Ben Max, left, of Gotham Gazette, and Jarrett Murphy, right, of City Limits
March 13, 2018 - Max & Murphy Podcast: A Journalist Runs for State Senate, with Ross Barkan
Ross Barkan announced late last year that he was making the leap from journalism to running for elected office and entered the race in the 22nd State Senate District, a Brooklyn seat currently held by Republican Marty Golden that is on the ballot this fall. Golden is part of the GOP majority in the Senate that Democrats like Barkan blame for preventing a host of progressive legislation from moving through the Legislature.
Before he can directly take on Golden, Barkan must first prevail in the Democratic primary, where he faces Andrew Gounardes, an aide to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams who lost to Golden in 2012. (We had booked both Barkan and Gounardes for this episode, but Gounardes later said a work obligation came up, so Barkan appeared alone.)
In this episode, Barkan explains his rationale for running, how journalism has prepared him for elected office, his campaign platform, and more.
Listen to the full conversation and let us know what you think -- we're on Twitter @TweetBenMax and @JarrettMurphy and guest Ross Barkan (@RossBarkan). You can listen to the episode through the embedded audio below or download the episode wherever you get your podcasts.
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by Ben Max, Gotham Gazette
@tweetBenMax @GothamGazette
New York City Hall
What to watch for this week in New York politics:
This week we're awaiting gubernatorial campaign announcements from Republican Marc Molinaro and Democrat Cynthia Nixon.
As those election year moves happen, or don't, government is happening in Albany, where the Legislature will be in session four days this week as we enter crunch time for a new state budget, which is due by the April 1 start to the new fiscal year. One-house budgets are expected this week from the Assembly and Senate. The Independent Democratic Conference of the Senate may also put forth its own budget plan. As Governor Andrew Cuomo himself said this past week, once the one-house budgets are out, negotiations can really get going.
As Cuomo works on a budget, which may include a major overhaul of the state's tax system to respond to the new federal tax code, and waits to see if Nixon will challenge him in the Democratic primary, we're also waiting to see if former top Cuomo aide and brother-like figure Joe Percoco is convicted on any of the corruption charges in his federal case, which is in jury deliberations.
On Monday, however, Cuomo will wade deeper into his recent focus on NYCHA, which has been one of several areas around which his feud with Mayor Bill de Blasio has escalated of late and as he considers declaring a state of emergency at the housing authority -- see below for details.
As the week starts, we're also waiting for de Blasio to return from out of town, he's on a five-day, three-stop trip that has him returning to the city on Tuesday. On Friday, de Blasio left the city for Baltimore, Maryland, to deliver remarks at the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center Strategy Summit. On Saturday, he went to Austin, Texas, where on Sunday he was scheduled to "participate in a SXSW panel discussion with Mayor Adler of Austin, Texas and Mayor Wheeler of Portland, Oregon on the growing role of mayors nationally." The Mayor also made an announcement that New York will be among other cities that won't do business with internet companies that don't honor net neutrality.
On Monday, de Blasio will "attend a U.S. Conference of Mayors’ strategy session on the 2020 census and immigration...After that, the Mayor will travel from Austin, Texas to Washington, D.C. Later, the Mayor will deliver remarks at the National League of Cities spring meeting" at 4:45 p.m. Monday at Wardman Park Marriott in D.C.
Meanwhile, City Council budget hearings continue this week on de Blasio's preliminary budget plan -- details on those and a whole lot more below, via our day-by-day rundown
***Do you have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics?
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The run of the week in detail:
Monday
At 10:15 a.m. Monday, Governor Cuomo will hold a press briefing at NYCHA Jackson Houses in the Bronx. "Before the press briefing, Governor Cuomo will tour residences at the Jackson Houses."
At the City Council on Monday, the following committees will hold preliminary budget hearings:
--Public Safety at 10 a.m., regarding the NYPD and Civilian Complaint Review Board
--Veterans at 1 p.m., regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs
--Public Safety and Justice System jointly at 2 p.m., regarding District Attorneys and the Special Narcotics Prosecutor
Also at the City Council on Monday:
--The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will meet at 9:30 a.m.
