BHB Exclusive: Pete Sikora Talks About His Campaign for the 52nd AD Seat

By on August 28, 2014 3:09 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Election 14

In advance of the Brooklyn Heights Blog’s presentation September 2 of one of the few public discussions on the 52nd Assembly District Race, an important political contest in New York City this year, the BHB sat down with Cobble Hill resident Pete Sikora to discuss his candidacy for the seat that outgoing Assembly Member Joan Millman has occupied for the past 17 years.

Mr. Sikora, who has almost 20 years working on progressive causes for NYPIRG, Consumers Union, and Communications Workers of America, has been endorsed by a number of leading Brooklyn progressive Democrats, including State Senator Daniel Squadron, New York City Councilman Brad Landers, New York City Councilman Stephen Levin, and is the endorsed candidate of the Working Families Party.

This is the last in a series of interviews with all three candidates on the ballot for the 52nd Assembly seat as BHB is providing exclusive coverage of a political contest that will have a substantial impact on the future of Long Island College Hospital (LICH), proposed affordable housing in Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6, and the planned sale of the Brooklyn Heights Library site for subsequent development as a high-rise residential tower.

That’s why I’m running: to help reform Albany, change the culture, implement real policy reforms that can help at the state level. At the local level I want to take on issues, work with people, and shape our neighborhoods into even better places.

Michael Randazzo, Brooklyn Heights Blog: Why do you think you are the right candidate for the 52nd Assembly Race?

Pete Sikora: These are great neighborhoods. I moved in 1997 into the area, just like many because the neighborhoods were so fantastic. But [now] we’re under a of threat from income inequality, climate change and the rising cost of housing. I’m running to fight on those issues and to addresses them as well as to serve the neighborhood well on local issues and constituent services just like the elected officials in this area have done for years.

The thing that distinguishes me from my opponents is that I have a 20-year record of working on concrete policy campaigns and local issues and being successful in this.

I got bitten with the activist bug in college when I became a NYPIRG student activist. I [then] worked for NYPIRG for seven years. My proudest accomplishment was pushing the Childhood Lead Prevention Act through the New York City Council…. [I]t cut lead poisoning among kids by 66%—that’s how much [poisoning has] dropped since that law was enacted in 2004. That was a two-year battle against the real estate industry and we were able to win. I went to work for Consumers Union, where I worked on prescription drug and healthcare policy. Now I work for a progressive labor union, the Communications Workers of America.

I’ve been going to Albany for almost 20 years now [and] I’ve had legislative success at the state, city and local [levels]. Albany’s culture is completely broken. It’s gotten worse in the 20 years I’ve been going there. It is a top-down culture that is extremely responsive to special interests and big-money donors. We have to change that system.

What I want to do is pass a program of energy efficiency upgrades for buildings throughout the state. That would trigger retrofits in construction work and efficiency. Think of your classic apartment where it’s so hot in the winter that you have to open the window to cool down. Those kinds of efficiencies pay for themselves when you fix them because they are a massive waste of money. If you mandate energy efficiency upgrades in buildings throughout the state we can create tens of thousands of good sustainable jobs AND cut carbon pollution through energy use reduction.

The better, greener building laws that Mayor Bloomberg pushed through [the NYC City Council] are a great start. The things not in those laws is what I’m proposing, which is to require energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits that pay for themselves.

What they got were requirements that set a template for the program I proposing state-wide. One of the important things that they got is that buildings do an energy audit and benchmarking [NYC Local Law 87]. Energy audits tell you what projects need to get done in the building and how they pay for themselves. What I would propose is a state law to require buildings to do the projects that pay for themselves within five years. In talking to experts in NRDC [Natural Resources Defense Council] and Environmental Defense [Fund], we can cut energy use substantially just by doing these projects. That’s an enormous opportunity…. To get there we have to take on the real estate,oil and gas industries—not an easy thing to do. In the past I’ve been able to beat big, deep-pocketed lobbies with effective coalition campaigns on the outside and the inside.

That’s why I’m running: to help reform Albany, change the culture, implement real policy reforms that can help at the state level. At the local level I want to take on issues, work with people, and shape our neighborhoods into even better places.

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  • stuart

    has this guy ever had a real job? has he worked for CWA for instance? or is he just a hanger on? Biviano as far as I know has never had a real job either, that leaves Simon, who is voting place poison, great race. Seeing as the State Assembly is basically a do-nothing job, both Biviano and this guy seem very well qualified….eye roll.

  • Doug Biviano

    Sikora on proposed ER, “It’s not the kind of lifesaving interventions that are needed in acute emergency situations.” On standing up to Berlin Rosen and WFP, “I have stood up to that kind of pressure repeatedly.” Yet, he praises deBlasio on his efforts to save LICH completely missing the fact that deBlasio accepted Cuomo’s dictates without a whisper (mainly so WFP could get Cuomo’s ballot line) and Sikora doesn’t mention the deceptive Gary Reilly LICH letter that Berlin Rosen and deBlasio’s PAC mailed the voters saying the level of medical emergency care at proposed ER was adequate (doctors immediately disputed). — MR. SIKORA WHY DON’T YOU STAND UP TO YOUR BOSSES ON THESE TWO MATTERS AND APOLOGIZE FOR THE MISLEADING LETTER FOOLING THE VOTERS?

    http://dougbiviano.com

  • miriamcb

    Great questions, and thanks for the quick coverage.

    Pete – I hope you will check back for comments as well (and answer). I noted that you were asked specifically about PS8 and how you would alleviate the overcrowding in the area. I understand solutions take time and as someone who worked in the classroom for years and years (and trained teachers), I also understand what it takes to support teachers. Sometimes it is re-appropriation of current resources and other times it’s taking a different tact altogether. It’s not always about more money (more initiatives at teachers sometimes is a huge waste of time, energy and money!).

