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	<title>The Wonkster &#187; Civil Rights</title>
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	<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster</link>
	<description>A blog about the views and spews of editorialists, bloggers and other unsavory opinionated New Yorkers.</description>
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		<title>Williams Criticizes Bloomberg&#039;s Defense of Browne</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/01/27/williams-criticizes-bloombergs-defense-of-browne/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/01/27/williams-criticizes-bloombergs-defense-of-browne/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:52:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jumaane Williams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paul Browne]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10498</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;There is no logical basis for Mayor Bloomberg&#8217;s defense of Deputy Commissioner Browne&#8217;s job performance. Based on the facts, he cannot have been both honest and competent in his handling of &#8220;The Third Jihad&#8221; and its aftermath. He lied to the public on multiple occasions and his actions deepened the divide between the NYPD and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;">&#8220;There is no logical basis for Mayor Bloomberg&#8217;s defense of Deputy Commissioner Browne&#8217;s job performance. Based on the facts, he cannot have been both honest and competent in his handling of &#8220;The Third Jihad&#8221; and its aftermath. He lied to the public on multiple occasions and his actions deepened the divide between the NYPD and the New York City community, which harms our ability to best police and protect our city.</div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;">If this was the first error in judgment Deputy Commissioner Browne had made, it would be excusable. Sadly, it is not, and the public record shows this without dispute. In just the last six months, he has been caught in lies ranging from phantom punches and elbows to fake excuses about pepper spraying at Occupy Wall Street. There is even evidence that suggests that Deputy Commissioner Browne may have lied under oath about his involvement in a 2004 Critical Mass ride. You can have your doubts about whether any one of these incidents has been truly justified, but you cannot look at the entirety of his record and claim that the man in charge of public information hasn&#8217;t been engaged in a campaign of overt misinformation or complete incompetency. This behavior would not be accepted by any other city agency, and it certainly should not be accepted by the NYPD or the city&#8217;s taxpayers that afford him his six-figure salary.</div>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden;">Police accountability seems to be treated as a dirty term, if not a non-starter, for Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Kelly, but the calls from New Yorkers get more intense every day. If they will not recognize the problems festering within the NYPD, then we need an independent oversight committee and/or the intervention of the Justice Department to do it for them. The City Council must also use whatever resources it has at its disposal to get real answers. As chair of the Oversight and Investigations Committee, I am eager to be a part of that effort which is greatly needed and long overdue.&#8221;</div>
<p>Councilman Jumaane Williams is blasting Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his defense of New York Police Department Commissioner Paul Browne&#8217;s job performance following <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/nyregion/police-commissioner-kelly-helped-with-anti-islam-film-and-regrets-it.html">revelations about the Third Jihad anti-Muslim propaganda video</a> screened by the NYPD. Bloomberg described Browne as,  &#8221;honest and as competent as anybody in the business of representing the city and giving out information&#8221;.</p>
<p>Williams strongly disagrees with that assessment. He has called for Browne&#8217;s resignation and issued this statement:</p>
<p>&#8220;There is no logical basis for Mayor Bloomberg&#8217;s defense of Deputy Commissioner Browne&#8217;s job performance. Based on the facts, he cannot have been both honest and competent in his handling of &#8220;The Third Jihad&#8221; and its aftermath. He lied to the public on multiple occasions and his actions deepened the divide between the NYPD and the New York City community, which harms our ability to best police and protect our city.</p>
<p>If this was the first error in judgment Deputy Commissioner Browne had made, it would be excusable. Sadly, it is not, and the public record shows this without dispute. In just the last six months, he has been caught in lies ranging from phantom punches and elbows to fake excuses about pepper spraying at Occupy Wall Street. There is even evidence that suggests that Deputy Commissioner Browne may have lied under oath about his involvement in a 2004 Critical Mass ride. You can have your doubts about whether any one of these incidents has been truly justified, but you cannot look at the entirety of his record and claim that the man in charge of public information hasn&#8217;t been engaged in a campaign of overt misinformation or complete incompetency. This behavior would not be accepted by any other city agency, and it certainly should not be accepted by the NYPD or the city&#8217;s taxpayers that afford him his six-figure salary.<span id="more-10498"></span></p>
<p>Police accountability seems to be treated as a dirty term, if not a non-starter, for Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Kelly, but the calls from New Yorkers get more intense every day. If they will not recognize the problems festering within the NYPD, then we need an independent oversight committee and/or the intervention of the Justice Department to do it for them. The City Council must also use whatever resources it has at its disposal to get real answers. As chair of the Oversight and Investigations Committee, I am eager to be a part of that effort which is greatly needed and long overdue.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>Dicker: Occupy Albany Not &quot;Peace and Love Hippies&quot;</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/31/dicker-occupy-albany-not-peace-and-love-hippies/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/31/dicker-occupy-albany-not-peace-and-love-hippies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:37:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Soares]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fred Dicker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jerry Jennings]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10268</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is a safe bet that most of our audience does not get a chance to catch New York Post editor Fred Dicker fulfill his role as &#8220;Political Analyst&#8221; for Albany&#8217;s WRGB CHannel 6 News. And that is a true shame because Dicker has unleashed a number of entertaining tirades against Occupy Albany protesters. Dicker [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It is a safe bet that most of our audience does not get a chance to catch New York Post editor Fred Dicker fulfill his role as &#8220;Political Analyst&#8221; for Albany&#8217;s WRGB CHannel 6 News. And that is a true shame because Dicker has unleashed a number of entertaining tirades against Occupy Albany protesters. Dicker has mentioned the word anarchy and told viewers that Occupy Wall Street people &#8220;aren&#8217;t peace and love hippies.&#8221; *Gasp* He seems distraught as he mentions that the protesters are actually calling on people to &#8220;be thrown in jail.&#8221;</p>
<p>Dicker initially dismissed Occupy Albany as a bunch of hippies but <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/fred-dickers-evolving-view-of-occupy-albany/">later decided</a> they were being run by skinny people who may have trust funds. *Double gasp!* His opinion still seems to be evolving.</p>
<p>Having worked for an alt-weekly in Albany for five years and covered plenty of peace protests I feel I am an authority on the many varieties of Albany area hippies and have to say that most of the hippies down at the park during the start of the Occupy Albany protest were peace and love hippies and a bunch of politically active college kids.  Many were middle-aged or older, and still regularly attend anti-war rallies. Now after Gov. Andrew Cuomo demanded their arrest and Dicker spent so much time ranting about them I have to admit I have lost track of who they all are because there are a lot more of them &#8212; thanks to Dicker and Cuomo.<br />
<span id="more-10268"></span></p>
<p>Now unlike Fred I wasn&#8217;t actually alive for the first generation for &#8220;peace and love hippies&#8221; but if I have my history right, a large number of authentic &#8220;peace and love&#8221; hippies were protesting against the war, wanted the president and state department officials thrown in jail and were attacked (physically and otherwise as OWS protesters have been) f0r their beliefs. Some of those &#8220;peace and love hippies&#8221; went beyond peace and love and did sit ins, burned draft cards etc&#8230;all to make a point.</p>
<p>I believe if Mr. Dicker checked he would find that a great number of Tea Party protesters also held signs that wanted people thrown in jail just for holding a job&#8230;you know <a href="http://phoenixteaparty.ning.com/profiles/blogs/time-to-arrest-obama">like President Barack Obama</a>. Members of the Tea Party also <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/20/tea-party-protests-nier-f_n_507116.html">hurled racial epithets</a> at members of congress. You obviously can&#8217;t judge a movement by a few members. However, I digress.</p>
<p>I wanted to share with you Dicker&#8217;s (EXTREMELY ENTERTAINING) rants against Occupy Albany, the millionaires tax and <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/soares-on-occupy-albany/">Albany District Attorney David Soares</a>&#8211;the man who has refused to prosecute and peaceful protesters and as a result has been lauded by his supporters at the Working Families Party.</p>
<p>So kick back and watch some of Dicker&#8217;s classic rants.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cbs6albany.com/video/?videoId=1242040802001&amp;lineupId=1143371293&amp;play=now">Dicker vs. Soares</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.cbs6albany.com/video/?videoId=1239019907001&amp;lineupId=1143371293&amp;play=now">Dicker vs. Occupy Albany </a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.cbs6albany.com/video/?videoId=1236173705001&amp;lineupId=1143371293&amp;play=now">Dicker vs. Albany Jerry Jennings</a></p>
<p>Note that anchor Liz Bishop is unsure of whether Dicker has written an article or a column.</p>
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		<title>Closing Public Spaces</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/31/closing-public-spaces/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/31/closing-public-spaces/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:06:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jerome kayden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city zoning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Occupy Wall Street]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zuccotti park]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10250</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(Gotham Gazette parks reporter Anne Schwartz filed this post.)