--The Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting, and Maritime Uses will meet at noon
--The Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions, and Concessions will meet at 2 p.m.
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Monday in Albany.
The New York State Board of Regents will meet on Monday and Tuesday in Albany.
At 9 a.m. Monday, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson will speak at Congressman Joe Crowley’s Annual National Women’s History Month Commemoration, at Bronx Botanical Garden.
At 10:30 a.m. Monday, Comptroller Scott Stringer will deliver remarks at Access Denied Campaign Rally and Press Conference, 163rd Street Subway Station, 161st Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will be in Washington, D.C. Monday for the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference. Brewer will chair a meeting of the Large Cities Council and participate in panel discussion on infrastructure.
At 6 p.m. Monday, First Lady Chirlane McCray will deliver an address to the New York City Bar Association about the ThriveNYC program. The address will be called “Breaking the Silence: A New Way Forward on Mental Health.”
At 6 p.m. Monday, there will be a march down 9th Street in Park Slope demanding greater safety for children and pedestrians on streets. The march comes in the wake of a hit and run in Park Slope that killed two children. The event is sponsored by Borough President Eric Adams and several community organizations, including Families for Safe Streets and Transportation Alternatives. City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Comptroller Scott Stringer will also participate, as well as Council Members Brad Lander, Carlos Menchaca, Antonio Reynoso and Mark Treyger.
At 7 p.m. Monday, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and EBC-Metro IAF Co-chair Rev. David K Brawley will hold the first in a series of forums on the Metro IAF “proposal to reconstruct NYCHA and build more senior housing.” The first forum will take place at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church in Brownsville. Comptroller Scott Stringer will deliver remarks.
Tuesday
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Tuesday in Albany.
At 9 a.m. Tuesday, the New York City Board of Correction will hold a public meeting at 125 Worth Street.
At 10 a.m. Tuesday, "New York’s top environmental advocates will convene on the steps of City Hall to forcefully call on policymakers to tackle the city’s transit and environmental crises and pass the Fix NYC plan as part of this year’s state budget." Participants will include Environmental Defense Fund, Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, Move NY, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York League of Conservation Voters, New Yorkers for Parks.
At 11 a.m., Governor Cuomo will speak at a Planned Parenthood rally in Albany. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will also deliver remarks. And at 4:15 p.m., Hochul will speak at the Orthodox Union Student rally.
On Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Hispanic Federation, "First Lady McCray and Deputy Mayor Palacio will make an announcement about New York City’s assistance to Puerto Rico’s hurricane recovery efforts."
At 12:45 p.m. Tuesday in Washington, D.C., Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will participate in a "panel on local infrastructure with Mayor Marie Melendez-Altier (Ponce, PR), Council Member Rachel Hundley (Sonoma, CA), and Council Member Rebecca Viagran (San Antonio, TX), during lunch session of the National League of Cities Congressional City Conference."
"House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-NY) will hold a press conference with students from the Renaissance School in Jackson Heights, local elected officials, and community activists from MomsRising on Tuesday, March 13, at 1:30 p.m. to demand congressional action on gun safety." City Council Member Danny Dromm will be among those participating.
At 2:45 p.m. Tuesday in Albany, "As part of Advocacy Day for #HALTsolitary, in which 300+ New Yorkers from across the state will convene in Albany to meet with 70 legislators, survivors of solitary, their family members, and other advocates will hold a speak-out and press conference outside Governor Cuomo’s office. The Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement (CAIC) will also deliver a card inviting the Governor to spend 24 consecutive hours in solitary confinement in one of his prisons, as Rick Raemisch, the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, did upon taking the job. (Mr. Raemisch’s experiences ultimately helped inspire significant reforms in that state that are similar to legislation pushed by CAIC.) This will be the second invitation; advocates delivered the first one just before X-mas but received no response. CAIC will also be calling on Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature to enact the Humane Alternatives to Long Term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act (A.3080B-Aubry/S.4784A-Parker)." The event is being organized by Vocal-New York, JustLeadershipUSA, and others.
