8/31
The New York Times makes endorsements in three
races for borough president.
The Bronx: Three candidates are fighting
to replace the outgoing president, Fernando
Ferrer. They are June Eisland and Adolfo Carrion
Jr., both City Council members, and State
Senator Pedro Espada Jr. Of the three, Mr.
Carrion would be the strongest candidate to
represent the entire borough because of his
temperament, his training as an urban planner
and his focus on urgent problems with housing
and schools in the Bronx.
Mr. Carrion's close ties to the Democratic
Party organization cause some concern, but
he has vowed that as borough president he
will try to reconcile warring political factions
and provide more openness and support to residents
throughout this diverse borough. We have strong
hopes that he will be the kind of thoughtful,
independent-minded and inclusive politician
the borough desperately needs. We endorse
Adolfo Carrion Jr.
Queens: The race to replace outgoing Borough
President Claire Shulman includes three candidates:
Helen Marshall and Sheldon Leffler, both term-limited
City Council members, and Carol Gresser, former
president of the Board of Education. Mr. Leffler
was a hard-working and intelligent Council
member, but he was not known for his abilities
as a consensus builder. Ms. Marshall, an African-American
who proposes to carry on Ms. Shulman's agenda,
has the backing of the county's Democratic
Party. Her people skills are the best of the
group, but she does not seem to have the independence
or drive the job requires. Of the three, Ms.
Gresser promises to be less dependent on party
regulars and more creative in fighting for
the borough's most obvious needs - more classrooms
and certified teachers and more affordable
housing and better services for seniors. Early
in her career on the Board of Education, Ms.
Gresser tried to limit discussion of diversity
in public schools, but by the time she left
the post in 1998 she had grown into a thoughtful
member who showed her mettle in battles with
the mayor and her former mentor, Ms. Shulman.
We endorse Carol Gresser.
Brooklyn: Three candidates are vying to
replace Borough President Howard Golden, who
has run Brooklyn's Borough Hall for almost
25 years. Jeannette Gadson, Mr. Golden's deputy,
has vowed to carry on his somewhat fatigued
agenda. Kenneth Fisher, a City Council member
who clearly prefers wrestling with more global
policy issues, is an able person but not a
good fit for this job. Rather the position
best suits State Senator Marty Markowitz,
an ebullient public servant who could provide
a refreshing boosterism for the sometimes
beleaguered borough. Mr. Markowitz used his
Senate position to become a maestro of constituent
service, providing everything from summer
concerts to programs for senior citizens.
His inclusiveness has made him one of the
most popular officials in his mainly minority
district. By hiring technical experts on complex
areas such as urban planning, Mr. Markowitz
could free himself to do what he does best,
promote and help Brooklyn residents. We endorse
Marty Markowitz. (NY Times)
Peter F. Vallone has won the endorsement
of the 26,000-member New York Patrolmen's
Benevolent Association in his race for mayor.
(NY
Times)
LGNY, the newspaper for gay and lesbian
New Yorkers, endorses Fernando Ferrer for
mayor. (LGNY)
During most of the Republican primary campaign
for mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg has treated
his opponent, Herman Badillo, as a nuisance
who is best left ignored. Mr. Badillo has
kept a limited public schedule, has had trouble
in raising money and has rarely stolen the
spotlight from his big- name rival. But as
the two men meet this morning for their first
face-to-face debate, there are indications
that the dynamic is changing. The debate,
one of only two featuring the Republicans,
will be broadcast live at 10 a.m. on WNYC-AM
820.In recent days, Mr. Badillo has stepped
up his attacks on Mr. Bloomberg, raising a
host of inflammatory issues that have so irritated
the Bloomberg campaign - and shaken its confidence,
Mr. Badillo's advisers suggest - that Mr.
Bloomberg struck back yesterday with unusual
vehemence.In objections that were to be filed
with the Board of Elections, Mr. Bloomberg's
campaign moved to disqualify an effort by
Mr. Badillo to register a new political party
for the November ballot. In doing so, a top
Bloomberg strategist accused the Badillo campaign
of fraud in collecting qualifying signatures
for the party. (NY Times)
Herman Badillo is 72 now, a vision of elections
past. His candidacy is his sixth for mayor
since 1969. He twice came tantalizingly close
to winning. He made history as the city's
first Puerto Rican commissioner (of the Department
of Housing Relocation in 1962) and borough
president (elected in 1965), and the nation's
first Puerto Rican congressman (1970). He
enjoyed a resurrection when his lonely crusade
to restore standards at the City University
of New York gained currency in the 1990s,
and Gov. Pataki named him CUNY's chairman.
But the big office in City Hall is the goal
he's nurtured for more than 30 years, friends
and family say. (Daily
News)
Sitting among his seven competitors, Leroy
Comrie - outgoing Councilman Archie Spigner's
top aide and the odds-on favorite to win the
seat for district 27 - is almost serene as
they take turns attacking him. And attack
they do. There's attorney Stephen Jackson
blasting Spigner, Comrie's mentor, for being
"the invisible man." There's Erica Ford -
supported by the Rev. Al Sharpton - talking
about the need for change and delivering a
message that's part black consciousness movement,
part hip hop.And there's former Assemblywoman
Cynthia Jenkins, as colorful and lively at
76 as she ever was, railing at the Queens
Democratic organization. She told a York College
crowd last month how she grabbed the Independence
Party line despite being thrown off the Sept.
11 Democratic primary ballot by a machine-led
challenge."Now, in November, when you open
the curtain, you are going to see Cynthia
Jenkins," she said to roars of laughter.And
there's attorney Helen Cooper-Gregory, talking
calmly about problems with the school district
that Comrie has helped lead.Throw into the
mix businesswoman Saundra Pope, computer specialist
Larry Smith and Republican Ishmael Morgan
and you have something for everyone. But Comrie,
41, a School Board 29 member who has worked
for Spigner for 17 years, takes their barbs
with aplomb. (Daily
News)
Lynn Schulman is facing a daunting task
in seeking to replace Forest Hills Councilwoman
Karen Koslowitz in district 29. Her opponent
in the Democratic primary, Melinda Katz, is
well-financed and well-connected. But Schulman
has a secret weapon: She's the only Schulman
on the ballot this year. (In the past, there
was Claire Shulman, popular departing Queens
borough president) Pundits have warned, especially
after the Florida election debacle, never
to overestimate a confused voter. (Daily
News)
The Board of Elections has decided to stop
setting up 83 nursing-home voting sites throughout
the city, and thousands of elderly voters
could be affected. The city office discovered
last year that it had been violating the state
election law for decades by setting up a second
site at nursing homes in districts where a
primary voting site already existed. The board
is sending poll workers to nursing homes to
help the residents fill out absentee ballots.
