I posted most of this before, but I have a couple of additions. For my
Brooklyn readers, my endorsement for Brooklyn BP is fulfilling a
promise I made, so please consider it.
Mayor: Bill Thompson (Democratic Party)
One of the best things I have heard said about Bill Thompson was meant
to disparage his chances: Bill Thompson was accused of "being too much
of a gentleman" to win against Bloomberg. Honestly, that comment made
me like Thompson more. Thompson is a good, solid Democrat and I think
it is about time this very Democratic city stop having dictatorial,
pro-business, anti-labor mayors. Mayor Bloomberg isn't bad...for a
Republican. But he IS a Republican not just in name but in actions.
His education policy has been little more than privatizing our
educational system. This has made it a money maker for outside
contractors who deal with the increasingly arduous and Byzantine
testing and admissions processes, but it doesn't really help parents
or students. If students don't do well enough, too often they get
dropped from the system so the tests won't be affected. Admissions
have become insane and yet have done little to equalize the
discrepancies between neighborhoods because only the wealthy have the
time and money for the admissions process, the interviews, extra
tutoring for tests, etc. And the big results that Bloomberg claims
vindicates his "reforms?" They can be seen statewide, even in areas
where Bloomberg has had no influence. So how can he lay claim to the
changes? Bloomberg has also closed firehouses, yet given tax money to
developers. Bloomberg pissed on voters when he bullied the City
Council into overturning term limits ONE TIME ONLY, specifically so
Bloomberg could have a third term. I have never understood the cult of
Bloomberg that many follow. Once he called my wife and me "terrorists"
because we protested the Republican National Convention and once I
learned that Bloomberg was the number one individual donor to Tom
DeLay's ant-choice, anti-environment, right wing PAC, I have disliked
him.
So Thompson is too much of a gentleman to win against Bloomberg, thus,
I suppose, admitting that Bloomberg is an asshole. Well, I for one
hope the gentleman who has consistently been a solid Democrat wins. I
hope Thompson, who is pro-labor, can win over anti-labor Bloomberg.
Recently Bill Thompson (http://www.dailygotham.com/mole333/blog/
eldiarioendorsesbillthompsonformayor) has been endorsed by El Diario.
Bill Thompson has also been endorsed by one of my favorite
Congresswomen, Nydia M. Velazquez. He has been endorsed by State
Senator Eric Adams, Councilmember Letitia James, Councilmember John
Liu, Councilmember David Weprin, State Senator Diane Savino, and
Congressman Anthony Weiner, all of whom I respect (even if I don't
always agree with all of them). Thompson has been endorsed by 504
Democrats, NYC's main disabled rights group, Barack Obama Democratic
Club, American Heritage Democratic Club, Gay and Lesbian Independent
Democrats, Lambda Independent Democrats, Out People of Color Political
Action Club, East Harlem/El Barrio Democratic Club, Gramercy-
Stuyvesant Independent Democrats, Village Independent Democrats and
West Harlem Independent Democrats. Thompson has been endorsed by
Communications Workers of America, United Auto Workers, Uniformed
Firefighters Association, Transport Workers Union and the Teamsters.
And, of course, many others. To me Thompson represents a good, old
fashioned Democrat supported by a good, old fashioned pro-union, pro-
LGBT, pro-minority coalition. I would support that any day over a
spoiled, dictatorial billionaire.
Comptroller: John Liu (Democratic Party)
John Liu is ideal for this job. With a degree in mathematical physics,
extensive financial experience, City Council and community organizing
experience, and overwhelming support of Unions, LGBT groups and local
clubs from all Boros, John Liu is one of the best candidates we have
seen this year. He will also be the first Asian American EVER to be
elected to city wide office in NYC, so he is not only a good choice
for the job but it will also be historic when he wins.
Brooklyn Borough President: Write-in: Gatemouth
Okay, I can't stand Marty Markowitz. I once liked him. But over the
years I have grown to despise him. I have written at some length why,
but suffice it to say he is a mean-spirited, nasty, hypocritical shill
for the worst developers ever.
The only official alternative is a Republican. I can't do that either.
At one point I half jokingly promised fellow blogger Gatemouth that I
would write him in ffor Brooklyn BP. In reality he is better than
either of the official candidates so I plan on fulfilling that
promise. If a good chunk of people write in Gatemouth for Brookly BP,
it won't really make any difference, but it will a.) make a good
person (Gatemouth's real persona) feel good and b.) show I keep my
promise. Here are the write in instructions:
"You may vote for a candidate not listed on the ballot by writing in
the candidate's name. Locate the button over the column of numbered
slots on the left of the voting machine and:
1. For General Election: Depress the button and, while holding it
in, open the slot opposite the office for which you wish to write in a
candidate's name."
Do me a favor...take the effort and vote Gatemouth for Brooklyn BP.
And spread the word. If we get a respectable number of votes for
Gatemouth, it will make an impression of sorts.
22nd City Council district: Lynne Serpe (Green Party). http://serpeforcouncil.com
Having already endorsed Green Party candidate David Pechefsky (see
below under 39th City Council district) I came across another good
Green candidate running against a lousy Dem. Lynne Serpe is the Green
Party candidate looking to oust Peter Vallone (a conservative DINO
incumbent who voted for Bloomberg's overturning of term limits). And
the big surprise is that Lynne Serpe has actually out raised Vallone,
making her challenge one to be taken seriously. From the (href="http://
www.cityhallnews.com/newyork/article-969-out-raising-vallone-council-...)
City Hall News:
"Vallone, who holds the same Queens seat his father held for almost
three decades, had only $40,000 on hand a few weeks before election
day, and decided to forego matching funds, figuring that they were a
waste of taxpayer money.
" But that was before Lynne Serpe, a 38-year-old environmental
activist and Green Party candidate for the seat announced that she had
$100,000 on hand and qualified for over $70,000 in matching funds.
“'There are people in the district who have wanted resources that
they haven’t gotten in 35 years,” she said. “I think people are ready
for a change...'
“'My goal is to win,' she said, explaining that she was buoyed by
the surprise primary wins of other left leaning candidates like Danny
Dromm. 'It’s possible that we’re looking at an entire shift in Western
Queens.'”
To see the end of the conservative Democrat Vallone dynasty in favor
of a more progressive candidate will be sweet. I wish Vallone had been
challenged by a good Democrat, but lacking that, I'll take a Green.
34th City Council District: Diana Reyna (Democratic Party)
http://www.friendsofdianareyna.com.
The first woman of Dominican-American descent to be elected to NYC
public office, Reyna is being heavily targeted by corrupt Brooklyn
Boss Vito Lopez and his scandal-ridden ally, WFP, because she hasn't
gone along with Vito Lopez's corruption. In essence, she is being
punished for her independence, and I personally want to see more
independence in our City Council members. This is another race where
we can stop a power play by a corrupt party boss. The Village Voice
(http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-09-01/columns/power-plays-by-party-
boss-vito-lopez) had this to say about this race during the Democratic
Primary:
"In the adjoining 34th District, which encompasses a swath of
Williamsburg and Bushwick, Lopez is pushing the candidacy of a young
woman named Maritza Davila, currently a project director at Ridgewood
Bushwick. Lopez is such a Davila fan that he allocated $45,000 in
funding for her job there. The money, according to Lopez's legislative
initiative form, pays for Davila to take residents to museums,
aquariums, and sporting events. She also does double duty: In addition
to her day job, Davila serves as a Democratic district leader in
Lopez's political club.
"Bushwick is Lopez's home base. OK, not his actual residential home.
He lives blissfully with Battaglia far from his district in a Queens
condo. His political home. He has long controlled the local Council
seat, but sometimes, his protégés disappoint him and he is forced to
seek their removal. For instance, the incumbent Council member in the
district is Diana Reyna, whose training came—where else?—from being a
Lopez aide.
"Reyna, however, ran afoul of her mentor when she dared to disagree
about a large tract of undeveloped land known as the Broadway
Triangle. Thanks to his great clout with city and state officials,
Lopez arranged to have all of the housing development opportunities
there routed to Ridgewood Bushwick and a kindred group, the United
Jewish Organizations, which controls social service funds in the
Orthodox section of Williamsburg and whose executives happily carry
Lopez's election petitions. Lopez has long been a big booster of Mayor
Bloomberg, and his influence is such that the city didn't even bother
holding its usual competition among would-be developers. It simply
designated Lopez's chosen groups..."
Reyna's opponent lost her primary bid but is still actively running on
the Working Families Party line. So we still have to stand up to Vito
Lopez on this one. Diana Reyna has been endorsed by Councilwoman Tish
James and Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez (both of whom I greatly
respect), El Diario/La Presnsa, Lambda Independend Democrats, 504
Democrats (disabled rights), the Teamsters, United Federation of
Teachers and others ( http://friendsofdianareyna.com/endorsements.html).
36th City Council District (Brooklyn): Mark Winston Griffith (Working
Families Party Candidate)
I have now met Mark Winston Griffith and am more impressed now than
when I was just going on good reports from mutual friends. Mark is and
excellent candidate and would make an excellent Councilman.
Many people know (and can tell by my comments regarding the 34th City
Council Race) that I am disgusted by the fact that WFP has been
breaking campaign finance laws and has sided with corrupt party boss
Vito Lopez this year. To me, WFP was once a great idea that has been
descending into the same kind of corruption that they claim to fight.
They love to accuse others of being party hacks, but that is exactly
what they have become themselves: party hacks surrounded by scandal.
But, there are still remnants of the old style, more idealistsic WFP,
and among the corrupt and sleazy WFP candidates this year there were
some great ones. This includes Debi Rose on Staten Island, John Liu
for Comptroller...and Mark Winston Griffith for the 36th City Council
seat in Brooklyn. If Griffith wins, he will be the second WFP
candidate to win for City Council without the Democratic Party line.