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson will appear on NY1's Inside City Hall Tuesday evening.
Wednesday
Wednesday will mark one month since the school massacre in Florida, during which 17 people were killed, that has led to a student-led movement for gun control. There are 17-minute-long school walkouts planned all over the country, including in New York City.
At the City Council on Wednesday, the following committees will hold preliminary budget hearings:
--Environmental Protection at 10 a.m., regarding the Department of Environmental Protection. The Subcommittee on the Capital Budget will join at 11:30 to discuss the DEP capital budget
--Housing and Buildings at 10 a.m., regarding the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Department of Buildings
--Sanitation and Solid Waste Management at 1 p.m., regarding the Department of Sanitation and the Business Integrity Commission
--Public Housing and Capital Budget jointly at 1 p.m., regarding NYCHA
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Wednesday in Albany.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, the City Planning Commission will hold a public meeting at 120 Broadway.
On Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. in Albany, "Legislators, families, providers and advocates will be urging the Legislature and Governor to reject the Executive Budget proposal to cap and cut child welfare services reimbursement to NYC, which includes child protective services and preventive services. New York’s child welfare financing structure, in place since 2002, incentivizes good outcomes by capping foster care reimbursement while reimbursing counties 62% of the costs for the services that keep children and youth safe and out of foster care. New York City has leveraged this funding stream to lower child protective caseloads, decrease juvenile justice detention and placement, dramatically reduce the use of foster care, and become a national model for its continuum of high quality, effective preventive services. The budget proposal puts the safety of children at risk." The event is being organized by Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York.
At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Civilian Complaint Review Board will hold a public board meeting at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr State Office Building in Harlem.
Thursday
At the City Council on Thursday, the following committees will hold preliminary budget hearings:
--Land Use at 9:30 a.m., regarding the Landmarks Preservation Commission and Department of City Planning
--Criminal Justice at 10 a.m., regarding the Department of Probation, the Department of Correction, and the Board of Correction. The Subcommittee on the Capital Budget will join at 11:30 a.m. to examine DOC’s capital budget.
--Land Use and Technology jointly at 11:30 a.m., regarding DoITT
--Hospitals at 1 p.m., regarding the Health and Hospitals Corporation
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Thursday.
On Thursday at 6:30 p.m. "What's Happening in Albany: The NY DREAM Act: A Panel Discussion with Candidates, Experts, and Activists" will take place at Fourth Universalist Society in the City of New York in Manhattan. Empire State Indivisible is hosting, with panelists Zellnor Myrie, candidate for State Senate District 20; Luis Yumbla, United We Dream; Karina Davila, Yonkers Sanctuary Movement; and Yatziri Tovar, Make the Road NY.
On Thursday at 7 p.m. "at the Local 46 the Metallic Lathers Union (1322 Third Avenue), neighborhood organization Eastsiders for Sensible Development will hold a meeting with Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts and Urban Planner George Janes to learn about the 370 ft tower in development on Third Ave between East 74th and 75th streets and what the Community can do about it."
Friday and the weekend
At the City Council on Friday, the following committees will hold preliminary budget hearings:
--Cultural Affairs at 10 a.m., regarding libraries and the Department of Cultural Affairs
--Youth Services at 1 p.m., regarding the Department of Youth and Community Development
At 9:30 a.m. Friday, City Council Member Carlina Rivera will deliver keynote remarks at the Bellevue Hospital Community Advisory Board Legislative Breakfast.
Mayor de Blasio is expected to make his weekly appearance on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show at 10 a.m. Friday.
At 2 p.m. Sunday, Let NY Vote will rally at Foley Square to urge the state legislature to early voting in the final state budget.
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Have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? E-mail Gotham Gazette executive editor Ben Max any time: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (please use "For Week Ahead" as email subject).
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by Ben Brachfeld and Ben Max
@GothamGazette
(image: Museum of Political Corruption)
The New York State legislature is often cited as the most corrupt in the nation and Bruce Roter, founder and president of the board of trustees of Albany’s upcoming Museum of Political Corruption, wants to tell the story of how we got there and help the state change course.
