Don't Let Our Stimulus Money Go To Atlantic Yards!

Paying out $165 million in bonuses to those criminals at A.I.G. was enough of a kick in the ass this week. Don't let our tax dollars go to bailing out Bruce Rat-ner too.

Sign this petition to let Governor Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg know that we refuse to give one penny of our stimulus money to Forest City Ratner's Atlantic Yards project:

http://www.petitiononline.com/noaystim/petition.html

Congressman Vito Lopez?!?

All this talk about Hillary becoming Secretary of State has my head spinning.

If Hillary does take the job, she could single-handedly start a chain reaction that could change a good portion of the political landscape of Brooklyn overnight.

It all starts with the open U.S. Senate seat. As Liz Benjamin reported last week in The Daily News, Governor Paterson would likely appoint Brooklyn/Manhattan Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez to replace Clinton. The rationale behind the move makes sense. Paterson is under fire by a duo of rogue Democratic State Senators from the Bronx for the dearth of Latinos in leadership positions - a sharp thorn in Paterson's side given that the two State Senators are threatening to keep the State Senate in Republican hands if the Democrats don't make concessions. Elevating Velazquez to the Senate seat could go a long way to diffusing this criticism, while at the same time scoring points for Paterson with women voters.

Here's where things get crazy. If New York suddenly has Senator Velazquez, who is most likely to run for her Congressional seat?

(drum roll)

Vito Lopez!

Would any elected official in Brooklyn dare oppose him? I doubt it. And why wouldn't Vito want to be Congressman? Being a Congressman means way more money and power - the two things Vito loves most. What better promotion could he hope for?

And he could eat his cake too! Rep. Joe Crowley in Queens is both a Congressman and chair of the Queens Democratic Party. There's no reason why Vito couldn't keep his iron hold on Brooklyn's Democratic Party - and then some. Especially now that Mayor Bloomberg owes Vito big time for lining up Brooklyn's Council Members to hand Hizzoner another term.

Congressman Vito Lopez? I think I already hear Vito salivating. It finally seems appropriate that Vito left all of the Hillary for President signs up in the window of his office for weeks after Obama won the Democratic nomination. Could anyone be pulling harder for Secretary of State Clinton than Vito?

Oh, and who would run for Vito's Assembly seat if it became available? Diana Reyna? Erik Dilan? Then, would that mean more open Council seats in Brooklyn? Start your speculations now. If everything plays out according to Vito's wildest dreams, a lot of politicians' plans could be changing in the very near future.

Good Riddance, Betsy Gotbaum!

Not that public statements mean anything any more (like Mayor Bloomberg calling the extension of term limits a "disgrace"), but if Betsy Gotbaum holds true to her word that she won't seek reelection as Public Advocate in 2009, it's good news for New Yorkers.

It means we might finally get a Public Advocate, who, well, advocates for the public. The Public Advocate position, created originally to give Mark Green something to do, theoretically is supposed to be a check to the Mayor's power. The Advocate is the City's watchdog, the person who makes a ruckus for the people when they are being railroaded by their elected officials.

Where was Betsy last week when our City's government was stolen away from the people? Sitting docilely in the presiding officer's chair of Council chambers, urging our Council Members to be polite as they subverted the system.

Of course, for anyone following Gotbaum's horrendous seven year tenure, this was no surprise. Our City's ferocious "watchdog" curled up on the Mayor's lap on day one of the Bloomberg Administration and hasn't moved since. Can anyone come up with a single instance where Gotbaum even so much as whimpered token opposition to the Mayor? Even her own website can't come up with anything to boast except vague platitudes.

We need a real Public Advocate now more than ever. As impotent as the position has been to date, one of the only chances our City has to protect itself from its incumbents at this point might be the Public Advocate.

Fortunately, we already seem to have two promising candidates, who would make something of the job if elected. The first is Norman Siegel, a lawyer who has made his career crusading of behalf of the downtrodden and disenfranchised.