Residents are disgruntled. (NY
Times)
8/30
The New York Times makes endorsements in seven
City Council races in Brooklyn.
"Brooklyn voters have a chance this year
to enliven New York's City Council with the
kind of energy, intelligence and independence
unrivaled in city politics in many years...
33rd District (Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn
Heights, Williamsburg, Greenpoint): David
Yassky, a professor at Brooklyn Law School,
was Charles Schumer's firepower when Mr. Schumer,
now senator, was in the House of Representatives.
He helped create the Brady bill and the Violence
Against Women Act and helped get more than
6,000 new police officers on the streets of
New York City. Mr. Yassky has an uphill battle
against the Democratic organization's candidate,
Steven Cohn. Mr. Cohn, a lawyer, has a long
record of community activity, but he harks
back to the city's old political patronage
era rather than forward to something better.
We enthusiastically endorse David Yassky.
35th District (Crown Heights, Prospect Heights,
Clinton Hill, Fort Greene): Letitia James,
a former assistant attorney general for Brooklyn,
is the Democratic organization's candidate
in this race. But Ms. James, who has compiled
a fine record as a legislative counsel in
Albany, seems to have the strength of character
to chart an independent course. Her main opponent,
Peter Williams, is the director of housing
and community development for the National
Urban League. Mr. Williams has an impressive
background of city activism, but we endorse
Letitia James, with the hope that she will
recruit Mr. Williams to advise her on housing
and development issues.
39th District (Borough Park, Kensington,
Windsor Terrace, Park Slope, Carroll Gardens,
Cobble Hill): Even in a year when the quality
of City Council candidates is exceptional,
this race stands out. Bill de Blasio, a local
school board member, is better known as the
campaign manager for Hillary Clinton's Senate
race. Steven Banks, a Legal Aid lawyer, has
a national name for his work on behalf of
the homeless. Jack Carroll is an attorney
who pioneered the development of low- and
moderate- income housing in his Windsor Terrace
neighborhood. Any of the three would make
a fine Council member, but we endorse Bill
de Blasio, who has the most potential as leader
for the district and the city.
40th District (Central Brooklyn): Una Clarke
is one of the many term-limited Council members
attempting to bequeath her seat to a relative.
Her daughter, Yvette Clarke, is a politically
sophisticated candidate with experience in
economic development. Another strong candidate
is Jean Vernet, a community activist from
the National Coalition for Haitian Rights.
But he does not have the energy level that
we think Ms. Clarke would bring to the job.
Our endorsement goes to Yvette Clarke, in
the hope that she will use her mother's better
instincts in fighting for social services
while avoiding political divisiveness.
44th District (Midwood, Borough Park, Bensonhurst):
Two candidates stand out in this race to replace
the outgoing Council member Noach Dear - Simcha
Felder, chief of staff to Assemblyman Dov
Hikind, and Bob Miller, an attorney with a
long record of civic work in the district.
Bob Miller's well-thought-out proposals to
improve schools in the area earn him our endorsement.
45th District (Flatbush, Flatlands): Kevin
Parker, special assistant to State Comptroller
Carl McCall, is an African-American running
against two opponents who argue that the district
should be represented by someone with Caribbean
roots. What the area residents really need
is an energetic and intelligent Council member
who wants to serve everyone with equal vigor.
That description best fits Kevin Parker, and
he gets our endorsement.
47th District (Brighton Beach, Bensonhurst,
Coney Island, Gravesend): Susan Lasher, the
wife of the outgoing Council member, is running
to continue "the Lasher legacy." Although
Mrs. Lasher has an appealing personality,
this diverse district needs to be represented
by someone with a broader vision. Domenic
Recchia, an attorney and school board member,
is well versed in education issues but he
seems too focused on the neighborhoods where
he has his political base. Alec Brook-Krasny,
who immigrated from Moscow in 1989, is less
politically sophisticated but he appears to
be genuinely committed to reaching out to
all the neighborhoods in the district. His
election would also give the city's Russian-American
community a much-needed connection to city
affairs. We endorse Alec Brook- Krasny." (NY
Times)
For the first time since he won office 12
years ago, the Brooklyn district attorney,
Charles J. Hynes, will face an opponent in
the Democratic primary, despite his best effort
in court to knock the challenger off the ballot.
The Court of Appeals upheld today a lower
court ruling that petitions filed on behalf
of the challenger, Sandra E. Roper, were valid,
even though some of the 14,000 signatures
had been forged. An appellate court ruled
on Tuesday that the forgeries were not pervasive
enough to disqualify Ms. Roper, a Brooklyn
lawyer, from the primary next month. (NY
Times)
In a huge legal assault, attorneys for Hynes
had subpoenaed 172 witnesses - including Roper's
father, who died 11 years ago - and sent investigators
to question Roper's petition carriers at their
homes. (Daily
News)
Three of the four leading Democratic candidates
for mayor oppose handing George Steinbrenner
hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to
demolish Yankee Stadium and build a replacement
- raising the stakes for Mayor Giuliani to
close a deal with the team before he leaves
office. The fourth, Alan Hevesi, , said Yankee
Stadium should remain in the Bronx but steered
around specific questions about financing
for new stadiums. Republican candidate Michael
Bloomberg did not respond. (Daily
News)
This was to be the year of the level playing
field in New York City politics. Term limits
would loosen the grip of incumbency, throwing
open the gates to an unprecedented number
of contenders for public office. Public financing
would reduce the power of money by giving
candidates $4 for each $1 they raised. But
in the races for City Council, it has not
quite turned out that way. After a bitter
challenge season that knocked more than 60
candidates off the ballot, about a third of
the remaining ones who are participating in
the public financing program cannot campaign
as vigorously as they would like because they
will not get their matching funds until four
days before the primary - if they get them
at all. (NY
Times)
Comptroller candidate Herbert Berman picked
up the endorsement yesterday of Harrison Goldin,
who served as controller for 16 years until
1990. Goldin returned to City Hall for the
first time in a dozen years to make one of
his rare political endorsements. (Daily
News)
An analysis of Hevesi's last-minute change
in strategy, turning from caution to strident
attacks both on Mayor Rudy Giuliani and on
the New York Post. (NY
Times)
As he crisscrosses the city seeking the Democratic
party's nomination for mayor, Fernando Ferrer
is proudly carrying the hopes of his party's
oldest and most orthodox wing. In stump speeches
and neighborhood tours, Mr. Ferrer, 51, often
seems like a candidate from another era, the
old-style populist coaxing votes from the
city's precincts with promises of government
largess. "Pay them like professionals!" Mr.
