There are a few black electeds in this naked city who are courageous souls: Eric Adams is one of them. But then I have known this of Eric long before he got into elected office. I knew it back when he was tackling police-brutality issues, with one of the organizations he helped build: “100 Black Men in Law Enforcement”. In fact I knew it even before then; but that’s another story for another time.
Last Sunday, State Senator Eric Adams, stood up with a few dozen people from various organizations that are committed to fight against the reversal of term limits -being contemplated by the city council and the current mayor: Michael Bloomberg. Adams went farther than this present imbroglio, to announce that he supported term limits for legislators in Albany also (both Senate and Assembly). It was not the first time he showed courage under fire since being elected to office in 2006.
Not too long ago, Adams was wrongly criticized by some, for stating something on the senate floor that many of his colleagues were afraid to say: even though they wanted to. He said that the salaries of our state elected officials were too low. He is totally and absolutely correct. What he should have also said was that the salaries being paid to staffers of electeds are likewise too low. You can’t ask people to make the types of sacrifices they do for public service, and then pay them peanuts; and you can’t penalize them all just because the overall body is dysfunctional.
Adams was a key speaker at a press conference/rally held at City Hall. It was an impromptu one, hastily called by groups opposed to extending term limits for the city’s elected officials: from eight years to twelve. Also in attendance were Michael Myers, Norman Siegel, Bill DiBlasio, Ydannis Rodriguez, his brother Carlos Rodriguez, Terry Hinds, Reginald Bowman, Saquan Jones, Geoffrey Davis, Carlos Bristol, Wendy Washington (Brooklyn for Term Limits Organization), Gary Tildzer, Joanne Simon, Marquez Claxton, and many many others. Many potential candidates for next year’s council races also showed up to support this effort; even the irrepressible Michael “Frenchie” Bouldin showed up in duality (reporter/supporter/lol).
Councilmember Bill DiBlasio said that he will vote against any bill coming before him in the council, seeking to overturn the people’s will (term-limits/8years). He believes that the only way term limits should be changed is by referendum, since the voters have spoken that way -twice on this issue over the past 15 years. If memory serves me right, Bill DiBlasio voted the other way, the last time this issue was visited upon the council. This was back in Gifford Miller’s day(s) as speaker. I think the only two democrats who voted against this were, namely: – Tony Avella and Charles Barron. So Bill DiBlasio has surely done some growing on this issue; that’s good.
DiBlasio also repeated something to me that David Yassky once said: “that I am the most honest blogger in NYC”. Well Bill; I don’t se myself as a blogger/lol. I am a political commentator. I write a political column that just happens to appear on internet websites. DiBlasio also claims to be a fan of my columns. To that I say: I am flattered. Hopefully, he will still be a fan if I go upside his head one or two times in my columns/lmao. Anyway, Bill DiBlasio showed courage as the only council member to show up on Sunday; many people will remember this.
Stay tuned-in folks.