A music professor by trade, Roter made a name for himself in the Albany area in 2012, when he led a successful grassroots campaign to bring Trader Joe’s to the capital region.
Roter has since turned his energy to a somewhat more ambitious endeavor: tackling New York state government’s reputed “culture of corruption” by building an interactive, state-of-the-art, national attraction in downtown Albany.
“We want to make sure we do this right. We want this museum to be a source of pride for our downtown,” said Roter (pictured), who has been plotting, planning, and building support for the not-for-profit museum for a few years.
While the tentative open date for the brick-and-mortar location is in 2019, the museum team has kept the project in the limelight by hosting panel discussions and attending various events around town. On May 5, Nelly Bly’s birthday, the group will present its second annual Nelly Bly Award for investigative reporting, and a virtual exhibit may become available on the website soon. Susanne Craig of The New York Times was given the first Nelly Bly award in November 2017 at an event in downtown Albany.
In an interview with Gotham Gazette, Roter discussed the museum’s progress and importance, this year’s series of state government-related corruption trials, and a very special menu item that will be featured in the museum’s “Cozy Crony Cafe.”
The Q-and-A below is lightly edited for clarity.
Gotham Gazette (GG): We seem to be in an important moment in New York corruption history. The fate of Governor Cuomo’s former top aide Joe Percoco is being decided, two former legislative leaders will be retried this spring, among others. Have you been keeping up with the headlines?
Bruce Roter (BR): “I do try to follow when I can. It’s all very concerning, of course. On the one hand, it’s concerning, and on the other hand, I just remember that this is just one more stage in corruption that our state has had, and that’s the long-term view that we are taking.
“There are those who think that this is probably the most corrupt time that New York has ever had. That’s not the truth at all. One can look at other eras, the 1800s, the 1900s, the Tammany Hall period, and other periods like that.
“So I think we need a historical perspective when it comes to corruption, and thwarting immediate frustration. It didn’t happen overnight and it’s not going to get solved overnight.”
GG: What’s the latest on the Museum of Corruption?
BR: “We’re moving forward. We are still seeking sources of funding. We do want to build a state-of-the-art museum in downtown Albany. We’re definitely taking the long-term view, not only of our project, but of corruption in general. We can’t simply look at any particular headline. We understand that to fix corruption, it’s going to take a long-term cultural change, and that’s what we hope our institution will do.”
GG: What birthed the idea to create a museum of corruption?
BR: “I think the idea originally started because there were so many headlines of corruption back in 2012 and 2013. What started off as just an idea soon blossomed into a full-blown project, once I began discussing this with others, who also thought it was an excellent and unique idea and a way that we here in Albany could contribute to ethical governance in our state. That’s when we got serious and became chartered and are moving this forward.”
GG: You are a music professor at the College of Saint Rose. Have you ever worked for government before, or is your interest in ethical governance a byproduct of growing up in Albany?
BR: “I actually grew up downstate and I’ve been here 20 years now. I’ve always had an interest in government and public affairs even in my own creative work as a composer. I’ve often been inspired by public causes. I’m the composer of a piece called the Camp David Overture for the Middle East Peace Accords.
“Several years ago, I was commissioned to write a piece for the Albany Symphony on speeches and writings of [President and New York State Governor] Theodore Roosevelt, and I became very inspired by him, especially Roosevelt’s call for the public to engage in the civil discourse of their community. So that’s what I’m seeking to do also.
“Also, I have to admit, I have also enjoyed being part of the public discussion when I organized a grassroots campaign to bring Trader Joe’s to the capital district.”
GG: Thank you for that…
BR: “Well, yeah, everyone thanks me for that. Your quite welcome, I’m enjoying it myself. It was just the gratitude that I received from the community for being involved with that that has spurred my continued interest in working for the community. I feel the best way I can do that is to try and find an educational way that we can address governmental corruption.”
GG: What’s the long game? Have you selected partners to run the museum while you are at your day job once you have a brick-and-mortar location?