Last week, Crain&#8217;s   reported that landlords, taking action in response to Occupy Wall Street’s weeks-long occupancy of Zuccotti Park, want the city to revamp its laws covering the city’s privately owned public parks to set hours of operation and prohibit large gatherings. Crain&#8217;s has a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b><i>(Gotham Gazette parks reporter Anne Schwartz filed this post.)</i></b></p>
<p>Last week, Crain&#8217;s <a href="http://mycrains.crainsnewyork.com/blogs/polls/2011/10/should-private-parks-be-allowed-to-set-their-own-hours/">  reported</a> that landlords, taking action in response to Occupy Wall Street’s weeks-long occupancy of Zuccotti Park, want the city to revamp its laws covering the city’s privately owned public parks to set hours of operation and prohibit large gatherings. Crain&#8217;s has a survey asking readers whether they think &#8220;private parks&#8221; should be allowed to set their own hours. As of today, the 201 people who bothered to respond said yes by a margin of almost two to one.</p>
<p>The business paper, however, did not note that these spaces are actually public places that developers were required to create &#8212; and keep open &#8212; in return for the right to build taller buildings under city zoning laws. Having already received the financial benefits of the added floor space, the landlords now  are seeking to restrict some of the public benefit.</p>
<p>A study conducted in 2001 by Jerold Hayden, a Harvard professor of urban planning and design, with the Department of City Planning and the Municipal Art Society, found that 40 percent of these parks &#8220;were and are practically useless, with austere designs, no amenities and little or no direct sunlight. Roughly half of the buildings surveyed had spaces that were illegally closed or otherwise privatized.&#8221; (For Gotham Gazette&#8217;s report on that study, go <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20010205/997/232http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20010205/997/232">here</a>.) </p>
<p>The results still hold today, Kayden wrote in a recent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/20/opinion/zuccotti-park-and-the-private-plaza-problem.html"> New York Times piece</a>.<br />
Kayden said he welcomes the attention the protesters have called to the city&#8217;s privately owned public spaces, but calls for a much broader discussion on how they can contribute meaningfully to city life. &#8220;They need a champion, an independent steward or curator who actively promotes their use, not only by assuring that spaces are provided as legally promised but also by encouraging improvements, activities and public educational opportunities,&#8221; Kayden said.</p>
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		<title>Tent Pressure</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/25/tent-pressure/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/25/tent-pressure/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:17:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parks]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10230</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is getting cold out there and the protesters at Occupy Wall Street are starting to notice. So, Bill Lipton of the Working Families Party sent out an e-mail to supporters this morning asking them to put pressure on Mayor Michael Bloomberg to allow tents  in Zuccotti Park.
&#8220;It was only two weeks ago when cleaning [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It is getting cold out there and the protesters at Occupy Wall Street are starting to notice. So, Bill Lipton of the Working Families Party sent out an e-mail to supporters this morning asking them to put pressure on Mayor Michael Bloomberg to allow tents  in Zuccotti Park.</p>
<p>&#8220;It was only two weeks ago when cleaning crews threatened to remove the  protesters from the park. We stood together, made phone calls, picked up  brooms and mops, and turned out by the thousands before dawn on a  Friday morning,&#8221; writes Lipton.  &#8220;And we won. We can do it again, if we stand together. If you can&#8217;t come  down to the park to help pitch a tent, pitch in by signing our emergency  petition to Mayor Bloomberg. Tell Mayor Bloomberg to protect free speech and allow the protesters at Zuccotti park to build tents.&#8221;</p>
<p>Here is the full appeal</p>
<p>Dear friend,</p>
<p>As winter approaches, tarps and sleeping bags won&#8217;t be enough.</p>
<p>Help make sure cold weather doesn&#8217;t end the Occupy Wall Street protest.</p>
<p>It got pretty chilly this weekend. Next week will surely be cooler.</p>
<p>The protest – which has focused the eyes of the world on corporate greed and economic inequality – is free speech in action. But without shelter, the protesters occupying Wall Street down at Zuccotti Park could be frozen out and forced to an early end.</p>
<p>Occupy protests from Boston to Philadelphia to Seattle have been allowed to put up tents to provide shelter and warmth. But down at Wall Street, tents are against the rules. Even the protest&#8217;s medical tent was nearly removed before the activists&#8217; impassioned defense saved it.</p>
<p>Tell Mayor Bloomberg: Let the protesters stay &#8212; let them set up tents.</p>
<p>After you sign, please forward this email or share on Facebook to spread the message far and wide. The world is watching.</p>
<p>The protest movement that has sprung up over the past month is giving voice to millions of Americans who feel left out or left behind. It&#8217;s focusing the political debate across the nation on the corporate greed and economic inequality we so desperately need to address.</p>
<p>The coming winter isn&#8217;t the only threat the protest is facing. New York&#8217;s real estate and developer lobbyists are pushing hard for new rules that would allow them to shut down Zuccotti Park every night and impose a curfew.</p>
<p>Mayor Bloomberg doesn&#8217;t have to love the Occupy Wall Street movement&#8217;s message. But he has a duty to protect and uphold the First Amendment rights of the protesters to peacefully assemble and make their voices heard.</p>
<p>The heart and soul of the First Amendment is protecting protest movements like Occupy Wall Street – not assuring unlimited corporate spending on elections.</p>
<p>It was only two weeks ago when cleaning crews threatened to remove the protesters from the park. We stood together, made phone calls, picked up brooms and mops, and turned out by the thousands before dawn on a Friday morning.</p>
<p>And we won. We can do it again, if we stand together. If you can&#8217;t come down to the park to help pitch a tent, pitch in by signing our emergency petition to Mayor Bloomberg.</p>
<p>Tell Mayor Bloomberg to protect free speech and allow the protesters at Zuccotti park to build tents:</p>
<p>http://action.workingfamiliesparty.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4853</p>
<p>Thanks for spreading the word,</p>
<p>Bill Lipton<br />
Deputy Director, WFP</p>
<p>PS. For information on how to donate donate winter coats, sleeping bags, or other supplies, reply to this email.</p>
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		<title>Fred Dicker&#039;s Evolving View of Occupy Albany</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/fred-dickers-evolving-view-of-occupy-albany/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/fred-dickers-evolving-view-of-occupy-albany/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:46:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fred Dicker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NY Post]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Occupy Albany]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10226</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In his column this morning NY Post&#8217;s Fred Dicker described Occupy Albany protesters as &#8220;200 mainly young, hippie-like demonstrators,&#8221; but only hours later his view of the group seems to have changed. Dicker, who has acted as a one-man cheer leading squad for Gov. Andrew Cuomo now seems to view the people who are running [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In his <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/is-cuomo-overreacting-to-occupy-albany/">column this morning</a> NY Post&#8217;s Fred Dicker described Occupy Albany protesters as &#8220;200 mainly young, hippie-like demonstrators,&#8221; but only hours later his view of the group seems to have changed. Dicker, who has acted as a <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20110308/204/3482">one-man cheer leading squad</a> for Gov. Andrew Cuomo now seems to view the people who are running the group as wealthy &#8220;trust-fund baby type people&#8221; who are &#8220;slender&#8221; and &#8220;well-dressed.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Albany County District Attorney seems less concerned about the protesters and what they look like&#8211;he has informed law enforcement officials that he <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/soares-on-occupy-albany/">does not plan to prosecute any peaceful protesters</a> &#8211;despite Gov. Andrew Cuomo&#8217;s push to have them arrested for violating a city curfew.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Occupy Albany seems to be <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/occupy-albany-set-to-expand/">emboldened</a> and <a href="http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/84676/is-occupy-albany-about-cuomo-is-it-now/">driven</a> now that Cuomo has taken notice of them and is annoyed by their presence.  A rally involving groups that support the millionaires tax is <a href="http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/84676/is-occupy-albany-about-cuomo-is-it-now/">planned for Thursday</a>.</p>