Since that first example is Councilmember Tish James, someone I admire
and agree with most of the time, and who has become one of the best
Democrats in the Council, I believe that for a good progressive,
untainted by the current WFP scandals, the WFP line is a good way to
get into office.
The incumbent for this seat is Al Vann who is among the least popular
incumbents I have ever seen. In fact, I suspect had there only been
one opponent in the Democratic Primary, Vann would be history now. But
the opposition split the vote and Vann squeaked by the primary with
barely 30% of the vote. The man who came in second was Mark Winston
Griffith and he has decided to continue the fight on the WFP line.
Mark has been Executive Director of the Drum Major Institute for
Public Policy and co-director of the Neighborhood Economic Development
Advocacy Project and has been a community organizer for years. Mark
has been endorsed by the United Auto Workers, Educational Justice PAC
and Committee for the Future Leadership of Bedford-Stuyvesant and
Crown Heights. I firmly believe that the 36th district would be better
served by Mark Winston Griffith than by Al Vann. So I urge a vote on
the (I hate to say it) Working Families Party line for Mark Winston
Griffith in the 36th City Council district.
39th City Council District (Brooklyn): David Pechefsky (Green Party
Candidate)
Most people also know I have seldom sided with the Greens since the
2000 fiasco. Too often the Greens are counterproductive as well as
obnoxious purists. But sometimes the Green Party really is an
alternative to a Democrat I just can't bring myself to support. This
is, I believe, the second time since 2000 that I have endorsed a Green
Party candidate. I first heard about David Pechefsky from two of my
neighbors. They knew him personally and, though Democrats, were
interested in supporting him. At the time I was supporting a Democrat
in the running (Josh Skaller) and thought two of the other Democrats
(Gary Reilly and Bob Zuckerman) were also good candidates, so I took a
dim view of Pechefsky's run given the fact that no fewer than THREE
excellent Democrats were vying for the position. Well, none of those
three excellent Democrats won. I met Pechefsky and talked with him. He
agreed that the candidate I was supporting would be excellent but I
gathered he was running in case one of the not so good Democrats won
the primary. Which is what happened. The Democrat who won the primary,
Brad Lander, is allied with Dov Hikind (a known homophobe and racist),
has been publicly anti-Israel, and who has been centrally involved in
the WFP campaign funding scandal I mention above. Any one of these
would be a reason not to support Lander. Brad Lander is one of those
Democrats I feel I can never completely trust even if we agree on most
things. He is too blinded by his own sense of self-worth and his own
ambition to ever listen to an opposing view. Too often I have seen him
face disagreement with disdain or rage. By contrast David Pechefsky is
even-tempered, thoughtful and willing to listen to opposing views.
Pechefsky seeks to be "a catalyst for a truly democratic City Council,
eco-friendly living, and the sensible use of our resources." Unlike
many Green Party candidates I have met, Pechefsky has a wide range of
practical experience to bring to the City Council. According to his
website:
"David Pechefsky has 12 years of New York City government experience
and has worked with Council Members, advocates, city officials, and
service providers on a wide range of housing, youth, senior, health,
and economic development programs. He has also consulted
internationally working on democratic governance issues in Africa,
Asia, and the Middle East...
David is a member of the Park Slope Greens and the Park Slope Food
Coop and was recently appointed to the Economic Development Committee
of Community Board Six."
I think Pechefsky would represent the district excellently while Brad
would too often let personal ambition and ego get in the way of
effective governing...and would probably break the law to further his
career if he thought he could get away with it. This impression has
recently been re-enforced when I learned Brad Lander was sitting next
to Rudy Giuliani at an event honoring Mike Bloomberg where Giuliani
and Bloomberg made racist innuendos against Thompson. And as far as I
know, Brad said nothing against this. So I endorse Green Party
candidate David Pechefsky for the 39th City Council district.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
NOVEMBER ELECTION ENDORSEMENT LIST
Mayor: Bill Thompson (Democratic Party)
One of the best things I have heard said about Bill Thompson was meant to disparage his chances: Bill Thompson was accused of "being too much of a gentleman" to win against Bloomberg. Honestly, that comment made me like Thompson more. Thompson is a good, solid Democrat and I think it is about time this very Democratic city stop having dictatorial, pro-business, anti-labor mayors. Mayor Bloomberg isn't bad...for a Republican. But he IS a Republican not just in name but in actions. His education policy has been little more than privatizing our educational system. This has made it a money maker for outside contractors who deal with the increasingly arduous and Byzantine testing and admissions processes, but it doesn't really help parents or students. If students don't do well enough, too often they get dropped from the system so the tests won't be affected. Admissions have become insane and yet have done little to equalize the discrepancies between neighborhoods because only the wealthy have the time and money for the admissions process, the interviews, extra tutoring for tests, etc. And the big results that Bloomberg claims vindicates his "reforms?" They can be seen statewide, even in areas where Bloomberg has had no influence. So how can he lay claim to the changes? Bloomberg has also closed firehouses, yet given tax money to developers. Bloomberg pissed on voters when he bullied the City Council into overturning term limits ONE TIME ONLY, specifically so Bloomberg could have a third term. I have never understood the cult of Bloomberg that many follow. Once he called my wife and me "terrorists" because we protested the Republican National Convention and once I learned that Bloomberg was the number one individual donor to Tom DeLay's ant-choice, anti-environment, right wing PAC, I have disliked him.
So Thompson is too much of a gentleman to win against Bloomberg, thus, I suppose, admitting that Bloomberg is an asshole. Well, I for one hope the gentleman who has consistently been a solid Democrat wins. I hope Thompson, who is pro-labor, can win over anti-labor Bloomberg. Bill Thompson has been endorsed by one of my favorite Congresswomen, Nydia M. Velazquez. He has been endorsed by State Senator Eric Adams, Councilmember Letitia James, Councilmember John Liu, Councilmember David Weprin, State Senator Diane Savino, and Congressman Anthony Weiner, all of whom I respect (even if I don't always agree with all of them). Thompson has been endorsed by 504 Democrats, NYC's main disabled rights group, Barack Obama Democratic Club, American Heritage Democratic Club, Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats, Lambda Independent Democrats, Out People of Color Political Action Club, East Harlem/El Barrio Democratic Club, Gramercy-Stuyvesant Independent Democrats, Village Independent Democrats and West Harlem Independent Democrats. Thompson has been endorsed by Communications Workers of America, United Auto Workers, Uniformed Firefighters Association, Transport Workers Union and the Teamsters. And, of course, many others. To me Thompson represents a good, old fashioned Democrat supported by a good, old fashioned pro-union, pro-LGBT, pro-minority coalition. I would support that any day over a spoiled, dictatorial billionaire.
36th City Council District (Brooklyn): Mark Winston Griffith (Working Families Party Candidate)
Many people know that I am disgusted by the fact that WFP has been breaking campaign finance laws and has sided with corrupt party boss Vito Lopez this year. To me, WFP was once a great idea that has been descending into the same kind of corruption that they claim to fight. But, there are still remnants of the old style WFP and among the corrupt and sleazy WFP candidates this year there were some great ones. This includes Debi Rose on Staten Island, John Liu for Comptroller...and Mark Winston Griffith for the 36th City Council seat in Brooklyn. The incumbent for this seat is Al Vann who is among the least popular incumbents I have ever seen. In fact, I suspect had there only been one opponent in the Democratic Primary, Vann would be history now. But the opposition split the vote and Vann squeaked by the primary with barely 30% of the vote. The man who came in second was Mark Winston Griffith and he has decided to continue the fight on the WFP line. Mark has been Executive Director of the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy and co-director of the Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project and has been a community organizer for years. Mark has been endorsed by the United Auto Workers, Educational Justice PAC and Committee for the Future Leadership of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. I firmly believe that the 36th district would be better served by Mark Winston Griffith than by Al Vann. So I urge a vote on the (I hate to say it) Working Families Party line for Mark Winston Griffith in the 36th City Council district.
39th City Council District (Brooklyn): David Pechefsky (Green Party Candidate)
Most people know I have seldom sided with the Greens since 2000. Too often the Greens are counterproductive and obnoxious purists. But sometimes the Green Party really is an alternative. This is, I believe, the second time since 2000 that I have endorsed a Green Party candidate. I first heard about Pechefsky from two of my neighbors. They knew him personally and, though Democrats, were interested in supporting him. At the time I was supporting a Democrat in the running (Josh Skaller) and thought two of the other Democrats (Gary Reilly and Bob Zuckerman) were also good candidates, so I took a dim view of Pechefsky's run given the fact that no fewer than THREE excellent Democrats were vying for the position. Well, none of those three excellent Democrats won. I met Pechefsky and talked with him. He agreed that the candidate I was supporting would be excellent but I gathered he was running in case one of the not so good Democrats won the primary. Which is what happened. The Democrat who won the primary, Brad Lander, is allied with Dov Hikind (a known homophobe and racist), has been publicly anti-Israel, and who has been centrally involved in the WFP campaign funding scandal I mention above. Brad Lander is one of those Democrats I feel I can never trust even if we agree on most things. He is too blinded by his own sense of self-worth and his own ambition to listen to an opposing view. Too often I have seen him face disagreement with disdain or rage. By contrast David Pechefsky is even tempered, thoughtful and willing to listen to opposing views. Pechefsky seeks to be "a catalyst for a truly democratic City Council, eco-friendly living, and the sensible use of our resources." Unlike many Green Party candidates I have met, Pechefsky has a wide range of practical experience to bring to the City Council. According to his website:
I think Pechefsky would represent the district excellently while Brad would too often let personal ambition and ego get in the way of effective governing. So I endorse Green Party candidate David Pechefsky for the 39th City Council district.
