Feb. 12, 2018 By Christian Murray
Council member Jimmy Van Bramer has all but announced that he is running for Queens Borough President.
Van Bramer formed the “Van Bramer 2021” committee last week and said that he is limiting contributions to $3,850. That figure is the maximum allowed for the borough president race and well short of the $4,950 permitted for a citywide office such as mayor or public advocate.
“I’m not declaring for any particular office at this time but I am gearing up and beginning to plan for the future,” Van Bramer said in an interview. “Obviously serving as Queens Borough President would be a great honor.”
Van Bramer is in his final term as a council member for the 26th District and will be forced to vacate his office at the end of 2021. He said he is not interested in pursuing a position in Albany but one where he can focus on Queens.
“I have deep roots in Queens,” Van Bramer said. “I was born and raised in Queens. I went to public schools in Astoria and then to St. John’s for college,” he said.
Van Bramer also noted that he worked for the Queens Library for 11 years and was the president of the Queens Council on the Arts from 2004-2006.
“I am also part of the changing face of Queens and I believe that the borough has become more progressive—particularly the Democrats,” he said.
He added that he led the largest anti-Trump march in Queens, when 5,000 residents marched over the Queensboro Bridge to Trump Tower in November 2016, and is at the center of the resistance against Trump in Queens. He has incorporated the hashtag #queensvalues as part of the movement.
He said that as a council member he has embraced the LGBT community, immigrant community and arts, as well as focusing on quality of life issues such as improving parks.
He said the formation of the committee is not too early and pointed to Melinda Katz and how she recently formed Katz 2021. “It’s never too early in politics to start fundraising and to start laying the foundations for a race.”
Van Bramer said that he will be rolling over $200,000 from his council campaign committee shortly into Van Bramer 2021 and will begin fundraising.
Van Bramer raised more than $550,000 for the city council race in 2017, one of the higher amounts among council members. He worked with the high profile consultants of Nashban Mansur and BerlinRosen to raise these funds and map out his run. He anticipates using their services for 2021.
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The Fairfield Inn by Marriott in Long Island City is set to become a shelter for adult families.
The hotel, located at 52-34 Van Dam St., will provide shelter for up to 154 homeless families, according to the Department of Homeless Services. The shelter is expected to open in March.
The agency notified the community board and elected officials of their plans on Feb. 13.
And Mr. JVB never notified anyone and he was well aware of this —
since when is the responsibility of the City of New York to house the homeless to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars on the backs of taxpaying New Yorkers? We need JVB out of CB2 good riddance . He has done nothing to defend the neighborhood against the influx of homelesss hotels and not stood up once to protest with more shelters coming to the site of the former VG Nichols Furniture store on 37th Street and Queens Blvd.
is this the absolute truth that a homeless shelter will be coming to this site because if it is everyone should be complaint to Mr. JVB like yesterday – and why isn’t he telling his c
onstitutents about this can you please answer back – thank you – and I do hope this gets posted
Hope wins. Then we can get a city council representative who will actually make a difference in our neighborhood.
It’s been a real shame these past 8 years… he only cares about big real estate. Rest of our rents through the roof. Now all of Queens will be for sale.
This is a city-wide issue, not at all unique to Sunnyside.
It was really sad watching the senior citizens trying to get across the snow and ice covered street corners during some of the snow storms during the past 5 years.
@richard Obviously not sad enough for you to give a hand.
Dale’s got you there Richard! If there’s one thing commenters here love is complaining that their council person doesn’t personally come to their house and empty their garbage can. They scream for personal responsibility in others, but wouldn’t lift a finger to help a neighbor.
Why doesn’t JVB or Community Board put together a work crew of people to shovel snow, etc. There are many seniors who would be willing to pay for RELIABLE service. I remember a group of people cleaning Woodside streets. Why can’t they shovel in winter. So many people are complaining they cannot find work, The need is there on both sides.
Go for it. You don’t need a gov’t agency to put this together. Just grab your shovel and knock on some doors. Dept of Sanitation does hire folks for $15 / hr to clear snow as well.
Wow. This guy…WAS JUST reelected to Councilman. I wish I could announce I wanted a new job three weeks into my new one. We need fresh people running for office – no more old white politicians.
Wow. That’s an enlightened comment. So experience means nothing to you?
Ann your absolutely right wedon’t need the old, young white, black, brown or yellow one’s that are in the city council at moment… We have a city government that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes nonwork. Get them all out !!!
Good Luck JVB..We know you’ll do a great job..
Oh GREAT another “photo op jimmy” run..typical politican. Only cares about next best thing. WHAT ABOUT the homelessness and trash on the streets???
Real Sean- See garbage on the streets? Pick it up. The old Irish and German immigrants and even the “non” immigrants did that when I was a kid growing up in Woodside back in the 1940’s. Its really not that hard. Its called having a sense of community or community pride.
I’d rather scapegoat poor people for all my problems, thank you.
I think he was 2nd in fundraising city last election cycle and still lost the speakers race. It is nice that I can ONLY $3,850. Could we raise some money to send him to Florida or some other place. It might be worth the money.
#queensvalues = let the taxpayers pay for this garbage while our city councilman bloviates
His campaign slogan can be “My street is great – yours not so hot.” He cares about his block and that is about it. Could not care less about Woodside, knows nothing about homeless problem but loooves those silly marches over the bridge in which he gets his monthly exercise.
Would be terrific to have a Sunnysider as QB Pres 🙂
you could of had a Woodsider this past November