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		<title>Occupy Albany Set to Expand</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/occupy-albany-set-to-expand/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/occupy-albany-set-to-expand/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:17:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Occupy Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Occupy Wall Street]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10224</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If nothing else reports about Gov. Andrew Cuomo&#8217;s desire to crackdown on Occupy Albany seem to have inspired protesters. Word out of the Occupy Albany camp is that the group expects their ranks to grow significantly with support from across the state now that it is clear that they have the governor&#8217;s attention. Furthermore, the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If nothing else <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/is-cuomo-overreacting-to-occupy-albany/">reports</a> about Gov. Andrew Cuomo&#8217;s <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/is-cuomo-overreacting-to-occupy-albany/">desire to crackdown on Occupy Albany</a> seem to have inspired protesters. Word out of the Occupy Albany camp is that the group expects their ranks to grow significantly with support from across the state now that it is clear that they have the governor&#8217;s attention. Furthermore, the group is prepared to &#8220;mobilize&#8221; in the event of any crackdown. Some Democratic legislators are licking their chops over the prospect of having protesters in their front lawn when the legislature reconvenes next year. Not sure what protesters are going to do about the cold&#8211;its getting chilly in Albany.</p>
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		<title>Soares on Occupy Albany</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/soares-on-occupy-albany/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/soares-on-occupy-albany/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:11:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Soares]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jerry Jennings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Occupy Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Occupy Wall Street]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10219</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;For some people who aren’t familiar with Albany this may seem like some big event,&#8221; said Albany County District Attorney David Soares referring to &#8220;Occupy Albany.&#8221;
&#8220;For me, driving by the Capitol and seeing the protests&#8211;this is just a Monday&#8211; you have protests here all the time. We have people exercising their first amendment rights peacefully. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&#8220;For some people who aren’t familiar with Albany this may seem like some big event,&#8221; said Albany County District Attorney David Soares referring to &#8220;Occupy Albany.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;For me, driving by the Capitol and seeing the protests&#8211;this is just a Monday&#8211; you have protests here all the time. We have people exercising their first amendment rights peacefully. It has been our position not to prosecute them if they are arrested and this time we put it out there that this was our position beforehand,&#8221; Soares said responding to <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/10/24/is-cuomo-overreacting-to-occupy-albany/">reports</a> that his reluctance to prosecute Occupy Albany Protesters stopped the Albany Police Department from bending to pressure from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings to arrest protesters for violating a curfew.</p>
<p>&#8220;Sure there are some people that come from out of town who want to break things or attack law enforcement as acts of civil disobedience, to get on television but these are not those people,&#8221; said Soares.</p>
<p>&#8220;The backdrop to this is that on Friday we had three kids shot and you are going to try and tell Chief Krokoff to take his officers off those cases to arrest people who are playing the guitar and eating cider donuts?&#8221;</p>
<p>Two fifteen-year-olds and a twenty year old <a href="http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Three-shot-in-Albany-s-West-Hill-2231165.php">were shot</a> in Albany&#8217;s West Hill neighborhood on Friday. Soares says that Albany County does not have the resources to arrest and prosecute people involved in peaceful protest.</p>
<p>Soares says he has had &#8220;open lines of communications&#8221; with the protest organizers and the police department since before the protests started. He says he has checked in with them about concerns he had about providing proper provisions for the children and elderly present at the protest and that he and the APD continue to monitor the situation. But he says he has not hasn&#8217;t been pressured by any official to make arrests.</p>
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		<title>Questioning Police Power</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/30/questioning-police-power/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/30/questioning-police-power/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:52:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10181</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Following a meeting with leaders of city civil rights groups and other organizations, City Councilmember Jumaane Williams and Kirsten John Foy, an aide to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, are still awaiting a public apology for their detention and handcuffing by police following the West Indian Day Parade earlier this month.
And Mayor Michael Bloomberg has [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Following a meeting with leaders of city civil rights groups and other organizations, City Councilmember Jumaane Williams and Kirsten John Foy, an aide to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, are still awaiting a public apology for their <a href=" http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/09/05/2011-09-05_councilman_jumaane_williams_arrested_after_altercation_with_nypd_at_west_indian_.html">detention and handcuffing</a> by police following the West Indian Day Parade earlier this month.</p>
<p>And Mayor Michael Bloomberg has apparently not responded to their proposal that he and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly meet with Williams, Foy and young black and Latino New Yorkers that have been affected by what Williams, Foy and may others see as <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/06/jumaane-williams-and-the-police/">unfair and discriminatory police tactics</a>. Instead Bloomberg, calling the police action a &#8220;misunderstanding,&#8221; had <a href=" http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/councilman-williams-passes-on-bloombergs-beer-summit">suggested</a> he and Williams sit down over a beer &#8220;and work it out.&#8221;</p>
<p>Williams and Foy have repeatedly said their arrest highlights the effects of police policies &#8212; most notably stops and frisks &#8212; widely used against young black and Latino men in the city. In their statement issued last night, the two said they plan to hold town-hall style meetings in all five boroughs where others stopped by police can tell their stories. And they want the city Department of Education to &#8220;mandate &#8216;Know Your Rights&#8217; training in middle and high schools.&#8221;</p>
<p>The statement comes as police are under scrutiny for other alleged abuses of power &#8212; police <a href=" http://www.lawofficer.com/article/news/ap-nypd-developed-detailed-mus">surveillance of Muslim New Yorkers</a>, unwarranted <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/26/a-change-on-marijuana-arrests/">marijuana arrests</a>, and the <a href=" http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-09-24/news/30219815_1_pepper-spray-protesters-unarmed-man">pepper spraying</a> of Wall Street demonstrators last weekend. Police have reportedly begun probing the latter <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204138204576599223685769818.html?mod=googlenews_wsj"> incident</a>, which has been viewed by hundreds of thousands, if not millions on YouTube.</p>
<p>All of these occurrences come after years that saw a massive expansion of police powers in the city, as Jim Dwyer <a href=" http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/nyregion/a-harsh-view-of-police-power-in-pepper-spray-episode.html">writes</a> in today&#8217;s Times. The department, Dwyer says, &#8220;has done so in a bubble of isolation from ordinary democratic processes. It exists in a world apart. &#8221;</p>
<p>In their statement, Williams and Foy expressed hope this might be change. &#8220;We are all excited that our communities are focused and working together,&#8221; they said. &#8220;This is a fight for civil rights, and we are hopeful that civil rights will ultimately prevail.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>A Change on Marijuana Arrests</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/26/a-change-on-marijuana-arrests/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/26/a-change-on-marijuana-arrests/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:37:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decriminalization of marijuana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hakeem jeffires]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jumaane Williams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marjuana arrests]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Melissa Mark-Viverito]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city police]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[possession of marijuana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ray kelly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[young men's initiative]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10158</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With little fanfare, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has issued an &#8220;operation order&#8221; that could dramatically reduce the number of marijuana arrests in the city. The order, which appears on WNYC&#8217;s web site, says people can be charged with criminal possession of marijuana if they display the drug of their own volition.
