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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Now we continue our series, 51 Council Members in 52 Weeks. In this year, which most of the New York City Council is new because of term limits, and its majority female for the first time. We're going district by district and inviting every member of council this year to get representatives of every New York City neighborhood on the show this year, 51 Council Members in 52 Weeks.

This is week 19, we're up to District 19. The Districts go borough by borough. 1 through 10 were in Manhattan, 11 through 18 in the Bronx. Now we enter Queens with Districts 19 through 32. That's going to be a whole bunch of weeks in a row on the show. 19 through 32 are in Queens then 33 through 44 in Brooklyn. Those are the two most populous boroughs they have the most city council members. Then we'll end the series with the two from Staten Island, Districts 50 and 51.

This week also brings us to the first Republican in the series. Only 5 of the 51 council members are Republicans in very blue New York. With us now, Councilmember Vickie Paladino from District 19 in the Northeast corner of Queens which includes White Stone, College Point, Bayside, Little Neck, Douglaston, and parts of North Flushing. By way of full disclosure, it's the District I grew up in and where my parents still live. I went to the Bayside High School just like Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams did. Councilmember Palladino, thanks for coming on and joining our series, 51 Council Members in 52 Weeks. Welcome to WNYC.

Vickie Paladino: Thank you, Brian, and welcome home. [laughs]

Brian Lehrer: You bet, every weekend. [laughs]

Vickie Paladino: It is the best. We are a great District.

Brian Lehrer: I'll be there again on Saturday. As we do with the new members of the City Council I'll invite you to talk a little bit about your own bio first. Did you grow up in the District? Where did you go to school? What first got you into politics?

Vickie Paladino: Sure. I'm 68 years old, Brian. I grew up in White Stone. I still reside in White Stone. We bought my mother-in-law's house which was a shipbuilder's estate because District 19 is completely water locked on one side coming from College Point straight through to Little Neck, Douglaston. They were in that house, 70 years. My husband will be 70 years old. I've lived there now for the last 37 years. I went to PS 193. I went to Junior High School 194. I did two years at Flushing High School, completed. Then two years at Saint Helena High School in the Bronx.

What got me into politics? Let me say this. I'm one of five. Italian family. Mom originated and father originated from the Bronx. They came to White Stone when it was simply farmland in 1947. My mother cursed my father out for bringing her to the farm but ended up of course loving it. In saying that when I was in high school, early years of high school, what got me started was the Vietnam War.

I stood firmly against the Vietnam War however because we were inundated back in those days, we only had the three major news channels 2, 4, and 7, and every night that news went on. Again, it was limited 6:00 P.M news or early in the morning. The Today's Show had first gotten started. Watching Jungle Warfare, Napalm, and all of that it really hit you hard. You had to watch your brother or your uncle or your cousins go off to war. I did not protest ever against the war, I protested in favor of our service people who went to war because today and of course when they came back became the forgotten veterans.

50,000 people died in that war and it was sickening to me. That's really what got me started as far as activism goes. I started that at 16 years old. I did my first parade down Main Street Flushing with fellow kids that went to high school with me to combat what was going on at Kent University and the rest of it. I believe in construction not destructive protesting.

Brian Lehrer: Just to clarify that part of your political formation you were against the war and against the shooting by the National Guard at Kent State and that's the spring of 1970 if I have that correct?

Vickie Paladino: That is correct.

Brian Lehrer: You also protested in support of the troops who were getting disrespected?

Vickie Paladino: Correct. That's exactly right. I don't like to call protest we marched in favor of. As a matter of fact, being 16 it was all the way with the USA because it was really sickening to me. Remember there was a draft back then. They started the lottery because I remember sitting on the rug in my mother's living room watching live TV waiting for my then-boyfriend, now husband's, number birthday to come up, and his number came up 294 and I sighed a breath of relief.

Brian Lehrer: Right. That's a good thing.

Vickie Paladino: Yes.

Brian Lehrer: 294, you weren't going to get drafted. They weren't going to get up to that high of a date.

Vickie Paladino: That's correct. In that limited amount of time, yes.

Brian Lehrer: What made you a Republican? Not unheard of in that District to be sure but unusual enough in New York City.

Vickie Paladino: Like I said it was always political. What made me a Republican? The first president I ever voted for, sit tight, Richard Nixon. I don't know what made me a Republican because I come from a very non-political family. We really never discussed politics except what was going on on the daily news, what was going on in our neck of the woods here with the Mayor John V. Lindsay. Up from there, she had her own personal views about things but there was no in-depth conversation.

We were heartbroken like I said by the Vietnam War which occupied us a great deal. I got married at 20 years old, Brian. I had my first son at age 23. I grew up quick. My mum was a single mom. My dad died. He was 41. My mother was left a widow at age 39. I am the youngest of the first three because my sister Pat is 12 years older than I. She's gone now. My brother Alfred was six years younger than Pat, six years older than me. He's gone now.

I was the youngest of the first three and then I was the eldest of the last. In other words, me and then my sister Angela, three years later, and then my sister Joanne two years after her. I got the best of both worlds. I was always very mature. People came to me all the time whether they were family members or just girlfriends or friends. My husband was a musician and still is. I don't know why I became a Republican to be quite Frank with you. It was just the way it went.