One of the best things I have heard said about Bill Thompson was meant to disparage his chances: Bill Thompson was accused of "being too much of a gentleman" to win against Bloomberg. Honestly, that comment made me like Thompson more. Thompson is a good, solid Democrat and I think it is about time this very Democratic city stop having dictatorial, pro-business, anti-labor mayors. Mayor Bloomberg isn't bad...for a Republican. But he IS a Republican not just in name but in actions. His education policy has been little more than privatizing our educational system. This has made it a money maker for outside contractors who deal with the increasingly arduous and Byzantine testing and admissions processes, but it doesn't really help parents or students. If students don't do well enough, too often they get dropped from the system so the tests won't be affected. Admissions have become insane and yet have done little to equalize the discrepancies between neighborhoods because only the wealthy have the time and money for the admissions process, the interviews, extra tutoring for tests, etc. And the big results that Bloomberg claims vindicates his "reforms?" They can be seen statewide, even in areas where Bloomberg has had no influence. So how can he lay claim to the changes? Bloomberg has also closed firehouses, yet given tax money to developers. Bloomberg pissed on voters when he bullied the City Council into overturning term limits ONE TIME ONLY, specifically so Bloomberg could have a third term. I have never understood the cult of Bloomberg that many follow. Once he called my wife and me "terrorists" because we protested the Republican National Convention and once I learned that Bloomberg was the number one individual donor to Tom DeLay's ant-choice, anti-environment, right wing PAC, I have disliked him.
So Thompson is too much of a gentleman to win against Bloomberg, thus, I suppose, admitting that Bloomberg is an asshole. Well, I for one hope the gentleman who has consistently been a solid Democrat wins. I hope Thompson, who is pro-labor, can win over anti-labor Bloomberg. Bill Thompson has been endorsed by one of my favorite Congresswomen, Nydia M. Velazquez. He has been endorsed by State Senator Eric Adams, Councilmember Letitia James, Councilmember John Liu, Councilmember David Weprin, State Senator Diane Savino, and Congressman Anthony Weiner, all of whom I respect (even if I don't always agree with all of them). Thompson has been endorsed by 504 Democrats, NYC's main disabled rights group, Barack Obama Democratic Club, American Heritage Democratic Club, Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats, Lambda Independent Democrats, Out People of Color Political Action Club, East Harlem/El Barrio Democratic Club, Gramercy-Stuyvesant Independent Democrats, Village Independent Democrats and West Harlem Independent Democrats. Thompson has been endorsed by Communications Workers of America, United Auto Workers, Uniformed Firefighters Association, Transport Workers Union and the Teamsters. And, of course, many others. To me Thompson represents a good, old fashioned Democrat supported by a good, old fashioned pro-union, pro-LGBT, pro-minority coalition. I would support that any day over a spoiled, dictatorial billionaire.
36th City Council District (Brooklyn): Mark Winston Griffith (Working Families Party Candidate)
Many people know that I am disgusted by the fact that WFP has been breaking campaign finance laws and has sided with corrupt party boss Vito Lopez this year. To me, WFP was once a great idea that has been descending into the same kind of corruption that they claim to fight. But, there are still remnants of the old style WFP and among the corrupt and sleazy WFP candidates this year there were some great ones. This includes Debi Rose on Staten Island, John Liu for Comptroller...and Mark Winston Griffith for the 36th City Council seat in Brooklyn. The incumbent for this seat is Al Vann who is among the least popular incumbents I have ever seen. In fact, I suspect had there only been one opponent in the Democratic Primary, Vann would be history now. But the opposition split the vote and Vann squeaked by the primary with barely 30% of the vote. The man who came in second was Mark Winston Griffith and he has decided to continue the fight on the WFP line. Mark has been Executive Director of the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy and co-director of the Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project and has been a community organizer for years. Mark has been endorsed by the United Auto Workers, Educational Justice PAC and Committee for the Future Leadership of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. I firmly believe that the 36th district would be better served by Mark Winston Griffith than by Al Vann. So I urge a vote on the (I hate to say it) Working Families Party line for Mark Winston Griffith in the 36th City Council district.
39th City Council District (Brooklyn): David Pechefsky (Green Party Candidate)
Most people know I have seldom sided with the Greens since 2000. Too often the Greens are counterproductive and obnoxious purists. But sometimes the Green Party really is an alternative. This is, I believe, the second time since 2000 that I have endorsed a Green Party candidate. I first heard about Pechefsky from two of my neighbors. They knew him personally and, though Democrats, were interested in supporting him. At the time I was supporting a Democrat in the running (Josh Skaller) and thought two of the other Democrats (Gary Reilly and Bob Zuckerman) were also good candidates, so I took a dim view of Pechefsky's run given the fact that no fewer than THREE excellent Democrats were vying for the position. Well, none of those three excellent Democrats won. I met Pechefsky and talked with him. He agreed that the candidate I was supporting would be excellent but I gathered he was running in case one of the not so good Democrats won the primary. Which is what happened. The Democrat who won the primary, Brad Lander, is allied with Dov Hikind (a known homophobe and racist), has been publicly anti-Israel, and who has been centrally involved in the WFP campaign funding scandal I mention above. Brad Lander is one of those Democrats I feel I can never trust even if we agree on most things. He is too blinded by his own sense of self-worth and his own ambition to listen to an opposing view. Too often I have seen him face disagreement with disdain or rage. By contrast David Pechefsky is even tempered, thoughtful and willing to listen to opposing views. Pechefsky seeks to be "a catalyst for a truly democratic City Council, eco-friendly living, and the sensible use of our resources." Unlike many Green Party candidates I have met, Pechefsky has a wide range of practical experience to bring to the City Council. According to his website:
David Pechefsky has 12 years of New York City government experience and has worked with Council Members, advocates, city officials, and service providers on a wide range of housing, youth, senior, health, and economic development programs. He has also consulted internationally working on democratic governance issues in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East...
David is a member of the Park Slope Greens and the Park Slope Food Coop and was recently appointed to the Economic Development Committee of Community Board Six.
I think Pechefsky would represent the district excellently while Brad would too often let personal ambition and ego get in the way of effective governing. So I endorse Green Party candidate David Pechefsky for the 39th City Council district.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
WFP Scandal: Now the Wing Nuts have Ammunition
WFP and six local candidates, including Bill de Blasio (candidate for Public Advocate, ironically enough), Brad Lander, Daniel Dromm, et. al. broke campaign finance laws. That is a simple fact. WFP, and SOME (by no means all...John Liu for example did not participate) of their endorsed candidates played a little money scheme that allowed them to escape campaign finance laws that are designed to keep elections a tad cleaner and more transparent. They violated these laws, in effect using opaque and shady schemes to boost their effectiveness illegally.
Those are the facts and I personally think WFP needs to be held accountable for their violations...as do the candidates that participated.
Now some right wing nut cases (who I won't do the dignity of linking to) are picking up on this legitimate scandal and using it to show their attacks on ACORN (which WFP grew out of and is still connected with) were legit.
Goddamn it. The WFP and Bill de Blasio just gave these right wing nutcases ammunition to use against us. WFP in essence cheated and the Republicans are going to hold it against the Democratic Party. And those who really are interested in clean elections and fairness are left either helping the right wing nut cases expose WFP's scandal, or to let the scandal alone because we don't want to be associated with right wing nut cases.
This scandal is well documented by City Hall News in a whole series of excellent articles:
http://www.cityhallnews.com/news/128/ARTICLE/2053/2009-08-09.html
http://www.cityhallnews.com/news/132/ARTICLE/2080/2009-08-18.html
http://www.cityhallnews.com/news/132/ARTICLE/2113/2009-09-02.html
http://www.cityhallnews.com/news/132/ARTICLE/2105/2009-08-26.html#
http://www.cityhallnews.com/news/132/ARTICLE/2150/2009-09-15.html
In these articles, WFP people basically ADMIT they were skirting the laws. They are even caught in some distortions of the truth. The Campaign Finance Board has said they violated the laws.
This whole thing was discussed even earlier on Room 8 by Hildy Johnson in a difficult to follow but nevertheless revealing article.
And yet some of my fellow progressives want to sweep this under the carpet just because some right wing nutcases want to use it as ammunition. I hear (privately so far) my fellow progressives saying it wasn't so bad what they did or it is class warfare or all sorts of nonsense. No folks. The WFP and Bill de Blasio got caught red handed breaking the law. One of the candidates involved, Daniel Dromm, I had even endorsed myself (before the WFP did) and I am happy enough he won. But he also should be investigated for this because we cannot tolerate breaking campaign finance laws even when we like the culprit. Maybe it will be found WFP took the lead and the candidates didn't know any better. Or maybe all 6, good and bad folks alike, were willing to bend or break the law to win. I don't know. But it should be treated like a scandal and investigated like a scandal even when we like one or more of those involved.
If you don't like the fact the right wing has some new ammunition in their stupid crusade against ACORN (and most of their crusade IS stupid and IS class warfarae), blame WFP. They are the ones who systematically violated the laws and so exposed the left to this criticism from the right. If we sweep it under the carpet, we are being as bad as the Republicans who hide their scandals as long as they can, and then blame the media when the scandal gets exposed. I like to think the left is better than that. When one of our own gets caught, say, with bribe money in his freezer, I like to think we reject the sleazeball. This year WFP violated laws and joined forces with the infamously corrupt Vito Lopez machine in Brooklyn. I will not deny that is a scandal just because the right has latched onto it.