Going black at least to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With little fanfare, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has issued an &#8220;operation order&#8221; that could dramatically reduce the number of marijuana arrests in the city. The order, which appears on <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2011/sep/23/police-commissioner-calls-nypd-stop-improper-marijuana-arrests/">WNYC&#8217;s web site</a>, says people can be charged with criminal possession of marijuana if they display the drug of their own volition.</p>
<p>Going black at least to 2005, many thousands of New Yorkers have been arrested for criminal possession of marijuana only after the drug was found during a police search. Under the law, people cannot be arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana &#8212; less than 25 grams &#8212; unless they publicly display it. Possession of such small quantities is punishable buy a fine – of no more than $100. By all accounts, many people – particularly young black and Latino men –- publicly displayed a joint or two only after police asked them to empty their pockets or otherwise searched them. They then found themselves arrested, with a criminal record, and facing punishment or <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/health/20110329/9/3500">a rehab program</a> they may not need.</p>
<p>This order would seem to end, or at least curtail, that. &#8220;A crime will not be charged to an individual who is requested or compelled to engage in the behavior that results in the public display of marijuana,&#8221; the order states.</p>
<p>Although the order is written almost as a clarification, the widespread marijuana arrests have almost certainly been a matter of city policy under Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his police commissioner, Ray Kelly.<br />
<span id="more-10158"></span></p>
<p>According to an <a href='' http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2011/02/2010-nyc-marijuana-arrest-numbers-released-50383-new-yorkers-arrested-possessing-small-">analysis of city figures</a> by the Drug Policy Alliance, the police department arrested 50,383 people for low-level marijuana offense in 2010 – or 140 a day. This represented a 69 percent increase from 2005.</p>
<p>&#8220;Bloomberg&#8217;s police have arrested more people for marijuana than Mayors Koch, Dinkins, and Giuliani combined,&#8221; Harry Levine, an expert on marijuana arrests who teaches at Queens College, said at the time.</p>
<p>Even though most studies show that whites are more likely to use marijuana than blacks or Latinos, blacks and Latino in poor neighborhood reportedly accounted for 85 percent of marijuana arrests in the city.</p>
<p>In 2008, in a rare statement on the policy, police department spokesman Paul Browne disputed the figures and defended the arrests. &#8220;The attention to marijuana and lower level crime in general has helped drive crime down,&#8221; he <a href=" http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/a-little-stop-and-frisk-may-turn-up-a-little-pot/#more-2698">told</a> the Times. (The police department <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/civilrights/20080606/3/2550">refused</a> at around the same time to provide further details to Gotham Gazette&#8217;s Andy Humm.)</p>
<p>Criticism of the city policy has increased recently, with many charging it wastes million of money and criminalizes tens of thousands of young people for behavior that Mayor Michael Bloomberg himself has <a href=" http://www.infoimagination.org/ps/drug_war/articles/honest_politician.html">said</a> he indulged in &#8212; and enjoyed. </p>
<p>A <a href=" http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&#038;bn=A07620&#038;term=2011&#038;Summary=Y&#038;Actions=Y&#038;Votes=Y">bill</a> has been introduced in the state legislature to decriminalize the display of small amount of marijuana, and City Council members have introduced a resolution in support of that. </p>
<p>When the mayor announced his <a href=" http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.c0935b9a57bb4ef3daf2f1c701c789a0/index.jsp?pageID=mayor_press_release&#038;catID=1194&#038;doc_name=http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2011b/pr282-11.html&#038;cc=unused1978&#038;rc=1194&#038;ndi=1">Young Men&#8217;s Initiative</a> this summer, many critics noted the actions of his police department seemed at sharp variance with any efforts to help young black and Latino males. &#8220;Mayor Bloomberg declared his support for young black and Latino men to the tune of $30 million, but how supportive is he when he spends $75 million to arrest them under this policy?&#8221; City Councilmember Jumaane Williams said in a <a href=" http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2011/08/city-council-members-community-groups-call-end-nycs-racially-biased-costly-marijuana-ar">statement</a> last month.</p>
<p>This is the second policy change that could be attributed to the initiative. Last month, Bloomberg issued an executive order that bars city agencies from asking job seekers in their initial application or interview whether they have an arrest record. (For more on that, read <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/comm/20110926/212/3610">City Shuts the Box to Open Job Opportunities</a>.)</p>
<p>On Friday, Williams issued a statement in support of Kelly&#8217;s order. &#8220;Commissioner Kelly deserves praise and appreciation for directing NYPD officers to enforce the laws on the books regarding marijuana possession,&#8221; it said in part &#8220;It took leadership to break this disturbing trend of illegal arrests, and I am grateful that he has stepped up to show it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Tomorrow, Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries, a sponsor of the state bill, along with Williams, City Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito and advocates plan to gather at One Police Plaza at 1:30 pm. to celebrate Kelly&#8217;s and push for changes in the law.</p>
<p>The mayor still has not addressed the overall issue of police stop and frisks.  In the first six months of this year, police conducted 362,150 stops, a 13.5 percent jump from the same period in 2010, according to <a href=" http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2011/aug/31/stop-and-frisks-reach-highest-six-month-total/">numbers</a> released in August. Ninety percent of those stopped were not charged with a crime or even issued a ticket; 84 percent were black or Latino.</p>
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		<title>Duane Praises Cuomo</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/26/duane-praises-cuomo/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/26/duane-praises-cuomo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:26:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas Duane]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tom Duane]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10151</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sen. Thomas Duane is congratulating Gov. Andrew Cuomo for signing a piece of legislation that will require the New York State Office of Aging to survey the needs of traditionally underserved elderly populations&#8211;including those in the lesbian, bay, bisexual and transgender communities.
The law also allows the director of office to make grants for purposes of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sen. Thomas Duane is congratulating Gov. Andrew Cuomo for signing a piece of legislation that will require the New York State Office of Aging to survey the needs of traditionally underserved elderly populations&#8211;including those in the lesbian, bay, bisexual and transgender communities.</p>
<p>The law also allows the director of office to make grants for purposes of training and education to organizations that provide services to the elderly lesbian and gay community. Duane sponsored <a href="http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/a880-2011">the legislation</a> in the Senate and Assemblymember Michah Kellner sponsored the legislation in the Assembly.</p>
<p><span id="more-10151"></span></p>
<p>“Gov. Cuomo has once again shown his commitment to ensuring that all New Yorkers have equal rights and protections under the law,” said Duane in a statement.  “This legislation is groundbreaking. For the first time, New York will recognize the unique needs of the ever growing segment of aging LGBT New Yorkers &#8212; and the services they may require in the years to come.  Over the past decade, this State has gone from all but ignoring the LGBT community to enacting comprehensive LGBT hate crimes protections, providing a Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act, protecting our students with strong anti-gay bullying protections in the Dignity For All Students Act, insuring our right to marry the ones we love with a Marriage Equality law, and now today taking major steps to assist elderly LGBT New Yorkers.  I am proud at how far we have come in such a short amount of time.”</p>
<p>“Despite being a rapidly growing segment of New York’s population, LGBT seniors do not receive the services they need,” said Assembly Member Micah Kellner. “This community often lacks the support networks that are more commonly available to non-LGBT seniors and will sometimes be reluctant to access needed health and social services because of fear of discrimination. This bill will correct these inadequacies and ensure that current and future generations of LGBT seniors receive the care and respect that they deserve. By signing this bill, Governor Cuomo has once again illustrated his commitment to give all New Yorkers a level playing field.”</p>
<p>The release from Duane&#8217;s office notes that, &#8220;the new law requires the NYSOFA, in its annual report to the Governor and the Legislature, to include recommendations for expanding or replicating service programs already in place and applying them to traditionally underserved populations which include but are not limited to those defined by actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, sex, marital status, disability, familial status and language. The report must also articulate the specific, targeted needs of these traditionally undeserved populations &#8212; focusing on successful programs as well as addressing particular problems that need correction.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>Beer with Bloomberg</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/08/beer-with-bloomberg/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/08/beer-with-bloomberg/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:52:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beer summit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[daniel dromm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jumaane Williams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kirsten john  foy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lew fidler]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city police department]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ray kelly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stop and frisk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[west indian day parade]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10063</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Maybe Mayor Michael Bloomberg should not try folksy. His offer to sit down over a brew or two with the City Council member and political aide detained by police on Monday seems to have generated as much enthusiasm as a flat, warm mug of Keystone &#8212; or as President Barack Obama&#8217;s often ridiculed beer summit [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Maybe Mayor Michael Bloomberg should not try folksy. His offer to sit down over a brew or two with the City Council member and political aide <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/09/05/2011-09-05_councilman_jumaane_williams_arrested_after_altercation_with_nypd_at_west_indian_.html">detained</a> by police on Monday seems to have generated as much enthusiasm as a flat, warm mug of Keystone &#8212; or as President Barack Obama&#8217;s often ridiculed <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/30/beer-summit-begins-obama-_n_248254.html">beer summit</a> with Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and a Cambridge, Mass., police officer</p>
<p>On Wednesday, Bloomberg described the police stopping and handcuffing of the councilmember, <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/city/district/45">Juamaane Williams</a>, and Kirsten  John Foy, an aide to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, as probably &#8220;just a misunderstanding.&#8221; And he <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/09/07/2011-09-07_mayor_bloomberg_suggests_nypd_councilman_jumaane_williams_can_smooth_over_arrest.html#ixzz1XOW06KS0">told</a> reporters, &#8220;Hopefully every once in a while if there&#8217;s a misunderstanding, you have a beer together and work it out.&#8221;</p>
<p>Williams apparently does not drink beer. But the council member and Foy have more substantive problems with the mayor&#8217;s invite. While saying they appreciated the gesture, &#8220;this is bigger than the three of us over a beer,&#8221; the two men said in a statement. Instead they suggested a meeting with Bloomberg and police commissioner Ray Kelly &#8220;where young African American and Latino New Yorkers can talk openly and directly about their experiences with stop and frisk and other police interactions.&#8221;</p>
<p>Reactions from other City Council members after the jump.<br />
<span id="more-10063"></span></p>
<p>Since the incident following the West Indian Day Parade, Williams and Foy, both of whom are black, as well as a number of other elected officials have said the incident <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/06/jumaane-williams-and-the-police/">reflected discriminatory police policies</a> toward black and Latino young men, notably frequent stop and frisks.</p>
<p>Before the City Council meeting today, Williams said Bloomberg had not responded to his offer. At the meeting, a number of Williams&#8217; colleagues stood up to declare support for him and Foy and to question police procedures. Some even took issue with the idea of a beer.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m particularly offended by the mayor&#8217;s words that this could be settled over a beer,&#8221; said Councilmember <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/city/district/25">Daniel Dromm</a> of Queens. &#8220;This is not something to have a beer over. We need a policy change in the police department.&#8221;</p>
<p>Calling the police conduct &#8220;disgusting,&#8221; Councilmember <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/city/district/46">Lew Fidler</a> (who it should be noted is white as well as older and heavier than either Williams or Foy) said, &#8220;If Jumaane Williams had the misfortune of looking like me &#8230; he would not have ended up on the ground being handcuffed.&#8221; He added that the mayor and Kelly needed to stick to their promise to investigate the incident and said the officers involved should face disciplinary measures.</p>
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		<title>Jumaane Williams and the Police</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/06/jumaane-williams-and-the-police/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/09/06/jumaane-williams-and-the-police/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:38:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chirstine quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[civil liberties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Liu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jumaane Williams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[letitita james]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city police department]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ray kelly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stop and frisk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[west indian day parade]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[yvette clarke]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10043</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Anger and dismay over the police handcuffing of a City Council member and a top political aide following yesterday&#8217;s West Indian Day parade in Brooklyn today morphed into a call for changes in police stop and frisk polices and other procedures that target young black and Latino men.
