Albert Baldeo and spouse Tara Baldeo are
congratulated by Democratic District Leader and President of the
Club Lew Simon (L to R), Buddy
Hoosein-President Elect of LIBOR, Lou Kirchgessner-President of
GCOP-104COP, District Leader Frank Kotnik, Camille Venezia
and Moses Seuram of Community Board 9.
The honorees: Timothy Warrington (Director of
Masons Tenders Local 79), Edward Valentine (Chief of Rockaway
Point Volunteer Fire Dept), District Leader Lew Simon, Christopher
McCabe (Inspirational Leader -in wheel chair), Msgr. Michael
McCurran (Pastor of Blessed Trinity), Albert Baldeo (Community
Leader), Daniel Mundy (Environmental Committee Chair CB 14),
Gregory Floyd (President Local 237), Dr. Stephanie
Cooper (Noted Surgeon), Captain Phylis Byrne
(NYC Transit Police) and Vince Barbour (President of Woodhaven
Residents Block Association). Absent from photo are Brendan
Gallagher (Board of Directors of Breezy Point Co-Op), Erin Rippe
(President of St. Camillus Home School Association), Anthony
Pugliese (Business Agent of Local 157).
This select and diverse group
of community activists and leaders were honored by the
Good Government Regular Democratic Club of the 23 rd
Assembly District last Thursday at El Caribe. Mr. Lew
Simon, District Leader and President of the Club chaired the
proceedings which celebrated the club's 21st anniversary
and paid tribute to the contributions and dedication of the
honorees in their respective endeavors.
Heading the list was Albert Baldeo,
an outstanding community leader and grass roots organizer, who
was honored for his dedication to uplifting working families
and for his exemplary loyalty and support to the Queens County
Democratic Organization and to all Democrats. In the 2006 State
Senate elections, Albert earned the support and trust of
the diverse voters in this district, by fighting for changes
and exposing the stranglehold special interests, lobbyists
and cronyism exert on democracy.
Baldeo's strong, independent showing
against the powerful 20 year incumbent paved the way for
Councilman Joe Addabbo to finish Albert’s mission of defeating
Maltese and taking back the State Senate from Republican
dysfunction, a watershed event in our political history. Our
charismatic County leader, Congressman Joe Crowley, and new State
Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith have expressed their
gratitude and debt to Albert for “the gut wrenching decision of
putting aside his personal ambitions, and to join forces to fight
for the greater good of the Democratic Party.” Albert’s efforts in
mobilizing his base behind Joe Addabbo and Liz
Crowley, proved decisive in changing the political landscape
for Democrats, and were a major factor in winning these important
seats.
Baldeo's leadership and team play
led to Addabbo avoiding a divisive and costly primary, which saved
Democrats over a million dollars, and proved to be a significant
factor in us taking control of the State Senate for the
first time since 1965. Apart from his endorsement, Baldeo put his
resources behind Joe Addabbo and Liz Crowley, who was fighting
Anthony Como to remove the last Republican City Council seat in
Queens, in a way never seen before in Queens politics, and gave
the Addabbo and Crowley campaigns significant resources in office
space, volunteers, visibility, getting out the vote, holding
rallies, fundraising and registering new voters. "When Albert
threw his support behind us", Addabbo and Crowley said, "our
chances surged, and we knew that, together, we would defeat the
Republicans soundly." Over 2,000 union workers and volunteers were
strategically deployed from Baldeo's law offices throughout
Election Day, which blanketed the entire district,
and provided the linchpin for Addabbo’s and Crowley’s
landslide victories.
Attorney Albert Baldeo is a driven
community activist and impassioned advocate, who builds alliances
with everyone, fights for issues that affect our quality of life,
and makes communities stronger. A former judge and prosecutor, he
is also an arbitrator, mediator, lecturer and
columnist.
Over the years, Albert has been
involved in the community in many different ways. He is the
Founder and President of the Richmond Hill/Ozone Park
Democratic club, and the Baldeo Community Outreach,
Citizenship and Voter Registration Assistance Center. He is also
the President of the Baldeo Community, Citizenship, Youth, Seniors
and Welfare Center, Co-President of the Medical and Legal
Assistance Center, Chairman of the Community Empowerment Congress,
President of the Community Environmental and Crime Prevention
Watch, the Coalition against Hate Crimes and the Alliance against
Air Pollution. He dispenses free legal consultations and legal
assistance, and sponsors and conducts free educational seminars to
the public. He is a regular contributor and columnist in various
media, relentlessly advocating for changes. He and his brother,
Dr. Philip Baldeo, provide food, clothing, medical supplies and
cash to the Guyana Flood, Tsunami, Katrina and Pakistan victims
and to the poor and needy in our community.
"Albert deserves to hold public
office, and when he runs again, I hope that I have the honor of
being the first person to endorse him," Lew Simon
said in a standing ovation for
Baldeo.