Ferrer exclaimed at a church in Queens, pushing
his 30 percent pay raise for the city's teachers.
"The most ambitious housing plan this city
has ever seen!" he said, promising 150,000
new homes at this mayoral forum. "After-school
programs at 200 middle schools!" he added.
"Hallelujah," someone called from in the pews,
and the others whooped and clapped. (NY
Times)
Among the myriad open City Council seats
this year, few have attracted as many candidates
with the political credentials and connections
as those in the six-way race in the Democratic
primary in the 39th Council District. The
candidates' rÚsumÚs cover the spectrum of
local politics in what is commonly known as
brownstone Brooklyn, but their names are known
outside the borough and each one can boast
of influential endorsements. Steven R. Banks,
the director of the Homeless Rights Project
of the Legal Aid Society, has made a name
for himself as an advocate for the homeless.
John W. Carroll is president of a powerful
Democratic club in Brooklyn, and has also
served as counsel to several neighborhood
and preservation groups. Bill de Blasio, a
member of the community school board in District
15, is a veteran Democratic strategist who
worked for Andrew M. Cuomo at the Department
of Housing and Urban Development and was the
manager of Hillary Rodham Clinton's Senate
campaign last year. Paul Bader, a longtime
neighborhood advocate who owns a print and
design shop, is married to United States Representative
Nydia M. Vel½zquez.Craig H. Hammerman has
been the district manager of Community Board
6 for 11 years. And Anthony J. Pugliese is
a carpenter who has been a longtime community
activist and an organizer for his union.The
district stretches from the relatively affluent
Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens sections of
Brooklyn through a portion of Park Slope and
Kensington and into Borough Park. For the
last 10 years, the district has been represented
by City Councilman Stephen DiBrienza, who
is running for public advocate. (NY
Times)
8/29
The New York Times makes its endorsements
for what it calls Queens' six particularly
competitive Democratic City Council races
for the September 11 primary:
District 19 (Northeast Queens): In this district,
which borders on Nassau County, Arthur Cheliotes,
president of the Communications Workers of
America Local 1180, is running against Tony
Avella, the former chief of staff for State
Senator Toby Stavisky. Mr. Cheliotes has the
longer record of service and has shown the
more sophisticated understanding of the city's
needs. One concern is his plan to keep his
union job in order to build up seniority toward
his pension, although he promises to work
for $1 a year and devote most of his time
to the Council. Mr. Avella is far from a totally
independent politician himself; his friends
in the Queens Democratic Party worked to bump
others from the ballot in this district. Our
endorsement for the primary goes to Arthur
Cheliotes.
District 20 (Central Queens-Flushing North
area): The two strongest candidates in this
race are Ethel Chen, a retired library supervisor,
and John Liu, a financial analyst and civic
leader. Mr. Liu is an energetic, articulate
contender. But his campaign finances raise
questions about his connections to developers
in the area and to his father's bank; the
elder Mr. Liu and other bank officials were
convicted of bank fraud earlier this year.
We recommend Ethel Chen, who has a longer
and more impressive record in community service.
District 24 (South Flushing, Jamaica Hills,
Briarwood, Forest Hills): In this race, Barry
Grodenchik has a better grasp of city issues
than James Gennaro, a worthy opponent with
strong environmental credentials, or David
Reich, who has worked for two state senators.
Mr. Grodenchik has been a loyal lieutenant
to the Queens borough president, Claire Shulman,
an attachment that might give pause in a period
when voters are searching for independent
representation. We endorse Barry Grodenchik
in the hope that he will use his skills to
serve the district and city rather than the
borough's Democratic regulars.
District 25 (Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst,
Corona): In a diverse field of seven, the
top candidates are Helen Sears, the pick of
the Democratic county organization; Jimmy
Van Bramer, a gay activist; and Rudy Greco,
a real estate lawyer and community leader.
Mr. Van Bramer offers promise for future races,
but Mr. Greco is the most thoughtful candidate.
He has worked hard in the district for years,
and has even produced a children's book on
Jackson Heights for fourth-grade students
in the area. We endorse Rudy Greco.
District 26 (Long Island City, Sunnyside,
Woodside, Maspeth): There is almost total
agreement among several very strong candidates
on the major issues facing this district,
including overcrowded schools and more affordable
housing, especially for the elderly. Eric
Gioia, who helped manage Al Gore's campaign
in New York and worked in the White House,
is the youngest and most energetic of the
group, and has promise as a leader both in
the district and in the Council. We endorse
Eric Gioia.
District 31 (Laurelton, Rosedale, Springfield
Gardens, Far Rockaway): The city's poorer
districts frequently suffer with the worst
political representation, but one of the pleasant
surprises this year is the number of races
in low-income areas that have attracted two
or three good candidates. In this district,
James Sanders Jr. and Charlotte Jefferson
would both make excellent Council members.
Mrs. Jefferson has the support of the Democratic
organization, but it appears to need her more
than she needs it. In a very narrow decision,
we prefer Charlotte Jefferson for her superior
knowledge of community problems and ideas
for how the city could help solve them. (NY
Times)
A candidate for City Council district 20
from Flushing is being accused of an ethical
violation for voting to support a project
proposed by a developer who contributed to
his campaign. Councilwoman Julia Harrison's
chief of staff charged that John Liu, a member
of Community Board 7, violated conflict of
interest laws when he voted on a Flushing
mall proposal last year. Liu received $7,000
in campaign contributions from the developers
of the mall, known as Prince Center. (Daily
News)
One thing is certain about the Corona-East
Elmhurst City Council race in district 21:
It will produce the first elected Latino representative
from Queens. The Queens Democratic party made
sure of that when it knocked two African Americans
off the ballot through petition challenges.The
smart money in the race is on Hiram Monserrate,
the Democratic organization-backed candidate.
