Great Neck Plaza Trustee Gerry Schneiderman has apparently lost patience with the man who is challenging both him and colleague Lawrence Katz for one of two Board of Trustees Plaza seats on March 18th.
Schneiderman has asked his opponent, attorney Jonathan M. Stein, to join him and Trustee Katz in a face-to-face debate.
Schneiderman is reacting to statements made on the Internet by Stein on Stein’s web site, Twitter and Facebook accounts since early January, including an allegation that the trustee urged the board to make a $2500 “payoff” to a parking consultant.
“Trustee Schneiderman Caught Urging $2,500 Payoff by Plaza Board” is included in Stein’s campaign literature and Internet postings.
The March 18th Plaza election is the only election of six on the peninsula that is being contested on that day.
In a March 2nd press release, Schneiderman wrote: “There is no place in village elections for false, unjustified, character assassination and misleading innuendo . . . I welcome the opportunity this contested election presents to discuss and debate the important issues facing our village.”
In regard to the “payoff” accusation, Schneiderman said, ” I denounce this false and misleading statement and other untruthful or inaccurate assertions by Mr. Stein. I call upon him to immediately retract this statement.”
Stein answered Schneiderman in a letter the next day accepting the challenge, declining to retract the statement and asking for specifics regarding arrangements for the debate.
“Mr. Stein has made various assertions which are misleading and demonstrate an alarming lack of knowledge of the operation of the village on the part of one who is seeking a seat on the village board,” Schneiderman continued.
“There is no place in Plaza politics for the tactics Mr. Stein has employed . . . I look forward to Mr. Stein joining with me to make this (debate) happen and I look forward to receiving his immediate response to this request.”