    I’m curious with one of your solutions being, “The way to do that is to ask the very wealthy to pay a little bit more of a fair share and use that funding to invest in public services.”

    There are some undefined terms in this statement would like to know if you are considering increasing taxes (and by what amount) on the very wealthy (and who is that).

  • marshasrimler

    I see nothing in Mr. Sikora’s background that indicates he would be superior to Ms. Simon in representing us. He is another young man in a hurry. Joanne is a community person who has done lots of pro bono work not a paid lobbyist. i belive in diveristy of representation and believe we need female as well as male representation.
    Mr. Sikora’s patron Brad Lander has described the destruction of our library(not even in his district) as “creative”. His supporters have been weak on protecting our library. My friend Stephen Levin who I am deeply dissapointed in has remained silent on this city issue even through he has been aware of the library problem for over one year. Daniel Squadron has flip-flopped first remaining silent.
    Is this the kind of leadership Mr. Sikora will provide?

  • Doug Biviano

    Marsha, Jo Anne Simon told CDL that she wants to put a museum in the library to cover the budget instead of finding the money in our budget. I say cut all the tax breaks and abatements to developers that last 10 years so we have the tax $ for our schools, a park, a hospital and the libraries.

  • Tobyen

    I’m concerned about the daily bombardment of full color mailings I receive from Mr. Sikora. Where is all that money coming from? It does not speak well for his judgment.

  • Doug Biviano

    Marsha, No Matter the Harm Cuomo has done to our community closing LICH, Jo Anne Simon still supports him. Given the chance to say she wouldn’t endorse Cuomo at the debate, she didn’t because is supported by Cuomo supporting Party Boss Frank Seddio and law partner Frank Carone (who represented SUNY and Carl McCall in the deal closing LICH). She’s part of this machine and that’s why Jo Anne doesn’t stand up and say things that need to be said just like Sikora is praising deBlasio despite walking away from LICH after elected then deceiving voters again with the Gary Reilly LICH letter lying about the emergence medical protection proposed ER would provide.

  • Quinn Raymond

    I’m not sure you have the strongest grasp of how public service works.

  • Quinn Raymond

    DOUG WILL YOU SIGN A PLEDGE TO STOP USING ALL CAPS AND THREADJACKING EVERY BHB POST?

    THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW.

  • Quinn Raymond

    You must be new to NYC? Is this your first election?

  • Tobyen

    That was uncalled for,

  • Quinn Raymond

    Serious question!

  • marshasrimler

    He is getting it from the
    working families party and the
    Unions

  • stuart

    I don’t think you have the strongest grasp on reality. these are do-nothing jobs. its just a lot of blah-blah and postage costs.

  • stuart

    right Doug, put the brakes on development -all the jobs, housing and taxes- and really put the squeeze on the tooth fairy to fund the schools and pensions and cops and everything else. Good thinking!

  • davoyager

    yes, please put the breaks on the over development which is going to lead to another housing crash. Schools, pensions, cops and parks, roads, libraries, hospitals and all other aspects of city infrastructure critically need funding. There is no tooth fairy, only greedy developers making money hand over fist at the tax payer’s expense.

  • davoyager

    Pete, your idea of mandating energy audits for property owners is misdirected and is typical big government heavy handed abuse of small business. Look rather to Government owned buildings because those are the buildings I see with open windows during winter due to over heating and a poorly balanced system. Go by any school on a winter day and observe the open windows especially on the top floor. Lead by example. As a small property owner I work very hard to balance my heating system because those are my energy dollars going out the window if an apartment is too hot. Nobody seems to care enough to see to government owned buildings and I have long thought it a disgrace the way these buildings waste tax payer’s money and spew CO2 into the air.
    If you want to combat climate change than make it affordable for property owners to cover their roofs with solar and wind generating installations and force the utilities to buy back this locally generated power. Every building in NYC should have solar on it and we wouldn’t need to burn #6 oil to generate electricity.Answer the critics of solar by pointing out modern methods of storing power generated during the day for use at night. If you want to mandate something, then mandate that the food industry recycle it’s used oils and fats into bio diesel by subsidizing the collection of this resource so there is no cost to the small business.
    Oh and if we must lose much of LICH because local politicians are failing to stand up to Cumo and sue SUNY downstate for the $dollars they stole destroying our hospital than that campus is the perfect place to situate a large school which can serve this community for decades to come, We don’t need more high end housing and Montague or Court street are already too crowded and busy for a school however the LICH area without the hospital is a quiet area and is on high ground with room enough for a k through 12 school campus. Think big my friend.

  • Doug Biviano

    That is my point about special interest money driving election and sucking power of governing decisions out of our neighborhoods. Simon and Sikora both raised about $200,000. Both are supported by machines that are closed and deceived us. Simon supports a day is supported by Frank Seddio. His law partner Frank Carone was SUNY’s and Carl McCalls lawyer who closed LICH.

  • miriamcb

    I was wondering if any of the candidates would suggest LICH (if we can’t save it as a hospital at least) to be used for another infrastructure necessity and figure that out. Looks like you beat them to it. I’m tired of all the over-development of housing without infrastructure!

  • Michael D. D. White

    I am thankful for these interviews, except that how does it work that the interview setups identify the proposed sale and shrinkage of the Brooklyn Heights Library as a top issue in the neighborhood, and then this particular interview pretty much skips over the subject entirely, except for a very oblique mention of it? I hope this is better addressed in the debate the blog is hosting.

  • Doug Biviano

    Michael do I not go into Library despite not being asked? Would you be willing to provide some analysis of positions candidates presented at CDL last week?