BR: “The long game is -- obviously, we do have a board of trustees -- is to hire a full staff, including an executive director, who is knowledgeable about museum management, running our museum as a museum ought to be run. We want this to be a first-class cultural institution for our city and a tourist draw at that.”
GG: How will you keep up with the endless stream of headlines and corruption trials and incorporate them into the museum’s exhibits?
BR: “We will keep up. We want the museum to be current. There will be rotating or evolving exhibits that will address what is going on currently, even as we also take the broader, historic view of corruption that has gone on for centuries in New York, as well as understanding the causes of corruption, and what we can do about corruption.
“We do want to have in the museum what I’m calling Solutions Hall, where museum-goers will be invited to participate in discussing or uncovering solutions that can help us to achieve more ethical government.”
GG: Have any lawmakers have reached out in support of this idea or taken an interest in this project?
BR: “I can tell you that [Republican] Minority Assembly Leader Brian Kolb has been interested in our project -- along with some others. We are completely non-partisan and we want to make sure that we reach across the aisle and we want to bring all of our leaders onboard. Because this is not about a particular leader, this is about fixing our government and the public working with our leaders to create a better, more effective government.
“I can tell you that one of the initiatives in which we are currently engaged is a collection of quotes on ethical leadership. We’re seeking quotes from leaders in a number of different fields, including politics and sports and religion and education. We do want to collect these quotes and perhaps even put them into a volume some day. We already received a quote -- a handwritten quote at that -- from former President Jimmy Carter, we’ve received a quote from Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, and one from Congressman Paul Tonko -- here in the Capital District -- and from Assemblymember Pat Fahy, and also Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon.
“I want to make sure we have a wonderful, diverse representation of quotes on ethical leadership. Because even though we are a Museum of Political Corruption, we want to turn this around and make sure it leads to something positive.”
GG: Corruption is certainly not limited to government. Do you hope that the ideas that come out of this will produce solutions that transcend government and apply to other institutions?
BR: “Absolutely. I think it will. If we can address ethical leadership in one field, we can certainly address ethical leadership in every field. That’s of course why we want to get the leaders in the world of sports and arts and entertainment to engage with us in this search for bits of wisdom of how we can be more ethical in all facets of our society.”
GG: So is the objective to educate the public about corruption or to solicit feedback and crowdsource some solutions to the problem?
BR: “It’s both. Ultimately we want to educate and inform, but we also want to empower as well....For those people who are cynical and think nothing can ever be done and nothing can ever change, we hope that by the time they leave our exhibits, they too feel that they can make a difference in our society.
“We look at all of these headlines, and trials, and retrials, and with tremendous respect to everything that’s is going on with our legislature and our prosecutors, we also think the public needs to get involved too. Of course, the best way and the first way we get involved is at the ballot booth. That’s why we feel education is import part of any change.
“If there is indeed a culture of corruption in Albany, it’s going to take a cultural institution to fix it. And that’s what we are going to be: a cultural institution.”
GG: Having moved to Albany last year to cover the Capitol, one thing I was struck by is how dramatic state government is, from the castle-like building, to the theatrics that happen daily on the Senate floor. As someone with a music background, do you plan to incorporate art, music, and performance into the museum’s exhibits?
BR: “Of course! The whole discussion of public corruption can be held on so many levels. We’re going to have a Tammany Lecture hall in the museum where we can do panel discussions and public speaking, but can also do film theories or musical productions that address the subject as well. Art frequently has important things to say about what is going on in society. And so, I certainly want to encourage that.
“I could also see us engaging or commissioning visual artists to have an art collection. We are certainly going to have a collection of political historic cartoons. So very much, art definitely has something to say about politics, and we will incorporate that into our design.”
GG: Circling back to the current trials. Any new additions inspired by the trial of former Cuomo top aide Joe Percoco?
BR: “You can expect that on the menu for the Cozy Crony Cafe we will be serving ziti.”
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by Rachel Silberstein, State government reporter, Gotham Gazette
@RachelSilby @GothamGazette