DEP organizational chart for 9/11 emergency response, Sept 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

I West Nile on ck burner »!•

J for mayoral candi tes fl Overshadowed ronmentalists believe there’s spraying], but skeptical,” said been a deafening silence around Green. “There’s a real split in by education, the words west, nile and virus. the scientific community about crime and In a campaign where candi- whether we should be spraying dates offer opinions about with what we’re spraying and housing, the whether police should carry lap- whether there are other mitigat- top computers, some find it odd ing ways of doing it, of anticipat- city’s most that barely a word has been ut- “g problems.” current public tered about a spraying policy Ferrer, who held hearings on with possible links to increased mosquito control when he health problem asthma in children — or the best chaired the City Council’s has not drawn way to control a disease that ap- Health Committee in the 1980s, pears to have become a perma­ staunchly criticized the city for much attention in nent part of life in the city. years of pest-control neglect “It says the public isn’t mak­ that left it unprepared for the primaries ing a big issue of it,” said Man­ sudden arrival of the illness in hattan Councilwoman Kathryn 1999. By HEIDI SINGER Freed, who is running as a Dem­ “In an emergency situation we ADVANCE STAFF WRITER ocrat for public advocate and is had no choice,” he said. “I think the only citywide candidate to malathion is bad stuff and Anvil With education, crime and tout her anti-spraying position. [the city’s current spray of housing the traditional big- “It’s, not a winner, let’s put it choice] is not much better. It ticket themes during this year’s that way,” said one Island Dem­ shouldn’t have gotten this way. mayoral race, it’s hard for one ocrat, who believes the issue has because we let our guard down mosquito-borne illness to com- dropped considerably from the on mosquito control.” pete. public radar screen this summer To find mayoral hopefuls will­ While politicians fight to air ~ ®ven on Staten Island, the epi­ ing to promise an instant mora­ their views on everything from center of the outbreak for two torium on spraying, it’s neces­ crime to stopping teachers from years in a row. sary to delve into the B-list of wearing casual pants, the West The Advance recently asked candidates, such as perennial Nile virus has been quietly lurk- all the major mayoral candl­ Democratic hopeful George ing in the background, the city’s dates for their views on the cur- Spitz and Christopher X. Bro­ most current public health prob- rent administration’s handling deur of the Green Party. lem in a campaign that nor- of the outbreak. Both denounced the city’s mally sees little discussion of Democratic Comptroller Alan West Nile virus policies, with health issues. Hevesi didn’t respond. Brodeur calling the outbreak Indeed, most of the candidates Republicans Mike Bloomberg “obviously a scam.” running for mayor have little to and Herman Badillo quickly dis- And what of comedian Kenny say about the Giuliani adminis- missed the question, saying Kramer, the Libertarian Party tration’s . policies on fighting they’d take action based on ex- choice and the model for the West Nile. None have praised or pert opinion. “Seinfeld” character of the same protested the city’s spraying de- Democratic City Council surname? Speaker Peter Vallone, through “Put me on the record,” he de- ideas about the best way to fight g spokesman, stopped short of dared. “I’m against the West the virus. criticizing spraying or the may- Nile virus.” “Candidates are going to tak or’s policies and didn’t offer spe- candidates aside. about things that bring hem big cifics on what he might do dif- politicians take a look at blocks of votes,’ said a longtime ferently. and hell,” said Wil- Democratic strategist. The exceptions were Demo- liam Cooke of the Audubon Soci- If voters cared strongly about crats Mark Green, the public ad- ety, an anti-spraying lobbyist in the matter, campaigns would vocate, and Fernando Ferrer, Albany. learn that on the trail or through the Bronx borough president. “Truth be told, it’s under­ polls. he added. Both favored exploring non- standable,” he added. “The peo- But considering the contro- toxic alternatives to spraying. pig who vote, they don’t know. versy over spraying, some envi- “I would be supportive [of They’re not sure.”

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