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What is Searchlight on Campaign 2001?
Searchlight
on Campaign 2001 is a guide to the political races in what
many are calling New York City's most significant campaign
season in modern history.
What is so significant about it?
For
the first time in memory, most political offices in the city
will be wide open to people who have neither money nor connections.
Why will the races be so open?
There
are two reasons. This year, a new law goes into effect that
limits the terms of New York City elected officials, forcing
the mass retirement of most incumbents in the city - including
the mayor, the comptroller, the public advocate, four of the
five borough presidents, and 36 of the 51 members of the City
Council. At the same time, a new campaign finance law kicks
in, which allows any candidate who agrees to certain restrictions
to collect four dollars of matching funds for every dollar
they raise.
What does this have to do with this site?
As
a public service, Searchlight on Campaign 2001 has a separate
page for each race, including all the races for City Council,
that not only sorts out the candidates -- many of them new
and unfamiliar -- but also offers an opportunity to learn
about the issues, and the districts themselves.
Who is behind Searchlight on Campaign 2001?
Searchlight
on Campaign 2001 is a project of Gotham Gazette, a non-profit,
non-partisan, non-ideological (but non-boring) web site about
New York City news, policy and politics published by Citizens
Union Foundation, part of the oldest and largest good-government
group in the city (founded in 1897).
What's wrong with the way the regular press
covers the races?
That
is for you to decide. And one of our regular features, Campaign
Trail, helps you to decide. Campaign Trail provides succinct
summaries and links to campaign articles in the commercial
press.
Who are we?
Masthead
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Keeping
Giuliani's Team
by Herman Badillo
Traditional politics died on September 11. We must look at this
election in a non-traditional manner. The next mayor must be above
petty politics, above interest groups, above patronage groups. The next
mayor must be experienced and tough, as Rudy Giuliani is experienced
and tough.
I joined Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 1993 when I ran with him for
comptroller as a Republican. And I had been working with him for the
past 30 years and I have been watching his performance and the work
that he has been doing with all the city agencies. Rudy Giuliani has
made New York City a city that is manageable. He has brought out
dramatic improvements in crime reduction and in the performance of
every city agency. I have been fortunate to be in many of the meetings
he has had. I have gotten to know the commissioners. I can tell
you that what happened on September 11 and the performance by the Mayor
and the city administration was not something that happened by accident. It
was something that
came about because for the past eight years, Mayor Giuliani has been
changing the shape of the city and the performance of the city
agencies. And I have been working with him on those efforts. And I know
the real Mayor Giuliani, who is the Mayor Giuliani whom we all saw
after the disaster struck. The one who was tough but was compassionate.
The one who understands what to do in a crisis. And I know the support
that he had from the police and fire fighters and the emergency health
care workers and all of the people in the city that came to help in the
twin tower disaster. That came about because the mayor was prepared for
an emergency. I know that in all that time throughout the city other
agencies went on without stopping. Every department did its job
while the Mayor and the emergency workers carried on their rescue work.
I have great admiration for the work the Mayor has done. And that is
why if elected Mayor, I will ask every member of the Giuliani
Administration to give me at least one year, in order to ensure that I
will not have to spend time in bringing about the routine. Most of
those people are my friends and many I would have retained anyway. The
fact is that we now need to ensure we don't have
someone who requires on-the-job training on January 1st. We need someone who
has
experience, and an administration to support the work to rebuild. The
work to maintaining the city secure is going to take a long period of
time. And I ask the members of the Giuliani Administration to work with
me not for my benefit but for the benefit of all the people of the
city. Because what we have to do is very important. We have got to
press and ensure that we cooperate with agencies of the federal
government that are providing for our security. The FBI, the CIA, all
of the agencies that have to do with anti terrorist activities. We are
going to have to develop special techniques for reviewing the
departments at the airport and in the subways and tunnels and the
buildings of the city and in the streets. And therefore the next mayor
must be able to ensure that all of the agencies of the federal
government work with all of the agencies of the city to ensure that we
coordinate our efforts. Then I can tell you as a former member of
Congress that we have to establish or better liaison with all the
members of Congress in both houses both in a non-partisan way with them
and the President. It is important that we get the maximum amount of
resources available, not just the 20 billion dollars that was provided
recently, but we need to have larger amount of resources. And I am
confident because I know many of the members of Congress from the time
that I was there. And I am confident that Congress will respond and
will provide us with all that we need to rebuild and reconstruct and
revive the city. And of course, I was a member of Congress during the
fiscal crisis of 1974 and 1975. And at that time we put together a team
that included the business and financial community, and included labor,
and included the media, that included the cultural centers of the city,
and included every important group. And that is what we have to do now
to ensure that we can rebuild the city and that we can save all those
businesses that are threatened because of the loss of tourism. And
that we can ensure that they can get the necessary assistance and
seeing to it that it rebounds the budget. I understand that problem
because I was deputy mayor of New York City at one time. I understand
that we can have a situation where we have to deal with that decision.