I am not the first blogger to see it this way. Gatemouth on Room 8 has already discussed this exact aspect of the scandal:
http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/silver_lining.html
So let's not follow the lead of the Republicans and try to hide our scandals. The WFP and six (only six!) of its candidates broke the law to try and get around campaign finance laws. It is that simple. Had Republicans done the exact same thing, every progressive blogger in the city would be on their case about it.
Those are the facts and I personally think WFP needs to be held accountable for their violations...as do the candidates that participated.
Now some right wing nut cases (who I won't do the dignity of linking to) are picking up on this legitimate scandal and using it to show their attacks on ACORN (which WFP grew out of and is still connected with) were legit.
Goddamn it. The WFP and Bill de Blasio just gave these right wing nutcases ammunition to use against us. WFP in essence cheated and the Republicans are going to hold it against the Democratic Party. And those who really are interested in clean elections and fairness are left either helping the right wing nut cases expose WFP's scandal, or to let the scandal alone because we don't want to be associated with right wing nut cases.
This scandal is well documented by City Hall News in a whole series of excellent articles:
http://www.cityhallnews.com/news/128/ARTICLE/2053/2009-08-09.html
http://www.cityhallnews.com/news/132/ARTICLE/2080/2009-08-18.html
http://www.cityhallnews.com/news/132/ARTICLE/2113/2009-09-02.html
http://www.cityhallnews.com/news/132/ARTICLE/2105/2009-08-26.html#
http://www.cityhallnews.com/news/132/ARTICLE/2150/2009-09-15.html
In these articles, WFP people basically ADMIT they were skirting the laws. They are even caught in some distortions of the truth. The Campaign Finance Board has said they violated the laws.
This whole thing was discussed even earlier on Room 8 by Hildy Johnson in a difficult to follow but nevertheless revealing article.
And yet some of my fellow progressives want to sweep this under the carpet just because some right wing nutcases want to use it as ammunition. I hear (privately so far) my fellow progressives saying it wasn't so bad what they did or it is class warfare or all sorts of nonsense. No folks. The WFP and Bill de Blasio got caught red handed breaking the law. One of the candidates involved, Daniel Dromm, I had even endorsed myself (before the WFP did) and I am happy enough he won. But he also should be investigated for this because we cannot tolerate breaking campaign finance laws even when we like the culprit. Maybe it will be found WFP took the lead and the candidates didn't know any better. Or maybe all 6, good and bad folks alike, were willing to bend or break the law to win. I don't know. But it should be treated like a scandal and investigated like a scandal even when we like one or more of those involved.
If you don't like the fact the right wing has some new ammunition in their stupid crusade against ACORN (and most of their crusade IS stupid and IS class warfarae), blame WFP. They are the ones who systematically violated the laws and so exposed the left to this criticism from the right. If we sweep it under the carpet, we are being as bad as the Republicans who hide their scandals as long as they can, and then blame the media when the scandal gets exposed. I like to think the left is better than that. When one of our own gets caught, say, with bribe money in his freezer, I like to think we reject the sleazeball. This year WFP violated laws and joined forces with the infamously corrupt Vito Lopez machine in Brooklyn. I will not deny that is a scandal just because the right has latched onto it.
I am not the first blogger to see it this way. Gatemouth on Room 8 has already discussed this exact aspect of the scandal:
http://www.r8ny.com/blog/gatemouth/silver_lining.html
So let's not follow the lead of the Republicans and try to hide our scandals. The WFP and six (only six!) of its candidates broke the law to try and get around campaign finance laws. It is that simple. Had Republicans done the exact same thing, every progressive blogger in the city would be on their case about it.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
John Liu for NYC Comptroller
The runoff for NYC Comptroller pits John Liu (with a degree in mathematical physics and extensive financial experience) against David Yassky (a lawyer and career politician with no financial experience, whose financial abilities are so challeneged he threw $15,000 of taxpayer money to a fake non-profit that did nothing but pay salaries to a former City Councilman's family). Here is a sampling of people and organizations who have endorsed John Liu for Comptroller, with quotes where available. I should note I may have been the first person in the city to endorse Liu for Comptroller!
Uniformed Firefighters Association
Steve Cassidy, UFA President said, “John Liu has demonstrated his leadership as a member of the City Council, supporting firefighter and public safety issues and has a background in finance as an actuary. He fought to halt the efforts in 2003 and 2009 to close our community firehouses and reduce fire company staffing to unsafe levels. John Liu fully understands that while budgetary priorities must be made in the city, public safety must be at the forefront.”
“We are here today because we believe that John Liu is the candidate that fills the duties of Comptroller of the City of New York and can be an advocate for all New Yorkers,” concluded Mr. Cassidy.
United Federation of Teachers
“John’s vision, strong leadership skills and fiscal know-how make him the best candidate in this race in a field of very strong contenders,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “Those attributes will be crucial during this time of economic uncertainty. The enormity of the challenges ahead requires someone who can bring people together and find smart and responsible solutions. John has proven that he can and will be that person.
“John is committed to strong public school communities and has had a solid record on education issues throughout his distinguished career,” continued Mulgrew. “He recognizes the importance of oversight, transparency and fiscal responsibility, and has never been afraid to take on the Department of Education or City Hall. John also steadfastly supports and defends working families, and has been a forceful voice in the fight to protect important safety-net services from devastating budget cuts. Once he is elected, New Yorkers can count on Liu to be a relentless and dedicated public servant who will work hard on their behalf.”
Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez
“John, with his extensive fiscal management experience at Pricewaterhouse and his strong commitment to serve all New Yorkers, is the best candidate for Comptroller,” said Congressmember Nydia Velázquez. “In this economic crisis, we need a Comptroller who can improve efficiencies in our government and agencies and save taxpayers’ money. We need a Comptroller who will be prudent with our pension funds and invest wisely. John Liu is the best person for the job.”
Amsterdam News:
Liu has a five-point plan in his quest for this position. Liu proposes to diversify the comptroller's investment portfolio by going back to basic portfolio management of stocks and bonds. He wants to bolster diversification of the city's economy by expanding opportunities for WMBEs (women and minority business enterprises) and emerging industries. Liu also wants to support a more graduated income tax for city residents based upon wealth. The Industrial Development Agency that oversees small business development in the city is also in need of reform and Liu believes that the comptroller should have a greater role in this agency's operations. And finally, he believes in using the comnptroller's audit bureau to review the city's business development programs, including the Department of Small Business' services.
This is just where Liu wants to begin. He sees a strong future for this city and wants to make sure that all New Yorkers are part of the success that can be achieved. This is why the New York Amsterdam News endorses John Liu in the Democratic primary for comptroller of the City of New York.
El Nuevo Caribe Democratic Club of El Barrio/East Harlem
Members of Nuevo Caribe, the oldest democratic club in New York, came together to announce their support for John Liu for City Comptroller. Club President Mr. Hector Santana hailed Liu as a strong advocate for all communities and the right leader for New York's future.
504 Democrats (disabled rights)
"The leadership and members of the 504 Democratic Club are proud to stand
with our candidate for City Comptroller, John Liu," said Edith Prentiss,
President of the 504 Democratic Club. "From Access-a-Ride to access in
subway stations, he has been a champion for increasing accessibility in New
York City. He has earned our endorsement with his strong commitment to our
issues, his policy platforms and clear vision for the office. He has
pledged to audit existing and future developments to ensure that promises
made by the City are kept, especially with regard to compliance with ADA
requirements, and that existing developments will meet their obligations
where incentives were allowed in exchange for accommodations for PWDs,
public amenities, affordable housing, or other community-minded provisions.
We are confident that prioritizing accessibility issues, especially in
public transit infrastructure like escalators and elevators, is more than
just campaign rhetoric from Liu--it's a promise."
Gay City News
We are impressed by the commitment of one candidate to go further. “I don’t see the comptroller as a bureaucratic position,” Liu said in a recent Gay City News interview. “It absolutely can be and should be an office as agent of change." That posture is what leads us to endorse John Liu, who has amply demonstrated his follow-through in his eight years on the City Council. Last year, as the Council acquiesced to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s request to extend term limits, Liu took a principled stand in opposition. In a body where bucking the powerful office of speaker carries political risks, he bit the bullet, and says, “I haven’t felt any changes in my role in the budget process.”
“It would be fair to say that my background is one of being excluded, whether blatantly or de facto,” he said of his childhood in Flushing as an immigrant from Taiwan. The first Asian American elected to any legislative position in New York City, Liu has been a stalwart friend and highly visible ally of the LGBT community. That record lends substantial credibility to his pledge to “shatter all the records” in using New York City’s substantial pension investments as a tool to nudge corporate America toward fair workplace and marketplace practices for the LGBT community.
Lower East Side Democratic Club
“John Liu has the fiscal management experience and would be a huge asset as Comptroller to manage our pension funds. Our members have long appreciated John’s integrity and leadership in fighting against racism, sexism and bias of any kind. He has always stood with us as we fought for fairness and justice for immigrant rights, job protection for working men and women, and expand opportunities for small businesses," said John Quinn of the Lower East Side Democratic Club of Manhattan. “John understands the needs of the middle class as they seek to keep more of their hard earned dollars in their pockets. He would ensure that the billions in stimulus money would be used fairly to create and keep jobs in New York City. We are proud to support him.”
United Democratic Organization in Lower Manhattan
Mrs. Virginia Kee, President Emeritus of United Democratic Organization in Lower Manhattan, stated, “We are so very proud of John. His story is similar to that of many immigrants - one full of determination, courage and desire to succeed. John’s leadership has had such a positive influence on our community.
We will demonstrate our commitment to John by coming out in record numbers
for him for Comptroller.”
Northern Manhattan Democrats For Change Club
On-hand for the announcement were President Rolando Cespedes, District Leader Maria Morillo, State County Committeeman Ricardo Ureña and members of the club.
