Author: Rock Hackshaw

(UPDATE: The date of the barbecue has been changed to one week later: Saturday 16th May, 2009.)

Political seasons come and go; some call them “silly season(s)”, some call them other names. Some of the terms I won’t repeat here on this ‘family’ blog site/lol. I don’t call them anything other than what they are (and I will keep that a secret). I just try to have a lil fun during the stressful times, that’s all. You’ve got to be able to laugh at yourself folks: otherwise you will lose it. So; now that I am trying to juggle between running for the city council and blogging about things political in New York (and some other places sometimes), I keep getting my sanity tested near everyday. 

I sense that most of us who are active in New York City’s political arena have ambiguous feelings about the need for a public advocate, and I base that on years and years of conversations on this topic with fellow activists. Even people who aren’t very “political” have waded in on the longstanding debate over the utility of this office, and its role and function in city government. In fact, there have been times when the generic conversation(s) appeared to be abolition of this office, and the saving of millions in staff salaries and OTP. Even Mayor Bloomberg has had choice words for the office, and he has at times joined the debate to give his most afforded opinion -negative of course.

So I know that politics isn’t a game: it is serious stuff; very serious stuff. When I call it a game, I am just talking figuratively that’s all. And when I call it “the only game in town”, it’s because I know that if the “politics” of any state or country isn’t right, then society can deteriorate into chaos, confusion, anarchy, civil-war, revolution, hardships and/or strife. Societies go (break down) as “politics” go. Diplomacy is politics without war, and war is surely politics without diplomacy. 

It is known that the United States of America has had its share of the growing pains that accompany political development. Examples abound: The Revolutionary War; the Civil War of 1861 thru 1865; the Great Depression; and also the days of Jim Crow. If those were games then they weren’t enjoyable for many. But people do play games, it’s human nature. And we play games every night and every day. “We never mean what we say and we seldom say what we mean”. And also, some who do say what they mean (and try to mean what they say), hardly ever seem to think of what the fuck they are really saying.  And that’s why I hate “poli-tricks” sometimes. 

One of my two campaign managers is a feisty lil twenty-one year old Russian émigré who once lived in a refugee camp: she is tough as nails; all four feet eleven inches of her. She will be twenty-two in September. She will be graduating in May with a BA in Political Science (from Brooklyn College). She wants me to do the “semi-muzzle: and not write or say stuff without clearing it all with the campaign team. She is one tough lil Jewish cookie. She is itching for a fight with me/lol. It’s going to happen before the campaign is over/lmao.

The other female manager is as cool as cucumber, and as calm as an autumn breeze; but she will take her lil jabs at me whenever she gets an opening. She is probably unaware that I see her lil digs when she shoots them/lol.  She is much older than the first, but together they agree that I should be careful of what I write and say, now that I am a candidate for the city council. And by the way, I was formally and finally registered by the Campaign Finance Board yesterday; so for all those who were doubting my seriousness about this project: chew on it. 

You all know that Senator Kevin Parker and I have had our run-ins; that’s old news. Truth be told, Kevin and I have been political friends much longer than we have been feuding. But friends fight: that’s life. And believe me when I say that both Kevin and I are feisty and passionate human beings; so we will probably fight again. Today however, I have to tip my hat to him, for his determination in bringing a term limits referendum bill through the state legislature. I know he isn’t alone. I know that Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and many others in the NYC delegation are working overtime, and also behind the scenes to make this bill pass; and I commend them all. 

So, almost two weeks ago I got this call that John Liu was more than likely going to flip from Public (S)Advocate and do the Comptroller race instead. I said fine. Then I asked if I could run with the story right away, and I was told to wait just a bit. I said fine. Then I got caught up in my own campaign issues and dropped the ball -by not calling back my source to follow through. I could have scooped everyone/lol. 

So, now that John Liu has switched, let me say that I am leaning towards supporting him in this race. Let me also say that I am leaning towards supporting Saquan Jones to replace Al Vann in Bed-Stuy. I am also leaning towards Anthony Weiner in the mayoral race, and as much as I respect both Billy Thompson and Tony Avella as candidates, I haven’t pulled the trigger on that endorsement for Tony Weiner as yet: but I am close. I will do that endorsement column by Easter. I will make a firm decision by then. 

People say some dumb things sometimes, and that’s just the way it is folks; remember this. Whether in politricks or poli-sci, (sh) it happens. Whether in casual conversation or in serious discourse, people say some dumb things sometimes. That’s all. And some of these sayings become lore as soon as they leave stupid lips; others move you to anger or even tears; some awaken latent fears. For example; when Hilary Clinton used the “assassination” innuendo to justify staying in the presidential primary, I personally thought it was the lowlight of the entire race. And yet Barack Obama did the most decent thing any US president has probably done for an opponent: he redeemed her. He awarded her the coveted “Secretary of State” job. And this has gone relatively unnoticed. Barack Obama is truly a decent human being. His mother and her folks raised him well.  

Last night in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Al Sharpton held an event akin to a citizen’s forum. I really hope that Rev would travel all around the state and do one of these every month. It is sorely needed: believe me. This was another good moment for the Reverend. He needs more like this. He brought out a few electeds, plus the education chancellor (Klein), to face the citizens and answer questions pertaining to the stimulus package monies about to flow down from Washington. The questions and answers went all over the place. One minute they were talking stimulus, next minute it was green jobs. One minute it was education, next minute it was job-development. One second it was about crime, another second it was about the police. But that’s okay, since the needs of the black communities are all over the place: we are in trouble in many a predominantly-black neighborhood: serious trouble.

Okay; so I have been keeping my readers up to date, as I move towards a run for city council later this year; so here is the latest. Last month, I secured an EIN number from the IRS, and on February 5th, 2009, I clocked and filed my campaign committee with the NYC Board of Elections in Manhattan; then I mailed notarized copies of said papers to the State Board of Elections in Albany the very same day. Next, I opened up my campaign account with a commercial bank, on Saturday 7th, February, 2009. This account is now close to one thousand dollars after 3 weeks (not good at all/LOL). I must admit that fundraising has been rather disappointing so far. I am assuming it is the current state of the economy. In fact, I am hoping that’s what it is and not that my candidacy is failing to attract money/rofl. If it continues at this rate I will have to start hitting up my rich white friends soon/lmao.  

Most of us who have been involved in New York’s politics for a while now, know that C. Virginia Fields has paid a lifetime of dues in politics and community development. She is -amongst many things- a social worker with a Master’s degree in sociology or social work. She cut her teeth in the civil rights struggles of the nineteen-fifties and sixties. She was born in the South; one time she was even arrested (and locked up) with Dr. Martin Luther King for participating in a sit-in. She was only sixteen years old then. She took her young life into her hands: talk about sacrifice and bravery.