Category: News and Opinion

Favorite Brooklyn Quote of the week:

 Reasons to vote against Charles Barron #476:

"Just 42 members of the House are black. And only one Senator is black – some guy named Barack Obama, and I don’t know who that is. Some guy they stuck in there." – the Councilman at Grace Baptist Church, March 25, 2006.

(Bill Batson, you better watch out!)

                                        *

 Whilst the US Congress debates the thorny issues  of immigration and national security, all rolled into one great immigration reform package , the silence in Brooklyn of so-called Caribbean – American leaders is deafening.  But then: what’s new? In 1996 President Bill Clinton signed a supposed anti-terrorism bill, that turned out to be the worst piece of legislation afflicting the Caribbean, in the then 220 year history of this country. Ten years after this signing, the "islands" ( and all the mainland countries touching the Caribbean Sea), are suffering a crime-wave of anarchic porportions. For those unfamiliar with the issue, the US government  started a systematic deportation of lawbreakers, with no regard for  the impact. It has been devestating, especially in Trinidad, Haiti,Jamaica and Guyana.  

 Everyone surely knows by now that Assemblywoman Diane Gordon ( 40AD/ East New York/Brooklyn), has been directly linked to the whole sordid Clarence Norman  corruption mess. What is also known is that Ms. Gordon had failed to file campaign finance reports for almost 6 years or so.  Rumor has it that Ms. Gordon is close to an indictment for various political money shenanigans , especially when she pleaded "the fifth"on the stand, as a witness during one of Norman’s trials. It was stated some time aback that Ms. Gordon asked for immunity when Norman was before the Grand Jury. It was also stated that DA Hynes refused to grant her request.

Former College President and candidate for Governor Bill Weld probably thought he had a full proof way to jump start his sinking campaign. Propose a stupendous tax cut and Republican & Conservative base would swoon. After all it worked before for Reagan, Pataki, Tom Kean, Christie Whitman & both Bushes among others. But poor Bill, the normal cheerleaders for any tax cut are complaining his numbers don’t add up. Funny the fact that the numbers didn’t add up any better for the before mentioned candidates didn’t seem to matter before.  But Bill is being criticized. See Wednesday & today’s NY Sun. If former editors of the Wall St. Journal won’t salute a tax cur it’s time for Bill to quit the race. Maybe he can use his experience as a educator and go back to Massachusetts and apply for the Harvard Presidency.

Not so long ago, New York politicos used to refer to the State of Israel as the 6^th Borough. Changing demographics, among other factors, have rendered this truism a little less true with age. But, while changing times have greatly shaken Israeli politics, in Brooklyn, our 1st Borough, we often take years to adjust to any new realities.

This week’s elections in Israel served to illustrate this dichotomy.

In response to numerous requests (actually just one), I plan to periodically publish reports on who the likely voters are in the upcoming "hot" elections. These percentages are based on data in the Prime New York voter file and these reports come with the usual caveats – ethnic data is based on last names so are not 100% accurate, past voting behavior is not always predicative, etc. Here we go with the 11th CD Democratic Primary, the seat being vacated by Major Owens.

Likely Primary Voters Estimated Percentages

Blacks    60%

Jewish   15%

Mayor Mike’s tough testimony in DC concerned a bill that prevents the City and others from getting gun trace data. According to the Times, the restrictions began as a result of a law suit againt gun manufacturers & dealers started by Rudy’s administation. Wouldn’t it be a good idea for reporters to ask Rudy about this? Does he still support holding manufacturers & dealers responsible for gun violence? Does he agree with Mike’s rhetoric? Will he stop raising money for pro-gun Republicans?

Guess who ended up as David Patterson’s Campaign Manager for his Lt. Governor run (coronation)?       

YES, you guessed it:  LUTHER SMITH.                                                         The former chief-of -staff to C.Viriginia Fields ( ex-Manhattan Beep ) was last seen working on Freddie Ferrer’s Mayoral campaign, as a Special-Assistant to the candidate himself (post-primary). This likeable, hard-working and competent guy, was rumored to have hooked up with Bill Lynch’s consulting firm.  From where we stand at this  moment in time, it looks like a ‘piece of cake " for Luther. Score one for the nice-guys.                                               

Gubernatorial candidate Tom Suozzi is in Brooklyn today making the rounds. Among those he is scheduled to meet are Wellington Sharpe  ( announced candidate for the 58th AD), and NYC councilmember Charles Barron- who is  running for Congress in the 10th Congressional District.

Suozzi whose candidacy is considered a longshot  by many,  has a lot of catching-up to do against  his opponent AG Elliot Spitzer, relative to the black vote. Polls show him as a relatively unknown amongst black voters. He will be well advised to work very hard in Brooklyn.

From NY SUN – "Council Member Charles Barron of Brooklyn expressed his views on landmarking in general. "I appreciate historic preservation, but also I appreciate the freedom for property owners to have control over their property. That’s the real challenge here because it really could be an infringement on property owners," he said".