“John’s career in public service has been dedicated to advocating for the rights of the people in this city without a strong voice, and we know as Comptroller, he will continue to help level the playing field for the hard-working men and women of this City,” said Mr. Cespedes.
Democratic Organization of Richmond County
“After consideration of all candidates, John Liu stands as a true reformer and leader and will make a great Comptroller. Moreover, John has the knowledge of issues particularly important to Islanders, ranging from transportation to job creation, and we can count on him to be a champion for our borough,” said Gary Lane, President of The Democratic Organization of Richmond County.
The Democratic Organization of Richmond County is an important progressive political organization in the 13th Congressional district, which encompasses Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Staten Island.
Also:
State Senator Velmanette Montgomery
State Senator Diane Savino
American Heritage Democratic Club
United Progressive Democratic Club
New Visions Democratic Club
United Auto Workers
National Association of Letter Carriers
Rosa Parks Democrats
Sojourner Truth Democratic Club
Stonewall Democrats
Lambda Independent Democrats
Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens
Out People of Color Political Action Club
Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats
Barack Obama Democratic Club of Upper Manhattan
East Harlem United Democrats
West Harlem Independent Democrats
East Side Democratic Club
Gramercy Stuyvesant Independent Democrats
Village Independent Democrats
Village Reform Democratic Club
Staten Island Democratic Association
Uniformed Firefighters Association
Steve Cassidy, UFA President said, “John Liu has demonstrated his leadership as a member of the City Council, supporting firefighter and public safety issues and has a background in finance as an actuary. He fought to halt the efforts in 2003 and 2009 to close our community firehouses and reduce fire company staffing to unsafe levels. John Liu fully understands that while budgetary priorities must be made in the city, public safety must be at the forefront.”
“We are here today because we believe that John Liu is the candidate that fills the duties of Comptroller of the City of New York and can be an advocate for all New Yorkers,” concluded Mr. Cassidy.
United Federation of Teachers
“John’s vision, strong leadership skills and fiscal know-how make him the best candidate in this race in a field of very strong contenders,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “Those attributes will be crucial during this time of economic uncertainty. The enormity of the challenges ahead requires someone who can bring people together and find smart and responsible solutions. John has proven that he can and will be that person.
“John is committed to strong public school communities and has had a solid record on education issues throughout his distinguished career,” continued Mulgrew. “He recognizes the importance of oversight, transparency and fiscal responsibility, and has never been afraid to take on the Department of Education or City Hall. John also steadfastly supports and defends working families, and has been a forceful voice in the fight to protect important safety-net services from devastating budget cuts. Once he is elected, New Yorkers can count on Liu to be a relentless and dedicated public servant who will work hard on their behalf.”
Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez
“John, with his extensive fiscal management experience at Pricewaterhouse and his strong commitment to serve all New Yorkers, is the best candidate for Comptroller,” said Congressmember Nydia Velázquez. “In this economic crisis, we need a Comptroller who can improve efficiencies in our government and agencies and save taxpayers’ money. We need a Comptroller who will be prudent with our pension funds and invest wisely. John Liu is the best person for the job.”
Amsterdam News:
Liu has a five-point plan in his quest for this position. Liu proposes to diversify the comptroller's investment portfolio by going back to basic portfolio management of stocks and bonds. He wants to bolster diversification of the city's economy by expanding opportunities for WMBEs (women and minority business enterprises) and emerging industries. Liu also wants to support a more graduated income tax for city residents based upon wealth. The Industrial Development Agency that oversees small business development in the city is also in need of reform and Liu believes that the comptroller should have a greater role in this agency's operations. And finally, he believes in using the comnptroller's audit bureau to review the city's business development programs, including the Department of Small Business' services.
This is just where Liu wants to begin. He sees a strong future for this city and wants to make sure that all New Yorkers are part of the success that can be achieved. This is why the New York Amsterdam News endorses John Liu in the Democratic primary for comptroller of the City of New York.
El Nuevo Caribe Democratic Club of El Barrio/East Harlem
Members of Nuevo Caribe, the oldest democratic club in New York, came together to announce their support for John Liu for City Comptroller. Club President Mr. Hector Santana hailed Liu as a strong advocate for all communities and the right leader for New York's future.
504 Democrats (disabled rights)
"The leadership and members of the 504 Democratic Club are proud to stand
with our candidate for City Comptroller, John Liu," said Edith Prentiss,
President of the 504 Democratic Club. "From Access-a-Ride to access in
subway stations, he has been a champion for increasing accessibility in New
York City. He has earned our endorsement with his strong commitment to our
issues, his policy platforms and clear vision for the office. He has
pledged to audit existing and future developments to ensure that promises
made by the City are kept, especially with regard to compliance with ADA
requirements, and that existing developments will meet their obligations
where incentives were allowed in exchange for accommodations for PWDs,
public amenities, affordable housing, or other community-minded provisions.
We are confident that prioritizing accessibility issues, especially in
public transit infrastructure like escalators and elevators, is more than
just campaign rhetoric from Liu--it's a promise."
Gay City News
We are impressed by the commitment of one candidate to go further. “I don’t see the comptroller as a bureaucratic position,” Liu said in a recent Gay City News interview. “It absolutely can be and should be an office as agent of change." That posture is what leads us to endorse John Liu, who has amply demonstrated his follow-through in his eight years on the City Council. Last year, as the Council acquiesced to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s request to extend term limits, Liu took a principled stand in opposition. In a body where bucking the powerful office of speaker carries political risks, he bit the bullet, and says, “I haven’t felt any changes in my role in the budget process.”
“It would be fair to say that my background is one of being excluded, whether blatantly or de facto,” he said of his childhood in Flushing as an immigrant from Taiwan. The first Asian American elected to any legislative position in New York City, Liu has been a stalwart friend and highly visible ally of the LGBT community. That record lends substantial credibility to his pledge to “shatter all the records” in using New York City’s substantial pension investments as a tool to nudge corporate America toward fair workplace and marketplace practices for the LGBT community.
Lower East Side Democratic Club
“John Liu has the fiscal management experience and would be a huge asset as Comptroller to manage our pension funds. Our members have long appreciated John’s integrity and leadership in fighting against racism, sexism and bias of any kind. He has always stood with us as we fought for fairness and justice for immigrant rights, job protection for working men and women, and expand opportunities for small businesses," said John Quinn of the Lower East Side Democratic Club of Manhattan. “John understands the needs of the middle class as they seek to keep more of their hard earned dollars in their pockets. He would ensure that the billions in stimulus money would be used fairly to create and keep jobs in New York City. We are proud to support him.”
United Democratic Organization in Lower Manhattan
Mrs. Virginia Kee, President Emeritus of United Democratic Organization in Lower Manhattan, stated, “We are so very proud of John. His story is similar to that of many immigrants - one full of determination, courage and desire to succeed. John’s leadership has had such a positive influence on our community.
We will demonstrate our commitment to John by coming out in record numbers
for him for Comptroller.”
Northern Manhattan Democrats For Change Club
On-hand for the announcement were President Rolando Cespedes, District Leader Maria Morillo, State County Committeeman Ricardo Ureña and members of the club.
“John’s career in public service has been dedicated to advocating for the rights of the people in this city without a strong voice, and we know as Comptroller, he will continue to help level the playing field for the hard-working men and women of this City,” said Mr. Cespedes.
Democratic Organization of Richmond County
“After consideration of all candidates, John Liu stands as a true reformer and leader and will make a great Comptroller. Moreover, John has the knowledge of issues particularly important to Islanders, ranging from transportation to job creation, and we can count on him to be a champion for our borough,” said Gary Lane, President of The Democratic Organization of Richmond County.
The Democratic Organization of Richmond County is an important progressive political organization in the 13th Congressional district, which encompasses Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Staten Island.
Also:
State Senator Velmanette Montgomery
State Senator Diane Savino
American Heritage Democratic Club
United Progressive Democratic Club
New Visions Democratic Club
United Auto Workers
National Association of Letter Carriers
Rosa Parks Democrats
Sojourner Truth Democratic Club
Stonewall Democrats
Lambda Independent Democrats
Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens
Out People of Color Political Action Club
Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats
Barack Obama Democratic Club of Upper Manhattan
East Harlem United Democrats
West Harlem Independent Democrats
East Side Democratic Club
Gramercy Stuyvesant Independent Democrats
Village Independent Democrats
Village Reform Democratic Club
Staten Island Democratic Association
Support Mark Green for NYC Public Advocate
Here is a sampling of people who have endorsed Mark Green for Public Advocate of NYC with statements:
Bobby Kennedy
Environmental Law Attorney
"My Uncle Teddy finally felt that, after the death of his brothers, the election of Barack Obama was the fulfillment of his life. That he had fought. That America had ultimately come around. And there is one other guy who has been there that long, with him, and that's Mark Green.
The post that he running for is the conscience of the City. It is the post that is supposed to remind all of us how democracy is supposed to function, how the little guy should have as much power as the big powerful wealthy voices. There is nobody who understands it better than Mark. "
Gloria Steinem
Feminist Icon and Activist
“Mark Green’s record of real progressive reform and his successful fights for women in particular – helping domestic violence victims in the workplace, changing divorce laws, stopping discriminatory pricing based on gender – show the kind of outspoken Public Advocate he was and should be again.”
National Organization for Women – New York City Chapter
"NOW-NYC is proud to endorse Mark Green, who clearly stands out as the candidate with the most skills, accomplishments and vision. New York City needs a Public Advocate who understands the struggles women in our city face on a daily basis. Mark Green is that person.”