But that will be done if we all work together and find the best of this
world and seeing to it that we overcome any fears or any anxieties that
we might have about possible problems the best way to ensure
businesses do not leave the city. The best way to ensure that we
rebuild every part of the city, and I am confident that we can, is by
seeing to it that we involve everyone in the city. And I want to say
that this includes every citizen because we can find a function for
everyone to do in the tasks in the months and years ahead.
I will twist every arm, break whatever arms necessary in
order to ensure that we are not stopped. And if that means that I will
not be able to serve beyond one term that's fine. The thing that we
need to do is move ahead carefully but move ahead expeditiously to show
everyone in the city and everyone in this country and the world that we
are in fact the capital of the world.
The performance of New
York City was magnificent on September 11. No one panicked; we reacted
to an emergency in a magnificent way. The firemen, and the policemen
and the emergency health care workers reacted magnificently. As the
mayor pointed out, we may have saved 25,000 lives because of the
dedication of the firemen and of uniformed services. And certainly, I
was supporting uniformed services long before this happened. But I must
tell you that I don't want to hear any one attacking the uniformed
services because they have proven that they have in fact risked their
lives and hundreds of them have died in order to protect the rest of
the population. You cannot ask for anything more than what they
have done. But in return we who have survived this disaster have a
responsibility to conduct ourselves in
such a way that everyone will be proud of what we will have accomplished
in the years and months to come, because the city of New York must
remain the capital of the world. And I ask you to vote for me on
primary day because I have the experience, I have the knowledge of what
is going on in the city agencies and I have the toughness that is
required to see to it that the city moves ahead and that the city is
kept united.
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What is this?
Gotham Gazette's Searchlight on Campaign 2001 offers a comprehensive
look at what is being called New York City's most significant
campaign season in modern history. (See the left-hand column
for an explanation).
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Districts of the Week
District
1 -- Lower Manhattan
Whoever wins the election in district 1 will represent immigrant
Chinese garment workers, as well as Wall Street traders living
in Battery Park City. There are several candidates hoping
to be the council's firsts -- the first Asian-American man,
the first Asian-American woman, the first gay Rhodes Scholar,
the first dot-com guru -- running against some politically
well connected opponents. Endorsements and fundraising will
play a big role in this race. But voter turnout could be the
main determinant of who will next represent district 1 on
the council. The key question is how many voters from each
community will come out on Election Day.
District
7 -- Washington Heights, Manhattan
The northern tip of Manhattan has become one of the most popular
places for new immigrants to call home. The northern tip of
Manhattan is a place that today's new immigrants call home.
The majority have come from the Dominican Republic, but also
from countries in South America, Eastern Europe, and Asia.
But it is not just new immigrants that are moving in. Students,
artists, and other Manhattanites looking for less expensive
rents and larger apartments have also moved north. Ten Democratic
candidates are competing for the 15,000 voters expected on
primary day. The winner who emerges from a crowded field of
candidates will have to balance the needs of the newcomers
with those who have lived there for years.
District
16 -- Highbridge, Bronx
The neighborhoods of district 16 are the city's poorest, with
the highest rate of unemployment and the lowest median household
income. But those who live there also point out that much
is positive and stable about the area, thanks in large part
to local organizations, not-for-profit agencies, and houses
of worship that help hold the neighborhoods together. Each
candidate for City Council believes that through his or her
connections to churches and local organizations, they can
help empower the community toward a better life. Helen Foster,
the current council member daughter, will face Michael Benjamin,
who has worked as an aide to several government officials
and Anthony Curry, a Bronx neighborhood activist.
District
20 -- Northeast Flushing, Queens
This year district 20 may elect the first Asian-American ever
to the City Council to an area which now has the second highest
number of immigrants from Korea and Taiwan in the city. There
are three Asian candidates in the Democratic race who have
each drawn big endorsements. Council Speaker Peter Vallone
endorsed Terence Park, City Comptroller Alan Hevesi endorsed
John Liu, and the New York Times recently endorsed Ethel Chen
The campaign has also drawn national and international press
coverage
District
25 -- Jackson Heights, Queens
Thirty-seventh Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens is one of
the most diverse streets in the world. Little India quickly
blends into Little Colombia, with vendors selling Latin American
food to Colombians, Peruvians, Ecuadorians, Mexicans, and
Uruguayans. And each summer, the Queens Pride Parade fills
the same street with rainbow banners. So it is no surprise
that this election year the district produced a diverse field
of candidates. A number of them, however, found out that getting
on the ballot is not an easy task, especially when the Queens
Democratic organization sends teams of lawyers to challenge
petitions. But five Democratic candidates survived and will
face off on September 11.
District
31 -- South East Queens
When a heavy rain hits southeast Queens, many residents in
neighborhoods like Springfield Gardens, Laurelton and Rosedale
head to the basement with a bucket in hand. And it has been
that way for the last 50 years. In the rush to build housing
in the area after World War II, developers overlooked the
need for storm drains in hopes that the city would eventually
build a city-wide sewer system. The plan never materialized
and the area has experienced "100-year rains" three times
in the last decade. The eight Democrats -- all with little
experience overseeing massive infrastructure projects--will
try to convince voters that they can finally solve the flooding
problems.
