Living Wage Bill Starts First Big NY-6 Scrap

The general election hasn’t started in NY-6 yet, but already there’s a fight brewing between candidates Councilman Dan Halloran, R-Whitestone, and state Assemblyman Rory Lancman, D-Fresh Meadows.

Lancman fired the first volley earlier this week, blasting Halloran for being one of five votes against

The bill, which would raise the minimum wage paid by businesses that except city subsidies, was widely approved of in the council, but Halloran was strongly against it, and outspoken on the subject.

“Mr. Halloran’s ‘no’ vote on the living wage bill in the City Council was a slap in the face to working New Yorkers desperately struggling to get by in this economy,” Lancman said. “Apparently, the right to earn $10 an hour is an unfair demand for working people in our city to make of companies receiving over $1 million in government subsidies.”

Halloran wasted little time in responding to the criticism, saying it’s not the city’s place to manipulate the market.

“It’s funny to hear a politician like Assemblyman Lancman pretend he knows how to create a private sector job,” Halloran said. “All he’s done the last six years is campaign for every office he can think of, trying to create a public sector job for one person — himself. Career politicians like Assemblyman Lancman can’t create jobs. Small businesses create jobs.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has promised to veto the bill, and fight it in court should the City Council decide to override the veto.