As much as I try to close this chapter in my life, I keep being drawn into this imbroglio. In a recent column, Howard “Gatemouth” Graubard, once again demonstrated the lying creep he is. He claimed that I wrote I wrote two favorable columns for State Senator John Sampson, and in return I got two thousand six hundred dollars apiece. Boy; how I wish it were true.
If it were true, then I would be able to get one of my girlfriends (in need) a breast-lift; and get my mistress some fur coats; and get my wife some diamond earrings. That would be good for two years supply of constant daily nookie; no?
LOL! DAMN!
Over the years I have written many columns in which the senator was either referred to, or was the main topic. In fact Graubard skillfully deleted the fact that over the past five and a half years here, I have written at least half-a-dozen such columns. But we all know what he was trying to do: tarnish me; as he usually tries to do every chance he gets; while claiming the opposite.
Let me give him some answers that he could have solicited from me, or the treasurer, or the senator, or any member of Sampson’s campaign committee.
I spent close to six months working with council member Darlene Mealy as her part time Communications Director. It was roughly between November 2009 and April 2010. I resigned because I didn’t want to clash with her over the council’s dictates relative to working there and blogging. When the council’s legal staff made her give a list of what I could do and not do -relative to blogging and working in the city council- I envisaged that sooner or later there will be a clash over something I write; so I chose my freedom and independence rather than stifling or limiting what I wanted to write on the blogs: especially about council-members and relevant issues therein. It was an amicable parting between Ms. Mealy and I. Please note that.
Seeking to make up for the loss in income, I approached Senator Sampson -a friend for about 20 years or more- about doing some part time community-liaison type of work with/for him. He said he was fully staffed in that department, but could use me as an advisor/consultant/ technician /and such, on his campaign committee. This was mainly because he had heard rumblings in the district over his highly visible role (new), and his positions on some controversial issues (including same-sex marriage) amongst other things.
You see; over the past twenty years or so, I have been working as an adjunct lecturer with over six institutions of higher learning (including CUNY); plus also with a few educational programs. It is all about availability of courses and timing. Mostly, summertime finds me unemployed; and as such I try to generate some kind of income via my wits/skills.
As an advisor/consultant, I speak to some of his committee people regularly. I am also available for them (and the senator) on any given day to deal with or respond to strategic needs of the committee. I also advise on media issues (like bad press/some of which he has gotten lately). Plus I keep them appraised on things in the district (“grapevines stuff” mainly) and sometimes attends specific meetings. There are a few other things I can do (use your imagination); and if there is a primary challenge, then I expect my role to be upgraded to some position on the campaign team. As I said before, I have known John for around two decades now.
The first contract -which was signed, witnessed and filed- ran from April 2010 for one full calendar year. I got it renewed last week. It pays me five thousand two hundred dollars for the calendar year (or one hundred dollars a week). It calls for two payments of half the amount roughly six months apart.
And there you have it.
I wrote about it in one of my columns, but I didn’t feel the need to go into all the specifics like I have done now. Howard “Gatemouth” Graubard, made sure that he had to dig up Sampson’s filings, just to sensationalize the matter and to try to cast aspersions on my character. As I have said many times: the man is obsessive and relentless. If I hadn’t disclosed this then you could imagine the scene he would have made. He probably would have called for the gas chamber for me; or maybe my banishment from blogging in NYC.
You folks on the sideline really need to examine all I have been telling you about this guy, for years now. There is something wrong with him. He isn’t well.
John Sampson is one of around ten elected officials who have paid me small advisory/consulting fees over the 38 years I have been involved in politics in NY. Others have paid me to do technical campaign work for them also. If you were to ever total the monies I have garnered, I doubt it would average over a thousand a year. I can name the electeds here, but I won’t; since I do not see the need to; and also because some will be embarrassed (probably) because of the “peanuts” they threw my way.
By the way (and just in passing); I was the first paid consultant that deceased councilman James E. Davis had.