At a crowded press conference on the City [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Anger and dismay over the police <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/09/05/2011-09-05_councilman_jumaane_williams_arrested_after_altercation_with_nypd_at_west_indian_.html">handcuffing</a> of a City Council member and a top political aide following yesterday&#8217;s West Indian Day parade in Brooklyn today morphed into a call for changes in police stop and frisk polices and other procedures that target young black and Latino men.</p>
<p>At a crowded press conference on the City Hall steps the council member, <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/city/district/45">Jumaane Williams</a> of East Flatbush, and the aide to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Kristen John Foy, described their being stopped, handcuffed and briefly taken into custody as they tried to go to the Brooklyn museum yesterday afternoon.</p>
<p>By all accounts, the two men were attempting to enter a restricted – or frozen zone – after the parade. Both had identification and Williams was wearing a lapel pin indicating his membership on the City Council. They reached two checkpoints and the officers at them &#8212; probably senior, given that they were wearing white shirts –- allowed them to go through. But, Williams said, police stopped them at a third checkpoint, despite their credential.</p>
<p>&#8220;I was actually handcuffed while on then phone with the chief of police telling him what was going on,&#8221; Williams recounted. </p>
<p>Both were taken across the street to a synagogue where they were held for about 30 minutes until police established their identities and let them go. Neither man was charged with any wrongdoing.</p>
<p>Police have maintained that during the incident, someone punched a police officer, an account Williams vehemently disputed.</p>
<p>&#8220;I defy the NYPD to find one shred of evidence of any police officer being punched in the face,&#8221; he said, adding that report was &#8220;a bald-faced lie.&#8221;</p>
<p>While not criticizing overall police policies, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn echoed Williams on his conduct. &#8220;There is nothing, nothing, to indicate the Council member or Mr. Foy did anything wrong, &#8221; she said.</p>
<p>Foy said he was shoved down and cuffed because &#8220;in retreat, they [police] decided I wasn&#8217;t moving fast enough, in retreat, I wasn&#8217;t complying enough.&#8221; The reports of the punch, Foy said, showed the police &#8220;making up a story to cover themselves.&#8221;</p>
<p>The police department has said it is investigating the incident, and, according to Williams, Mayor Michael Bloomberg apologized for it.</p>
<p>Putting this incident in a larger context &#8212; after the jump<br />
<span id="more-10043"></span></p>
<p>During the press conference, an impressive array of city politicians, ministers and rabbis crowed at the top of the steps in an effort to stay dry. They condemned the arrests and praised Williams and Foy for their restrained reaction to what could easily be seen as police provocation. Few left any doubt that they believed Williams and Foy would not have been stopped and detained if they had been white,</p>
<p>&#8220;If I did not look the way I do &#8212; young, block, with locks and an earring,&#8221; Williams said, he has not doubt this would not have happened. Recently, Williams added, he was stopped by police while driving a new vehicle with temporary tags in South Brooklyn by an officer &#8220;who wanted to make sure it was my car.&#8221;</p>
<p>And most put it in the larger context of the stop and frisk and marijuana arrests that overwhelmingly affect black and Latino men. And, that Foy said, &#8220;terrorize our communities.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I commend the police commissioner [Ray Kelly] for his leadership on many issues. He has kept us safe,&#8221; Foy said, but he added, &#8220;That leadership has not trickled down to the ranks and file leadership.&#8221;</p>
<p>While saying Kelly had done a good job in many areas, Williams said, &#8220;He&#8217;s been horrendous when it come to stop and frisk. He&#8217;s been horrendous when it comes to these black and Latino issues.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Each and every day, we&#8217;re hearing more and more about the violation of civil liberties in this town,&#8221; said U.S. Rep <a href=" http://clarke.house.gov/">Yvette Clarke</a> of Brooklyn. &#8220;We are quickly moving to an apartheid situation in the City of New York.&#8221;</p>
<p>Many speakers at the conference called for a change in the stop and frisk policies. &#8220;The has to create change in the police procedures in the City of New York,&#8221; said City Comptroller <a href=" http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/">John  Liu</a>, &#8220;including a relaxation of stop and frisk policy.&#8221;</p>
<p>In the first six months of this year, police conducted 362,150 stops, a 13.5 percent jump from the same period in 2010, according to <a href=" http://www.wnyc.org/blogs/wnyc-news-blog/2011/aug/31/stop-and-frisks-reach-highest-six-month-total/">statistics released last month</a>. Ninety percent of those stopped were not charged with a crime or even issued a ticket; 84 percent were black or Latino.</p>
<p>Last month a federal judge <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/AP4df248f7ac484b829bbb7a363aba5a30.html"> refused to dismiss</a> a lawsuit alleging that, among other things, the stop and frisk policy discriminates against blacks and Latinos.</p>
<p>The arrest of Williams and Foy occurred on a Labor Day weekend when some 48 people <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/09/05/2011-09-05_nine_people_shot_in_12_hours_in_brooklyn_on_the_heels_of_shocking_24hour_weekend.html"><br />
were shot</a> in the city. Many speakers linked the rising violence and the police stops together.</p>
<p>Discussing the spate of gun violence – some of it in her district, City Councilmember <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/city/district/35">Letitia James</a> said, &#8220;There is a crisis in the city of New York that needs to be addressed but not at the expense of our civil rights.&#8221; </p>
<p>De Blasio and others said the stopping of black and Latino men who have not committed crimes hampers efforts to end crime. &#8220;We can&#8217;t stop violence, if there is animosity between police and the community,&#8221; he said.</p>
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		<title>Quinn and ICE</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/17/quinn-and-ice/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/17/quinn-and-ice/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:12:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Demographics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigrants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work and Labor]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9989</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Council Speaker Christine Quinn introduced legislation today that would prohibit New York City&#8217;s department of corrections from subsidizing the work of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Make the Road New York issued this statement supporting the move:
&#8220;The announcement by Speaker Quinn and Council Members Mark-Viverito and Daniel Dromm that the New York City Council will [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Council Speaker Christine Quinn introduced legislation today that would prohibit New York City&#8217;s department of corrections from subsidizing the work of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Make the Road New York issued this statement supporting the move:</p>
<p>&#8220;The announcement by Speaker Quinn and Council Members Mark-Viverito and Daniel Dromm that the New York City Council will prohibit New York City&#8217;s Department of Corrections from subsidizing and supporting the deportation of thousands of non-criminal New Yorkers each year is fantastic news.</p>
<p>Every day New York City benefits from the energy, initiative and hard-work of immigrants. In a city where forty percent of all New Yorkers are immigrants, and for the City to do its job, New York City government must not burn bridges to immigrant communities. Today, New York City is taking a clear stand that it refuses to be in the business of tearing apart of immigrant families and subsidizing the deportation of non-criminal New Yorkers.&#8221;</p>
<p>Quinn&#8217;s legislation follows Gov. Andrew Cuomo&#8217;s decision to <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/albany/20110523/204/3531">pull out of the federal Secure Communities Program</a> and the US government&#8217;s insistence that New York legally must take part in the program. <span id="more-9989"></span></p>
<p>Make the Road New York released statements of support for Quinn&#8217;s legislation from a number of Democratic legislators:</p>
<p>&#8220;Speaker Quinn&#8217;s proposal will ensure that the focus is where it should be: On those the Obama administration has said it would focus on in Immigration Enforcement.&#8221; state Senator Jose R. Peralta. &#8220;I applaud Speaker Quinn and urge her City Council colleagues to pass this bill.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I applaud Speaker Quinn for her leadership on making the city of New York a safer city for immigrants who call it home. We cannot continue to have immigration officials in Riker&#8217;s and in our jails working with local law enforcement to identify and deport any and all immigrants detained there &#8212; even those who are found innocent of any crime. I applaud this effort to ensure that immigrant New Yorkers feel they are safe and that cooperating with local police is in everyone&#8217;s best interest to ensure the safety of our communities,&#8221; said State Senator Gustavo Rivera.</p>
<p>&#8220;I am happy that Speaker Quinn is taking action on this important issue &#8212; saving the City up to $50 million a year while also protecting immigrants with no prior criminal record from unfair, lengthy detention periods. This proposal is tough on crime too, making sure that cooperation does take place in other cases.&#8221; said Assemblyman Francisco Moya. &#8220;Those who are innocent will be treated fairly regardless of their immigration status, but this proposal also allows for the necessary cooperation between law enforcement agencies.&#8221;</p>
<p>Assemblywoman Grace Meng stated, &#8220;I commend Council Speaker Christine Quinn&#8217;s bill to create a detainer discretion policy. Speaker Quinn&#8217;s actions are a strong and confident indication that our great city will not stand for collaborations between agencies that target immigrant communities. In my district, one of the largest and most common issues that we have seen are families who are torn apart by immigration issues. I am fully committed to continuing to work with my colleagues in government to promote policies that actually make our communities more secure, not waste government resources in deporting immigrants. I also want to thank Make the Road NY for all its hard working in leading this campaign to withdraw ICE from Riker&#8217;s Island.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I applaud Make the Road for its dedication and tenacity in addressing this matter and congratulate them on achieving this important step in ensuring that New York residents are treated justly and fairly regardless of immigration status. I stand firmly with Make the Road and support their worthwhile mission,&#8221; said Assemblyman Matthew Titone.</p>
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		<title>Bloomberg and the Achievement Gap</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/04/bloomberg-and-the-achievement-gap/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/08/04/bloomberg-and-the-achievement-gap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:34:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Demographics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9939</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg&#8217;s announcement earlier today of a major initiative to help young black and Latino men today, includes a big focus on education. Few would debate the wisdom of that.
