💬 Conservative Voices Rise Del Valle & Murillo Unite for NYC 2025💬
- Von S. Del Valle
- Aug 4
- 8 min read
Because leadership starts with lived experience—not party lines.
I’m proud to endorse Jason Murillo, a candidate who’s lived the struggle of the Lower East Side firsthand. When his mother fell ill, Jason didn’t back down. He fought to keep Mount Sinai open, mobilizing support from all sides—including Public Advocate candidate Gonzalo. And yes, even though they’re Republicans, they were fighting for the people.
📣 In a one-party city, we need to stop drinking the Kool-Aid that says “only blue can save us.”They’ve had power in New York for decades—yet corruption still thrives.
Just look at District 2.The same old names, like Harvey Epstein, keep resurfacing.Harvey doesn’t represent the hardworking residents of the Lower East Side.He hasn’t lived their reality.He hasn’t faced their neglect.
🏢 A Government Ignoring Toxic Injustice
Even worse—air quality injustices and toxic building conditions are being ignored.People are dying, and it’s being covered up.And if you think this is just politics, let me ask:
🧠 How would you feel if your son died from a toxic environment……and then on the same day, the city says “Oops—the lab results were wrong”?
That’s not leadership.That’s failure.And it’s real.
This happened to Alicia Griggs, whose son Michael Gavin Sentron died from environmental exposure.She testified to the New York City Council on October 31, 2024, pleading for help.And yet—no one reached out.No one responded.And yes—even Harvey Epstein ignored her.
Justice Means Clean Air, Dry Homes, and No One Left Behind
My fight for justice isn’t just in the streets — it’s also in the archives, in libraries, and buried inside 1,000-page environmental reports that too many people in power haven’t bothered to read. I’ve been doing the work — digging into the environmental injustices that impact communities like Redfern Housing, Jacob Riis, and the broader Rockaway Peninsula.
These neighborhoods didn’t just suffer during Superstorm Sandy — they were set up to suffer. When I compare the Lower East Side to Rockaway Park, the differences are clear:
In the LES, there’s been sustained attention from large non-profits and government resiliency projects like "The Big U."
Meanwhile, in Rockaway, many families in public housing are still dealing with black mold, weak infrastructure, and insufficient flood protections.
Why? It’s not geography — it’s economics. It’s race. It’s government oversight — or the lack of it.
At Redfern, families are trying to survive in buildings that were damaged during Sandy and never truly repaired. Elevators break. Basements flood. Mold creeps back. And when the next storm comes, no one’s even sure where the high-ground evacuation plans are.
I’ve sat in public libraries with stacks of environmental data, studying floodplain maps, FEMA disaster responses, and post-Sandy recovery budgets. What I’ve found is this: some communities were helped, and some were handled. The difference? Who was watching — and who they were watching out for.
So when I say "Justice for Gavin," I also mean:
Justice for Rockaway youth breathing in mold
Justice for elderly residents in Redfern who still fear power outages and flooding
Justice for kids who never got climate education but are living on the front lines of climate disaster
We can't wait for another Sandy to be ready. I’m doing the research so we don’t repeat history. Now it’s time to build real preparedness, real funding, and real care — equitably distributed.
Why I’m Not Aligned with Harvey Epstein — Fictional, Real, or Satirized
When people hear the name Harvey Epstein, they might think of a few different things:
In the video game Mafia II, Harvey “Beans” Epstein is a defiant dockworker who refuses to let the mob extort him. He’s a minor character, but a memorable one — standing up for dignity in a corrupt world.
In real life, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein positions himself as a progressive voice. But for many of us, particularly in outer-borough communities like Queens and Brooklyn, his politics feel out of touch. While he champions housing rights on paper, his work often lacks the practical backbone and coalition-building required to make real change. His office seems more present in curated press conferences than in the neighborhoods that need him.
And to top it off, even Saturday Night Live parodied him — a sketch that painted him as a cartoonish, out-of-touch "activist type" who speaks in buzzwords but avoids accountability. The fact that SNL, known for exaggeration, found enough material to poke fun at says a lot about how he’s perceived, even outside political circles.
That’s why I’m proud to work alongside Jason Murillo — someone who brings policy and passion to the table, not just rhetoric. Jason is listening to Jewish, Latino, Black, working-class, and immigrant New Yorkers. He’s not chasing headlines — he’s fighting for safety, fairness, and opportunity.
So whether it’s a video game character standing up to the mob, or an SNL sketch showing the hollowness of performative politics — the name “Harvey Epstein” has become more of a symbol than a solution. And I’m choosing to work with people who get things done.
Log Cabin Republicans NYC to host Pride event at Trump Towers.