But the other Democratic candidates - Aida
Gonzalez-Jarrin, Angel Del Villar and Luis
Rosero - say they also have a chance to win.
(Daily
News)
In the race for comptroller, William Thompson
had raised barely $1 million to Herb Berman's
$1.5 million, as of Aug. 10. And by far, Berman
is attracting the big money. Berman's donors
include just about all of the city's biggest
real estate developers, its biggest bus companies
and many landlords.(Daily
News)
8/28
The New York Times has made three endorsements
for City Council in the Bronx.
District 11 (northwest Bronx): "Residents
of this district, which includes Riverdale,
will be able to elect an experienced and trusted
public servant in Oliver Koppell, who was
New York's attorney general seven years ago,
and spent almost 23 years as an assemblyman
from his Bronx district. Although Laura Spalter
has run a spirited campaign, we strongly endorse
Oliver Koppell."
District 16 (Highbridge Morrisania, Melrose):
"Mr. Benjamin is energetic, but his ties to
the Bronx organization suggest Ms. Foster
may be the more independent. Our endorsement
goes to Helen Foster."
District 18 (Soundview, Parkchester, Castle
Hill) "Armando Montano, a lawyer with a strong
record of public service, is by far the best
candidate. His competition includes the Rev.
Ruben Diaz Sr. the father of the area's assemblyman
and the choice of the county Democratic Party.
Mr. Diaz has a track record of allowing his
conservative religious beliefs to shape his
political views. This district has long suffered
from a lack of good representation in the
City Council. We believe that could change
with the election of Armando Montano."
(New York Times)
The Rev. Al Sharpton finally endorsed Fernando
Ferrer for mayor yesterday, and campaigned
with him in all five boroughs. (Daily
News)
City Comptroller Alan Hevesi accused City
Hall yesterday of a coverup involving welfare
contracts while Mayor Giuliani dubbed Hevesi
the "ethically challenged candidate" in the
race to succeed him. Hevesi released a Department
of Investigation memo, dated December 2000,
revealing that city Human Resources Administration
Commissioner Jason Turner worked for several
months in 1997 as a consultant for Opportunity
America, a joint venture with the State University
of New York that bid on a city welfare-to-work
contract. The company was headed by Richard
Schwartz, a former Giuliani senior adviser
who is now editor of the Daily News editorial
page. The Daily News just endorsed Hevesi's
rival, Peter Vallone. (Daily
News) (NY
Times)
Michael R. Bloomberg called yesterday for
measures to make the police more accountable
to the public, saying that racial data on
stop- and-frisks should be posted on the Internet
and that the Civilian Complaint Review Board
should report to the mayor rather than to
the police commissioner. (NY
Times)
Every election year, there are candidates
outside the mainstream political parties who
manage to wangle their way onto the ballot.
But this year, in one of the most crowded
primaries in 30 years, the race for City Hall
boasts the most candidates, seven, on alternative
party lines ever. Many of these candidates
share similar ideas and platforms with the
six men seeking office on the Democratic and
Republican lines. They all contend that the
city needs a strong housing plan, that the
Board of Education should be abolished and
that crime reduction should stay a municipal
priority. Among the candidates are: Christopher
Brodeur and Julia Willebrand running against
each other on the Green Party; Terry Gray
(Conservative); Kenny Kramer (Libertarian);
Bernard Goetz, who is best known for his shooting
of four black men on the subway whom he claimed
were menacing him in 1984. On his campaign
Web site, he refers to himself as "well known
on crime issues." [This article also features
George Spitz, who has run unsuccessfully for
office eight times in 33 years, even though
he is running on the Democratic line, not
"an alternative party line."] (NY
Times)
This year's mayoral campaign is the first
in more than a quarter of a century that doesn't
include the incumbent, and just about everybody
else who could plausibly enter the race has.
The four candidates for the Democratic nomination-Mark
Green, Alan Hevesi, Peter Vallone, and Fernando
Ferrer-all occupy prominent city posts, and
any one of them would be a logical, if not
exactly compelling, choice. Together, they
have nearly a hundred years of experience
in local government. Bloomberg's justification
for jumping into the race is that this sort
of experience is exactly what no one needs.
"Going back to politics as usual in New York
City is crazy," he declared in his inaugural
ad. Whatever force there is to Bloomberg's
argument comes mostly from the number of times
it has been-and will be-reiterated. He did
not declare his candidacy till June, yet managed
in his first two months in the race to buy
nearly twice as much advertising as all his
rivals combined. Already, he has waged the
most expensive primary campaign in the city's
history, and he will probably break the record
for the general election as well. (The New
Yorker)
A mailing sent out by comptroller candidate
Herbert Berman directly attacks the integrity
of rival William Thompson.It focuses on published
reports about tax liens that had been filed
against Thompson in 1984 and 1997 and allegations
he violated securities regulations while he
was a private investment banker in the early
1990s. But Thompson's campaign spokeswoman
replied that Berman is resorting to "an underhanded
and despicable distortion of the facts." (Daily
News)
The three-way race in the 24th Council District,
which includes Kew Gardens Hills, Fresh Meadows,
Jamaica Estates and Utopia, is distinctive
not only because it is an area that has seen
little in the way of hotly contested primary
battles for City Council seats, but also because
of the depth of government experience of its
candidates. It is also expected to show the
extent to which the support of the Democratic
organization in the borough has potency. One
candidate, Barry Grodenchik, has served as
a senior aide to Queens Borough President
Claire Shulman for the last nine years, after
having worked for Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn
and former Gov. Mario M. Cuomo. Another, James
F. Gennaro, worked in the budget office in
the administration of Mayor Edward I. Koch
and has been an environmental policy adviser
to the City Council for 11 years. The third
candidate, David Reich, is chief of staff
and counsel for State Senator Seymour P. Lachman
and worked previously for State Senator Emanuel
R. Gold. Mr. Grodenchik, 41, has been endorsed
by the Queens Democratic Party organization
and a host of elected officials in the borough,
including Ms. Shulman and Mr. Povman. Mr.