National Latino Officers Association
"We've know Mark well for years and know his record on security and policing issues," said Miranda. "His courage in taking on Mayor Giuliani over the urgent issue of police misconduct and racial profiling is a perfect example of the type of leadership Mark has provided this City. His lawsuits and investigations led to better discipline and better police-community relations, which is essential to successful law enforcement."
"Especially during difficult times for our City, Mark's unequaled experience as Public Advocate is just what struggling families need to get effective city services and just the kind of watchdog a mayor must have."
Local 2507: Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics, and Fire Inspectors FDNY &
Local 3621: Uniformed EMS Officers Union
"There was a traumatic and tragic event eight years ago this week that deeply affected our City, our emergency medical service personnel members and Mark Green. He was running in a mayoral primary September 11 and our members recall his courage and grace that day and the difficult days that followed. He showed a real knowledge of what the City was going through and a real empathy about what our members were going through.”
"Like so many New Yorkers, Mark's a fighter and a survivor who doesn't quit when the chips are down. So we're endorsing him now because of his years of proven accomplishment and potential to do even more.”
"Our jobs involve the health of New Yorkers under stress. Mark in his way has been a champion of consumer health issues his entire public life. Look at how he exposed how HMOs were violating the state's HMO Bill of Rights by shunning patients when they needed care, how he exposed how major hospitals were ignoring the ‘Libby Zion Law’ to avoid overworking doctors and interns, how hospitals weren't disclosing adverse incident reports.”
504 Democratic Club (disabled rights group)
"We don't have to guess what Mark will do for our community because we saw what he did do -- especially his federal petition that forced Access-a-Ride to reduce its automatic 'denial rate' in picking up the frail elderly and disabled. Mark's an aggressive progressive who's always on our side."
Bobby Kennedy
Environmental Law Attorney
"My Uncle Teddy finally felt that, after the death of his brothers, the election of Barack Obama was the fulfillment of his life. That he had fought. That America had ultimately come around. And there is one other guy who has been there that long, with him, and that's Mark Green.
The post that he running for is the conscience of the City. It is the post that is supposed to remind all of us how democracy is supposed to function, how the little guy should have as much power as the big powerful wealthy voices. There is nobody who understands it better than Mark. "
Gloria Steinem
Feminist Icon and Activist
“Mark Green’s record of real progressive reform and his successful fights for women in particular – helping domestic violence victims in the workplace, changing divorce laws, stopping discriminatory pricing based on gender – show the kind of outspoken Public Advocate he was and should be again.”
National Organization for Women – New York City Chapter
"NOW-NYC is proud to endorse Mark Green, who clearly stands out as the candidate with the most skills, accomplishments and vision. New York City needs a Public Advocate who understands the struggles women in our city face on a daily basis. Mark Green is that person.”
National Latino Officers Association
"We've know Mark well for years and know his record on security and policing issues," said Miranda. "His courage in taking on Mayor Giuliani over the urgent issue of police misconduct and racial profiling is a perfect example of the type of leadership Mark has provided this City. His lawsuits and investigations led to better discipline and better police-community relations, which is essential to successful law enforcement."
"Especially during difficult times for our City, Mark's unequaled experience as Public Advocate is just what struggling families need to get effective city services and just the kind of watchdog a mayor must have."
Local 2507: Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics, and Fire Inspectors FDNY &
Local 3621: Uniformed EMS Officers Union
"There was a traumatic and tragic event eight years ago this week that deeply affected our City, our emergency medical service personnel members and Mark Green. He was running in a mayoral primary September 11 and our members recall his courage and grace that day and the difficult days that followed. He showed a real knowledge of what the City was going through and a real empathy about what our members were going through.”
"Like so many New Yorkers, Mark's a fighter and a survivor who doesn't quit when the chips are down. So we're endorsing him now because of his years of proven accomplishment and potential to do even more.”
"Our jobs involve the health of New Yorkers under stress. Mark in his way has been a champion of consumer health issues his entire public life. Look at how he exposed how HMOs were violating the state's HMO Bill of Rights by shunning patients when they needed care, how he exposed how major hospitals were ignoring the ‘Libby Zion Law’ to avoid overworking doctors and interns, how hospitals weren't disclosing adverse incident reports.”
504 Democratic Club (disabled rights group)
"We don't have to guess what Mark will do for our community because we saw what he did do -- especially his federal petition that forced Access-a-Ride to reduce its automatic 'denial rate' in picking up the frail elderly and disabled. Mark's an aggressive progressive who's always on our side."
Park Slope FInally Joins the Vito Lopez Machine
“He’s one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met, unbelievable,” he said. “Vito Lopez has brought so much dignity and political acumen and respect to the borough of Brooklyn.”
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/election_2009/2009/09/15/2009-09-15_councilman_kendall_stewart_upset_by_community_organizer_.html#ixzz0RIfqS59X
--Steve Levin, newly elected City Councilman from Park Slope, praising his mentor, corrupt Party Boss Vito Lopez
Steve Biviano, Jo Anne Simon, Ken Baer and Ken Diamondstone were four reformers running for the 33rd City Council district. Of them all, Jo Anne Simon was the only one with even a glimmer of hope of winning. This was true from almost the very start. Baer and Biviano were nobodies who picked up almost no endorsements. Diamondstone might have been a contender had he picked up Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats and Lambda Independent Democrats. Once he lost those two clubs, I knew the writing was clearly on the wall in big bold letters: Jo Anne Simon is the only chance to keep Vito Lopez from electing his aide as the City Council representative from Park Slope.
Progressive reform Democrats are good at one, and sometimes ONLY one, thing: forming a circular firing squad that destroys any chances they have of winning. Reform democrats in Brooklyn spectacularly destroyed themselves and, in the process, handed Park Slope to Vito Lopez all nicely wrapped up with a bow. And, not surprisingly, Steve Levin is thrilled as can be and giving full honors to Vito Lopez. Park Slope is now part of Lopez's domain and we can thank the circular firing squad led by Ken Baer, Ken Diamondstone and Dough Biviano.
But they aren't the only ones to blame. It is true that had they all banded together, uniting behind Jo Anne Simon (or had things been differently, I would have urged them all, Jo Anne included, behind Diamondstone) their numbers would have brought a win over Levin...barely. But even divided reformers could have won had there not been two other factors: WFP's alliance with the machine (thus proving that WFP are machine hacks as of this year) and voter apathy. Without these two factors, Steve Levin would be just a random shiny faced kid that Vito Lopez had failed to foist on Brooklyn.
WFP: you have chosen to side with Vito Lopez and you worked hard to bring the corrupt machine's rule into Park Slope. I'd like to say voters will remember this, because Park Slope does not like Vito Lopez and his corruption. Sadly, WFP gambled on voters basically being too apathetic to care...and they were probably right. Show voters some shiny campaign lit and they don't care if Levin kisses Vito Lopez's ass or not.
Voter apathy...if there is one thing you can always count on in politics, even more than the left's skill at forming a circular firing squad, it is that voters are apathetic and even if a politician is caught red handed breaking laws or shamelessly lying, voters will either not vote or vote for the sleazy bastard anyway. In fact, I would argue that more than any other factor, those voters who DIDN'T bother voting in the primary are most responsible for opening their streets to Vito Lopez. I can't tell you how often people have told me they hate Vito Lopez or that Vito Lopez is an embarrassment or whatever else about Vito Lopez. Yet I bet most of those people complaining about Vito Lopez didn't bother to get their butts to the polls to prevent Lopez from moving his crony into our Council seat. Similarly, liberal, pro-gay pro-reform Brooklynites didn't bother voting or caring when Vito Lopez foisted a homophobic, unqualified man named Noach Dear into a civil court judge seat. The fact that Vito Lopez can pretty much do this kind of thing at will, regardless of scandals or the lack of any real qualifications in his candidates really means reform is useless in Brooklyn. If voters really don't care if Vito Lopez runs our neighborhoods like private fiefdoms that he bestows as will, then no amount of unity or activism on the part of groups like CBID, LID, DFNYC or whoever will be able to stop Vito Lopez.
I should note that in the 39th the lack of unity among the progressive reform candidates was not so much of a factor. It is true that Josh Skaller would have had a better shot had Zuckerman and Reilly endorsed him, but the numbers show even that wouldn't have been enough, and, unlike the 33rd, there was no bashing of eachother among the reformers. So I think the WFP/Vito Lopez alliance of corruption and voter apathy were the two main factors in the 39th.
And Lopez knows it. That is why he really can be quite tolerant of reformers no matter how hard we try to get him indicted, ousted or defeated. He can be tolerant because we are little more than gnats buzzing around him as long as voters don't care. I think WFP finally woke up to that this year and basically cut a deal with Lopez. Why not? Both WFP and Vito Lopez know that violating laws, lying and cheating will, in the end, win you elections in NYC with almost no consequences...and plenty of spoils. Park Slope is now added to Vito's spoils system of running things. And I am sure Biviano will continue to vacuously pretend he invented reform in Brooklyn, but really we have proven ourselves little more effective than his delusions.
Congratulations Vito Lopez. You have become just as effective at turning corruption into political power as any corrupt Republican. Democrats around here have no moral high ground when confronted with the crimes of Republicans because we elect our own sleaze.
Election Results: Crime Pays, Vito Does Park Slope, Progressives Once Again Self Destruct
Election Results from last night's primary. Most of my commentary will come when I have a chance to relax.
Mayor: Nothing to see here. Thompson trounces Avella. We all knew that would be the result.
