faults her for being "part of a political machine" and living in "a hermetically sealed world." In contrast, Zinberg, who has both a medical and a law degree, points repeatedly to his own "real world experience" as a doctor. Not only did he sponsor breast-cancer screenings, he said at the recent debate, he did breast cancer screenings. His background, he said, prompted him to offer a proposal to reform Medicaid, the health insurance plan for low-income people, and will help him contribute to emergency planning for the city. "It's important to hit the ground running but when you hit the ground," he said, "you have to know which direction you're going in."

So far, Jessica Lappin has raised about $145,000 – more than twice as much as Zinberg.

Bloomberg has endorsed Joel Zinberg. Zinberg, in turn, said one reason he wants to be on the council is so the city "can continue the progress New York has made under the Giuliani and Bloomberg administrations."

Jessica Lappin, on the other hand, worked for a man who sought unsuccessfully to unseat the mayor. So she points to what the City Council has done for the city, for example restoring the mayor's cuts in the arts budget. She also emphasizes that she is a Democrat, such as in a discussion of health care: While she believes the United States should provide universal health care, until then, the state and city must help those who cannot otherwise afford it. "That's part of what being a Democrat means," she said, "taking care of people who need health care."

The two also differ over the mayor's planned reopening of a marine waste transfer station on 91st Street, where trucks would unload garbage to be put onto barges. Joel Zinberg opposes its reopening in any form, saying such a facility is inappropriate in a residential community near a park. Jessica Lappin said that she previously supported reopening the facility for recycling as part of an overall solid waste plan. But, she said, when the council reconsiders such a plan next year, she would oppose the waste transfer station. Lappin acknowledged, however, "the city has overburdened communities throughout the city unfairly," and the next solid waste plan "must adjust this."

Primary Election: Continued Clout in District 5?
-June 10, 2005

City Council Speaker Gifford Miller may have carried around $10 as a kid to pay off muggers, but he recently showed off what a tough guy he's become at City Hall. Miller delayed a key committee vote so he could twist arms behind closed doors in order to block the reopening of a marine waste transfer station - a place where trucks unload garbage to be put onto barges - in his district.

As a result, the full council ended up voting down Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal to reopen the station and several others, throwing the overall trash plan for the city into question.

In doing so, Miller reminded constituents in District 5 that they have the city's most powerful council member on their side. But that is only true for a few more months. Regardless of who wins the race, the next council member for the Upper East Side will have considerably less clout than the man he or she replaces.

Five candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination, while another is running on both the Republican and Independence tickets. Each sees roughly the same things as priorities for the district: improved transportation, including a 2nd Avenue subway, citywide educational improvements, and increased access to affordable housing.

For now at least, the hot button issue is the marine transfer station. The candidates agree that it would make more sense to open a station in a place further from residential neighborhoods, and continue to move some garbage out by truck. The difference comes down to how effective they can be, said candidate Jessica Lappin, currently Miller's chief of staff in his district office.

"To go from [being represented by the Council's Speaker] to having somebody who doesn't know where the bathrooms are down at City Hall would be a shame for our community," she said.

The only candidate with a different view on the station is Eric Cesnik, a financial lawyer who has lived within blocks of the station since 2000. While he has serious concerns about the station reopening, Eric Cesnik says that officials have disingenuously played on the fear of constituents for political gain instead of looking for a reasonable way to deal with the city's garbage problems.

"The [citywide] picture is one that needs to be addressed," he said. "To torpedo the plan as a whole for political purposes doesn't show the right leadership." He wants to consider reopening the station in exchange for amenities for the area, if it can be done safely.

The Upper East Side long has been a well-off neighborhood. A City Project profile of the neighborhood compiled several years ago rated District 5 as the second wealthiest district in the city; it was also the district with the lowest number of homicides and lowest rate of unemployment. It is relatively homogenous racially; City Project's survey found it was the third whitest neighborhood in the city.

Overall, the candidates agree that the district as a whole is well served. When they talk about improving hospitals or schools, they mean throughout the whole city.

Joel Zinberg, a doctor running on the Republican and Independence party lines, says that he would focus on reforming the public hospital system, looking for ways to make it run better and singling out some that can be closed without damaging overall service.

While the candidates the district's schools are in better shape than those elsewhere in the city; they see reducing class sizes and improving teacher retention programs citywide as the best way to improve these facilities. In addition several mention the need to improve the schools physically. Candidate Dan Quart is interested in building another middle school; Jessica Lappin says she wants to concentrate on the schools' capital budget.

"In terms of the capital budget, the priorities for the next city council member should be our public schools," she said.

One area where services are strained is transportation. The Upper East Side is served primarily by the notoriously overcrowded Lexington Avenue subway line.