Gennaro, 44, has been endorsed by Mr. Koch
and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the environmental
lawyer, and has put together a formidable
campaign organization. Mr. Reich, 36, is proud
that he has received no labor or political
endorsements, and said his work in government
and with community groups had earned him a
significant grass- roots following. (NY
Times)
8/27
The New York Times makes endorsements
in what it calls Manhattan's most competitive
Democratic races for the September 11 primary:
First District (Lower Manhattan): Seven candidates
are competing in this diverse district, three
of whom stand out. They are Brad Hoylman,
a former Rhodes Scholar, gay activist and
counsel to the New York City Partnership;
Alan Gerson, a lawyer with a solid record
of community service; and Rocky Chin, a civil
rights lawyer for the New York City Commission
on Human Rights. We endorse Brad Hoylman,
who promises to serve the entire district
in a thoughtful and lively way, focusing on
broader democratic reform of the Council as
well as district needs for housing and expanded
city services.
Sixth District (Upper West Side): The two
main candidates are Anna Lewis, a lawyer and
law judge, and Gale Brewer, who has experience
at several levels of city government. Ms.
Brewer has worked for Public Advocate Mark
Green on voting issues, former Mayor David
Dinkins as the city's federal lobbyist and
Ruth Messinger as her top aide at the City
Council a decade ago. Ms. Brewer recently
completed a much-needed study of 30,000 nonprofit
organizations in the city. With a nod to Ms.
Lewis's effort to bring new ideas into the
debate, our endorsement goes to Gale Brewer.
Seventh District (Washington Heights, West
Harlem and Inwood): The two top candidates
in this race are Robert Jackson, a longtime
champion of quality education, and Mark Levine,
an energetic community activist. Mr. Levine
has done an important service to the neighborhood
by establishing a community development credit
union. But Mr. Jackson has spent years working
for better schools for the entire city. He
breathed life into the Campaign for Fiscal
Equity, which recently won a historic lawsuit
to bring the city more state funds. In a year
when virtually every candidate says schools
are the top priority, our choice is Robert
Jackson.
Eighth District (Central Park West, East Harlem
and Mott Haven in the South Bronx): This is
one of the few districts in which an incumbent
not being forced out by term limits is facing
a real challenge. Councilman Philip Reed is
in a tough fight against Felipe Luciano, a
dynamic radio and television personality who
is appealing to Hispanic voters. Given the
turnover in the Council this year, Mr. Reed
offers the advantages of stability, seniority
and a solid record of representing the needs
of all his constituents, particularly on the
issues of housing and asthma. We endorse Philip
Reed.
10th District (Washington Heights, Inwood,
Marble Hill): Councilman Guillermo Linares,
who became the first Dominican-born elected
official in the city, is now leaving, and
there are eight candidates, all of Dominican
descent, vying to succeed him. Victor Morisete-Romero,
a former aide to Mr. Linares with a background
in bilingual education, stands out as the
most qualified by virtue of his experience
and his proposals. He should serve his district
well in a year when many members are struggling
to learn the ropes. He has thoughtful ideas
about improving Council oversight and monitoring
the School Construction Authority. Our endorsement
goes to Victor Morisete-Romero.
Crain's NY Business endorses Peter Vallone
for mayor. "On the issues, Mr. Vallone is
clearly superior to the other candidates.
He is the political and legislative architect
of the Safe Streets program, which laid the
groundwork for the assault on crime. He has
presided over fiscally responsible budgets.
Alone among the candidates, he tells the unpopular
truth that high taxes hurt the New York economy.
He has pushed sensible economic development
efforts to retain companies and encourage
new industries. He strongly favors mayoral
control of education. His 12-year tenure as
speaker of the council has demonstrated his
ability to lead and to promote unpopular policies."
(Crain's
NY Business)
Mayor Rudy Guliani attacked Alan Hevesi for
the fourth time in five days, again questioning
his integrity. Alan Hevesi, in a potentially
risky strategy, escalated his response: "It
is obvious that the mayor is intruding himself
as a lame-duck Republican into the Democratic
primary," Mr. Hevesi said. "He wishes to stop
me from being elected mayor; he knows that
I will expose the damage he has done for the
next mayor, particularly on the budget. He
knows that I will be a strong mayor and very
difficult to beat four years from now, and
he knows what he is saying is a series of
pathetic lies. The mayor has a history of
lying. He is lying now." (NY
Times)
While some polls show Fernando Ferrer - not
his Democratic opponents Alan Hevesi or Peter
Vallone - winning the coveted run-off spot
against Mark Green in the Democratic primary,
some political observers say Ferrer's game
plan for the primary could spell trouble in
a faceoff against Green, the city's Public
Advocate. Ferrer is trying to forge a victory
from a coalition of Hispanic and Black voters
- to the apparent exclusion of white, liberal
voters who have long been the bedrock of the
city's Democratic majority. "The very strategy
that makes him popular among his core constituents
in the Bronx cuts him off from the rest of
the city," said Fred Siegel, a history professor
at Cooper Union. "Freddy needs to go to Brooklyn
and Queens and talk to middle class white
voters who don't see why Freddy is going to
be good for them."In fact he is a guy who
has the character and intelligence and rhetoric
to be appealing to them," added Siegel. "His
strategy is making a lot of people scratch
their heads." (Daily
News)
Who has the best track record for community
service? That's the platform on which most
of the 11 candidates vying for the District
31 seat are running. In an area of overcrowded
schools and low math and reading scores, the
candidates - who include several educators
- are focusing on how they will address what
one called an "education crisis." Jobs, economic
development, transportation, dumping, airplane
noise, flooding and senior citizens' needs
are other concerns they share. But by and
large, the candidates are running on the contributions
they say they're already making in the largely
black, middle-class district, which includes
Far Rockaway, Laurelton, Rosedale, Springfield
Gardens and parts of Cambria Heights and South
Ozone Park. (Newsday)
8/26
The Daily News endorses Peter Vallone in the
Democratic primary for mayor. "Vallone is
the candidate who will best be able to advance
the interests of New York City, especially
as we enter a period of economic uncertainty.