The second is Queens Councilman Eric Gioia. Gioia is a young, fiercely ambitious politician, who understands how to command the media's attention. He was on the right side of the term limits battle and has generally shown himself to be a populist. He might not have the track record of taking on "The Man" that Siegel can rightfully claim, but I could see him zealously amassing political points while beating down injustice in the way Eliot Spitzer and Andrew Cuomo have wielded the State Attorney General job.

Whoever the people's ultimate choice may be, New York can't afford another Betsy Gotbaum. We need a fighter, not a lover.

Queens Councilman Como Joins Brooklyn's Eugene Bringing "No" Vote Total to 19

Queens Councilman Anthony Como (R - Middle Village, Glendale, Ridgewood) joined Brooklyn Councilman Mathieu Eugene yesterday in officially announcing their opposition to the Mayor and Speaker Quinn's attempt to extend term limits.

This brings the number of "no" votes to 19, "yes" votes to 15, with 17 still undecided. In order for the measure to pass, 26 of 51 Council Members must vote "yes".

Como's vote is as stiking an indication of where the majority of the public stands on this issue as any opinion poll released so far. Como is currently locked in a fierce primary for his seat against Democrat Elizabeth Crowley, who he edged out by only 38 votes in a special election in March of this year. Since he is again squaring off against Crowley this November, it is clear that Como thinks voting "no" on the extension is what he must do to satisfy his constituents and hold his seat.

It is interesting to note that Como's district is traditionally Republican, so the fact that his constituents don't support extending term limits shows how far Mayor Bloomberg's once blue-chip stock has fallen with his former party since he switched his affiliation to Independent in June 2007. Como's decision makes him the second Republican to stray from the Mayor's side, following Staten Island Councilman Vincent Ignizio's vote. The only other Republican in the Council, Staten Island's James Oddo, remains undecided.

Call and email James Oddo and let him know you want your voice heard on term limits. Stay vigilant in lobbying your Council Members. Council Members Como and Eugene's "no" votes prove that your efforts are working!

Brooklyn Councilman Mathieu Eugene Decides to Side With The People Against Quinn

How effective was Council Speaker Christine Quinn's announcement that she would be supporting Mayor Bloomberg on extending term limits? Well, after Quinn's announcement yesterday, Brooklyn Councilman Mathieu Eugene (D-Kensington, Prospect-Lefferts, Ditmas Park) decided AGAINST siding with the Speaker's self-serving agenda.

Looks like Quinn's efforts to marshal her troops isn't going as well as planned. Quinn needs 26 votes in the Council to steamroll over the will of the voters, but by her own count there are currently only 15 votes in favor, 17 opposed (make that 18, counting Eugene), and now 18 undecided.

Relying upon shameless cognitive dissonance, Quinn insisted that there has been no “horse-trading or arm-twisting” involved in the massive effort to lobby Council Members for their support. But the public statements of pressured Council Members, clergymen, union leaders, and a host of other influential New Yorkers refute Quinn's fictitious claims.

Though I could not reach Councilman Eugene for comment this morning, I have a sneaking suspicion that the calls that so many of you have been making to Brooklyn Council Members played a part in Eugene's decision.

Congratulations, Optimist readers! And thank you, Councilman Eugene!

Attention Council Members David Yassky, Simcha Felder, Sara Gonzalez, Michael Nelson, and Kendall Stewart, the eyes of Brooklyn are upon you. It's time for you to step up and stand with the people.

Council Speaker Quinn Picks Quiet Sunday to Sell Out Voters on Term Limits

Anyone paying attention knew how City Council Speaker Christine Quinn stood on the Mayor's scheme to extend term limits long before Bloomberg formally announced his intentions. Today, Quinn used the political cover of a slow Sunday news cycle to make public her embarrassing position.

Surprise, surprise. She's for staying Speaker another four years.

Once upon a time, Quinn would have said "no" to extending term limits. Almost three years ago, she roared into the second most powerful job in the City with all the promise that being both New York City's first female and first LGBT Council Speaker carried with it. She was a darling of the City's progressives - a dynamic figure that would set the City free of the pro-establishment tilt that had long characterized the Council. The day she got into office the buzz that she would be New York's next Mayor began.

