GOP Spokeswoman Calls Councilman 'Tragedy Capitalist' Because He Wants Speed Cameras

Amy Cohen, a founding member of Families for Safe Streets, at a rally last week

The 140 speed cameras that are mounted outside New York City schools are set to turn off in five days, and despite pleading from elected officials, the governor, and families whose loved ones were killed by reckless drivers, the Republican-controlled State Senate does not appear to be moving any closer to coming back to Albany to save them.

"It is beyond the pale that Republicans in the State Senate refuse to support speed cameras in the face of overwhelming evidence that this technology saves lives," Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a release yesterday.

"The Senate Republicans are putting politics over the lives of children. The Assembly has passed the bill and the Senate Democrats support it—now it's up to Senate Republicans to decide whether young people live or die."

Earlier this week, Scott Reif, a spokesman for Republican Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, said that the governor was attempting to "distract the public from the rampant corruption that’s sweeping through his administration." On Friday he directed all comments about the speed camera issue to Candice Giove, a spokeswoman for the Republican Senate Majority.

Giove spent a portion of Thursday sparring with safe streets advocates on Twitter, calling Brooklyn Councilmember Brad Lander a "tragedy capitalist."

Giove, a former reporter at the New York Post who earned $125,000 last year for her work as a spokeswoman for the Independent Democratic Conference, appeared to be disgusted that a politician would get arrested to draw attention to a cause.

Giove also insisted that Senate Republicans had proposed a bill extending speed cameras for six months. But that bill would still let the cameras expire, in favor of stop signs and traffic lights.

We asked Giove if speed cameras were an important part of a "combination of efforts" to reduce speeding, why doesn't the Republican bill keep them on longer than six months?

"Speeding is a serious issue that we have been willing to discuss and the New York Senate Majority has introduced many measures to increase safety around schools, including legislation to extend the speed camera program," Giove said in a statement. "While we understand any family member who chose to protest, it is unfortunate, but expected considering his protest rap sheet, that Councilman Lander believes it's better to pose for the press in cuffs than to talk to anyone in the Senate."

Amy Cohen, a founding member of Families for Safe Streets, called Giove's comments "outrageous."

"It's insulting to imply that because we lost a child we are exploitable," Cohen told Gothamist.

Cohen, whose son Sammy was killed by a driver in 2013, pointed to polls showing overwhelming support for the speed cameras, and noted that the mayor's Vision Zero plan has brought down traffic deaths in New York City, even as they have increased nationwide.

"Vision Zero is actually working, it is actually making a difference, so why are you taking [the cameras] away?" Cohen said. "If the cameras go off, there will be public outrage, and people will die."

As for the Senate Republicans, Cohen added, "They will have blood on their hands."

A spokeswoman for Brooklyn Senator Simcha Felder, a Democrat who caucuses with Republicans and gives them their one-seat majority, did not respond to a request for comment.

Republican Senator Marty Golden is supposedly "involved in negotiations" to bring the Senate back to Albany, his spokesman, John Quaglione, told Gothamist earlier this week. Streetsblog says Golden's promises have been "good for nothing."

Quaglione did not respond to a request for comment.