Dan Quart was head of Community Board 8's transportation committee until he stepped aside to campaign, and he speaks of using the council seat as a way to advocate for the 2nd Avenue subway. But he acknowledges that the next council member will not see the subway built while in office. He also has a list of proposed interim transportation measures, including ferry service on the East River, improvements in bus service along 1st and 2nd Avenues, and new technology to make the Lexington Avenue line more efficient, including the conductor-less system that has been put in place on the L Train.

"With every tall building that goes up on the East Side, that's another 100 or 200 people on the Lex. line every day," he said. "We can't wait for the 2nd Avenue Subway to make positive changes and reforms."

Dan Quart's rivals also focus on improving city-run bus service as a way to immediately improve public transportation; Joel Zinberg thinks that private bus companies have the most potential.

"But I don't know if that is a long-term solution," says Joel Zinberg. "The best solution is the 2nd Avenue Subway. Unfortunately, that's been the best solution for a long, long time already and nothing has been done."

Perpetual candidate George Spitz, who has unsuccessfully run for office nine times, is the only candidate to dispute this sentiment. Spitz opposes the 2nd Avenue Subway because of its cost and the displacement it would cause. He wants to build cheaper, less intrusive light rails along 1st and 2nd Avenues instead.

"Anything that hurts a lot of people is bad in my book," he said. "That's why I'm against the 2nd Avenue Subway."

Each candidate said that building new affordable housing should be a priority for the district. Several pointed to inclusionary zoning and incentives for developers to assure that low and moderate-income apartments are a part of new construction projects.

Improving services for the 10,000 people who live on Roosevelt Island and protecting them from displacement are also major concerns of the candidates, none of who actually live on the island.

The state agency that runs the island, the Roosevelt Island Operating Committee, is seen as inadequately responsive in providing services, and residents have been requesting a police substation on the island, which is currently served by a precinct in Queens. The most urgent issue, though, is finding a way to confront the loss of significant numbers of Mitchell-Lama apartments. Several housing complexes are slated to come out of the middle-income housing program within the year, a move that many fear will price many long-term residents off the island.

Edward Price, who helped organize Tri-State Immigration Reform after the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, is running to change immigration laws to promote an economic development plan which focuses more heavily on manufacturing.

He would like to give some sort of amnesty to all immigrants currently in the country, and then put strict caps on how many immigrants are allowed in going forward. If elected, his power to follow through on this goal would be very limited - even if, like Miller, he becomes the most powerful member of the City Council.

CAMPAIGN UPDATE:
Edward Price has been knocked off the Democratic line for the Primary. (Updated 8/3/05)

Candidate Bios ...

The Incumbent:

There is no Incumbent posted for this race.

Challenger(s):

Eric Cesnik | Dem |
Eric Cesnik is an attorney in the New York office of Latham & Watkins LLP. He has also worked on Capitol Hill and for the Environmental Protection Agency. He worked for the Howard Dean presidential campaign.

Jessica Lappin | Dem | WFP |
Jessica Lappin is district chief of staff to New York City Council Speaker Gifford Miller. She has served on the boards of the Sutton Area Community group, the Advocacy Committee of Sanctuary for Families, and the Lenox Hill Democratic Club.

Dan Quart | Dem |
Dan Quart, a private attorney, chairs the transportation committee of community board eight. He has served as a volunteer attorney for the Legal Aid Society since 2001.

Joel M. Zinberg | Rep | IND | LIB |
Joel Zinberg is a physician and has practiced surgery on the Upper East Side for more than 16 years. He is also an attorney and taught at the Columbia University Law School. He is a member of the 19th Precinct Community Council.

Campaign Trail ...

Below are the latest Campaign Trail items for the District 5 race. For the full Campaign Trail archive, go here

Democrats Win Council Races

November 9, 2005
Republican candidates for City Council seats had hoped that the popularity of the Republican mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg, would bring them votes in yesterday's election. But the mayor's coattails did not extend to local races, as several Republicans he endorsed went down to defeat.
(New York Times)

'Partisan Paradox' Dogs Upper East Side Races

November 3, 2005
This year, it has become common practice among City Council hopefuls on the Upper East Side to hedge their partisan alliances. Democrats and Republicans are battling over open seats in the neighborhood’s Fourth and Fifth Council Districts. (New York Observer)

Doctor versus Miller Aide in Council Race

November 2, 2005
The race to fill he City Council seat held by Gifford Miller pits Republican Joel Zinberg, a doctor, against former Miler aide Jessica Lappin. Zinberg is seeking to win on the coattails of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whose endorsement he touts at every turn, while Lappin shies away from any discussion about whether she supports the mayor or Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic candidate, in the mayoral race.
(New York Times)

