Matt Orama @OramaNYC 12 minutes ago
“@MMViverito is pitching her candidacy for the office...as someone who will be honest with New Yorkers, and who fights on behalf of women, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, subway riders, public housing residents, and others.” READ:
Ex-Speaker Mark-Viverito tried to oust black NYCHA manager for 'Spanish manager,' according to law suits
Ex-Speaker Mark-Viverito tried to oust black NYCHA manager for 'Spanish manager,' according to law suits
At a PA candidate’s forum,
"In the political equivalent of shock and awe, along with shrewd backroom dealmaking, City Councilmember Jumaane Williams (D-Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood) sewed up key political Brooklyn support in his bid to succeed Attorney General-elect Letitia James as the city’s public advocate in a special election for the seat expected in February.
Today he was also endorsed by Kings County Democratic Chairman Frank Seddio, as well as several key Brooklyn elected officials including the powerful and growing Haitian-American block led by Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte (D-Flatbush, Ditmas Park) and State Senators Kevin Parker (D-East Flatbush, Flatbush, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Kensington, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Boro Park) and Roxanne Persaud (D-Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Sheepshead Bay, Bergen Beach, Marine Park, Flatlands, Mill Island, Georgetowne, Ocean Hill, Starrett City) and City Council Member Brad Lander (D-Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington)....
Although Williams has to now be considered the frontrunner, Bronx
Assemblyman Michael Blake is expected to mount a strong challenge and
City Councilmember Rafael Espinal (D-East New York, Bushwick) cannot be
overlooked. Having several men in the race could also open the door for a
woman candidate, possibly former City Council Speaker Melissa
Mark-Viverito or somebody else."
At a cost to taxpayers of $3 million a year, the office’s chief function is to hold press conferences and plan the occupant’s next political campaign. Every advocate but one has spent his or her tenure running for a higher position.
And why not? The post has few actual responsibilities, so there’s no pressure to actually achieve anything.
That’s why several councilmembers have introduced legislation to abolish the office. Good luck: Among those opposed is Mayor Bill de Blasio, who used the job as a springboard to his current one.
And even if the bill passes, voters must still approve the change via public referendum, so the post will last until at least 2021.
That leaves the city facing a nonpartisan special election. City Councilman Jumaane Williams just jumped to the head of the pack with endorsements from the Working Families Party and other progressive powers.
Third time the charm? In the last few months, Williams failed first to become council speaker, then to win Democrats’ lieutenant-governor nomination. He plainly wants a new job — whatever he can get.
Note, too, that even the folks who want the post don’t seem to know what it entails: At a candidate forum this week, former Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito vowed to conduct investigations using the office’s subpoena power — which doesn’t exist.
Forget all the grand promises: We’ll back the candidate who vows to help eliminate this joke of an office.
Williams hired his friend Kristofer Bain — a part-time rapper known as K Bain — to work on his 2009 bid for City Council and, after winning, gave him a taxpayer-funded job in his office.
Then Bain went to work for a non-profit Williams has supported with more than $60,000 in city cash.
Williams, a Brooklyn Democrat who narrowly lost a primary race for lieutenant governor in September, is running for New York City Public Advocate.
Williams and Bain became friends as undergrads at Brooklyn College and attended the same master’s program in urban policy there. Bain once described their friendship as a “brotherhood” and even registered to vote in 1997 using Williams’ Brooklyn address.
They were partners in Earth Tonez Cafe, a failed vegetarian restaurant that closed in 2008 — and still has an unpaid tax bill with the state for $10,347.
When Williams ran for City Council in 2009, he paid Bain $2,000 to work on the race, campaign finance records show.
After winning, Bain became an aide to Williams.
He worked in the councilman’s office from 2010 to 2015 earning as much as $54,858 a year, public records show.
Bain has described his job duties as director of legislation and budget affairs for Williams.
He also got more campaign cash during that time — $200 for Election Day ope
rations in 2013 and a $400 bonus later that month, according to campaign finance records.
After Bain left government employ, he went to work for the Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions, a non-profit where he is now a community development advisor, according to the group’s web site.
Williams has sent $66,500 in City Council discretionary funds to the group beginning in the 2011 fiscal year through the current one.
Bain and Divine Pryor, the head of the non-profit, did not return requests for comment.
The race to win NYC’s most worthless elected office (NYP)
A dozen or so candidates are off and running in the race to replace Public Advocate Tish James — that is, to assume the most useless office in city government.At a cost to taxpayers of $3 million a year, the office’s chief function is to hold press conferences and plan the occupant’s next political campaign. Every advocate but one has spent his or her tenure running for a higher position.
And why not? The post has few actual responsibilities, so there’s no pressure to actually achieve anything.
That’s why several councilmembers have introduced legislation to abolish the office. Good luck: Among those opposed is Mayor Bill de Blasio, who used the job as a springboard to his current one.
And even if the bill passes, voters must still approve the change via public referendum, so the post will last until at least 2021.
That leaves the city facing a nonpartisan special election. City Councilman Jumaane Williams just jumped to the head of the pack with endorsements from the Working Families Party and other progressive powers.
Third time the charm? In the last few months, Williams failed first to become council speaker, then to win Democrats’ lieutenant-governor nomination. He plainly wants a new job — whatever he can get.
Note, too, that even the folks who want the post don’t seem to know what it entails: At a candidate forum this week, former Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito vowed to conduct investigations using the office’s subpoena power — which doesn’t exist.
Forget all the grand promises: We’ll back the candidate who vows to help eliminate this joke of an office.
Jumaane Williams hired part-time rapper friend for taxpayer-funded job
Williams hired his friend Kristofer Bain — a part-time rapper known as K Bain — to work on his 2009 bid for City Council and, after winning, gave him a taxpayer-funded job in his office.
Then Bain went to work for a non-profit Williams has supported with more than $60,000 in city cash.
Williams, a Brooklyn Democrat who narrowly lost a primary race for lieutenant governor in September, is running for New York City Public Advocate.
Williams and Bain became friends as undergrads at Brooklyn College and attended the same master’s program in urban policy there. Bain once described their friendship as a “brotherhood” and even registered to vote in 1997 using Williams’ Brooklyn address.
They were partners in Earth Tonez Cafe, a failed vegetarian restaurant that closed in 2008 — and still has an unpaid tax bill with the state for $10,347.
When Williams ran for City Council in 2009, he paid Bain $2,000 to work on the race, campaign finance records show.
After winning, Bain became an aide to Williams.
He worked in the councilman’s office from 2010 to 2015 earning as much as $54,858 a year, public records show.
Bain has described his job duties as director of legislation and budget affairs for Williams.
He also got more campaign cash during that time — $200 for Election Day ope
rations in 2013 and a $400 bonus later that month, according to campaign finance records.
After Bain left government employ, he went to work for the Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions, a non-profit where he is now a community development advisor, according to the group’s web site.
Williams has sent $66,500 in City Council discretionary funds to the group beginning in the 2011 fiscal year through the current one.
Bain and Divine Pryor, the head of the non-profit, did not return requests for comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment