DEP Invoice or Financial Record, September 30, 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document Who will actually vote is another ques­ V tion. That’s the disheartening part The JOYCE PURWICK public clearly finds the primaries—hardly magnetic before Sept. 11 —even less com­ •Metro Matters pelling now. Many in the diner echoed the : sentiments of Dorcas Gonzalez, who works

Like Life, in her father’s car rental business. “I don’t know if I feel up to caring,” said Ms. Gonzalez, 29. Her mother, Dorcas Kha- liq, a public school teacher, said she would The Vote vote, but wondered about the turnout “I think it’s going to be hard for people to make a choice,” she said. Her husband, Goes On Khalil Khaliq, agreed. “I’m for extending ■ Giuliani’s term,” he said. “They can’t, I know, but we cannot afford an interruption TK yEW YORK has never seenanything of the administration right now.” The next J\| like this. The city has held elections j mayor should find a role for Mr. Giuliani, i Y during wars, in the aftermathof ri­ put him in charge of the rebuilding process. ots, even had elections delayed at the ij th “If they can’t keep him,” he said, “they could give him something positive to do for hour by a court. the city.” And now, on the eve of an election jost- poned by a terrorist attack, comes wird TANK SCHWARTZ, who came to the that Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani migt I Bronx from West End Avenue to have want to find a way for people to keepim in J brunch with her mother, Lillian office longer than the two consecutive * Rothner, thought otherwise. “I like Giu­ terms he is allowed by law. liani very much, but it is time for a change; If indeed, he is going to go ahead and fr- I don’t like forever, you know?” said Ms. ther complicate the election, the mayor Schwartz, who works in staff development would be exacerbating an already confer and nerve-wracked population. Before at the Board of Education. aides to Mr. Giuliani revealed the possilj- Who is voting for whom? Some said they have changed their minds since Sept. 11, ty last night, even many voters who wafed some have not and all cited reasons. They the mayor to stay in city government Is . accepted the law and understood that ifhe had clearly thought it through. did stay, it would have to be in some other For instance, Maribel Rivera, who works in personnel in the city’s Human Resources role. Now what? Administration. She has had no change of Unaware of any plans to alter the elec­ heart and wonders why anybody has. tion rules yet again, voters interviewed at “There’s no reason to change our minds,” the Riverdale Diner in the Bronx yesterday said Ms. Rivera, a supporter of Fernando were expressing regret, but acceptance of Ferrer. “The candidates haven’t changed. what then looked like reality. They still believe as they did before.’ ’ They were familiar with the candidates But Ms. Schwartz said she was originally and while most said they wished that Mr. going to vote for Alan G. Hevesi and will in­ Giuliani could stay in office, they under­ stead vote for Mark Green: “I don’t think stood that he could not. (“It’s against the Hevesi can win.” And Mrs. Shlinger, from law,” explained Susan Shlinger, who was Riverdale, said she would change her vote having brunch with Harry Shlinger, her to Peter F. Vallone from Mr. Hevesi be­ son, who was visiting from Freehold, N.J.) cause she has often seen Mr. Vallone with The diner, only technically in leafy Riv­ the mayor lately. Ms. Khaliq said she is erdale, is a few yards from the elevated No. sticking with Mr. Ferrer because he wants 1 and No, 9 line and a Getty gasoline sta­ to raise teachers’ salaries. “And I’ll be hon­ tion, and not far north of the Marble Hill est, I’m following my roots,” she said. public houses. The station house of the 50th Most seemed ready to move on, however Precinct, which lost two men in the disas­ reluctantly, to hold an election despite the ter, is at one end of the flag-rich street, a crisis, just as the country elected presi- '■ Genovese drug store at the other. Business dents during the Civil War and World War at the diner, where you can get coffee, juice II. Because that’s how the system works and a mini-muffin for $2.17, was a little and why let the terrorists disrupt the dem­ slower yesterday than usual, but plenty of ocratic process? people stopped by for brunch and agreed to New Yorkers, as usual, get it Even in a talk about the mayoral contest. crisis, they get it. Though heartsick about What they said was, in one way, hearten­ the Sept 11 attacks and frustrated that ing. If the people eating brunch at the diner their mayor cannot run now for re-election, are any indication. New Yorkers know all about tomorrow’s postponed election, know it seemed likely that at least some of them would resolve to exercise a privilege un­ the candidates and the issues. Several even known in countries that nurture terrorists, said that they thought that writing in Mr. and vote to nominate candidates to succeed Giuliani’s name — Gov. George E. Pataki’s the man who has led the the city valiantly mischievous suggestion — would waste in a tragic time. their votes because term limits would pre­ However unhappy about the prospect, vent the mayor from serving even if he most were ready. should win a write-in effort. Or so it But that was yesterday. seemed.

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