City/Town of Residence
Middle Village
Experience and Qualifications
Owner and President of Pogo Distibution Inc. (1999-2023)
Community Involvement
President of the Middle Village Property Owners & Residents Association, Chaplain at Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Founder and President of Middle Village Roller Hockey Association
Party Affiliation
Democratic
Campaign Telephone Number
3478777440
CampaignWebsite
paul4nyc.org
Instagram
paul4nyc
The cost of living in New York City has reached record highs in recent years, making it extremely difficult for any working-class family to live comfortably. Access to affordable produce, building materials, and amenities needs to return to normal. We need to work towards making our communities more affordable to live or start a family in.
Next, I aim to bring a sense of stewardship back to our New York City Parks. These green spaces are our community's backyards, and we must work to maintain this space for hardworking families, older adults, and more residents to enjoy the outdoors.
Lastly, we need to invest in our future by supporting our schools and education system. Class sizes remain far too high, and schools do not have the after-school programs that best prepare students to succeed. Budget cuts, both from city government and from DOGE, threaten the funding that is vital to the operation of our schools.
The NYPD and our first responders need the proper resources from the city to do their jobs, and not having this sweeping support will continue to leave people questioning if they are truly safe on the street. Additionally, the formation of mental health task forces and treatment groups would allow us to expand access to healthcare and prevent crime before it becomes a crisis.
Over the past few years, our Parks Department has faced issues with budget cuts and short staffing. To crack down on the constant littering, vandalism, and illegal late-night parties, we need to invest the resources required to maintain and preserve our city parks.
Lastly, we need to expand access to after-school and vocational programs to ensure that our children have the support they need both inside and outside the classroom. Additionally, expanding preschool for young kids has been proven to help educational outcomes, and reversing the cuts made to these programs is vital for securing our children's futures.
First, the installation of more garbage cans around our neighborhoods will deter littering and make our streets cleaner. Second, I will undergo a major effort to promote park stewardship and expand park staffing do ensure readiness ahead of the summertime months. Third, I will fight to secure long-term leases for small businesses so our local institutions aren't priced out by big corporations.
I would like to help pass a small business owner's bill of rights to ensure that local companies prosper and prevent takeover from large corporations. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities, and they need our support to survive in these challenging economic times. We must fight to ensure that small businesses can secure long-term leases, protect themselves against eviction, and remain in the properties we know and love them in.
This proposal, like others aimed at leveling the playing field for small businesses, is strongly opposed by special interests and real estate lobbyists. Millions of dollars have been funneled into electing candidates that will only serve the interests of these big businesses; only a grassroots campaign to restore the average person's voice will bring change.
City/Town of Residence
Middle Village
Current Political Office (if applicable)
N/A
Education
Queens College, BA, MA
Experience and Qualifications
Dermot worked as an eighth grade social studies teacher before becoming a leader within the United Federation of teachers, where he served as the lead political strategist. Over his 15 year career with the UFT, he has built relationships with community leaders and elected officials across the city, and will leverage those relationships to deliver for this district.
Community Involvement
When Dermot began his career at the UFT, he led the Queens salaries and leaves department - helping members of the community navigate some of their toughest times.
Party Affiliation
Democrat
Key Endorsements
Dermot is endorsed by the Queens County Democratic Party and over 30 federal, state, and city elected officials. Dermot also has the support of almost every labor union in the City.
Campaign Telephone Number
3476288856
Campaign Office Address
6070 Putnam Avenue, Ridgewood, NY 11385
CampaignWebsite
www.dermotsmythny.com/
The top three issues facing this district are all Quality of Life issues - we need to improve our public education, make our streets safer and our parks cleaner, and we need to make this City a more affordable place to live.
We need to recruit and train more officers to join the NYPD so they can work to keep our sidewalks and subways safer - this city is seeing the highest NYPD staffing shortage in 25 years. I would work with my colleagues on the council to increase funding to NYPD Police Academy programs.
We also need to work on clearing our parks of debris, trash, and broken glass every morning before they open. I’d work to reallocate funding to the parks department to make sure that our parks stay clean for our families.
I will prioritize cleaning up our parks, increasing police presence in our communities to lower response times, and expanding after school programs for both students and their families.
Expanding after school programs is my most ambitious goal. Schools should not close at 3:00PM, but should instead be havens of enriching activities such as language classes, recreational sports, and art/hobby classes available for both students and parents. Additionally, civic services should be offered such as passport photos. Transforming after-hours schools into community spaces will work to curb behavioral issues in the classroom, create safe spaces for our children, and serve as much needed community centers.
Increasing funding to after school programs, hiring qualified after-school staff, and implementing wanted and much needed programs takes time and a lot of input from the community. This needs to be a hands on operation and needs to involve all aspects of the community and stakeholders, but that takes time.
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