By Hashim RahmanMayoral candidate and current City Comptroller William C. Thompson gave a recent speech in Queens where he characterized his opponent, incumbent Mike Bloomberg, as a billionaire who is out of touch with the concerns of working families. The Queens Tribune reported that the usually soft-spoken Thompson, who was elected as City Comptroller in 2001, berated Bloomberg for cutting school budgets, shrinking affordable housing, and charging homeless families for their stay in shelters.
In other recent speeches, Thompson has depicted Bloomberg as a power-hungry politician who has overreached his control of the city. He has often criticized the mayor for extending term limits, and he has also attributed double-digit hikes on water fees to excessive mayoral control of the water board – a control that enables Bloomberg to appoint all seven board members.
But when it comes to environmental issues, Thompson has been fairly silent during his campaign.
Despite his failures with congestion pricing and hybrid taxi legislation, Bloomberg has been widely praised for his efforts to make New York a greener, more sustainable city, which likely makes the environment an unwise point of political attack for Thompson or any other mayoral challenger.
In trying to draw contrast to Bloomberg, Thompson has instead focused his message on working class and middle income New Yorkers. His statements on lowering water rates, preventing bridges tolls, and increasing taxes for the wealthy are all tied to his effort to reach out to voters who feel disproportionately burdened by New York’s growing inequities.
Despite not making it the focus of his campaign, Thompson has placed himself at the forefront of many environmental issues. In May 2008, for instance, Thompson co-wrote a New York Times Op-Ed that advocated protection of the Ridgewood Reservoir, a 50 acre preserve on the Brooklyn-Queens border.
In the article, Thompson and his co-author, environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr., described the Ridgewood Reservoir as “an oasis where an amazing range of plant and animal species thrive in a verdant landscape of steep hills and narrow valleys amid the city’s paved sidewalks.”
Thompson opposed the Parks Department’s plan to cover 20 acres of the reservoir site with athletic fields and facilities. Along with many conservationists, Thompson advocated a greater preservation of the precious wildlife space, which contains, according to the Audubon Society, nearly 137 species of birds.
The Parks Department’s proposal was eventually replaced by another one that allows for more community input. However, the latest press release from Thompson’s office, which endorses the new plan, does not show exactly how the new plan would preserve more natural space. Nonetheless, many believe that more public involvement will encourage greater conservation.
In addition to land preservation, Thompson has also been a long-time proponent of city recycling. In 2003, the Department of Sanitation suspended the city’s glass and recycling programs due to costs. However, as comptroller, Thompson found that the DOS had overstated the costs of recycling, and thereafter called for a full reinstatement of the city’s recycling program.
Thompson is also a longstanding board member for Ceres, a coalition of investors and environmentalists that encourages businesses to incorporate sustainability measures into corporate planning and accounting. (The City Comptroller’s Office is a founding member of this organization.) Additionally, last December Thompson called on several multinational corporations to issue sustainability reports that would indicate how such entities are planning to meet the needs of the many environmental challenges ahead.
Moreover, last December Thompson raised concerns about plans for natural gas drilling near the Catskills-Delaware watershed in upstate New York. In a press release, he stated that the proposed methods of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing posed severe risks that require strict oversight and regulation. His reservations galvanized the concerns of many elected officials and community groups, with the result that Bill 08748, which proposes banning the use of hydraulic fracturing near watersheds was introduced to the New York State Assembly on June 5.
In addition to these issues, Thompson has also been outspoken about air quality standards near city airports, monitoring standards for waste water treatment facilities, and promoting renewable energy.
Yet on his campaign, Thompson’s environmental message may remain muted. In trying to beat Mayor Bloomberg, Thompson will likely continue to focus on what sets him apart.
About the Author
Hashim Rahman is a Brooklyn-based freelance writer who covers environmental issues, urban planning, and design. He has written for City Limits, the Williamsburg Courier, Planning Magazine, and ARRAY Magazine.
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