Then reality reared its ugly head. Quinn quickly became everything her supporters abhorred. She turned her back on progressives, good government advocates and the LGBT community. Instead, she decided to replace Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum as the Mayor's most obedient ally. As the Times reports, "Jokes about Ms. Quinn being a deputy mayor in the Bloomberg administration abound in the Council."

But that was just the beginning of Quinn's fall from grace. Up until several months ago, Quinn still had illusions (or delusions) of becoming New York City's first female Mayor. Then came the slush fund scandal. Under Quinn's leadership, the Council expanded its longtime illegal practice of "squirreling away millions of dollars in the name of made-up organizations". If you don't understand why that's so bad, check out this article.

Quinn tried to blame the scandal on two of her aides, but no one except the most gullible of reporters was buying. The steady stream of big money contributions Quinn was getting in preparation for a Mayoral run quickly started to dry up. Two of Brooklyn Councilman Kendall Stewart's top aides got indicted for their role in the bogus bonanza. Quinn, herself, hired a criminal defense attorney, using City funds to do so.

In short, Quinn's dreams of Gracie Mansion fell apart. She could never run for Mayor now that a major investigation and the word "scandal" hung heavily over her head. The end of her Council term in 2009 was shaping up to be the end of her political career.

Enter Mayor Bloomberg. The Mayor's proposal to save his own job was a godsend for Quinn. Four more years would mean that Quinn could have a chance at redemption - a chance for people to forget. If she could escape the slush fund scandal unscathed (I wonder if Mayor Mike might help her here?), four years from now she might once again be a viable candidate for mayor. Gosh darn it to heck, it worked good enough for John McCain to win his party's nomination for President twenty years after the Keating Five scandal almost sunk him.

Four years from now expect to hear Mayoral candidate Quinn argue that all is forgotten. Whether it will be is up to government investigators and, of course, you to decide.

How You Can Fight the Rise of "Tyranny" at City Hall

The Queens Tribune calls it "tyranny". "Never has the city seemed so nakedly for sale," writes Newsday. The good government group Common Cause wants the Mayor investigated for using "his position in a prohibited manner to obtain personal advantage in a quid pro quo deal with Ronald Lauder." Even the Mayor himself said (back in 2005): "I think it would be an absolute disgrace to go around the public will."

But still the City Council and Mayor Bloomberg are less than two weeks away from pulling off the most shameful power grab in the history of New York. This is the time for all New Yorkers to stand up and save our City from the naked ambition of our elected officials.

Here's what you can do right now that's quick, easy and effective: Call Our Council Members! Below you'll find a list of all of the City's Council Members, their contact information, and where they stand on the issue. If we don't all work together to apply pressure to the Council Members, who are undecided or support the extension of term limits, then NO ONE WILL!

Forward this blog post to all of your friends and urge them to take action! I know that we're all wrapped up with getting Barack Obama elected, but to bring about the change we need in America we all have to do our part in our own community. Spread the word!

COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE UNDECIDED OR THEIR POSITION IS UNKNOWN

Christine Quinn (Council Speaker - Manhattan)
District Phone: (212) 564-7757
District Fax: (212)564-7347
Legislative Office Phone: (212) 788-7210
Legislative Office Fax: (212) 788-7207
E-mail Address: http://council.nyc.gov/d3/html/members/home.shtml

Matthieu Eugene (Brooklyn)
District Phone: 718-287-8762
District Fax: 718-287-8917
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7352
Legislative Office Fax: 212-788-8087

Simcha Felder (Brooklyn)
District Phone: 718-853-2704
District Fax: 718-853-3858
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7357
E-mail Address: felder@council.nyc.ny.us

Sara Gonzalez (Brooklyn)
District Office Phone: 718-439-9012
District Office Fax: 718-439-9042
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7372