Leadership Is Not About Party — It’s About Principles and People
One thing I’ve learned from being in rooms that make headlines is that leadership requires courage — not conformity. That’s why I attended a controversial event at Trump Tower, hosted by Log Cabin Republicans, where I had the chance to speak with Curtis Sliwa.
Now, I know what some people might say: Why would someone like me be there? But real leadership means listening, showing up, and finding common ground, even in uncomfortable spaces.
At the Pride event, I also had the chance to meet Andrea Catsimatidis, who was incredibly kind and approachable. She had just flown in from London and showed up in a stunning dress 👗 — poised, respectful, and engaged. For those who don’t know, her father, John Catsimatidis, is not just a successful businessman; he’s a part owner of WABC Radio and one of Donald Trump’s top contributors. That makes her presence at a Log Cabin Republicans Pride event especially significant — because it shows the evolving conversation around LGBTQ+ conservatives, and the effort to balance tradition, identity, and individual freedom.
Whether you agree with her politics or not, the moment reminded me: sometimes, the most meaningful progress comes from unexpected bridges, not predictable echo chambers. We can disagree and still find mutual respect — especially when it comes to safety, dignity, and being seen.
That event wasn’t about showing off rainbow flags for cameras. It was about something deeper — safety, dignity, and boundaries. We spoke about the real fear many LGBTQ people — especially trans youth and Jewish LGBTQ folks — face when walking home, getting on the train, or simply being themselves. Pride shouldn’t just be about visibility; it should also be about protection. That conversation mattered.
But I also stood firm on something else: we shouldn’t confuse safety with politicizing education. I don’t support Pride-themed lesson plans in early education that blur the line between identity and instruction. Young people need clarity, not confusion. Instead of ideological education, let’s focus on:
Reading and math proficiency
Mental health support
Real civics and financial literacy
STEM, aviation, and arts access
We need to educate, not indoctrinate — no matter what side of the political aisle an idea comes from.
That day at Trump Tower reminded me of something I live by: being a leader means walking into any room, with anyone, and standing on principle — not performance. And whether I’m talking to Curtis Sliwa, Jason Murillo, or a mother in Rockaway worried about her child’s future — my stance doesn’t change.
🚫 It’s Not About Red vs. Blue. It’s About Common Sense.
From East New York to the Fight for the People: Why Safety Still Comes First
When I met with Curtis Sliwa, we didn’t talk politics — we talked people. Specifically, we talked about East New York, a community we both know has carried the weight of historic neglect and generational trauma. We talked about what safety really means — not just more sirens or stats on a spreadsheet, but dignity, trust, and protection for families who’ve lived too long in fear.
If you know East New York, then you know it hasn’t been easy. I came up through those streets — I made it out of high school in East NY, through the very same paths many didn’t survive. And I’ve never forgotten that.
We reflected on a moment from the 1990s that still haunts many New Yorkers: when Mayor Dinkins landed in a helicopter in the middle of Cypress Hills Houses, after a child was used as a human shield during a shootout. That wasn't just a headline — it was a wake-up call. It told the world that our community was in crisis. That our children were literally caught in the crossfire of indifference, poverty, and violence.
"Some people grow up and forget where they came from. I didn’t. That’s why I fight the way I do now."
Von S. Del Valle
When Curtis and I spoke, it wasn’t about parties — it was about people. It was about reclaiming the neighborhoods we were told not to walk through after dark. It was about creating a new standard of safety — not over-policing, not empty slogans, but real community investment, mental health support, safe housing, street lighting, school safety, and trauma-informed care.
I believe we owe it to the kids coming up in East New York today to do better than what we had. Not just by telling our stories — but by changing theirs.
Don’t Let the BULLSHIT Distract You From Real Leaders
Some people say Curtis Sliwa has too many cats 🐈 — and yeah, he’s got a lot. But you know what? I don’t care. What I do care about is that he has a big heart and a proven track record of fighting for New Yorkers when no one else would.
Curtis has been on the trains, in the shelters, in the neighborhoods most politicians avoid — and not just for press. He shows up. He speaks up. And whether you agree with everything he says or not, you can’t deny the work.
Don’t let petty narratives or online noise pull you away from real, innovative candidates who are willing to get uncomfortable to make change happen. I’ve seen what fake leadership looks like — and it doesn’t show up when it counts. Curtis does. And so do I.
Leadership is not about parties. It’s about principles. It’s about people.
We’re done playing clown games. It’s time to open our eyes.
🗣️ To my Loisaidas and the entire city—THE TIME IS NOW.Support candidates who live what they fight for.Support leadership that listens.Support Jason Murillo.
This is VonNYC. This is BRL-VES. This is common sense.
Article Mentions:
https://latenighter.com/news/real-life-harvey-epstein-leads-nyc-primary-results-after-snl-spotlight/
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