Also, I have worked in all five boroughs and in places upstate. I have mainly worked pro bono (for free); or my fees are usually very small. Sometimes I work off the expenses I incur. Many times I pay people to do stuff and get reimbursed by campaigns. I have worked for as little as fifty dollars on Election Day, to as high as a few thousand dollars for a full campaign. I have done everything from manage campaigns to sweeping-out the campaign office. I have worked with over a hundred candidates over the years. The majority of them were insurgents who lost (sometimes badly). Many of them still owe me monies.
Howard “Gatemouth” Graubard most probably knows all this. He is deeply plugged into the Brooklyn political grapevines. As I told you before, he was hired many times to knock me (as a candidate/and/ or my fellow-insurgents) off the ballot. He is one of those county-hatchet-men from the Dems party-machine. They are the ones who tear apart the petitions of insurgents, so that they could be prevented from exercising their constitutional right to seek public office. He is some idealist; isn’t he?
And that’s what they call democracy in Brooklyn’s political circles. Gatemouth is a political hit-man. He is a hired “Have Gun Will Travel”/ “Mr. Paladin”. For the right price he can be purchased to undermine democracy. Whether I am paid or not, I always try to help people make the ballot and be competitive in the democratic process. I have personally made it to the ballot five times, and I have been knocked off twice: both times on legal technicalities.
In January last year, while I was working for council member Mealy, I covered a press conference in my official capacity at Brooklyn’s Borough Hall. It was called by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke. It was in response to the Haitian earthquake cataclysm. Near every political big-wig was there; including Senators Kirsten Gellibrand and (I think) Chuck Schumer too. Plus there were members from the NY congressional delegation. There were also state senators, assembly members, city council members, district leaders, office-holders of positions both state and city-wide, et al.
On 1/15/2010 (check my archives here by clicking on my name or photo) I broke the story that State Senator John Sampson had openly and publicly pledged ten thousand dollars from his pocket to the Haitian cause. He was the only one of about three dozen (past and present) elected-officials there to make such a pledge. It was news-worthy. I had no consulting contract with his campaign then.
I have written columns within the past year, wherein I have challenged John Sampson to step up his game and lead the fight for reforms in Albany (go see for yourself). Gatemouth conveniently omits this. Gatemouth alludes to some kind of ass-kissing by me; does that column sound that way to you?
After I wrote that column, John called and said that we bloggers have to hold the elected-officials’ feet to the fire. I was surprised (a bit) that he didn’t jump on me over the message and theme of the column. But then John is a relatively humble individual; so I cannot say that I am totally surprised.
Gatemouth also conveniently omitted the 1/15/2010 column, and he omitted the subsequent follow-up column I did one month later (02/09/2010): on the continuing “Haitian-Initiative”. Why? Because he wanted to incorrectly make a point: connect my columns to my consulting fees to create a false impression. He wanted to make me look like some money-grabbing hustler. It was a deliberate distortion of which he is so consistent when it relates to things I write. I tell you folks this is an obsession. I can also tell you it is sick.
Sampson -like Darlene Mealy, Yvette Clarke, and other Brooklyn electeds- played significant roles in the earthquake relief effort. Sampson’s office has done exceptional work with Haitian-American refugees and others in the Diaspora. They continue to do great work with issues facing Caribbean-Americans in this city. He has people on his team who are capable of translating French, Spanish and Patois.
Ms. Mealy teamed up with Greg Jackson from the Brownsville Recreation Center (where many social programs are run) to collect money, clothing, medical supplies and foodstuff for the suffering Haitians. Ms. Clarke is generally on top of Caribbean-American issues given her roots and cultural linkages.
The point is this: anyone can take a snippet of truth and embellish it to make a point that’s negative. Gatemouth is good at this. He is also good at spinning stuff to appear to make his points. He will leave out the stuff that refutes his points. He is a master manipulator.
The other point is this: why does he always do these articles about me, which continue to cast aspersions on my character, or denigrate my writings here? What’s this obsession about? And why didn’t he directly answer many of the issues (and concerns) I raised in my last column?
I am sure Gatemouth knows enough of my political activism to know better. Political activism, public service and community involvement were things cast upon me while I was still in the cradle. I come from an activist family which traces its activism to the 1812 war between England and the USA. My father published a book (“Two Among Many”) on this. After fighting against their slave masters, my matriarch (born free/mulatto) and patriarch (ex-slave whose wife purchased his freedom) had to be repatriated, since the fear was reprisals (from Yanks) against blacks who fought on the side of the British. They were shipped off to Trinidad from one of the southern states.