Michael Nelson (Brooklyn)
District Office Phone: 718-368-9176
District Office Fax: 718-368-9160
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7360
E-mail Address: nelson@council.nyc.ny.us

Kendall Stewart (Brooklyn)
District Office Phone: 718-951-8177
District Office Fax: 718-951-8191
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-6859

David Yassky (Brooklyn)
District Office Phone: 718-875-5200
District Office Fax: 718-643-6620
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7348
E-mail Address: yassky@council.nyc.ny.us

Michael McMahon (Brooklyn/Staten Island)
District Phone: 718-556-7370
District Fax: 718-556-7389
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-6972
Legislative Office Fax: 212-341-3045
E-mail Address: mcmahon@council.nyc.ny.us

Anthony Como (Queens)
District Phone: (718) 366-3900
District Fax: (718) 326-3549
Legislative Office Phone: (212) 788-7381
E-mail Address: acomo@council.nyc.gov

Melinda Katz (Queens)
District Phone: 718-544-8800
District Fax: 718-544-4452
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-6981
Legislative Office Fax: 212-788-7052
E-mail Address: katz@council.nyc.ny.us

James Sanders (Queens)
District Phone: 718-527-4356
District Fax: 718-527-4402
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7216
Legislative Office Fax: 212-227-1210
E-mail Address: sanders@council.nyc.ny.us

Helen Sears (Queens)
District Phone: 718-803-6373
District Fax: 718-803-9832
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7066
E-mail Address: sears@council.nyc.ny.us

Hiram Monserrate (Queens)
District Phone: 718-205-3881
District Fax: 718-205-4145
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-6862
Legislative Office Fax: 212-442-2725
E-mail Address: monserrate@council.nyc.ny.us

Peter Vallone Jr. (Queens)
District Phone: 718-274-4500
District Fax: 718-726-0357
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-6963
Legislative Office Fax: 212-788-8957

Thomas White (Queens)
District Phone: 718-843-0792
District Fax: 718-845-0817
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-6850
Legislative Office Fax: 212-442-2729
E-mail Address: twhite@council.nyc.gov

Gale Brewer (Manhattan)
District Phone: 212-873-0282
District Fax: 212-873-0279
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-6975
Legislative Office Fax: 212-513-7717
E-mail Address: brewer@council.nyc.ny.us

Inez Dickens (Manhattan)
District Phone: 212-678-4505
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7397
Legislative Office Fax: 212-442-2732

Alan Gerson (Manhattan)
District Phone: 212-788-7722
District Fax: 212-788-7727
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7259
Legislative Office Fax: 212-788-7727
E-mail Address: gerson@council.nyc.ny.us

Jessica Lappin (Manhattan)
District Phone: 212-980-1808
District OFax: 212-980-1828
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-6865
Legislative Office Fax: 212-442-5503
E-mail Address: lappin@council.nyc.ny.us

James Oddo (Staten Island)
District Phone: 718-980-1017
District Fax: 718-980-1051
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7159
Legislative Office Fax: 212-788-7232

Helen Foster (Bronx)
District Phone: 718-588-7500
District Fax: 718-588-7790
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-6856
E-mail Address: foster@council.nyc.ny.us

COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR IGNORING THE VOTERS
AND EXTENDING THEIR OWN TIME IN OFFICE

Erik Dilan (Brooklyn)
District Phone: 718-642-8664
District Fax: 718-642-8639
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7284
Legislative Office Fax: 212-227-5636
E-mail Address: emdilan@council.nyc.ny.us

Lewis A. Fidler (Brooklyn)
District Phone: 718-241-9330
District Fax: 718-241-9316
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7286
Legislative Office Fax: 212-227-3176

Diana Reyna (Brooklyn)
District Phone: 718-963-3141
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7095
Legislative Office Fax: 212-788-7296

Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. (Brooklyn)
District Phone: 718-373-9673
District Fax: 718-373-0195
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7045
LegislativeOffice Fax: 212-788-7769
E-mail Address: recchia@council.nyc.ny.us