Public Advocate: News Flash: CRIME DOES PAY! One of the few mild surprises was how well crime pays in NYC. Bill de Blasio, caught red handed violating campaign finance laws and one of the top slush fund culprits, not only makes it to the runoff but actually pushes Mark Green into second place. NYC does love its corrupt politicians! All it takes is a thousand mailings and some pretty ads and the voters (the ones who bother to vote, of course) forget the corruption. Mark Green will have a hard time here. Most of the developer and corporate money will be behind de Blasio because they want a Developer Advocate as Public Advocate, so they will push hard for de Blasio. Meanwhile, Mark Green, development friendly enough, will have to run on the strength of his personality and dedication to the public. Uh oh...Notice that the two who made it to the runoff are the two Atlantic Yards supporters. No coincidence that, I suspect. I endorse Mark Green of course, as the one who is basically pro-public and willing to go up against corruption on Wall Street while de Blasio will make Gotbaum seem good (at least she did nothing...I fear what Bill will do for his corporate cronies!).
Comptroller: Katz falls flatz. I had thought Katz would beat Yassky to the runoff with Liu. Her ads were good and she had even more developer money than Yassky or Liu. But being too obviously a shill for developers didn't do it for Katz. Yassky's weaseling, where he eagerly takes developer money, votes developers 90% of what they want, then presents the remaining 10% of concessions as some big victory to the voters, won over Katz's blatant shilling. Liu should be able to trounce Yassky. Liu is smarter, actually has financial experience (Yassky and Katz don't), is a much better campaigner an organizer, and isn't as blatantly corrupt as Yassky, whose slush fund participation rivals even Bill de Blasio's and included the infamous Steve DiBrienza pay-to-play scandal and an alliance with a Bruce Ratner front group. Now Liu has done his share of slush funding, but nothing as blatantly corrupt as Yassky's pay-to-play schemes. So Liu SHOULD be able to trounce Yassky. But Yassky will have Wall Street behind him (they want a Comptroller who recognizes the investment value of pay-to-play) and possibly most of the developer money. Both Yassky and Liu are developer funded, but Yassky more so. Since crime pays in NYC (see above) Yassky may have the edge. Liu needs better TV spots. The one I saw was boring and Liu is ANYTHING but boring. John Liu needs to connect directly to the public. Yassky needs to hide his basic sleaziness from the public.
Council District 1: Hey, I won one! Margaret Chin wins. I liked Chin on first glance, but never really got a second glance at the race. One thing I liked about Chin was some people were calling her "too liberal" and even, gasp, "socialist." These days I kind of like the idea of "too liberal" and "socialist" winning after so many years of America worshipping corporate corruption. But I have to say, I don't know enough about Margaret to really say if this was the best result.
Council District 3: Tsarina Quinn wins. See! Voters LOVE it when you screw them. Quinn has shown she cares nothing for voters, overturning term limits and making excuses for slush find corruption. And voters re-elect her. No surprise there. Yetta Kurland did well for an insurgent running against an incumbent. Yetta should be proud and should stay in politics. And voters? Well, maybe Quinn is just being hard to get. Keep re-electing her and maybe, just MAYBE, she will care about you.
Council District 4: I hadn't heard anything about this race before. Yesterday was the first time I saw a sign for Ashok Chandra (outside Curry in a Hurry). Guess something was going on here because Ashok won handily. This is one of the few Republican party primaries.
Council District 12: Another case of sleaze who cares nothing about voters wins big. Larry Seabrook won.
Council District 19: Well, although the most progressive candidate lost (Steve Behar...sorry, but not a surprise), the very worst candidates lost this one! Vallone running with Republican and conservative support and family name lost. Nasty Iannece lost. Kevin Kim won. I don't think either Gatemouth or I (both of whom do not want another DINO Vallone and thought Behar best position to block Vallone) saw that coming.
Council District 20: This also surprised me. I didn't follow this race closely, but I had thought Choe would do better. Chou won.
Council District 23: Mark Weprin won. The Vallone name failed, but the Weprin name still carries weight in Weprin's district...even if it meant nothing citywide. I suspect this is a reasonably good result.
Council District 25: Crime Pays Again...but that may be the best in this case. Daniel Dromm wins! I have mixed feelings about this one. I endorsed Daniel Dromm pretty much before anyone else...and I pushed him as one of my top choices. Until it turned out he was one of the six people involved in the WFP campaign finance law violations. I felt I had to back off from Dromm at that point. But I still felt he was a good guy. So crime paid off, but the crime was done by someone who otherwise is good.
Council District 26: Crime Pays Again...getting tedious, isn't it? James Van Bramer won. Seriously folks. This election makes a mockery of our campaign finance laws. The clearest message is you can break the law and still win. Well, Marrion Barry won after being convicted of drug charges, so what's a little election law crime among friends? In this race I am not sure who was the best, criminal conspiracy with WFP aside.
Council District 29: Karen Koslowitz won. The candidate I picked came in last. By the end I expected that. Gargarin didn't pick up many endorsements or support at all, so though he was a good candidate, he had little chance. Koslowitz picked up some good endorsements and seemed to have momentum, so I am not surprised. But I AM surprised that crime did NOT pay in this race. Lynn Schulman, another key figure in the WFP campaign finance scandal lost.
Council District 31: James Sanders wins...of course. Again, screwing voters is not a liability in NYC elections. I expected more of Marq Claxton. He was picking up some good endorsements. But he came in fourth in the race.
Council District 33: WAKE UP PARK SLOPE! VITO LOPEZ HAS CONQUERED YOU. You know, for all that this district loves to say they hate Vito Lopez, they sure seemed willing to vote for Vito Lopez's aide, Steve Levin. Had Levin lost, it would have been a considerable blow to Vito Lopez, particularly after his loss of both Surrogate judge races. Instead, Park Slope gives Vito's reign of corruption new life. This is about the best thing that has happened to Vito in years. Stupid bickering and vote splitting among the reformers combined with voter apathy and this year's Vito Lopez/WFP axis of corruption wound up making this an easy win for Levin. I had expected Jo Anne Simon to pull it off. With the endorsement of all reform clubs AND the NYT (the only race I know of where the NYT didn't endorse the most scandal ridden candidate) should have done it. But the fact that rival reformers spent most of their time attacking Jo Anne rather than Levin helped hand it to Levin. THANK YOU Ken Baer, Ken Diamondstone and Doug Whoever. Vito Lopez now loves you. Oh, and so does Bruce Ratner because now Ratner has a solidly pro-Atlantic Yards City Councilman in Park Slope (despite some slight lip service otherwise from Levin (lying???), the Lopez machine is so pro-Ratner that even Mayor Bloomberg balked at their giveaways to Ratner). That will make things easier for Ratner. And none of Jo Anne's reform rivals even came in third. That was left to conservative Isaac Abraham. Pathetic. I'll have more to say about this race in another post when I get around to it. Until then, this race is actually the biggest news of the day because it really does give the Vito Lopez machine a huge lift. Park Slope Saves the Vito Lopez Machine. THAT is news.
Council District 34: This one is one more example of the ONLY way reformers seem able to beat the Vito Lopez machine these days: when Vito and one of his minions have a falling out, we can back the minion. Vito Lopez has a history of betraying followers who don't toe the line enough. He then runs someone against them. Reformers then are stuck siding with a former machine politician over a current machine politician. And that is when we usually win. Diana Reyna, formerly a Vito Lopez favorite, became too independent. So Vito ran someone against her...and lost. Some reformers, myself included, sided with Reyna. Other reformers went for Gerald Esposito...who came in third. Thankfully, splitting the reform vote didn't hand the race to Vito Lopez the way it did in the 33rd, but the fact remains reformers can ONLY beat Lopez when they side with a former machine politician who has gone independent.
Council District 35: Easy win for Tish James. No surprise. So Bruce Ratner wasn't able to flip this district in his favor the way he helped flip the 33rd district. So now Park Slope, whether they want it or not, is pro-Ratner in the City Council and Prospect Heights is anti-Ratner.
Council District 36: I am shocked at how well Iglesias did. I only met him once and he seemed very earnest, but not very effective. He did still lose, but honestly did pretty well.
Council District 39: So South Slope now has a largely pro-Ratner, anti-Israel politician who like to make deals with homophobic reactionaries. And again, crime pays. Brad Lander, another participant in the WFP campaign finance scandal, won. Again, reform progressives split the vote and lost. But in this case I have to say that the reform progressives, though they split the vote, did not lose it by in-fighting the way they did in the 33rd. The reform progressives were the gentlemen in the race. The conservative (Heyer) and sleazy developer (Lander) candidates were the nasty ones in the end, their campaigns (supposedly without knowledge from the candidates) running virulently anti-gay ads in Boro Park. Heyer handily won the Boro Park competition, but Lander, in the end, didn't need it. So many liberal Park Slope voters seem to have forgiven him his anti-Israel beliefs (strongly held) and his anti-gay flirtations (contrary to his real beliefs but still something he will bargain with when it comes to votes). Had all the reformers united behind one candidate they may still have lost this one it seems. Corruption and sleaze beat out honest progressives in Park Slope even if the progressives aren't forming a circular firing squad as they did in the 33rd.
Council District 40: Another example of how honesty is NOT the best policy in NYC politics. The incumbent is a do nothing liar, but wins easily. Not surprisingly Rock Hackshaw, running on a campaign of pure, raw honesty, lost big. Voters want politicians to tell them sweet, sweet lies. Pity honesty is worth nothing in Brooklyn (and probably NYC as a whole).
Council District 49: One of the few good results. Debi Rose kicked butt. And well she should have. I kept out of this simply because I was overwhelmed with other races. But Debi Rose is one of the good people in NYC politics and North Shore recognizes that! To all those who put down Staten Island, I have to say SI did better in this race than most of the other boroughs did in their key races. Kudos to Staten Island!
Mayor: Nothing to see here. Thompson trounces Avella. We all knew that would be the result.