There's no question he can do it. He already
has.As speaker of the City Council, he has
worked in close partnership with Mayors Ed
Koch, David Dinkins and Rudy Giuliani to run
the city. And 8 million New Yorkers are the
better for it. Vallone was the guiding force
behind the Safe Streets, Safe City program
to expand the Police Department and dramatically
improve public safety. Citywide, crime is
down an astonishing 63%.At the same time,
he led the Council in the passage of sensible
budgets that cut taxes and kept spending well
under control." (Daily
News)
Alan Hevesi urges the city to release $120
million to the Board of Education. (NY
Times)
When City Council Peter Vallone and Mayor
Rudy Giuliani locked up the city's budget
in June, they said they would free up $120
million to the Board of Education only when
Schools Chancellor Harold Levy made serious
slashes in the central board's spending and
directed more money to classrooms. Alan Hevesi
insisted Levy's recent decision to slash $100
million worth of the board's bureaucracy means
he held up his end, and that it's time to
hand over the money. "This issue is in the
lap of Speaker Vallone and the mayor," Hevesi
charged. "All the mayor is trying to do is
deflect attention on this issue because he
has no public-school reform plan aside from
giving money to private schools." (NY
Post)
An analysis of the campaign for mayor, which
promises to heat up in the last two weeks
before the September 11 primary, when the
Democratic candidates for mayor will offer
a hurricane of television advertisements,
some of them negative. The past three months,
while desultory, have shown some twists in
the race: "Alan Hevesi - whom many Democrats
had viewed as the sleeper candidate, given
his resume, fund-raising skills and alliance
with the political consultant Hank Morris
- felt compelled to offer deferential remarks
about his political difficulties less than
three weeks before the primary. Similarly,
it would have been difficult to anticipate
that Fernando Ferrer - who in 1997 ran for
mayor as a moderate Democrat, supporting the
death penalty and advocating the fingerprinting
of welfare recipients - would remake himself
as the candidate of the left, attaching his
candidacy to the Rev. Al Sharpton, who is
to formally endorse him and begin campaigning
with him tomorrow. Or that Mark Green, who
in the course of nine previous campaigns has
never shied away from the punch or the provocative
stand, would this time seek to coast to victory
by taking few chances and throwing few elbows,
building a campaign based on endorsements
and a succession of mostly unremarkable position
papers. Or that Peter F. Vallone, the City
Council speaker and the most conservative
Democrat in the field, would be calling for
what even Mr. Green described as liberal-sounding
government spending programs. If there is
anything approaching a consensus among Democrats
following the race, it is that Mr. Green is
likely, though not certain, to emerge as one
of two Democrats in a September 25 runoff,
which is required if no candidate gets over
40 percent of the vote. (NY
Times)
Michael Bloomberg, the self-made billionaire
media mogul, prides himself on being approachable.
In the sleek Park Avenue headquarters of his
corporate empire, he used to sit at a small
wooden desk out in the open, where workers
could find him. Now that he is seeking the
Republican nomination for mayor, supporters
say his accessible style, along with his competitiveness
and willingness to take risks, would serve
him well as mayor. When it comes to managing
the city's 216,000 workers, Bloomberg is betting
that it won't be a big leap from having managed
7,800 employees worldwide. The necessary skills
-- management, leadership, listening and accountability
-- are the same, he argues. "The biggest job
the next mayor has is to lead the quarter
of a million people," Bloomberg, 59, said
in an interview last week in his midtown campaign
headquarters. The latest in the series on
the current jobs of the mayoral candidates.
(Newsday)
The return to the campaign trail of Israel
Ruiz, 58, a politician with one of the most
colorful histories in the Bronx, has been
a fascinating chapter in a competitive race
in the 14th Council District, which includes
Fordham and Kingsbridge Heights. In his quest
to regain his former seat, Mr. Ruiz is confronting
four other candidates. One is Maria Baez,
who took a leave of absence as chief clerk
of the Bronx office of the Board of Elections
to run for the Council. Ms. Baez, 43, is backed
by the Democratic Party organization in the
Bronx. The others are Sergio Villaverde, 34,
a lawyer and former police officer who has
been involved in a number of civic and community
organizations; Charles Williams, the five-
term president of Community School Board 10,
who became known because of his efforts to
prevent the construction of a new school for
Marble Hill and Kingsbridge, arguing that
it was racially exclusive; and Agustin Alamo,
a public school teacher in the Bronx who has
run unsuccessfully in the past for City Council
and for the State Assembly. (NY
Times)
The race to replace outgoing Republican Mike
Abel in district 19 in Queens pits a former
nightclub singer, a union leader, a party
insider, an ex-prosecutor and a former Peace
Corps worker against one another. They agree
on most issues - more cops, more schools,
more senior service - but there is little
love lost among them.The former prosecutor,
Jerry Iannece, relishes attacking the party
candidate Tony Avella, who will be battling
him for a strong Italian-American vote.The
singer, gadfly Joyce Shepard, vows to move
if union official Arthur Cheliotis is elected.
(Daily
News)
8/25
All six major mayoral candidates have been
courting Asian-American New Yorkers, who are
themselves paying more attention to this year's
elections than they have in the past. Nearly
1 in 10 New Yorkers are of Asian ancestry,
making New York City home to the largest number
of Asian-Americans in the country. Yet no
Asian-American has ever held elected office
in the city, though this year's City Council
election is likely to change that. Asian-American
community leaders hope their newfound political
appeal will result in more attention to their
issues: access to government services for
people who do not speak English; money for
Asian-American community organizations; expansion
of affordable housing; and classes in English
as a second language. (NY
Times)
In his third consecutive day of bristling
assaults on mayoral candidate and comptroller
Alan Hevesi over his ethics, Mayor Rudy Giuliani
charged "the comptroller involves himself
directly in" the process of selecting the
firms that arrange the city's multi-billion-dollar
bond sales, "and he shouldn't." A Hevesi spokeswoman
called the accusation "another lie." (NY Post)
Both candidates for comptroller, Herb Berman
and Bill Thompson, are longtime political
insiders with a head for figures. Each uses
the word "utilize" a lot. And each agrees
with the other on almost every issue. To the
extent that the candidates disagree on anything,
it is on the outlook for the city's economy
and budget. Mr. Thompson takes the gloomier
view But the lack of drama does not mean that
the comptroller's race is unimportant, especially
now that the city's economy is beginning to
skid and tax revenues look likely to shrink.
The comptroller will have to be the bearer
of any bad economic news to the new mayor,
the new City Council and the public - as well
as paying the bills, borrowing the money and
checking out the contracts signed by the city.