Brian Lehrer: What's it like being in such a small minority in the City Council? How do you exert influence if in a partisan sense you're going to be in a very small minority of many votes?

Vickie Paladino: My answer to that is just be a voice for your constituents. I don't expect to move mountains. I don't expect to win wars but what I promise my constituents was a battle and that was to fight for what they believed in, why I got elected. I didn't get elected because of Republicans, I got elected because of Republicans and Democrats and I'm very proud about that. My campaign office was one that was based upon issues. My campaign office people walked in, it's a great location, you know it because you live here, on Francis Lewis Boulevard off of Willet Point.

It's street level and people were able to come in and out. It's still a very busy office. I turned my campaign office into my government office. They walked in several people at many different times during the campaign and they said, "What are you, a Democrat or a Republican?" At that time my issues were up on the wall, beautifully done as artwork. I simply replied to them, "Read what the issues are and you tell me."

Brian Lehrer: What issues were on your wall?

Vickie Paladino: At that time it was crime, of course, it still is. Education, the lockdowns, the mandates. Just people reading what they saw and they agreed with what they saw and I had many Democrats say, "Wow, are you--?" I was, "No, I'm a Republican. Does it really matter now after you read what you read?" They said, "No, it doesn't matter at all. Thank you very much. You have my vote." It was a lot of personal contact for me. I'm all about people.

I'm all about one on one, eyeball to eyeball, and people really gravitate to that. I've been like this all my life. I'm a businesswoman with my husband. we started at age, I was 25, he was 27 when we started our landscaping business. Then we shut it down in our late '50s. I went to work for my sister, Joanne as her chief operating officer. Again, dealing with people because she is a manufacturer of high-end soft goods.

I dealt with people all over the continent, all over the United States. Whether you be north, south, east, or west. Here I got to know through my landscaping business, people in my vicinity of the borough of Queens, but we went into, the Bronx. We went out to Long Island. That was what I did, all my life.

Brian Lehrer: Your council website says you're known for standing up to the radical political elements who threaten to tear our city apart. Then it cites your direct style like you were just saying you you're there for the battle.

That's different for most of the other council bios we've been looking at in this series. In that, you center identifying an enemy, the radical political elements as you call them, who threatened to tear our city apart. Who are they in your opinion and how much of City Council would you say falls into that category?

Vickie Paladino: That's a great question. Who are they? Without naming names, one particular councilwoman who comes from Astoria, she claimed to have started her own, what does AOC call it down in Washington?

Brian Lehrer: Squad

Vickie Paladino: Squad, there you go. She started her own squad in City Council, which I find amusing because that shows me how close-minded they are.

Brian Lehrer: Which stands for what, as you see it?

Vickie Paladino: As I see it, radical left-wing. That's basically, they don't believe in the police. They have no regard for history or what we are based upon and our basic values, human rights, human values. They call out, justice, justice, justice. What justice are they seeking I ask because I think everybody needs justice in one form or another. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat.

I don't much care for that. I don't care for the one-sidedness and their lack of ability to see two sides of a coin, because you can't build bridges. If you can't see two sides of a coin, can you Brian?

Brian Lehrer: Right. They would probably say, I don't know who the individual is you're talking about in that one case. A lot of our council members would probably say, historically, talk about history. There has not been equal justice for African Americans and many other people of color in this country and they feel rooted in a tradition that is a fight for equal justice, so they say justice, justice, justice. Maybe ways that people from your district already have.

Vickie Paladino: Look that's untrue. First off, let me take that apart a little bit what you just said. The African American community has made tremendous strides, tremendous strides in the last 100 years. One got to be president of the United States of America. One got to be a Supreme Court justice. One became secretary of state. I don't believe that there has not been justice. I think a person is able to achieve whatever they need to achieve or want to achieve. If they're willing to work hard, despite the color of their skin.

Brian Lehrer: One more step down this road and then we'll talk about something else, but they would probably say, many of your colleagues would probably say, but that's not enough to point to say that there's been a president of the United States who's Black, attorney generals who have been Black. By the way, listeners, our next guest is going to be former Attorney General Eric Holder, so that's coming up in just a few minutes.

If you look at who the essential workers were when COVID first hit and are still, and who therefore got the sickest and died the most in these relatively low-wage service positions. If you look at the fact that there is a 10:1 wealth gap, 10:1 between whites and Blacks in America, there's still a lot of injustice in the scheme of things.

Vickie Paladino: No, not buying it. No, not buying it because every university is open to whoever wants to achieve what we're working towards right now. I know I am, is no child should go unserved. Let's understand everything starts at childhood, Brian. Proper schooling is what I'm plugging for. I push very hard for great public schools. I'm a public school advocate. I grew up in a home that was poverty-stricken.

My clothes came out of a plastic bag. Let me tell you the difference between then and now. See, now a lot of people burden their kids with a lot of older people's problems. My mother never did that. She always showed us the better way to go. That you could be anything you want to be no matter what your economic background is. No matter where you come from.

