By: Fern Sidman
As the primary season fast approaches for New Yorkers, not only will we selecting the next occupant at City Hall but other races are gearing up to be most pivotal. The Jewish Voice was given the opportunity to chat with New York City councilman, Robert Cornegy, Jr. who represents the 36th council district of Bedford-Stuyvesant, parts of Williamsburg and northern Crown Heights in Brooklyn. He has emerged as one of the most effective lawmakers in the city. In just four years, Mr. Cornegy has fulfilled every campaign promise he’s made and passed legislation in almost every committee on which he has served. Since his election in 2013, he has ushered an impressive number of substantive bills into law — virtually unheard of for a Council Member of his tenure.
Having led the charge, Mr. Cornegy has sponsored or authored several key initiatives, including the Chamber on the Go program, which provides a wide array of mobile support services to small businesses. To date, Chamber on the Go, a Council-funded initiative operating in all five boroughs, has served thousands of NYC businesses. In addition, Mr. Cornegy had initiated the commercial tenant anti-harassment and neglect legislation which offers protection against nefarious landlords by creating a private right of action for commercial tenants facing harassment, and the allocation of $3.6 million to cover the legal costs associated with fighting unscrupulous property owners.
As the chairman of the housing and building committee on the council, Mr. Cornegy has now thrown his hat in the ring for Brooklyn Borough President. Currently, that position is held by Eric Adams, but judging by his lead in the mayoral race, it looks as though he could e leaving downtown Brooklyn for City Hall.
At age 55 and the father of six children, Mr. Cornegy displays the kind of exuberance, confidence and positivity of a political neophyte, although that belies his many years of experience in public service.
“I come from a religious background and we were always taught that service to our families and communities is the loftiest of goals and I have been and continue to be an exceptionally proud public servant. Just looking back and seeing how much my staff and I accomplished for our constituents over the years and how we impacted peoples lives for the positive is really remarkable. I am deeply grateful and humbled that I can do G-d’s will of kindness on this earth, “ he said.
Mr. Cornegy who stands close to 7 feet tall and was a former basketball player in Israel and several other European countries wants to make effectual change on pressing issues that affect all Brooklynites.
“The reason I decided to run for Brooklyn Borough President is because this job affords me the flexibility to immerse myself in so many different aspects of what makes the County of Kings the proud borough that it is. Brooklyn and its people are the true embodiment of recovery and resilience. Despite the devastation wrought by the Covid-19 virus, Brooklynites are ready to move on in a powerful and positive way, “ he said.
Mr. Cornegy said the spirit of entrepreneurship is all is alive and well in Brooklyn and one of his many objectives is to fast track the growth of small businesses around the borough. “From Sheepshead Bay to Park Slope to Bed-Stuy to Cobble Hill, I truly believe that with the proper financial support and wisdom from business professionals we can have a borough that is known for its mom and pop stores. And these businesses will thrive and as such we will become job creators.
In addition, Mr. Cornegy wants Brooklynites to lead the way in home ownership. Mr. Cornegy admits that the average price of a home in Brooklyn is $900,000 but he remains undaunted in his quest to tear down the barriers to home ownership for working class people.
“The biggest problem we face is helping people to get a down payment on a home. Perhaps paying their monthly mortgage won’t be such a formidable challenge, but getting the funding to put 10% down is the issue that we have focused one. I am working with financial institutions who have committed themselves to grants for this particular purpose,” he said.
Mr. Cornegy added that through public and private partnerships and a commitment to affordable housing along with low income rent that home ownership is not just a vague possibility but a vision that is on the brink of becoming a reality. He said that “working with responsible developers is very important. As we know, gentrification has priced out so many people from buying homes or even renting. We want people to prosper but not at the expense of hard working people who have made Brooklyn their home from every corner of the earth.”
Because Brooklyn is a truly diverse borough of immigrants from across the globe and an illuminating expression of cultural magnificence, Mr. Cornegy’s objective is to bring people together and to expose the borough’s school children to different cultures. “I truly believe fear of the other is at the root of prejudice and bigotry and I think we are way overdue in educating our kids about cultures and ethnicities that are an enigma for them.”
When asked about the skyrocketing rate of anti-Semitism in New York City and across the country that has dominated the headlines since the Hamas–Israel conflict began on May 10th, Mr. Cornegy says that hate crimes in Brooklyn can never be tolerated and that we can create a viable deterrent to them by making cultural education mandatory in our classrooms. “My dream is to take 100 Orthodox Jewish kids and 100 black kids and each group should not only visit each other’s neighborhoods but really get to know what everyday life is like for them. I want kids to get familiar with other people’s cultures. In reality, it is the key to our existential survival.”