(NY
Times)
Responding to public complaints, a nonprofit
group that posted New York City voter registration
records on a Web site blocked a feature yesterday
that allowed people to retrieve voters' home
addresses and party affiliations. (NY
Times)
8/24
Mayor Rudy Giuliani kept up his attack on
Alan Hevesi yesterday, saying that Mr. Hevesi's
"pattern of activity raises serious questions
about the way he uses his office." The attack
on Mr. Hevesi, coupled with the mayor's decision
to play host to Michael R. Bloomberg at a
news briefing so that he could be paraded
in front of cameras on the steps of City Hall
last week, further illuminates how the mayor
and his closest aides are quietly trying to
help the candidates of their choice. The mayor
clearly favors Bloomberg and Peter Vallone.
(NY
Times)
Peter F. Vallone and Michael R. Bloomberg
received the backing yesterday of the Citizens
Union, a nonpartisan civic organization, in
their respective primary races for mayor.
Mr. Vallone, a Democrat, and Mr. Bloomberg,
a Republican, were given preferred rankings
by the group. It also identified preferred
candidates in the citywide races for public
advocate and comptroller, in four borough
president races and in 32 City Council races.
The complete list has been posted on the group's
Web site, citizensunion.org. (NY
Times)
A new Web site that makes New York City voter
registration records - including home addresses
- freely available on the Internet has become
the latest example of a growing tension between
the individual's right to privacy and the
public's right to public records in an electronic
age. At www.registeredtovoteornot.com, any
visitor can type in the last name and birth
date of anyone registered to vote in New York
City and retrieve that person's address and
party affiliation. The site uses data that
has always been publicly available on paper
at the Board of Elections, and more recently
for a fee on compact disc. Run by a nonprofit
group called e-the People, the site is intended
to encourage voting by letting voters check
their registrations, find the proper polling
place, or download a voter registration form.
But critics say the privacy risks of such
an online system may actually discourage voter
registration - particularly among celebrities,
people who fear they are targets of stalkers
and those who might go out of their way to
keep their addresses and other personal information
private. (NY
Times)
The two candidates for comptroller got endorsements
from Latino public officials yesterday, Herb
Berman from Councilmembers Margarita Lopez,
Victor Robles, and Guillermo Linares, and
Assembly member Jose Rivera (one of the Vieques
Four); William Thompson from Congressmembers
Nydia Velazquez and Jose Serrano (Daily
News).
Staten Island's elder statesman, state Sen.
John Marchi, endorsed Deputy Borough President
Jim Molinaro yesterday for the borough's top
job in the Sept. 11 Republican primary. Marchi
joined such GOP heavyweights as Gov. Pataki
and Mayor Giuliani in endorsing Molinaro over
Assemblyman Robert Straniere, even though
Molinaro is a registered Conservative and
Straniere worked for Marchi for 17 years.
(Daily
News)
City Councilman Alfonso Stabile, the lone
Republican running for borough president,
got tired of lying low and showed up at a
candidates' forum this week [sponsored in
part by Citizens Union Foundation.] Stabile
has been out of sight since revelations in
June that authorities are investigating his
handling of a Little League's books and his
campaign finances. "All of us would make an
excellent, excellent borough president," he
told a crowd at York College on Wednesday
night. "What is different is that the way
I will execute the office is in your face."
(Daily
News)
Former state senator and current City Council
candidate Larry Seabrook thought he was finished
with Eliot Engel after losing to the congressman
in last year's elections. But Engel (D-Bronx,
Westchester) is again trying to block Seabrook's
path to public office - this time by endorsing
his longtime aide, Shirley Saunders, for the
12th District City Council seat in the Bronx
that Seabrook covets. (Daily
News)
A St. John's University law student filed
a designating petition that was "permeated
with fraud" in his bid for a City Council
seat from Flushing, according to a State Supreme
Court judge. But the Manhattan judge ruled
that, because of legal technicalities, Republican
Ryan Walsh may run in the 20th Council District
anyway. (Newsday)
The 35th Council District in Brooklyn is
the scene of one of the most hard- fought
City Council campaigns of this election season,
where seven candidates are battling for the
Democratic nomination and the opportunity
to succeed Councilwoman Mary Pinkett, who
has represented this district since 1973.
The candidates' resumes could hardly be more
divergent. Letitia James, 41, the endorsed
candidate of the Democratic Party organization
in Brooklyn, has worked for several Democratic
officials, from Assemblyman Albert Vann to
Attorney General Eliot L. Spitzer. Peter M.
Williams, 42, the director of Housing and
Economic Development for the National Urban
League, served his political apprenticeship
as a technician in the mayoral campaigns of
David N. Dinkins. James E. Davis, a police
officer, minister and Democratic district
leader, came close to beating the Brooklyn
Democratic Party chairman in an Assembly race
three years ago.The race also includes Sidique
Wai, the president of the United African Congress
and a longtime community organizer on health
concerns; William Saunders, another Democratic
district leader and a long-term aide to State
Senator Velmanette Montgomery; and Robert
Hunter, a former investment banker and Vietnam
veteran who serves on several community boards.
And then there is Abraham Wasserman, a real
estate developer and the first member of the
Lubavitch Hasidim community to run for a City
Council seat. (NY
Times)
8/23
In the first major newspaper endorsement in
the mayoral race, The New York Post has endorsed
Peter Vallone. "He has been a pillar of fiscal
probity, a key consideration as the city faces
an economic slowdown. He doesn't shrink from
hard choices. Case in point: His handling
of the "Safe City, Safe Streets" tax surcharge.
Vallone promised that the surcharge would
be temporary: It was he who insisted on a
seven-year "sunset" provision in the bill.
In 1998, Giuliani (in a moment of weakness)
sought to extend the tax. But Vallone held
firm. And the sun set on the surcharge. Just
as he had promised."(NY
Post)
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani called yesterday for
an investigation into whether Alan G. Hevesi,
the city comptroller and a Democratic candidate
for mayor, had inappropriately used his city
post to help a major campaign contributor
arrange a meeting with a private company.
With the Democratic primary less than three
weeks away, Mayor Giuliani spoke about an
issue that none of Mr. Hevesi's rivals have
publicly discussed so far: Mr. Hevesi's acknowledgment
that he instructed one of his top aides to
help arrange a meeting about a contract between
one of his major campaign contributors and
a private company in 1997. "It seems to me
that the circumstances suggest inappropriate
use of influence," Mr. Giuliani told reporters.
