Dems Head West For Gore’s Coronation; Lowey Seeks National DWI Law

Planeloads of Queens Democrats will be among the throngs of party members who head for Los Angeles and the Democratic Party convention next Monday through Thursday to hoist Vice President Al Gore up as the party’s presidential candidate.

The list of delegates, alternates and at-large representatives issued by the state Democratic Committee adds up to about 400 people in the huge state delegation, about 40 of them from Queens. Included are mostly party officials and elected officials in addition to a number of other plain old party members who balances the delegation by gender, color and ethnic designation.

From Queens, Dem party chairman Thomas Manton tops the list followed by City Council Speaker Peter Vallone and Comptroller Alan Hevesi, two favorite son mayoral hopefuls in 2001; Congressmembers Joseph Crowley, Carolyn Maloney, Nita Lowey, Gregory Meeks, Gary Ackerman, Nydia Velazquez and Anthony Weiner; and United States Senators Daniel P. Moynihan and Charles Schumer.

Also attending are several state lawmakers, including Assemblymembers Michael Cohen, Jeffrion Aubry, Brian McLaughlin and David Weprin; Councilmembers Helen Marshall, Karen Koslowitz, Archie Spigner and Juanita Watkins, and Borough President Claire Shulman.

Party officials include Michael Reich and district leaders Gloria De Marco Aloise, Honey Miller, Melinda Katz, and Jim Lisa. The list is completed by labor leader James Butler, Astoria; Julissa Ferrais, Jackson Heights, Clayola Brown, Laurelton; Daniel Dromm, Maspeth; Alam Morshad, Jamaica Estates, and Alice Cardona, Barbara Jackson, Joan Reed and Helen T. Chin; all of Flushing.

Most convention attendees will have their spouses or significant others along, so the four-day stay will double as a vacation. For Manton, it will be an opportunity to say hello to many of his former colleagues in the Congress, from which he retired almost two years ago.

One of the delegates-at-large, Julissa Ferrais, will be introduced to the Jackson Heights/East Elmhurst community today by Assemblymember Ivan Lafayette (D–Jackson Heights) at an 11 a.m. press conference at his campaign headquarters at 84-18 Astoria Blvd.

Lafayette said that Ferrais; a 7th Congressional District delegate at large, is presently the program director of the HANAC/Corona Beacon program at P.S. 19, Corona. He said her "extensive background and experience" in the Jackson Heights/East Elmhurst/Corona communities would make her "an excellent proponent for federal programs that are important to the diverse communities that are within the 7th Congressional District."

INDEPENDENCE IN L.A., TOO: Immediately preceding the Democratic Party convention, the Reform Party will meet in the same city for four days beginning tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 10th, for what is expected to be the most controversial and raucous conclave of all. Queens’ Independence Party is the local affiliate of the Reform Party.

Queens will be represented by Gerald Everett of Woodside, the party’s Queens chairman, as 7th Congressional District delegate, and Molly Honigsfeld of Long Island City, an alternate delegate from the 14th CD.

A major battle for the Indy presidential nomination looms between former Republican Patrick Buchanan, a conservative, and John Hagelin of Iowa, a college professor. At stake is not only the nomination but also who will get $12.6 million in federal campaign funds that goes with it.

Everett and Honigsfeld are supporting Hagelin, 56. "Buchanan is not an inclusive individual," Everett explained." Our party is made up of people from all over the country, holding all kinds of philosophies. I take the No. 7 train every morning and the message the train’s riders send out is that in order to get along you have to go along. Our party was formed as a reform party and for Buchanan to bring in all these social issues is just not right for our party."

Cohen Mobile Office at Rego Park Library: Assemblymember Michael Cohen (D–Forest Hills) is setting up a mobile district office on Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 21st and 22nd, at the Rego Park branch library, 91-41 63rd Drive, to meet and talk with constituents.

"I encourage anyone who is interested to contact my office (718) 263-5595 and make an appointment to meet me on these days," Cohen announced. He will be available at the library from 5 to 8 P.M. on the 21st and from 1 to 4 P.M. on the 22nd.