My political activism while a student at Columbia University, took me to executive membership on the steering committee of the “Coalition for a Free South Africa”. In 1985 we took over a building at the university and eventually forced the trustees to divest from corporations doing business in that country: during the policy of apartheid. I worked with this committee for more than five years.
I once participated with “Literacy Volunteers” in teaching people to read and write. I have served on many boards pro bono. I have worked with many political clubs, civic organizations and individual activists. I have marched and protested for many many causes. I have delivered educational services in prisons and homeless shelters. I have worked with organizations like Goodwill Industries, Visiting Nurses and others, aiming to improve social conditions for the downtrodden. I have held membership in Acorn and similar groups, and I have done tenant organizing. I have worked in social services. I have provided other human services for those in need.
Apart from seeking public office via elections, I once headed up a non-profit community development corporation in the Flatbush area. We not only did economic development projects, but we also created block associations, neighborhood-watch-groups, and the like. I have worked with organizations doing political education and voter registration. I have given lots of brain-power, time, effort, energy and blood, for causes of all kinds. I have done motivational speaking and coaching amongst the youth. I have taught chess to youngsters. I was once part of a chess-academy (business venture) where we tried to get kids to develop proper thinking habits relative to choices made. I once worked with the American Chess Foundation to coach kids in the NYC public school setting. I am a lifetime member of the US Chess Federation; once attaining expert ranking/rating status in correspondence chess. I was also, a teacher with the NYC Board of Education for twelve years.
The point is this: my activism is bonafide. I am the quintessential public servant. I am not in politics to make money: never was. The things I just outlined make up my “short-list”. There is so much more I can claim. I have coached soccer, basketball, chess and cricket. I have played professionally (on the tournament circuit) in chess, backgammon and scrabble; traveling to different states in pursuit of this. I have played tournaments in “All-Fours” and “Dominoes”. I have had membership in social and cultural organizations also. I love to play poker and other card games. I love to go the beach, race track and the occasional casino.
I am not a one dimensional person whose whole life circulates around writing long-winded political pieces attacking everyone. If that’s what Gatemouth is about then he should leave me the fuck alone.
Gatemouth has never answered why he has savagely attacked me personally all these years. Plus, he has attacked my character, my professionalism, and my columns. After all these years you would think it had gotten boring to him. Why all the put-downs and pull-downs? Why the constant harping and carping? Why the constant nit-picking, correcting and critiquing? What’s this obsession about? And now he wants me to engage him? Please! Gimme a friggin break!
When the applications for blogging at the 2008 Dems convention (Denver) came open, I was the one who initiated a Room Eight effort and drew him in. When we were selected, I had problems getting up the funds. After all, we had to pay anywhere from seven to ten days of hotel stay; plus foodstuff, airfare and the like. Gatemouth was the person who offered to loan me a few dollars if needed to make the run, since he probably didn’t want to go it alone. Although at the convention he avoided me like gonorrhea.
Anyway, our editors eventually paid our airfare. I had to spend money changing my flight to preferable dates and upgrading my ticket. Remember that summertime isn’t the best money-making time for me (as I said before).
After we came back from the convention I had a mechanical problem with my automobile and I took him up on his offer to make me a soft loan. I gave him a post dated check for a few hundred dollars and he loaned me the cash until the check cashed. Now he constantly harps on what he did as if it was combat-duty.
He offered. He made the suggestion. He tried to make out like “Mr. Big Shot”. That’s the mean-spirited individual we are dealing with. Now he won’t give it a rest. Watch his next column and you will see it come up again.
Look; how I wish I was paid twenty six hundred dollars for every column I write (as Gatemouth said). I would have made about a million dollars so far on Room Eight over the past five and a half years. With that money I could have gotten a face lift, beach-front property, a Ferrari, a winning political-campaign structure, and a penile-reduction operation. LOL.
Plus; with some of that money I could have gotten as far away from this madman as possible.
Stay tuned-in folks.