Albert Vann (Brooklyn)
District Phone: 718-919-0740
District Fax: 718-919-0744
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7354
Legislative Office Fax: 212-788-8951
E-mail Address: vann@council.nyc.ny.us

Leroy Comrie (Queens)
District Phone: 718-776-3700
District Fax: 718-776-3798
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7084
Legislative Office Fax: 212-788-7093

Robert Jackson (Manhattan)
District Phone: 212-928-1322
District Fax: 212-928-4177
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7007
Legislative Office Fax: 212-788-9190
E-mail Address: jackson@council.nyc.ny.us

Miguel Martinez (Manhattan)
District Office Phone: 917-521-2616/2640
District Office Fax: 917-521-1293
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7053
Legislative Office Fax: 212-227-1215
E-mail Address: martinez@council.nyc.ny.us

Maria del Carmen Arroyo (Bronx)
District Office Phone: 718-402-6130
District Office Fax: 718-402-0539
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7384
Legislative Office Fax: 212-788-8920
E-mail Address: marroyo@council.nyc.gov

Maria Baez (Bronx)
District Phone: 718-294-3950
District Fax: 718-294-3955
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7074
Legislative Office Fax: 212-788-8849
E-mail Address: baez@council.nyc.ny.us

G. Oliver Koppell (Bronx)
District Phone: 718-549-7300
District Fax: 718-549-9945
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-7078
E-mail Address: koppell@council.nyc.ny

Joel Rivera (Bronx)
District Office Phone: 718-842-8100
District Office Fax: 718-842-6280
Legislative Office Phone: 212-788-6966
Legislative Office Fax: 212-788-8977
E-mail Address: rivera@council.nyc.ny.us

COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR LETTING THE PEOPLE DECIDE

Joseph Addabbo (Queens)
Tony Avella (Queens)
Charles Barron (Brooklyn)
Bill de Blasio (Brooklyn)
James Gennaro (Queens)
Vincent Gentile (Brooklyn)
Eric N. Gioia (Queens)
Daniel Garodnick (Manhattan)
Vincent Ignizio (Staten Island)
Leticia James (Brooklyn)
John C. Liu (Queens)
Melissa Mark-Viverito (Manhattan)
Darlene Mealy (Brooklyn)
Rosie Mendez (Manhattan)
Anabel Palma (Bronx)
James Vacca (Bronx)

35 Brooklyn Democratic County Committee Members Say NO to Extending Term Limits

An Open Letter from 35 Members of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee to the New York City Council Opposing the Extension of Term Limits

cc: Mayor Mike Bloomberg
Council Speaker Christine Quinn
Ronald Lauder


Dear Council Members:

What if President Bush had decided to amend the Constitution so that he could run for a third term? Surely, since 47 out of 51 of you are Democrats, this notion must be pretty frightening. Yet it is this concern that best sums up why we oppose the proposal before you to extend term limits.

Whether term limits are good for New York City is not an issue we care to argue. In the past 15 years, the voters of our City have twice decided that philosophical debate for themselves. In fact, it is as a result of their decision that most of you owe your current jobs. But now that you are on the verge of having to relinquish your power to a new generation of leaders, many of you are having second thoughts.

Surely, you can’t expect voters to interpret your motivations to extend term limits as anything but a self-serving power grab. Every dictator in world history faced with term limits has argued at the last minute of their reign that the political climate is so serious the people must keep them in power or else fear ruin. Well, New York City didn’t buckle when Mayor Giuliani tried to stay in office after 9/11. Now, we ask you to show the same courage and stand up to Mayor Bloomberg.

The people of New York need your help as City Council Members to protect our vote. The major newspapers, so many of our elected officials, and even Ron Lauder, once the foremost champion of term limits, have all abandoned us or cut backroom deals. You’re the last hope of the little guy. If you really think that New Yorkers want this change, then put Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal back on the ballot for referendum and let us decide.

