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Felder: There is going to be a short skit before the hearing
October 16th, 2008

City Councilmember Simcha Felder, chair of the Governmental Operations Committee, was joking, of course, when he said the marathon hearing on term limits today would start with a skit. The hearing, taking place in a City Hall chamber so packed the crowd spilled over into an adjacent room, is proving to be entertaining enough without one.

As he began the hearing, Felder said, “I’m not going to tolerate any clapping, I’m not going to tolerate any booing or whistling or anything, even if you’re doing it in my favor.” He added that if participants “feel the necessity to do something outrageous or get some attention, go outside and do so now, and come back when you feel better.”

But the term limits issue has emotions running high — and it shows.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve,” said Councilmember Charles Barron, beginning his question to the hearing’s first witness, former Gov. Mario Cuomo. Cuomo had stated that term limits “didn’t work,” a claim Barron called “an insult to every one sitting here that came in through term limits.”

With some effort, Felder managed to get the hearing back under control after this exchange, but witnesses and council members are still getting in an occasional jab. Former Mayor Ed Koch, the fourth witness, testified in favor of extending term limits to three terms. Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. began his question for Koch with, “On this issue, I’m undecided.”

Koch, who was mayor when Peter Vallone Sr. served on the council, shot back, “Talk to your father.”

By Linnea Goderstad on October 16, 2008, 5:57 pm
In category: Gotham City, Governing | 1 Comment »

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