Publication Date: Summer 2000

2000 Election Preview:
ELECTION TIME APPROACHES

ELECTIONS BRING OPPORTUNITIES
In the year 2000, voters in New York State have the opportunity to take part in a controversial Senatorial election as well as the election of their local Congressional representative, their State Senator, and State Assembly representative.

ELECTIONS BRING CHANGE
In 2001 there will be elections in New York City, where term limits enacted in 1993 require that the Mayor, the Comptroller, the Public Advocate, four of the five Borough Presidents and 35 of the 51 City Council members leave their present positions.

These promise to be very interesting elections in which every eligible voter should participate.

LEARN ABOUT THE CANDIDATES
As election time approaches, candidates can be found everywhere, making themselves available to talk with constituents as they seek their support. This is an opportunity for you to make sure that the candidates know about cooperatives and condominiums and that they will promote the issues important to us. Where does this candidate stand on property tax equity? Will he or she take the lead in working for the legislation we will need to extend the abatement (see page 3)? Naturally, you will also want to make sure that they are aware of neighborhood issues that you consider important. Get to know the candidates; take advantage of every opportunity to make them aware of your issues. CNYC will do its part by sending a questionnaire to every candidate for public office in the five boroughs to elicit their thoughts on tax reform on a separate part in housing court for cases relating to cooperatives and condominiums, and on conversion of buildings to cooperative and condominium status. Responses will be tallied and published in the autumn issue of this Newsletter in time to help you with decisions in the November elections.

CAST YOUR VOTE !!
New York Primary Day is September 12th
Election Day is November 7th
You must do your part by voting responsibly and encouraging everyone in your cooperative or condominium to do the same. We in co-ops and condos have a reputation for being conscientious voters. We know all too well that failure to support like-minded candidates can result in the election of a board that radically alters the quality of life in our building. We have learned first hand the importance of bringing out the vote. And we take this lesson from our homes into the wider political arena of public life. Because it is so well known that citizens who live in cooperatives and condominiums take their voting responsibilities quite seriously, local candidates will generally be quite happy to accept an invitation to speak at your building.

VAST TURNOVER IN CITY GOVERNMENT
In anticipation of next year's wholesale turnover in City government, many people have already announced their candidacy for high office in the city. As the year unfolds, there will be more announcements, more solicitations of your support, and more opportunities to insert your needs and those of your cooperative or condominium into the political debate. CNYC and the Action Committee for Reasonable Real Estate Taxes are determined that property tax reform should be kept prominent in the public eye. We do not want to lose the momentum of our tax fairness crusade. With your help, we are confident that we can persuade every candidate to focus on this vital issue and others explored in the pages of this Newsletter.