"And it's not the first time that's happened
with Comptroller Hevesi." Mr. Hevesi fired
back that Mayor Giuliani was simply "getting
revenge" after the comptroller had moved to
block a contract that the city had wanted
to award to a welfare-to-work company, Maximus
Inc. (NY
Times) "It's perfectly appropriate to
help businesses in the city," Hevesi said.
We do it all the time." (Daily
News)
In several interviews with a reporter, Shawn
Bullock, a former administrative assistant
for one of Lowinger's companies, stands firm
in her accusation that Maurice Lowinger (who
died in March) handed Alan Hevesi $6,000 in
cash at a 1997 meeting during which Lowinger
asked for the comptroller's help getting a
contract with Bell Atlantic to make telephones.
(NY
Observer)
Michael Bloomberg picked up the endorsement
of all five Republican City Council members
yesterday, bolstering his already-strong chances
to win the GOP mayoral primary - even as his
rival, Herman Badillo, submitted petitions
to launch his own third party. (Daily
News)
If The New York Times follows its tradition,
Gail Collins will publish her first political
endorsements as editor of The Times' editorial
page on Sunday, Sept. 9, two days before the
primary. Along with her editorial board, Ms.
Collins-who has been at her post for less
than one month-will have a potent opportunity
to influence city government. The Times editorial
page is likely to play a significant role
in the race for Mayor, which has turned into
a contest for second place behind Public Advocate
Mark Green. As the candidates jockey for the
nods of labor unions and public figures, the
talk among politicos is that The Times could
play a large hand in determining who faces
Mr. Green in a runoff-or, perhaps, help Mr.
Green to lock up the 40 percent he needs to
avoid a runoff altogether. For some time,
it has been the consensus-both inside and
outside The Times-that the editorial board's
endorsement was Alan Hevesi's to lose. But
lately that mood has been changing, as Mr.
Hevesi, the City Comptroller, has faced intense
scrutiny about the financing of his campaign.
Campaign-finance reform, of course, has long
been a Times editorial crusade, and though
no one suggests Mr. Hevesi is out of the running,
sources inside the paper say an endorsement
of Mr. Hevesi does not appear as certain as
it once did. (NY
Observer)
Michael R. Bloomberg, the mayoral candidate,
declined an invitation yesterday to appear
with his main Republican opponent Herman Badillo
on a locally televised debate. Mr. Bloomberg
had been asked to take part in an hour-long
debate sponsored by The New York Times and
the cable news station New York 1, to be held
on Sept. 6, five days before the Republican
primary. Mr. Bloomberg regularly fails to
appear at forums open to all major candidates.
His spokesman says he has agreed to two other
debates with Badillo -- a one-hour debate
to air on WNYC-AM (820) between 10 a.m. and
noon on Aug. 31, and a 30-minute debate on
WNBC-TV set to begin at 7:30 a.m. on Sept.
9. (NY
Times)
Mayoral candidate Mark Green stood on the
steps of Bronx Borough Hall yesterday and
exchanged endorsements with Pedro Espada.
But it was not Pedro Espada Jr., who is running
to replace Green adversary Fernando Ferrer
as borough president. It was his son Pedro
G. Espada, who is running for reelection in
the City Council's 17th District. Although
the elder Espada, a state senator, was on
hand to pose for news photographers holding
Green's hand high in the air, Green said his
endorsement in the borough president's race
would have to wait. "One Espada at a time,"
Green said. "And I know the difference - 'Junior'
[the elder] and 'G' [the younger]." (Daily
News)
8/22
The four Democratic mayoral candidates held
their first televised debate last night. The
post-debate evaluation depends largely on
which newspaper headlines one reads. The New
York Times called it a "Harmonious
Gathering, With A Touch of Discord" and
said that the candidates "Struggled
to Define Themselves." The Daily News
called it a "Vallone-Hevesi
Slugfest" and the Post declared "Hevesi
and Vallone Duke It Out." Newsday focused
on the countdown with the headline "20
Days Until the Primary." And various columnists
called different candidates and even Giuliani
the "winner." Read a short excerpted transcript
of the debate from the
New York Times
Reverend Al Sharpton will endorse Fernando
Ferrer for mayor, the Voice reports. (Village
Voice)
It was a study in black and white when City
Council candidates in southern Queens made
their pitch to voters. In one section of the
auditorium of Beach Channel High School in
the Rockaways Monday night, seven white candidates
for the 32nd District made their pitches to
an all-white audience. Just a few steps away,
the four black candidates in the 31st District
made their pitches to a mostly black audience.
(Newsday)
Home to some of the city's most overcrowded
schools, and some of the scariest stretches
of Queens Boulevard, District 29 is looking
for a new leader in the fall. A former assemblywoman,
a public relations executive, a TV newswoman
and several community activists are battling
for the city council seat now held by Karen
Koslowitz, who cannot run again because of
term limits. The district includes the sprawling
suburban areas of Forest Hills and Kew Gardens
as well as Rego Park and parts of Maspeth
and Ridgewood. Even with six candidates, there
was little disagreement among the contenders
about such issues as education, Queens Boulevard
safety and rent stabilization.Public relations
executive Lynn Schulman and Melinda Katz are
running for the Democratic line, while television
journalist Rene Lobo is the sole Republican.
Norbert Chwat is running as a Conservative,
Joseph Tiraco on the Independence line and
Jeanette Evans with the Green Party. (Newsday)
8/21
Fernando Ferrer yesterday vowed to give city
workers time off to meet with their kids'
teachers, saying it would encourage more parents
to take an active role in education. (NY Post)
A former top staffer to Public Advocate Mark
Green ran a political consulting firm while
working full time for Green's office and used
city phones to make hundreds of dollars worth
of private calls. Scott Levenson worked as
president and sole shareholder of The Advance
Group, a private firm he owns, while serving
as Green's $95,000-a-year chief of operations
from 1994 to 1999. Levenson replies that he
reimbursed the city for phone calls, that
he worked far more than the required 35 hours
for Green, and he obtained clearance from
the city's Conflicts of Interest Board to
hold both jobs. (Daily
News)
Of the $8.3 million that the Democratic candidates
have raised collectively in the borough of
Manhattan (far more than in the other boroughs),
Mark Green has raised the most, $3 million,
while Fernando Ferrer lags behind his opponents,
with $1.25 million. The result is that he
is far behind Mr. Green in fund-raising, even
though Mr. Ferrer has raised more money in
Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx. (NY
Times)