Let me preface this column by saying that I have always been committed to getting term- limits legislation enacted for ALL legislators (federal, state and city/local). I go back many years fighting on this issue. I have written and spoken extensively on this issue: in media, in academia, in public and in private; on radio, on television, in newspapers, magazines, newsletters and on blogs.
Since Mayor Bloomberg’s hijacking of the expressed will of New York City’s voters in 2008, I have now arrived at the position that a 12-year limit should be uniform. Why should he get twelve years, when other mayors cannot?
I envisage six 2-year terms for state senators and state assembly members and three 4-year terms for city officeholders (including District Attorneys). In Congress, I see six 2-year terms for the house-members, and two 6-year terms for federal senators. We should also totally eliminate those two year terms that occasionally come up for city council members. So keep this at the back of your mind while you go through my endorsement list. It will help you better understand some of my choices.
Today, I want to propose that as political activists, many of us who are like-minded on this issue should immediately start fighting for these term limit changes (and attendant modifications to the state constitution and the city charter).
LET’S START A MOVEMENT: NOW. PLEASE JOIN ME. (You know my e-mail address). Let us not restrict term-limits to only city electeds: let’s go all the way (so to speak). Let’s take this national (again).
Capitulating a bit -and relative to the first part of this column- let me also say that I am now enthusiastically endorsing Gustavo Rivera in the 33rd senate district (Bronx). My reasoning is simple: Pedro Espada junior -like Hiram Monseratte and Kevin Parker- has to be sent packing (and I don’t mean with pistols). The shenanigans of these three individuals have embarrassed all New Yorkers more often than not: enough is enough.
There must be a message sent to electeds (or wannabee electeds) who may want to consider behaving badly in the future: “NO MAS”. No longer should we as voters tolerate improper behavior in the political arena.
I will endorse state senator Bill Perkins for re-election. Surprised huh? Sure he flunked on “Morning Joe”; but he is on the right side of the charter schools versus public schools issue: somebody has to stand up for public schools. He may appear to be somewhat contradictory on the issue but he is needed in the fight. Bill Perkins faces an opponent (Smilke) who seems to be a person of quality; I suspect that he will have other chances at elected office in the near future.
I will also endorse Anthony Miranda (35th AD/Queens); then the indefatigable Nelson Denis (upper-Manhattan): another surprise, I am sure. Do note that Nelson is the consummate political activist. He is civic minded and community-involved. He may not win this race but he gets my endorsement.
In Queens, endorsements are also in order for Lynn Nunes (10SD) and Francisco Moya (39thAD). These candidates can all thank a fellow-member of the “Room Eight – New York Politics” writers-colony (Gatemouth) for these endorsements. He pushed me to go deeper into some of these races. I kinda reluctantly did. This is as far as I would go. I already made one endorsement in the first part of this column (Robert Rodriguez).
Now, let’s get to Brooklyn. I will list my endorsements for you here, and later in the week, I will try to give at least a very short explanation of most of them -in part three (finale) of this column. Some need no explaining: given that the justifications are obvious. Others may surprise some folks, but then this would be nothing new. I expect some criticism from a few but that’s their prerogative and that’s okay with me.
BROOKLYN ENDORSEMENTS:
10th Congressional District: ED TOWNS. (I am hoping and praying that Ed retires after this race, since it’s time for him to give it up. Had Tish James, Hakeem Jeffries or Eric Adams challenged him this year, he would have been history. Kevin Powell is no option).
18th Senatorial District: MARK POLLARD. (It’s time for new blood here).
21st Senatorial District: WELLINGTON SHARPE. (Need I explain?)
40th Assembly District: KENNETH EVANS. (He would out-perform Inez Barron in this role. He is very knowledgeable on health issues).
42nd Assembly District: MICHELE ADOLPHE. (After 32 years it’s time for a change here. Michele has shown tenacity and that should count for something).
50th Assembly District: ANDRE SOLEIL. (New energy needed here).
52nd Assembly District: DOUGLAS BOVIANO. (Change is good sometimes).
DISTRICT LEADER RACES (DEMS):
40th AD (f): INEZ BARRON. (She is better suited to this role).
42nd AD (f): NO ENDORSEMENT HERE. (A very interesting race: both Natasha Holiday and her opponent Rodeneyes Bichotte are impeccably qualified -academically and professionally. Natasha presents herself well, but Ms. Bichotte has lots of grassroots support. I am told that assembly-member Rhoda Jacobs supports Holiday; while councilmember Jumanee Williams supports Bichotte. A very good contest on paper.)
52nd AD (f): JOANNE SIMON. (She is both capable and reliable).
52nd AD (m): CHRIS OWENS. (He is the obvious choice here).
55th AD (f): DARLENE MEALY. (Her heart is in the right place, and I hate “gang-bangs”: which is exactly what some of Mealy’s fellow-electeds are trying to do to her again. Too many of them are endorsing her opponent -Latrice Walker- and this both strange and suspicious. There is something else going on here).
57th AD (f): NO ENDORSEMENT. (Both candidates are capable: challenger Renee Collymore is homegrown and energetic; Olanike “Ola” Alabi has strong union support. So far, she has functioned relatively well in her role as female leader).
58th AD (m): CORY PROVOST. (“Ya gotta make way for the young folks” Weyman Carey: no hard feelings please).
STAY TUNED-IN FOLKS.