NY Times Endorsement: Zinberg for District 5

October 23, 2005
This district, now represented by the term-limited Council Speaker, Gifford Miller, has an enviable dilemma: choosing between two excellent candidates with exceptional qualifications for the job. Jessica Lappin, a Democrat who served as an aide to Mr. Miller, is deeply rooted in the community. She has attended diligently to district needs, particularly affordable housing on Roosevelt Island. Ms. Lappin also has the advantage of knowing the inner workings of the council and its players. Yet the Republican candidate in the race, Joel Zinberg, offers extraordinary qualifications.
(New York Times)

Post Attacks Lappin, Praises Zinberg

October 6, 2005
The newspaper harshly condemns Democratic candidate Jessica Lappin for working for outgoing City Coucil Speaker -- and district 5 councilmember -- Gifford Miller for seven years. "As speaker, Miller represented the absolute worst in New York politics....Lappin not only went along with Miller's shenanigans, she also seems to support his reckless political agenda," the Post said. Calling her opponent, Republican Joel Zinberg, "anything but a hack," the paper cites his work experience and support from Mayor Bloomberg but concluded, "Zinberg's most attractive asset: his inside knowledge of Medicaid." (By the way, the paper says it is still to early for "outright political endorsements." (New York Post)

Republican Council Candidates Look For Bloomberg Coat Tails

October 13, 2005
Mayor Bloomberg hasn't given them money, and his endorsements have been low-key. But that doesn't seem to matter to Republican City Council hopefuls Phil Foglia, Pat Russo, Patrick Murphy and Joel Zinberg. The would-be GOP Council members all believe Bloomberg is headed for a big win Nov. 8 that could have a coattail effect for their uphill candidacies. (Daily News)

Daily News Endorses Spitz for Council

September 12, 2005
"Voters have a chance to reject politics as usual and elect a candidate who never fails to tell the truth as he sees it: George Spitz." (Daily News)

Amsterdam News Endorses Spitz

September 8, 2005
George Spitz for City Council in the Fifth District. George Spitz is a legend in our time, who has experience and expertise in everything from Mitchell- Lama Housing to election law and public housing financing. He is probably the most vocal proponent for restoring free tuition at CUNY. He is in stiff opposition to the stop-and-frisk law and the way campaign financing in New York is currently being run. He is a man of great grace and dignity. At an age when most people have forgotten their obligation to the poor and downtrodden, George Spitz rises as a star. (Amsterdam News)

A Non-Clown Council?

August 7, 2005
Why would a Columbia-trained surgeon (with a law degree from Yale, to boot) run for City Council? Put it this way: Not for the money. (Unlike other pols.) Joel Zinberg wants to offer his private-sector experience for the benefit of the community. "I was especially concerned that the turnaround the city had made under the Giuliani and Bloomberg administrations was in danger," he says. (New York Post)

New York Times Endorsement: Jessica Lappin in District 5

August 21, 2005
Fifth District (Upper East Side, 49th to 92nd Streets, and Roosevelt Island): The next council member will have to step into the shoes of Gifford Miller, the council speaker who is running for mayor, and also deal with one particularly thorny and unpopular issue Mr. Miller leaves behind - the mayor's plan to place a waste transfer station on East 91st Street. There is also the continuing saga of inadequate public transit and the long-delayed Second Avenue subway. Dan Quart, a lawyer in private practice, is compelling when he talks about alternative transportation ideas for the East Side, including ferries and rapid bus service. His main opponent, Jessica Lappin, pledges to use her experience as Mr. Miller's chief of staff to make the Council more responsive. Her extensive background should be a plus, particularly in a Council where newcomers have at most eight years in which to make an impact under the term-limit laws. At the same time, Ms. Lappin demonstrates an on-the-ground appreciation for the struggling families in the district, particularly on Roosevelt Island, where as many as 2,000 residents are in danger of losing their affordable apartments as Mitchell-Lama dwellings are phased out. Ms. Lappin has the kind of steely resolve, dedication and energy that district residents should have on their side. We endorse Jessica Lappin.
(New York Times)

Candidates Drawn to Upper East Side Council Seats

December 30, 2004
In Miller's district, which stretches from 49th to 92nd streets and includes Roosevelt Island, at least four Democrats have already started campaigning. They include Mr. Quart, a lawyer who is co-chairman of the transportation committee at Community Board 8 and does pro-bono work through the Legal Aid Society; Jessica Lappin, a senior aide to Mr. Miller; George Spitz, an 82-year-old gadfly who has run in at least eight elections, including the 1997 race for Manhattan borough president, in which his platform was abolishing the office; and Edward Price.

Full District 5 Campaign Trail Archive

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