On Jan. 2, our newest county legislator was sworn in at the Chabad of Great Neck. Whether or not it is legal to hold an elected official’s swearing-in at a religious institution is unclear. What is clear, however, is that the mayor of Great Neck’s largest village is involved in county and state elections and heavily promoting Republican candidates.
In 60 years of living in Great Neck, I have never seen a local mayor identify what political party they belong to. Local elections have always been non-partisan, until Pedram Bral was elected. Local mayors are expected to tend to their village’s affairs, something Mayor Bral seems unable to do effectively. While his village infrastructure is crumbling and residents complain of empty storefronts and insufficient services, he is busy promoting Republican candidates, celebrating Republican victories and making speeches about the upcoming “bloodbath” he expects in the midterm elections.
It’s not just politics that Bral sticks his nose in, though. His speech promoted a “conservative agenda” and the need to “bring God back into our schools,” and included homophobic comments about the curriculum and a personal attack against one educator who continues to dialogue with him about the need to address sensitive topics with students. What does “I believe in chromosomes” mean anyway?
And if that weren’t enough, this event on Jan. 2 had hundreds of people indoors without masks. That’s no surprise, though. Mayor Bral has continually minimized the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of masks and social distancing, no doubt contributing to the alarming rise of case numbers in his village.
How did our once proudly progressive town get to this point? Low turnout in the last election surely contributed to the success of a slate of elected officials who do not truly represent the best interests of this community. Great Neck was always known as an inclusive, liberal, welcoming community. It is time to return to those core values and stem the tide of repressive and dangerous ideologies that has erupted in our town.
If you care about the future of Great Neck, the time to act is now. Get involved. Attend local meetings and make your voice heard. But most importantly, get out and vote – not just in the national elections, but in EVERY local election. Otherwise, Great Neck will not be Great for much longer.
Nina Gordon
Great Neck