Public Advocate: News Flash: CRIME DOES PAY! One of the few mild surprises was how well crime pays in NYC. Bill de Blasio, caught red handed violating campaign finance laws and one of the top slush fund culprits, not only makes it to the runoff but actually pushes Mark Green into second place. NYC does love its corrupt politicians! All it takes is a thousand mailings and some pretty ads and the voters (the ones who bother to vote, of course) forget the corruption. Mark Green will have a hard time here. Most of the developer and corporate money will be behind de Blasio because they want a Developer Advocate as Public Advocate, so they will push hard for de Blasio. Meanwhile, Mark Green, development friendly enough, will have to run on the strength of his personality and dedication to the public. Uh oh...Notice that the two who made it to the runoff are the two Atlantic Yards supporters. No coincidence that, I suspect. I endorse Mark Green of course, as the one who is basically pro-public and willing to go up against corruption on Wall Street while de Blasio will make Gotbaum seem good (at least she did nothing...I fear what Bill will do for his corporate cronies!).
Comptroller: Katz falls flatz. I had thought Katz would beat Yassky to the runoff with Liu. Her ads were good and she had even more developer money than Yassky or Liu. But being too obviously a shill for developers didn't do it for Katz. Yassky's weaseling, where he eagerly takes developer money, votes developers 90% of what they want, then presents the remaining 10% of concessions as some big victory to the voters, won over Katz's blatant shilling. Liu should be able to trounce Yassky. Liu is smarter, actually has financial experience (Yassky and Katz don't), is a much better campaigner an organizer, and isn't as blatantly corrupt as Yassky, whose slush fund participation rivals even Bill de Blasio's and included the infamous Steve DiBrienza pay-to-play scandal and an alliance with a Bruce Ratner front group. Now Liu has done his share of slush funding, but nothing as blatantly corrupt as Yassky's pay-to-play schemes. So Liu SHOULD be able to trounce Yassky. But Yassky will have Wall Street behind him (they want a Comptroller who recognizes the investment value of pay-to-play) and possibly most of the developer money. Both Yassky and Liu are developer funded, but Yassky more so. Since crime pays in NYC (see above) Yassky may have the edge. Liu needs better TV spots. The one I saw was boring and Liu is ANYTHING but boring. John Liu needs to connect directly to the public. Yassky needs to hide his basic sleaziness from the public.
Council District 1: Hey, I won one! Margaret Chin wins. I liked Chin on first glance, but never really got a second glance at the race. One thing I liked about Chin was some people were calling her "too liberal" and even, gasp, "socialist." These days I kind of like the idea of "too liberal" and "socialist" winning after so many years of America worshipping corporate corruption. But I have to say, I don't know enough about Margaret to really say if this was the best result.
Council District 3: Tsarina Quinn wins. See! Voters LOVE it when you screw them. Quinn has shown she cares nothing for voters, overturning term limits and making excuses for slush find corruption. And voters re-elect her. No surprise there. Yetta Kurland did well for an insurgent running against an incumbent. Yetta should be proud and should stay in politics. And voters? Well, maybe Quinn is just being hard to get. Keep re-electing her and maybe, just MAYBE, she will care about you.
Council District 4: I hadn't heard anything about this race before. Yesterday was the first time I saw a sign for Ashok Chandra (outside Curry in a Hurry). Guess something was going on here because Ashok won handily. This is one of the few Republican party primaries.
Council District 12: Another case of sleaze who cares nothing about voters wins big. Larry Seabrook won.
Council District 19: Well, although the most progressive candidate lost (Steve Behar...sorry, but not a surprise), the very worst candidates lost this one! Vallone running with Republican and conservative support and family name lost. Nasty Iannece lost. Kevin Kim won. I don't think either Gatemouth or I (both of whom do not want another DINO Vallone and thought Behar best position to block Vallone) saw that coming.
Council District 20: This also surprised me. I didn't follow this race closely, but I had thought Choe would do better. Chou won.
Council District 23: Mark Weprin won. The Vallone name failed, but the Weprin name still carries weight in Weprin's district...even if it meant nothing citywide. I suspect this is a reasonably good result.
Council District 25: Crime Pays Again...but that may be the best in this case. Daniel Dromm wins! I have mixed feelings about this one. I endorsed Daniel Dromm pretty much before anyone else...and I pushed him as one of my top choices. Until it turned out he was one of the six people involved in the WFP campaign finance law violations. I felt I had to back off from Dromm at that point. But I still felt he was a good guy. So crime paid off, but the crime was done by someone who otherwise is good.
Council District 26: Crime Pays Again...getting tedious, isn't it? James Van Bramer won. Seriously folks. This election makes a mockery of our campaign finance laws. The clearest message is you can break the law and still win. Well, Marrion Barry won after being convicted of drug charges, so what's a little election law crime among friends? In this race I am not sure who was the best, criminal conspiracy with WFP aside.
Council District 29: Karen Koslowitz won. The candidate I picked came in last. By the end I expected that. Gargarin didn't pick up many endorsements or support at all, so though he was a good candidate, he had little chance. Koslowitz picked up some good endorsements and seemed to have momentum, so I am not surprised. But I AM surprised that crime did NOT pay in this race. Lynn Schulman, another key figure in the WFP campaign finance scandal lost.
Council District 31: James Sanders wins...of course. Again, screwing voters is not a liability in NYC elections. I expected more of Marq Claxton. He was picking up some good endorsements. But he came in fourth in the race.
Council District 33: WAKE UP PARK SLOPE! VITO LOPEZ HAS CONQUERED YOU. You know, for all that this district loves to say they hate Vito Lopez, they sure seemed willing to vote for Vito Lopez's aide, Steve Levin. Had Levin lost, it would have been a considerable blow to Vito Lopez, particularly after his loss of both Surrogate judge races. Instead, Park Slope gives Vito's reign of corruption new life. This is about the best thing that has happened to Vito in years. Stupid bickering and vote splitting among the reformers combined with voter apathy and this year's Vito Lopez/WFP axis of corruption wound up making this an easy win for Levin. I had expected Jo Anne Simon to pull it off. With the endorsement of all reform clubs AND the NYT (the only race I know of where the NYT didn't endorse the most scandal ridden candidate) should have done it. But the fact that rival reformers spent most of their time attacking Jo Anne rather than Levin helped hand it to Levin. THANK YOU Ken Baer, Ken Diamondstone and Doug Whoever. Vito Lopez now loves you. Oh, and so does Bruce Ratner because now Ratner has a solidly pro-Atlantic Yards City Councilman in Park Slope (despite some slight lip service otherwise from Levin (lying???), the Lopez machine is so pro-Ratner that even Mayor Bloomberg balked at their giveaways to Ratner). That will make things easier for Ratner. And none of Jo Anne's reform rivals even came in third. That was left to conservative Isaac Abraham. Pathetic. I'll have more to say about this race in another post when I get around to it. Until then, this race is actually the biggest news of the day because it really does give the Vito Lopez machine a huge lift. Park Slope Saves the Vito Lopez Machine. THAT is news.
Council District 34: This one is one more example of the ONLY way reformers seem able to beat the Vito Lopez machine these days: when Vito and one of his minions have a falling out, we can back the minion. Vito Lopez has a history of betraying followers who don't toe the line enough. He then runs someone against them. Reformers then are stuck siding with a former machine politician over a current machine politician. And that is when we usually win. Diana Reyna, formerly a Vito Lopez favorite, became too independent. So Vito ran someone against her...and lost. Some reformers, myself included, sided with Reyna. Other reformers went for Gerald Esposito...who came in third. Thankfully, splitting the reform vote didn't hand the race to Vito Lopez the way it did in the 33rd, but the fact remains reformers can ONLY beat Lopez when they side with a former machine politician who has gone independent.
Council District 35: Easy win for Tish James. No surprise. So Bruce Ratner wasn't able to flip this district in his favor the way he helped flip the 33rd district. So now Park Slope, whether they want it or not, is pro-Ratner in the City Council and Prospect Heights is anti-Ratner.
Council District 36: I am shocked at how well Iglesias did. I only met him once and he seemed very earnest, but not very effective. He did still lose, but honestly did pretty well.
Council District 39: So South Slope now has a largely pro-Ratner, anti-Israel politician who like to make deals with homophobic reactionaries. And again, crime pays. Brad Lander, another participant in the WFP campaign finance scandal, won. Again, reform progressives split the vote and lost. But in this case I have to say that the reform progressives, though they split the vote, did not lose it by in-fighting the way they did in the 33rd. The reform progressives were the gentlemen in the race. The conservative (Heyer) and sleazy developer (Lander) candidates were the nasty ones in the end, their campaigns (supposedly without knowledge from the candidates) running virulently anti-gay ads in Boro Park. Heyer handily won the Boro Park competition, but Lander, in the end, didn't need it. So many liberal Park Slope voters seem to have forgiven him his anti-Israel beliefs (strongly held) and his anti-gay flirtations (contrary to his real beliefs but still something he will bargain with when it comes to votes). Had all the reformers united behind one candidate they may still have lost this one it seems. Corruption and sleaze beat out honest progressives in Park Slope even if the progressives aren't forming a circular firing squad as they did in the 33rd.
Council District 40: Another example of how honesty is NOT the best policy in NYC politics. The incumbent is a do nothing liar, but wins easily. Not surprisingly Rock Hackshaw, running on a campaign of pure, raw honesty, lost big. Voters want politicians to tell them sweet, sweet lies. Pity honesty is worth nothing in Brooklyn (and probably NYC as a whole).
Council District 49: One of the few good results. Debi Rose kicked butt. And well she should have. I kept out of this simply because I was overwhelmed with other races. But Debi Rose is one of the good people in NYC politics and North Shore recognizes that! To all those who put down Staten Island, I have to say SI did better in this race than most of the other boroughs did in their key races. Kudos to Staten Island!
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