Bloomberg has long patted himself on the back for narrowing the gap in academic achievement between the city&#8217;s white and Asian students on one hand [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Mayor Michael Bloomberg&#8217;s <a href=" http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2011b/pr283-11.html">announcement earlier today</a> of a major initiative to help young black and Latino men today, includes a big focus on education. Few would debate the wisdom of that.</p>
<p>Bloomberg has long patted himself on the back for narrowing the gap in academic achievement between the city&#8217;s white and Asian students on one hand and blacks and Latinos on the other. Today Chancellor Dennis Walcott <a href=" http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2011b/pr282-11.html">sounded the theme</a>. “We’ve come a long way in improving achievement for black and Latino young men, helping to narrow the racial gaps in state exams and graduation rates,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>But as Bloomberg basks in praise (and some almost fawning <a href=" http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/nyregion/new-york-plan-will-aim-to-lift-minority-youth.html?ref=nyregion">press coverage</a>) for tackling a truly tough issue, his record on ending education disparities is  &#8212; to put it charitably – mixed.  </p>
<p>The mayor noted the city had narrowed the gap in high school graduation rates between the races. And the evidence backs that up. But in myriad other areas &#8212; test scores, admission to elite high schools, admission to gifted and talented elementary programs, <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/education/20110401/6/3503">suspensions</a> &#8212; the gap has remained essentially the same or widened under the Bloomberg regime. </p>
<p>Let&#8217;s looks at the numbers – after the jump.<br />
<span id="more-9939"></span></p>
<p><b>High school graduation rates:</b> The <a href="http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/mediarelations/NewsandSpeeches/2010-2011/2010gradratesrelease61411.htm"> figures</a> compiled by the state and released by the city show an increase in graduation rates among all groups during the Bloomberg years. While 46.5 percent of all students graduated in four years in 2005, in 2010 almost two thirds – 65.1 percent – did. Black and Latino students remain less likely to graduate than their white and Asian counterparts, but the gap between groups has narrowed over the past five years: from a 23.89 percentage point difference between blacks and white  in 2005 to a 17.6 point gap in 2010.</p>
<p>Certainly some dispute how meaningful this figure &#8212; and a New York City high school diploma &#8212; is. They note, for example, that about three quarters of students entering City University of New York <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/education/20110413/6/3509">community colleges</a> last fall <a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/04/nyregion/04remedial.html>needed remedial work</a> in at least one key area. Slicing and dicing various numbers, education expert Aaron Pallas, a frequent Bloomberg critic, has <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/same-data-different-story-debating-progress-in-nyc-schools/2011/06/29/AGBMXXrH_blog.html"> calculated</a> that of black and Latin students who entered ninth grade in 2006 and graduated, only 12 percent were considered ready for college, according to state measurement.</p>
<p>An investigation, <a href="http://gothamschools.org/2011/08/03/probe-underway-after-staff-blows-whistle-on-illicit-credit-recovery/"> reported yesterday</a> in Gotham Schools, into possible abuse of the so-called credit recovery system, which allows students to make up credits, could cast doubt on some of the graduation gains in doubt. The school in question – <a href=" http://schools.nyc.gov/SchoolPortals/06/M540/default.htm">A. Phillip Randolph High School</a> – reported an increase in its graduation rate of nearly 30 points. </p>
<p>The state is set to release data on the use of credit recovery as early as next month. &#8220;The data, which will show how widespread the use of credit recovery is, could challenge the credibility of the higher graduation rates that have taken place during the Bloomberg administration,&#8221; Gotham Schools wrote.</p>
<p><b>Standardized tests</b>:  For years -– most notably in 2009 when the mayor ran for re-election &#8212; Bloomberg and his then schools chancellor, Joel Klein, <a href="http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/mediarelations/NewsandSpeeches/2008-2009/20090601_math_scores.htm"> trumpeted</a> the narrowing gap &#8212; and increase scores overall – on the state standardized reading and math tests for third through eighth graders. But then last year, everything changed.</p>
<p>The state, in response to rising concerns about alleged dumbing down of tests, recalibrated the scoring system. That <a href="http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/education/122928/ny1-exclusive--achievement-gap-wider-than-expected--data-shows"> reopened the gap</a>, sending it back to its levels in 2003 –- before the Bloomberg/Klein reforms had taken place.</p>
<p>&#8220;Almost all of the progress that has supposedly been made since 2003 in the achievement gap has been wiped out by this new re-scaling of the tests,&#8221; Megan Hester of the <a href=" http://www.annenberginstitute.org/">Annenberg Institute for School Reform</a> told NY1.</p>
<p>As the administration released test scores last year, we <a href="href=http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/07/28/parsing-the-test-scores/>calculated a gap of more than 40 percentage point between blacks and Asians on math tests.</p>
<p>Parsing the numbers for the Daily News, Juan Gonzalez <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/07/30/2010-07-30_ed_scores_dont_pass_smell_test_kids_losers_in_mike_and_joels_game.html"> found</a> that in 2003, 73.3 percent of white fourth graders and 46.3 percent of black fourth graders met state standards according to the tests, for a gap of 26.9 point. Last year, the gap rose to 31.7 percent. (The 2011 test scores <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/07/29/summer-school-summer-scores/">have not been released</a>.) The gap for Hispanics increased, too, though only slightly. </p>
<p><b>High school admissions</b>: The number of black and Latino eighth and ninth graders admitted to the city&#8217;s academically elite high school has <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/02/11/racial-admissions-gap/">continued to decline</a>. This year, blacks accounted for only 5 percent and Latinos only 6 percent of those offered a place in one of the city&#8217;s so-called <a href=" http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/High/Summer+SHSAT+and+LaGuardia+Auditions.htm">specialized high schools</a> that  admit students based on their scores on one exam given in the fall. At the most selective school –<a href=" http://stuy.enschool.org/">Stuyvesant</a> – the figures were even lower: 1.2 percent for blacks and 1.3 percent for Latinos. This even though 23 percent of the students who took the exam were black and 21 percent Latino. (Together blacks and Latinos account for more than 70 percent of city public school students.)</p>
<p>The city has expanded the number of specialized high schools but at the three older ones that use the test &#8212; Stuyvesant, <a href=" http://www.bxscience.edu/">Bronx Science</a> and <a href=" http://www.bths.edu/">Brooklyn Tech</a> &#8212; black and Latino enrollments has been on the decrease since the mid 1990s. In, 1994-95, for example, blacks accounted for 37.3 percent of Brooklyn Tech students. In 2008-2009, that number had fallen to 13 percent.</p>
<p>At the other end of the academic scale, the Independent Budget Office <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/01/27/students-at-closing-schools/">found </a> that the student bodies at the &#8220;failing&#8221; school the administration moved to <a href=" http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/12/07/more-school-closings-part-ii/">shut</a> this year were 52 percent black and only 3 percent white, compared to 31 percent and 14 percent respectively for all city schools.  (There was no significant difference for Latino students.)</p>
