​Change.

David Bowie sang a paean to it.  Staten Islanders don’t react well to it.  I know this.  I have been listening carefully to both these past 17 years.

Although it’s far from perfect we love our borough, and changes that affect the essence of who and what we are not only merit strong resistance, but demand it.  There are sometimes changes that I as Borough President - and you as Staten Islanders – must fight hard to deflect, particularly if the change alters the character of our neighborhoods or the nature of our institutions.

But there is an approaching moment in time when we as a community must open our minds and be willing to, even if grudgingly, force ourselves to accept change.  In fact, I firmly believe that in this case the benefits to our island and its commuters will be so positive that we should not merely accept, but whole-heartedly embrace these changes – and the more radical the better.  

I am referring to the Comprehensive Bus Study being undertaken by the MTA at our request, and which emanates from the two Bus Summits we held at Borough Hall last year. For the past several months they have been surveying Staten Islanders, crunching data and crafting a plan.  It is, in fact, so challenging a problem that I cannot see how nibbling at the edges will lead to a solution.  Fine-tuning this, modifying that - how does that get to the heart of the matter and meaningfully improve our commutes?  And here’s the rub: even though Staten Islanders agree the commute into Manhattan is hellish – they will still have a tendency to resist radical alterations.  

I believe it’s time to “turn and face the change” as the late, great Mr. Bowie so compellingly put it.

Consider, please, that these routes were established fifty years ago, and over the years have been given only minor tweaks.  Now think about how the population of the Island has exploded in that time; think about how many neighborhoods have experienced dramatic changes in median age and other demographics; think about how many more vehicles are congesting our roads, and it’s quite apparent that public transportation needs to be re-evaluated from the ground up.

Here is not-so-surprising fact: commuting times are bad.  Really bad.  And in this case I’m pretty sure you don’t get to “good” by thinking small.  So if you’re the kind of person that considers the relocation of a bus stop ten yards further away is cause to claim “the sky is falling,” this is a call for a cold, hard look in the mirror.  

And sorry, here’s a “politician” telling you this is not about “you,” it is about “us” as Staten Islanders.  The goal here is to help as many people as possible improve their lives by improving their commutes. That won’t happen by putting lipstick on a pig; we’re talking about a full makeover.  So get the mirror out and talk to yourself if need be - and then join me in hoping the MTA thinks out of the box and goes a bit rad.  

We are beyond the point where we can reject much-needed improvements because it causes a small measure of inconvenience for a small number of people.  The status quo is unacceptable.

I don’t know exactly what the MTA will release in a few months, but I for one want to see some very serious changes. I don’t think they are planning on scrapping the whole system of existing routes and starting from scratch, but you know what?  If they proposed that I’d sure listen first before reflexively having a fit.

By the way, before you take fingers to keyboard, you will definitely have your say on these ideas after the initial draft is released. This process will continue to be inclusive in every possible way, and if you want to voice your opinion to me I’m good with that.  If you want to voice your opinion to those who are doing the study – all the better. 

By early summer the MTA will release its initial report. They will articulate some new concepts and then allow the community to react.  In the fall there will be public hearings, and there, the public will have its say.  

My only ask is that you think about it, and join me in welcoming what hopefully will be some very real ch-ch-ch-changes.

It seems that March and April are typically the trashiest months on the calendar. Since there are, obviously, far fewer cleanup activities during the cold winter months, as springtime rolls in the melting snows often reveal a kaleidoscope of various forms of detritus along the sides of our streets, highways, and wooded areas. That’s why we asked the Parks Department to close some thoroughfares and do clean-ups earlier this year – it’s more than a little disheartening to see a winter’s worth of refuse built up along the sides of our roads.

And it’s a sad reminder of just how inconsiderate some Staten Islanders can be.    

However, the simple truth is that the vast majority of borough residents do not litter, and as widespread as it appears, this problem is caused by a relatively small number of individuals who simply aren’t concerned about their community or their neighbors.  They are ignorant, uncaring, or both, and their laziness harms the quality-of-life for the rest of us.

It is, frankly, embarrassing when people visit me from out of town and mention our litter-strewn streets and highways. It shouldn’t be this way, but it is – and I remain determined to do something about it. As I said, the overwhelming majority of Staten Islanders are not part of the problem. A cadre of inconsiderate jerks, from all walks of life, are. 

We were hopeful, but realistic, about our ability to win hearts and minds simply by asking for cooperation, simply by appealing to the better instincts of those who may not have been aware of the impact of their actions on our borough.  Unfortunately, this has not worked, so now I am asking the NYPD, the Parks Department, and the Department of Sanitation to resort to stronger measures: issuing more summonses to individuals who are caught littering. I don’t relish taking this approach, believe me, but I am hopeful that the summons and fine method will finally get through to this small group of selfish individuals. 

Having said that, we cannot forget that we all have an important role to play in keeping our community clean. I am calling it the “I AM MY BOROUGH’S KEEPER” approach. 

