Former Tech Exec Golluscio Vies to Unseat Menin in UES Race
Early voting starts Oct. 28. Election day is Nov. 7. Due to redistricting after the last US Census, all city council seats are up for grabs. Elizabeth Golluscio said she is a former independent who now running as the Republican nominee vying for City Council seat in district 5 vs. Dem. incumbent Julie Menin. She says she is “pro choice” when it comes to whether vaccinations should be required for NYC school children.
| 23 Oct 2023 | 01:02
Elizabeth Golluscio, a former tech executive, is running on the Republican line for City Council in District 5 vs Incumbent Julie Menin. Photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Golluscio
1) Age, how long in your district and business and/or political background.
I’m 50 years old, have been in the district 15 years and I live on East 90th between 3rd Ave. and Lexington. This is my first foray into politics. I have spent my career (25+) years in the technology industry, most recently as a Managing Vice President at Gartner, Inc. (leading the analyst group that covers software design and development for Gartner’s clients)
2) Why are you running?
I’m running because I’ve been sad to see the neighborhood decline over the past couple of years–crime up and toothpaste under lock and key, homeless folks sleeping on the streets and subways, trash on the streets and e–bikes & unlicensed mopeds side swiping people on the sidewalks or in the crosswalks.
I’m also running because I want to bring my technology and business acumen to the City Council (I earned my Engineering degree from Cornell and my MBA from MIT).
3) What do you see as the major issues facing voters in your district and what do you hope to do about it?
Major issues that neighbors have raised with me:
*Protecting our NYC service workers healthcare benefits–I will sign on to Int 1099-2023 (Neighbors tell me our current City Council rep will not even meet to discuss this bill with them, nor support it!)
*License e-bikes and moped and get them out of Central Park too–I will support LL758 and also work with the restaurants to find innovative ways to train and motivate their delivery staff to be safe.
*Reduce crime but working with our local NYPD–I will advocate for more funding for the 19th Precinct; go to monthly meetings (as I have been for a year) and advocate for them to get back to pre-2020 staffing levels.
*Work to repeal LL97, which will cause brownouts and blackouts, if implemented as planned. See this excellent article on the details of NY’s electrical capacity.
4) Are you running on any other party line other than the Republican line?
No, I’m not on any other lines.
5) What is your stance on COVID vaccines? And what about other vaccinations for measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, etc. Do you believe vaccines are medically safe and should they be required for all children to attend NYC schools?
I’m running as a pro-choice candidate. I know my body is my property, and by extension, who am I to try and control any other man’s or woman’s choices regarding their body (or that of their sons and daughters)? I know what might be ‘medically safe’ for you might not be for me, and vice versa, for any given product.
Since the religious exemption was removed in 2019 under Andrew Cuomo, I think your subsequent question is a moot point...People either left the system or left the state if they did not want to comply, although I do recall some legal case(s) were started by RFK Jr.’s Children’s Health Defense organization, but I don’t know about any legal decisions (yet).
6) Anything else we should know about you?
I was a lifelong registered Independent (until 2022), who is now running on the Republican line.
I want to find innovative solutions to our many challenges, using technology and smart business approaches (that don’t defy the reality of accounting)... I’m not going to feed the ‘divide and conquer’ tactics of pitting neighbor against neighbor because our voter registration cards list a D versus an R.