I believe that when we work hard and we put our heads together, I really believe that this is going to serve us all very well. I know a lot of people, I don't go by color of skin at all.

I don't, I don't do that because it's all about-- today, especially in 2022, do you know how many people are suffering? Suffering economically, they can't make their mortgage payments. They can't pay their rent. I don't care what color of their skin they are.

Brian Lehrer: Disproportionately, Blacks and Latinos.

Vickie Paladino: Disproportionately in those areas, come over to our area. There's a lot of people, you live here. Your parents live here. Don't let the smoke and mirrors fool you okay? I know a lot of people are struggling to put food on their table. Are struggling to keep their businesses open.

Many have closed. They can't make their car payments. They can't do what they were able to do, and you know what? I feel today in this day and age the world is open, our city is open to all. I think it's up to the individual and let the City Council reflect that out of 35 new members, most of them are Black and Latino.

I think they've made great strides in their own neighborhoods, and we start there with community. I'm not buying into that anymore. I won't do it. I'm not a victim and nobody here is a victim anymore. No, I don't.

Brian Lehrer: This is It's WNYC FM HD in New York, WNJT FM 88.1 Trenton, WNJP 88.5 Sussex, WNJY 89.3 Netcong, and WNJO 90.3 Toms River. We are in New York in New Jersey, public radio, and live streaming @wnyc.org. We're in our City Council series, 51 Council Members in 52 Weeks. We're up to District 19 with our first Republican in the series. 1 through 18 are all represented by Democrats. Vickie Paladino from Northeast Queens, a few more minutes with her then the news then Eric Holder. We're asking each member, especially the new members. What's the most common reason that constituents contact your office since you took office in January?

Vickie Paladino: I think it's becoming, an economic issue, education issue, a crime issue. Basic quality of life, is what they're coming in about. Property taxes are people who live in our affordable housing is known as co-ops and condos.

We have a great deal of section eight housing now that has come in, to the White Stone area and parts of Bayside and certainly flushing. That's been a real issue, property taxes and the increase in what it costs to live today in general. Law and order is a big problem, we've had several shootings. You're an alumni of Bayside High School?

Brian Lehrer: Correct.

Vickie Paladino: I am an alumni of Flushing for two years, freshman and sophomore year, but Bayside High School is doing tremendously well. My issue are the kids. I'm really concerned about the generations that are coming up now. I'm scared for them. I'm scared. I'm very scared because they don't have much, they've grown up in a COVID society for lack of a better word. They had a social life and they don't, they lost it for two years.

They're trying to, reacclimate themselves, get themselves back into things. The principal of Bayside High School, Mrs. Martinez is a gem she's fabulous. She's a brand new principal to the school. I had a one-on-one with her for close to two hours. She's a welcomed newcomer. I look forward to doing a great deal of work with her. I don't have many high schools in my district except for Bayside High, but I do have Junior High Schools and I do have Elementary Schools and I hold them very near and dear to me. It's all about the kids and saving the kids.

Brian Lehrer: Finally, Councilmember Vickie Paladino we're inviting each member of the council, as you know, to bring a show and tell item from your district. You have a cool one in your neighborhood that I never knew about. You want to share it?

Vickie Paladino: Oh. Let me tell you, it brings a big smile to my face because I'm a turn a classic movie girl. I love my old movies. This year, our end of town, Brian was once known as Hollywood East. There are these Tudor partments on Pals Cove Boulevard. Before you get to LA Harbor, are you familiar?

Brian Lehrer: No, not that spot, exactly.

Vickie Paladino: Okay. If you come around by North Shore Farms and you ride Pals Cove Boulevard up, there's these beautiful Tudor apartments that were built by Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin. They ran bootlegging out of there, and directly across the street. The tunnel is still there, was this gigantic white mansion. Going back to the late '20s, like I said, this was country.

You used to swim in the Long Island Sound. It was the beach and across the street though, which was interesting was this white mansion. They used to Bootleg. They used to run the length of-- the tunnel is still there from the house to the apartment building, back and forth. We also are home to Rudolph Valentino. It's now a restaurant. It was landmarked. I got married in Oscar Hammerstein's summer home, which was known back then as ripples on the water.

It's now been turned into condos as everything else has. The only thing that's left is just the bare bones of the English tutor. A lot of fun things happened in White Stone and because we are on the water and Bayside a lot of ships had to pass by us in order to get through hell's gate and to get to the port at South Street. There's a lot of few fun facts here that people are not aware of.

Brian Lehrer: Charlie Chaplin Rudolph-- Charlie Chaplin

Vickie Paladino: Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, do you know that? They were an item.

Brian Lehrer: City Councilmember Vickie Paladino, Representative from District 19 in Northeast Queens. Next week, it's on to District 20. Thank you for joining our yearlong series, 51 Council Members in 52 weeks.

Vickie Paladino: This has been an absolute pleasure. It's nice to know your neighbor. Anytime you want to stop in Brian, just head down Francis Lewis Boulevard in between 20th and Willet Point you'll find Vickie. Okay?

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much.

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