Last week, dozens of people overheard a verbal exchange be- tween a staffer from City Council- man Bob Holden’s office and a State Senate candidate at Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village.
Japneet Singh, the Democratic candidate running against Senator Joe Addabbo in a primary in the neighborhoods of Middle Village, Maspeth, Glendale, Forest Hills, Woodhaven, Ozone Park & Rich- mond Hill, was at an ‘80s night performance in the park talking to concert-goers and apparently giv- ing out campaign literature.
After all, when there is a crowd in one place it’s a good place to maybe pick up some votes, right?
The staffer began the kerfuffle, claiming that the concert was a private event in the park and cam- paigning should be done outside the park.
Singh told her that he was just socializing with friends, but she
was insistent and apparently stayed right on his tail.
Singh remained in place, and said, “We’re in the park—at an event funded by taxpayer dollars.”
As Singh and his campaign man- ager, Julien Segura, walked away, they heard a man yell, “Don’t vote for socialists.”
Singh says he attempted to talk to the man and was interrupted again. “Don’t get him started. Don’t talk to him. You don’t get to talk to him.”
The staffer pointed up and down at Singh… “This is what a socialist looks like.”
I guess we were mistaken. And all this time we thought all social- ists had three eyes in their heads.
Singh and Segura continued talking to folks in the park after- ward.
Yikes… That’s politics. Makes you think about running for office, huh?
