Readers Write: Why Assemblyman David Weprin will become the next New York City comptroller

The Island Now

While I do respect a significant number of the weekly letters Larry Penner contributes to the Great Neck News, it seems that his Sept. 19 letter about state Assemblyman David Weprin, may be based on a personal vendetta.

The letter, which contains many misleading opinions, was published in a publication that doesn’t impact New York City voting at all. Even though we cannot vote for Assemblyman Weprin in Long Island, I felt compelled to answer that letter.

Throughout his life as New York City Council Finance Chair, New York State Assemblymember, lifelong Queens resident, husband, father, and grandfather, David Weprin has devoted his life to making New York City a better place to live, work and raise a family. Now, Assemblyman Weprin is running for New York City Comptroller to continue this lifelong mission.

In the letter published on Sept. 19 by Larry Penner, he mentioned that this is not David Weprin’s first run for comptroller, but what else does that prove besides his passion for the job and his commitment to making New York a strong and prosperous city? Assemblyman Weprin is a New Yorker through and through.

He is the child of a mother who was a Cuban immigrant schoolteacher and a father who was a lifelong public servant who rose to serve as Speaker of the New York State Assembly.

David Weprin understands the challenges faced by working families every day, challenges that have only been exacerbated by the deadly pandemic that has strangled our economy, and the traumatic implications of our nation’s most polarized election year in recent history.

Assemblyman Weprin’s entire life has been devoted to public service – he has more experience than any candidate in the race, not to mention he’s the only candidate with public finance experience.

The next comptroller needs to be someone with public finance experience and the know-how to manage the City’s budget, especially in times of crisis. With the pandemic still raging through our city and winter approaching, threatening the re-closure of small businesses, New York is going to need someone who knows how to get our economy back on track. David Weprin is the only candidate who can get the job done.

Assemblyman Weprin’s extensive record of accomplishments in public office cannot be overlooked. As the New York City Council’s Finance Committee Chair for eight years, he balanced the City’s budget, allocated millions of dollars for non-profit organizations, and made sure that funding was available to accomplish the City’s most important legislative priorities.

In the face of the financial crisis, David Weprin is no novice. Amid the devastating financial crisis of 2008, Assemblyman Weprin worked to secure $2.5 billion to make sure that retired New Yorkers would receive quality health care for years to come.

He worked alongside Mayor Bloomberg to help homeowners reduce their tax burden by allocating more than $1 billion back into the pockets of the middle-class. These accomplishments are no small feat, and while they may have been hard decisions to make, David Weprin is someone who never backs down when it comes to doing the right thing for New Yorkers – that characteristic is at the heart of everything he does.

Of all the candidates in this race, Assemblyman Weprin leads the pack on fighting for New Yorkers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, he successfully fought for the reopening of partial indoor dining in order to help our City’s small, independent restaurants.

David Weprin’s decades of service, above all else, are proof of his ability to lead and his constituents’ approval of his leadership. From his role as Deputy Superintendent of Banks and Secretary of the Banking Board of New York State, to his years in the City Council and the State Assembly, to his Queens roots and diverse background, Assemblyman Weprin’s experience speaks for itself.

With everything going on in our city, we need leadership with proven experience to get the job done – David Weprin is the candidate who brings that experience to the table.

Dr. Paul Brody

Great Neck Estates

 

 

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