<p><b>Kindergarten admissions</b>: The gap shows up early. This year 11 percent of all students <a href="http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/more-preschoolers-test-as-gifted-even-as-diversity-imbalance-persists/#more-321639"> admitted to gifted and talented kindergarten programs</a> were black, down from 15 per cent just a year earlier. Latino youngsters accounted for 12 percent both years.</p>
<p>The Department of Education <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/nyregion/22gifted.html?scp=4&#038;sq=gifted%20andtalented%20admitted%20city%20department%20of%20education&#038;st=cse"> changed the system</a> for admitting children to the programs in 2008, in response to charges the old admissions process led to favoritism and little racial diversity. The city now relies on a test. That critics say allows wealthier families to game the system by hiring tutors and sending four-year-old to test prep classes. </p>
<p>A 2008 New York Times <a href="http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/council-will-examine-drop-in-gifted-admissions/?scp=6&#038;sq=gifted%20andtalented%20admitted%20city%20department%20of%20education&#038;st=cse">analaysis</a> found that while blacks accounted for 24 percent of students in gifted programs, their percentage would fall to 13 percent under the Department of Education&#8217;s new criteria.</p>
<p>None of this means the mayor&#8217;s focus and funding for programs aimed at reducing racial disparities does not deserve praise. It does mean, though, that after nine and a half years of Bloomberg, we also need to look at the record, not just the spin.</p>
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		<title>Law on Pregnancy Centers Blocked</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/07/13/law-on-pregnancy-centers-blocked/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/07/13/law-on-pregnancy-centers-blocked/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 2011 02:15:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9877</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A federal judge yesterday threw out a city law regulating so-called pregnancy crisis centers, only hours before the measure was set to take effect.  The law,  passed by City Council in March and signed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, would require these centers to disclose that they do not provide abortions. They also would [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A federal judge yesterday threw out a city law regulating so-called pregnancy crisis centers, only hours before the measure was set to take effect.  The law, <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20110303/203/3478"> passed by City Council in March</a> and signed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, would require these centers to disclose that they do not provide abortions. They also would have had to post signs indicating whether they have medical professionals on staff. </p>
<p>The centers clearly have an anti-abortion agenda and try to encourage women to bear the child &#8212; either to keep or put up for adoption. Their attempts to conceal that, New York Civil Liberties executive director Donna Lieberman <a href="http://redesign.gothamgazette.com/article/health/20110105/9/3444"> has said</a>, misleads women and so can &#8220;pose serious health risks&#8221;</p>
<p>From the beginning, though, people affiliated with the center said the bill infringed on the centers&#8217; rights to free speech.</p>
<p>Yesterday, Judge William H. Pauley III agreed, calling the law &#8220;offensive to free speech principles&#8221; and saying it was based on an &#8220;overly broad definition of commercial speech.&#8221;<br />
<span id="more-9877"></span></p>
<p>He did, though, express concerns about the centers&#8217; possibly misleading women as to the services they provide and said their use of unlicensed ultrasound technicians &#8220;can spawn significant harms to pregnant, at-risk women who believe they are receiving care.” &#8221; To address this, Pauley urged the city to launch a public service ad campaign or work to set requirements for ultrasound technicians.  </p>
<p>Despite criticism from the judge, Chris Slattery, president of <a href=" http://www.emcfrontline.org/">EMC Frontline Pregnancy Centers</a>, which brought the suit, said in a press release that he was &#8220;thrilled&#8221; by Pauley&#8217;s ruling. </p>
<p>&#8220;This law, which forces crisis pregnancy centers to adopt and express views about abortion and contraception that they strongly disagree with, is constitutionally flawed,&#8221; said CeCe Heil of the <a href=" http://aclj.org/">American Center for Law and Justice</a>, which helped argue the case. &#8220;The court clearly understood that this law punishes pro-life advocates. We&#8217;re confident that this law will never see the light of day</p>
<p>Council Speaker Christine Quinn,  a supporter of the measure, and its sponsor, Councilmember Jessica Lappin both issued statements criticizing the judge&#8217;s ruling. </p>
<p>Sayings she would continue to fight for the law, Quinn said, &#8220;Today&#8217;s decision means that pregnancy service centers can continue deceiving women who seek their services. Equally troubling is that the centers will not be required to keep confidential the information collected from women who visit them.  In issuing this injunction, the court has failed to protect pregnant women in an extremely vulnerable time in their lives. &#8221;</p>
<p>She called Pauley&#8217;s alternative suggestions &#8220;completely unworkable.:</p>
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		<title>Views From the Capitol</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/27/views-from-the-capitol/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/27/views-from-the-capitol/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:08:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[yellow cabs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9787</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Wondering what it was like in Albany leading up to the historic same-sex marriage vote. Here are some pictures (of varying quality) I took last week. Feel free to share any photos of your own&#8211;from the Capitol, or from the celebrations across the state. Feel free to tweet them to @davidhowardking or @gothamgazette.

]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Wondering what it was like in Albany leading up to the historic same-sex marriage vote. Here are some pictures (of varying quality) I took last week. Feel free to share any photos of your own&#8211;from the Capitol, or from the celebrations across the state. Feel free to tweet them to @davidhowardking or @gothamgazette.</p>
<p><iframe width="430" height="430" src="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?set_id=72157627061233278" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
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		<title>Why Sen. Kevin Parker Got Mad</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/25/why-sen-kevin-parker-got-mad/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/25/why-sen-kevin-parker-got-mad/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Jun 2011 22:19:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Danny O'Donnell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dean Skelos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fred Dicker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kevin parker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NY Senate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Robert Duffy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ruben Diaz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[same sex marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steve Cohen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tom Duane]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9781</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last night as the country watched the New York State Senate vote on same-sex marriage things came to a jarring halt. Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy, who was presiding over the chamber, called session into recess to find out what was happening on the floor. Were you watching? Did you wonder what was going on?
