Next week Tuesday (Election Day) there will be a special election held for the 28th council-manic district in Queens. The need for which came about after Council-member Tom White died recently. Originally there were fourteen candidates registered with the NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB); namely (in alphabetical order and with latest CFB financial-filing numbers): Victor Babb -$15,500; *Albert Baldeo -$54,994; *Charles Bilal -$5,298; *Martha Butler -$0; Leroy Gadsden -$0; *Allan Jennings -$15,417; Vishnu Mahadeo -$0; Joseph Marthune -$0; Elaine Nunes -$0; Lyn Nunes -$0; *Nicole Paultre-Bell -$12,033; Hattie Powell -$0; *Harpreet Toor -$18,895; and *Ruben Wills-$25,800. The seven with an asterisk (*) in front their names, have survived the petition and court-challenge phases and are now on the ballot. Only one (Willis) has received matching funds so far. Do note that former council-member Jennings has withdrawn from the matching funds program of CFB. 

Now, I am not going to get into all the political gossip and mud-slinging that has plagued this race up to this point, since it has really been distracting as far as I am concerned. Some mainstream (and even local) newspapers have had a field-day with all the gossip, attacks, lies, innuendo and aspersions cast by various candidates against other candidates. On the streets of this district all sorts of sordid things have been said, and all sorts of nasty literature have been lit-dropped: so I am excusing myself from all that. However, I will endorse RUBEN WILLS and I will tell you why. 

Initially, I felt that there were four candidates in this race with decent chances of winning. In that list I included Baldeo, Jennings, Paultre-Bell and Wills. I didn't think the other three survivors (Bilal, Butler and Toor) had much chance of attaining victory. Look, I am not saying I am right or wrong; I am just giving my opinion that's all. For full disclosure let me say that I thought Lyn Nunes would have won had he made the ballot: but neither he nor his sister made it; so that's yesterday's news. 

I want to believe that Ms. Nicole Paultre-Bell has now emerged as the favorite to win this race, since she picked up the endorsements of two formidable unions recently (1199 and 32BJ). On Election Day their GOTV (get-out-the-vote) operations will be quite helpful to her cause. She has also secured endorsements from Congressman Gregory Meeks, activist Al Sharptongue, Public Advocate Bill DiBlasio, Council-members Jumanee Williams, Ydannis Rodriguez, James Sanders and many others. I am told that she has been on a roll since Congressman Meeks pushed her into this race; deliberately stepping in to block Wills and his endorsement from the Queens County Democratic Party machine. 
It is said that Meeks has never forgiven Wills for attempting to challenge him in a primary a few years aback. If this is true then Meeks has put revenge ahead of common sense. Let me tell you why I say so. 

I have nothing personal against Ms. Paultre-Bell. I know little about this ostensibly beautiful young woman beyond what I have read in the newspapers, after her fiancee was tragically killed by over-zealous policemen, in an infamous shooting a few years aback. This was both sad and unfortunate. But as far as I have been able to ascertain, neither Ms. Bell nor her deceased fiancée (Sean) were ever involved in the politics of this district. I am told she still lives in Long Island. A news report claims that even yesterday she said that she still hasn't moved into the district as yet; but expects to be living there by Election Day: which is exactly six days away. She is surely cutting it close despite still being within the letter of the law. 

Of the seven candidates running, she is most likely the least politically-active here. Whatever she has done in regard to politics and community-activism, seems to have come about after the tragic shooting. This endorsement from Meeks and company is a slap in the face of many others in this race who have been involved in politics and community development for eons. There were others in this race more deserving of these high-profile backers. I wish these endorsers would explain their justification to some of these candidates: I am sure that many of them are now very anxious to know the reasoning behind this groundswell of support for Ms. Bell. Is she up to date on community issues? How well does she understand the history of this community and its development? Can she articulate the needs of the city and of the district in particular? Where does she stand on contemporary political issues in general? Does she understand policy-formation or the inner-workings of the city council? Has she ever studied the city charter? And so on and so on!

In communities of color we need more people to become active in the local politics. We need more people involved in their churches, schools and civic organizations. We need more activity on community boards and their attendant committees. We need more involvement in block associations and tenant groups. We need more crime-watchers and civilian patrols. We need more input by ordinary citizens into issues facing us on a daily basis. When elected officials bypass those who have paid dues in various communities of color, in order to support neophytes for public office, simply because of personal vendettas (or because other higher-ups control them and push candidates on them), what they actually do is further discourage others from contributing and becoming more involved in the community. Many potential candidates, their relatives, friends and supporters look at these things and feel unappreciated and undervalued. They often spread a bitter disgruntlement across the hood, contaminating others and discouraging many. It may sound trite, but it is true. 

Look; from where I come in politics, “paying dues” counts. Ruben Wills has paid a lot of dues. He has been active in community-service since he was a youngster. He is about forty years old and has been involved in youth-development, economic-development, Christian-church outreach, sports, education, business, community-development, political activism, et al. When hospitals were closing all over the city Ruben Wills could be seen (and heard from) openly protesting against these closings in various communities (not just in communities of color). He was an early Obama supporter, who has worked with unions for worker's rights and for better working-conditions for all. He has marched for human and civil rights, and also for issues and causes that were local, state, national and international in scope. He is a bona- fide political activist. 

It is notable that Wills has the support of various electeds in the area, including state senators Shirley Huntley and Malcolm Smith; assembly members Vivian Cook and William Scarborough; councilman Leroy Comrie; and an assorted number of male and female district leaders all over south-east Queens. He also has union-backing, including police officers from the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (PBA) and the formidable DC 37 city workers. He should do well next Tuesday, but his chances of winning have surely diminished since Ms. Bell's ascendancy. Still, I wish him all the luck in the world: he is probably going to need some. 

Stay tuned-in folks.