Carlos Sierra hopes to unseat 16th Council District incumbent Helen Diane Foster today.

Tools

Print this story

digg

del.icio.us

Email a friend

Your name

Your email address

Recipients’ email addresses (Up to ten, separated by commas.)

Today is Primary Day in the Bronx, and in the 16th Council District, where incumbent Helen Diane Foster hopes to fend off candidate Carlos Sierra.

“I think Carlos is a smart and capable young man,” Foster said. “Unfortunately, he has allowed himself to be used. Carlos is not a down and dirty person but he has engaged in bush league politics.”

Not so, her challenger said.

Sierra, who participated in the Bronx Times / BRONXNET 16th Council District debate, has slammed Foster for poor attendance at City Hall and for being “out of touch.” The 32-year old Highbridge tenant association president and Community Board 4 member has promised to focus on affordable housing and education, if elected. Foster chose not to participate in the debate.

Sierra belongs to a cadre of promising Dominican-American leaders, mentor and Community Board 7 chair Greg Faulkner said. Sierra chaired the CUNY student senate.

“The Bronx has changed,” Faulkner said. “[Sierra] is sincere and has leadership skills. He will be somebody in the future.”

Sierra has run an energetic campaign; his supporters were out in force in Morris Heights on the morning of Primary Day.

“I’m the community candidate,” Sierra said. “I’m ready to be at City Hall full-time.”

Foster had surgery in late 2008, she said. According to a Gotham Gazette report, the 16th Council District incumbent missed 21 percent of meetings at City Hall between January 2006 and January 2009; 5 percent of those absences were excused.

Foster is listed as the first primary sponsor of 13 local laws introduced between 2006 and the present; one was enacted. In 2008, Foster and 15 others sponsored a local law requiring the Parks Department to submit an annual report of funds provided by non-governmental sources.

Her laws often aren’t enacted because they are related to Police Department and City Hall reform, Foster said. If re-elected, Foster will work to offer 16th Council District residents access to healthy food, affordable housing and job training.

Foster was proud to oppose the new Yankee Stadium swap: parkland for ballpark land.

“I was the only consistent Bronx delegation member against the stadium,” she said.

Foster also opposed the construction of the Croton Water Filtration Plant in Van Cortlandt Park, although millions of dollars were distributed to Bronx parks via a Croton fund.

“I won’t sell my soul for dollars,” Foster said.

Foster voted to extend term limits, a decision that Sierra has condemned. The vote allowed Foster and Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run for re-election. Foster has always opposed term limits, she said.

“If you’re unhappy with the mayor, vote him out,” Foster added.

The 16th Council District incumbent won capital dollars for a new middle school for Highbridge. Foster has raised more than $119,000 and more than $88,000 in public funds. Sierra has raised more than $28,000 and nearly $71,000 in public funds.

©2009 Community Newspaper Group