Essentially the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Last night as the country watched the New York State Senate vote on same-sex marriage things came to a jarring halt. Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy, who was presiding over the chamber, called session into recess to find out what was happening on the floor. Were you watching? Did you wonder what was going on?</p>
<p>Essentially the Senate rules were changed in a backroom agreement before session started and then changed again during the vote to make sure it would be concluded to make the 11 p.m. newscasts.</p>
<p>Sen. Kevin Parker, a long time proponent of same-sex marriage, was informed by Senate staff that he would not be able to explain his vote. He was livid. He cursed out the governor and eventually stormed to the podium where Duffy was presiding &#8212; a number of other Democratic senators followed him, seemingly to calm him down.</p>
<p>Earlier when Sen. Ruben Diaz tried to lay the marriage bill aside he was ignored. Normal Senate procedure allows for any senator to lay a bill aside for debate. It gives legislators a chance to debate the bill then when they vote, they again have the chance to explain their vote. But the rules weren&#8217;t the same.</p>
<p>Parker told the Gazette that around 7 or 8 p.m. the Senate Democratic conference met and discussed a deal. &#8220;We were informed of he procedure,&#8221; said Parker. &#8220;Everyone knew Rev. Diaz  was going to lay the bill aside but we agreed not to debate the bill after he laid it aside. We would call the roll and all be able to explain our votes. We would be given two minutes each.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Gazette and a number of other sources reported the proposed limited debate earlier in the week. I was told to expect it by multiple senators earlier yesterday morning.<span id="more-9781"></span></p>
<p>But that deal is not what happened. Gov. Andrew Cuomo&#8217;s aide Steve Cohen was on the floor trying to hurry everything along. Parker says that Cohen was trying to &#8220;shut down debate. The cover story was that Dean [Skelos] was upset at Ruben Diaz&#8217;s remarks about Republicans and was going to pull the bill if we started speaking. Everyone knows we don&#8217;t control Diaz.&#8221;</p>
<p>Parker says he was upset most of all because as a minority-party legislator he has little power. Explaining his vote on issues is at times his only resort. Parker says his district is full of people who do not support gay marriage, and although he was a long time supporter, he felt it was important &#8212;  just as it was for other senators &#8212; to explain the thinking behind his vote.</p>
<p>Parker was not the only angry Democrat. A number of other legislators were visibly distraught when they were informed they would not be able to speak.</p>
<p>Parker notes that debate also was curtailed during the budget vote earlier this year because, &#8220;It was coming up on midnight and they wanted to make sure it was officially two days early.&#8221;</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">He says however that the biggest mistake he and Democrats made was not standing up to support Diaz&#8217;s right to lay the bill aside. &#8220;I didn&#8217;t like what he had to say. No one wanted to hear it but it was his right as a member. Essentially the lieutenant governor ignored his request, and shame on us not standing up for him,&#8221; said Parker.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">&#8220;Yes, the moment last night was about Tom Duane and Danny O&#8217;Donnell and the rights of New Yorkers &#8212; I was one of the first people to sign on to the [same-sex marriage] bill. I&#8217;ve been a proponent of it but we can&#8217;t stand by when the limited rights members have are violated. My constituents have a right to know why I was voting for it. If it took two days we should have let them speak.&#8221;</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A number of other Democrats acknowledged to me that the governor&#8217;s office was pushing hard to move the debate forward so that Cuomo could make the 11 p.m. newscasts. &#8220;11, 11, 11,&#8221; that&#8217;s all they were saying said one Democratic senator.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">After realizing he would not be allowed to speak despite his protests, Parker tried to leave the floor. The door he tried to exit was locked. Earlier Duffy had asked the crowd not to leave the chamber during the vote. Cuomo&#8217;s people &#8212; staff and security &#8212; had been in and out of the side door  locking and unlocking it all during the debate. At one point a man wearing an ear piece emerged and surveyed the route Cuomo would take. When Parker tried to leave the door was locked again.</p>
<p>&#8220;I go to the door, and I tried to leave, and they had us locked in. I tried to leave, and they had us locked on to the floor,&#8221; Parker said. Finally he made it out of the chamber. &#8220;One sergeant of arms physically grabbed me.  I was appalled. I&#8217;m a senator.&#8221; Parker then made his way through an ante chamber. &#8220;A plain clothes cop and secretary tried to close the door again,&#8221; he explains, trying to block his exit. &#8220;I&#8217;ve never seen a member treated in such a manner. I&#8217;ve never seen white member treated that way,&#8221; Parker, who is black, said. He was again also confronted by another sergeant of arms.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Cuomo was asked by the NY Post&#8217;s Fred Dicker at the following press conference, about the vote and why Parker might have been upset. Cuomo said that he assumed the Senate was following its normal rules. But he claimed ignorance as to what the rules actually are.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The rules on the floor weren&#8217;t the only things changed on the floor last night. Bill Mahoney of the New York Public Interest Research Group was told by two state troopers that the public was not allowed into committee meetings. Mahoney informed them that was illegal and they responded they were just following orders.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
&#8220;Let me be clear,&#8221; said Parker. &#8220;The first mistake was not standing up when Diaz wanted the bill laid aside.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>Ball Will Vote No</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/23/ball-will-vote-no/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/23/ball-will-vote-no/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:43:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9774</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The ever controversial Sen. Greg Ball has announced after a few weeks of teasing and working on religious exemptions that he will vote against the same-sex marriage bill. That leaves three undecided Republicans. A number of Republicans, including Ball, have stated that they think same-sex marriage will pass if it comes to a vote. If [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The ever <a href="http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/30131/senate-gop-hits-greg-ball/">controversial</a> Sen. Greg Ball has announced after a few weeks of teasing and working on religious exemptions that he will vote against the same-sex marriage bill. That leaves three undecided Republicans. A number of Republicans, including Ball, have stated that they think same-sex marriage will pass if it comes to a vote. If the vote takes place it will happen very late tonight, as the Assembly and Senate aren&#8217;t expected to start passing parts of the major deal until after 9 or 930, or  even possibly tomorrow, or next week. Who knows? Here is Ball&#8217;s statement:</p>
<p>“Knowing that marriage equality was likely to pass, I thought it important to force the issue of religious protections. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the distinct opportunity of listening to literally thousands of residents, on both sides of this issue, by holding an undecided stance. I thought it was important to listen to all of my constituents and hold an undecided position until the actual bill language was written and everyone’s voice had been heard. Now that the final text is public, I am proud that I have secured some strong protections for religious institutions and basic protections for religious organizations. The bill still lacks many of the basic religious protections I thought were vital, and for this reason, and as I did in the Assembly, I will be voting ‘no.’”</p>
<p>Republicans tried to beat ball in a primary last year because of the many controversies surrounding his <a href="http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/30131/senate-gop-hits-greg-ball/">behavior towards women</a>. But he won the Republican primary and moved from the Assembly to the Senate.</p>
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		<title>Hurry Up And Wait</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/23/hurry-up-and-wait-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/23/hurry-up-and-wait-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:24:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[andrew cuomo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dean Skelos]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9772</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bills still haven&#8217;t been printed for the &#8220;big ugly&#8221; so legislators aren&#8217;t voting on them which means we could all be in Albany for a very long time. Lobbyists and legislators are running out of clothes, protesters seem to be getting louder (it could be me though) and the overcast skies keep dripping sheets of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Bills still haven&#8217;t been printed for the &#8220;big ugly&#8221; so legislators aren&#8217;t voting on them which means we could all be in Albany for a very long time. Lobbyists and legislators are running out of clothes, protesters seem to be getting louder (it could be me though) and the overcast skies keep dripping sheets of rain down on all of us. Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos emerged after meeting with Gov. Andrew Cuomo this morning telling reporters that he and his members will finally conference gay marriage to decide when and if to bring same-sex marriage to a vote in the senate. Skelos said he expects it to be a lengthy conference.Same-sex marriage lobbyists are saying that the vote is basically a done deal if it takes place&#8211;we will see.</p>
<p>Meanwhile it isn&#8217;t clear if all the details are set for the contents of the &#8220;big ugly&#8221;&#8211;that includes issues with rent and mandate relief. Lobbyists and others are saying they expect to be back in Albany early next week.</p>
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		<title>Krueger Looks To Lady Gaga On #SSM</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/22/krueger-looks-to-lady-gaga-on-ssm/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/06/22/krueger-looks-to-lady-gaga-on-ssm/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:21:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye on Albany]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9768</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Senate Democrats have a hot new Twitter hash tag:  &#8220;#letusVote&#8221; to prod Senate Republicans to bring same-sex marriage legislation to the floor for a vote. Sen. Liz Krueger is credited with creating the tag and she has been trying to get prominent same-sex marriage proponents to use it. &#8220;@ladygaga #NYSenate needs your help!&#8221; Krueger tweeted. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Senate Democrats have a hot new Twitter hash tag:  &#8220;#letusVote&#8221; to prod Senate Republicans to bring same-sex marriage legislation to the floor for a vote. Sen. Liz Krueger is credited with creating the tag and she has been trying to get prominent same-sex marriage proponents to use it. &#8220;@ladygaga #NYSenate needs your help!&#8221; Krueger tweeted. &#8220;Can you &amp; ur Little Monsters pls help us trend #letusVOTE We want to vote for #samesexmarriage in NY&#8221; Lady Gaga has yet to pick up the tag says,&#8221; Krueger spokeswoman Katie Kincaid,&#8221; but we&#8217;re working on it<br />
and in one day this # has picked up some serious steam, so we&#8217;ll keep on working at it.&#8221;A number of other Democratic senators and activists have picked up the call. Gaga has been calling legislators and lobbying them to bring marriage to a vote.</p>
<p>Senate Republicans spent a good amount of time during their two years in the minority kvetching about the majority&#8217;s ability to block any bill they didn&#8217;t want to come to a vote and now they are doing the thing they claimed so steadfastly to stand against. Advocates wonder how it is that a deal came together that does not include gay marriage and why when asked Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos continues to claim same-sex marriage was not discussed in meetings.</p>
<p>&#8220;The debate over same sex marriage is clearly one which deserves a vote. It would be a huge disservice to all New Yorkers, on both sides of the argument, if we left Albany without voting on the issue. Where&#8217;s the democracy in that?&#8221; asked Kincaid.</p>
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