Quinn: Queens Is Most Targeted Boro For Hospital Closings
BY RICHARD GENTILVISO O
n a cold and snowy night in Queens, Christine Quinn, the new Speaker of the City Council, told the United Community Civic OAssociation (UCCA) she would be a "fiveborough

Photo Rose Albergo (L. to R.) Assemblymember Michael Gianaris, Joseph Pistilli of Pistilli Realty, UCCA President Rose Marie Poveromo, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, State Senator George Onorato and City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr.

Speaker" presiding over a "fiveborough council". Calling Quinn a counterpart to Mayor Michael Bloomberg in government, UCCA President Rose Marie Poveromo noted history was made when Quinn was elected by her fellow councilmembers in January as the first female speaker.

Poveromo praised Quinn for standing against a potential threat by the state to close hospitals in the borough and for standing up to help people without health insurance.

"Health care is important to me," said Quinn at UCCA's March meeting. She was chairperson of the health committee in the council for four years before becoming Speaker. Quinn said the Berger Commission appointed by Governor George Pataki to study hospitals was really set up as a way to approve closures, in her opinion.

"Queens is the most targeted [borough] to lose hospitals and hospital beds," she said. "We need to make sure the Governor understands the impact these closures will have on the public." Quinn said she will hold town hall meetings in every borough and a series of roundtable discussions to inform the public. "We're going to work to show how illconceived the Berger Commission is," she said.

"What we need in Queens is a new, bigger, hospital with a lot more beds," said Poveromo. "We cannot lose any more beds."

On the issue of cell phone towers, Quinn gave credit to City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. and Assemblymember Michael Gianaris for their groundbreaking efforts. "The issue is to get some control over [the towers'] proliferation in New York City."

Quinn also gave kudos to the community and its leaders for its success in battling for cleaner power plants and to Vallone Jr. for his efforts in the fight against graffiti. Vallone Jr. said he was an early and ardent supporter of Quinn's candidacy for Speaker. "She is completely familiar with the issues here," Vallone Jr. said.

Fielding questions about funding for libraries and schools, and noting that more police officers is the number one topic in all communities, Quinn said, "I think there is more commonality across districts in the city."

After swearing in UCCA's new executive board members, Gianaris said he would be meeting soon with the new owners of the KeySpan plant in Ravenswood, National Power Grid. "We've been fighting a long time to keep the air cleaner," he said. State Senator George Onorato said budget negotiations with Pataki would again be difficult this year.

The Assembly and senate differ with the governor over the exact amount of money the state will take in by a difference of more than $1 billion. The governor has projected that the state will take in $53.88 billion in receipts by the end of the fiscal year on March 31.

Joseph Pistilli of Pistilli Realty, developer of two local projects, said the former Eagle Electric factory building on 21st Street and 24th Avenue and the former Stern's warehouse building on Ditmars Boulevard and 45th Street should both be completed by the summer.

Although a plan has been submitted to the Attorney General's Office for an offering, Pistilli said no information would be available until the plan is approved. The Eagle Electric project will be a cooperative, while the Stern's project is a condominium. People seeking information can put their names on a list to be contacted when the offering is ready.

"This is not a waiting list for an apartment," said Pistilli. "It is merely a list for information purposes."