District
35 -- Central Brooklyn
The residents in council district 35 have some of the highest
incomes in Brooklyn and some of the lowest. They can play
in a famous park and a beautiful botanical garden, and live
in the city's most crumbling public housing. They can attend
one of the four institutions of higher learning in the district,
and the worst-scoring high schools in the city. Such juxtapositions
are a way of life for a district that includes the Brooklyn
Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Brooklyn Botanical
Gardens; mid dle-class African-American communities near Prospect
Park; immigrant communities from Haiti, Sierra Leon, Nigeria,
and Trinidad, and in Crown Heights, a mix of Hasidic Jews
and African-Americans. Seven Democratic candidates are campaigning
in hopes that they can bring some kind of unity, and attention,
to the area. Their backgrounds are as diverse as the neighborhoods
themselves.
District
39 -- Park Slope/Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
The candidates in district 39 include a chief of staff for
an Assemblywoman, the husband of a member of U.S. Congress,
a lawyer for the Legal Aid Society, an attorney and president
of the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, Senator Hillary
Clinton's campaign manager, the district manager of Community
Board 6, and a labor organizer. This is the race to watch
this year. The group of high-profile Democrats have raised
a lot of money, almost $1.4 million combined.
District
45 -- East Flatbush
In no place in the city are the effects of campaign finance
reform and term limits being felt more than in East Flatbush.
The seven Democratic candidates seeking to represent this
largely West Indian district come from a number of Caribbean
nations. Many have been working on politicians' staffs and
serving with community groups, clearly hoping someday to win
their own elected office. Term limits has presented them with
that opportunity, and they want to make the most of it. But
this race that usually draws only about 8,000 voters could
be decided by just a few votes. The candidates are attempting
to come up with anything that will separate them from the
pack.
District
49 -- North Shore, Staten Island
Staten Island has always been somewhat of a suburban stepchild
to New York City. When a 1998 survey asked New Yorkers why
they go to Staten Island, the top two responses were ''visiting
friends and relatives" and ''passing through.'' But in many
ways, the north shore has more in common with areas of Manhattan
and Brooklyn than with the rest of the Staten Island. The
top priority for all the candidates -- Jon Del Giorno, an
administrative manager for the Board of Elections, Mike McMahon,
an attorney and counsel to current Councilmember Jerome O'Donovan,
and Debi Rose, an administrator at the College of Staten Island
and the first African-American candidate in Staten Island
politics -- is to make sure that the island becomes more than
just a turn-around-point for the over one million tourists
who ride the free ferry from Manhattan each year.
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Abbreviations
for Party Affiliation
American
Dream Party (AMD)
Better Schools Party (BES)
Communist (Com)
Conservative (Con)
Constitution (CST)
Democratic (Dem)
Friends United Party (FUN)
Fusion Party (FUS)
Green (Gre)
Harmony Party (HAR)
Independence (Ind)
Liberal (Lib)
Libertarian (LBT)
Marijuana Reform Party (POT)
Natural Law Party (NLP)
Party of Ethics and Traditions (PET)
Reform Party (Ref)
Republican (Rep)
Right to Life (RTL)
School Choice Party (Sch)
Socialist Workers Party (SWP)
Working Families (Wor)
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2001 Election
Calendar
June
1 -- Deadline for candidates to join the Campaign Finance
program, qualifying for the four-to-one match of contributions.
June
5 - First day for candidates from the eight major parties
(Democratic, Republican, Indpendence, Conservative, Liberal,
Green, Working Families, and Right to Life) to circulate
petitions. Candidates running for City Council must collect
the signatures of at least 900 people living in the district
for which they are running in order to appear on the Primary
ballot. Candidates not running under these eight major parties
do not appear on the Primary ballot and have a separate
set of deadlines.
July 12 - Deadline for major party candidates to
file petitions.
July 10 - First day for unaffiliated candidates to
circulate petitions, in order to appear on the ballot in
the General Election. They must collect the number of signatures
equal to five percent of the total enrolled in that party.
August 7 - Board of Elections announces candidates
appearing on the Primary ballot.
August 17 - Last day for non-absentee voters to register
to vote in the Primary Election.
August 21 - Deadline for non-major party candidates
to file petitions to be included on the General Election
ballot.
September 4 - Last day to postmark application for
absentee voting in the Primary
September 10 - Last day to personally deliver application
for absentee voting in the Primary Last day to postmark
absentee ballot for Primary
September 11 - Primary election; Polls open at 6:00a.m.
and close at 9:00p.m.; Absentee ballots must be hand-delivered
by 9:00 p.m.
September 25 - Runoff Primary election for Mayor,
Comptroller and Public Advocate, if needed
October 12 - Last day to for non-absentee voters
to register to vote in the General Election
October 30 - Last day to postmark application for
absentee voting in the General Election
November 5 - Last day to hand-deliver an application
for absentee voting, or to postmark an absentee ballot for
the General Election.
November 6 - General Election; polls open at 6:00a.m.
and close at 9:00p.m. in NYC; Absentee ballots must be hand-delivered
by 9:00 p.m.
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