Although we are not all the cause of the problem, I would like to see us all be a part of the solution. This means taking it upon ourselves to pick up litter from the ground near our residences; it means going the extra inch, foot or yard, even if the law only requires us to clean 18 inches from the curb. It means having a serious conversation with our friends or neighbors when we see them littering. It means taking the initiative to set a positive example on our block to the best of our abilities, instead of just shaking our heads and angrily blaming government. It means volunteering to join a cleanup effort, or organizing our own. 

Until the time comes when we live in a litter free borough, each and every one of us has a role to play in the cleanup effort.  I know it’s frustrating to pick up after someone else, because, in a certain sense, it is simply unfair for those who do the right thing to fix the problems created by those who don’t. 

However, if we all start accepting the role of being our borough’s keeper, responsible in our own way for its upkeep, maintenance, and beauty, we will inevitably see this in a different light. When we realize our simple actions are multiplied by the actions of others doing the same thing, when we know that our efforts are having a real effect, we will further encourage others to do the same.

Litterers got us into this mess one gum wrapper, one can, one bottle, one bag at a time.  We need to get out of it the same way.  If enough of us take care of our little corner of our borough we can beat this.

Government cannot solve all problems – we know this. Concerned citizens taking responsibility for their community are much better at it, as we saw in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, when concerned citizens took the initiative and fed, clothed, and comforted those affected by the storm far better than government did.   

I am asking everyone to join me in this “I am my borough’s keeper” campaign and take whatever steps you can take to help keep our borough clean. All of us working together can have a real and positive impact.

Your Council Members and we here at Borough Hall have “Clean Teams” responding to litter complaints on an almost daily basis.  Volunteer groups will be out there during the summer.  Enforcement agencies will be summoning litter offenders who have turned a deaf ear to our pleas for cooperation.  We will continue working together to educate our youngsters about the damaging effects of litter on our quality of life, hometown pride, and self-esteem.  And finally, if you, your friends and your neighbors will step up and be your borough’s keepers, you will be the force multiplier I believe that will put us over the top. 

There needs to be a paradigm shift. For a hard-core group of individuals, asking politely is simply not working. Begging, pleading, or cajoling has no impact on them. It is now time to try another method – hit them in their wallets.

Finally, to you good folks out there who choose to get involved, who choose to see themselves as their borough’s keeper, you have my thanks and my pledge to help increase your numbers and to recruit new borough-keepers every day.  Let’s work together and watch this effort snowball.  Don’t wait to see if others are willing to get involved – it begins with you. 
Please join us in this battle. It is OUR borough, and it is worth it.

Finally, I ask that anyone wishing to start a volunteer cleanup effort contact staff member Anthony Esposito at AEsposito@statenislandusa.com.  We’d like to know about your volunteerism, and if necessary will help to supply you with gloves and other materials needed for your effort.

​I was the first one in my family to go to college.  I point this out not to boast, but to make a larger point.  That is, because no one in my family was familiar with this path, they couldn’t offer me much in the way of guidance.  Love and support I had beyond measure, but I look back at my trek through Fordham University as a solo journey.

And so it was in law school as well.  Even after I passed the bar I had little direction, and I longed for some real-world advice from a real-world person who knew the way, who had been down the road and back again.  It took a serendipitous meeting between my mother and a newly-elected official to jump start my career: she asked Councilman John Fusco to give her son a job.  He accepted my resume, and one day a few months later my phone rang and my life as an adult began.

John Fusco became my mentor on the day I walked into his office, and I’ve often thought over the years about how much I would have benefited from knowing him while I was still in high school; how many mistakes might have been avoided, into how many blind alleys I wouldn’t have walked, and how many fewer unanswered questions would have plagued me during those angst-ridden years.

A few months back we held an event here at Borough Hall – we called it an Evening of Mentors.  Each high school in the borough sent students whom they though would benefit from such a meeting, and we invited professional friends of Borough Hall: lawyers, doctors, writers, artists, cultural leaders, nurses, first responders, chefs – it was a wonderful evening that benefited ALL participants.

We need more of this on Staten Island.  There are so many accomplished people who would like to give of their time, and so many needy young people who need to be mentored.

That is why I was so happy to learn that Big Brothers, Big Sisters of New York (BBBS) was opening a dedicated Staten Island office at 60 Bay Street.  I met a few weeks ago with the BBBS Executive Director Hector Batista and the Staten Island Big Sister of the Year, an inspirational young lady named Amanda Tavarez.

Young Ms. Tavarez, 25 years old, detailed the wonderful positive impact she has made on her “Little,” and highlighted the need for more Staten Islanders to get involved.  Mr. Batista told me of the need for “Bigs” to meet the demands of the community – especially male Bigs.  Right now, Bigs are being asked to come to Staten Island from other boroughs, and that is something I am determined to change.  Charity begins at home - we should be helping our own communities.

It is not a great commitment in time; if you are over the age of 21, and can spare 8 hours a month (4 hours every two weeks), and if you feel like giving back, you will be doing a great service to our borough.

Time to step up, Staten Island!