We 35 members of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee ran for office to be the voice of our neighbors and our communities. We thought you ran for office for the same reason. Here’s your chance to prove us right.

Sincerely,

Llewellyn Armstrong, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Alice Backer, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Martin J. Bernstein, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Evan Burr, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Vallie Copeland, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Craig Czarnecki, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Christopher Diamond, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Esteban Duran, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Ellen Enders, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Hal Friedman, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Sabrina Gates, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
David Greenson, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Jen Halbert, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
MacGregor Harp, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Jamila Jabulani, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Cyril Joseph, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Steven Juskowicz, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Glenn T. Kelly, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Cheryl Krauss, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Jeff S. Merritt, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
David Michaelson, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Gilford T. Monrose, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Ethan Nichtern, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Chris Owens, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Morgan Pehme, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Colin Phillips, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Mireyda Reyes, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Sam Ritchie, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Joy Romanski, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Bill Salzman, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Josh Skaller, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Eva Talmadge, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Kelly L. Thompson, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
Theodore Wright, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member
James Zika, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

How Extending City Term Limits Secretly Benefits Our Statewide Politicians

Despite the recent deluge of articles about Mayor Bloomberg and the Council's scheme to extend term limits, one significant consequence of the proposed change has been carelessly overlooked.

City officials won't be the only ones making out on this backroom deal. Our Statewide politicians will see big dividends too.

Why does Governor Paterson favor doing away with term limits? Let's see. Do you think that it could have anything to do with Mayor Bloomberg being the only candidate who could beat him in 2010?

State Senators and Assembly Members across the five boroughs will breathe a sigh of relief the day the Council extends term limits. Why? Just ask longtime incumbent State Senators Serph Maltese and Frank Padavan from Queens. Both of them are locked in tense general election campaigns, because Council Members Joe Addabbo Jr. and Jim Gennaro thought they had to go looking for new jobs now that their time in the Council was up.

Yes, the issue of the Democrats taking control of the Senate is an indisputable catalyst too, but, if this aim were first and foremost for Addabbo and Gennaro, how come they didn't run for these seats in 2006? The Democrats wanted the Senate then too.

For the past couple of years, our Assembly Members and State Senators have secretly feared the same fate as Maltese and Padavan. And don't think this is just a Democrat vs. Republican thing. Our City Council Members, for the most part, are ambitious men and women, for whom retiring into the private sector (read: obscurity) has little charm. Do you not think that there are plenty of Council Members eyeing up their fellow Democrats' seats?

What about Bronx Councilman Miguel Martinez? When Martinez announced his bid to run for Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat's seat this past June, the City Room headline in The Times read "Assembly Primary to Match Friends Turned Rivals". In the article, Jonathan Hicks decribes Martinez and Espaillat's former rapport "as a big brother and little brother relationship — or at the very least political mentor and mentee". What changed? The lust for power.

Strong political friendships routinely disintegrate when they are no longer convenient for one of the parties to maintain. How many other City Council Members have their sights set on a seat currently occupied by a "mentor"? We won't find out until 2013 if term limits are extended.

If they are, expect a number of longtime lovefests to start dissolving around 2011. That will give the Council Member just enough time to forge the track record of indignation necessary to justify his or her challenge of a one-time pal.

Our State Senators and Assembly Members aren't stupid, especially when it comes to calculating how they're going to stay in office. They know that the only challenge that could likely topple their otherwise iron-clad incumbencies would come from someone with the name recognition and donor base of a fellow elected official.

As long as our Citywide officals stay put, so too will our Statewide electeds. You can be sure that everyone in Albany has their eyes (and their influence) firmly focused on City Hall.

Don't Expect Change at City Hall (Maybe Bush Should Stick Around Too!)

The Optimist has spent the last couple of weeks talking to City Hall insiders about whether term limits will likely be extended another four years. His conclusion? Mayor Bloomberg and the current City Council class will be sticking around until 2013.

By numerous unofficial counts, there are at least 34 Councilmembers out of a possible 51 in favor of giving themselves another four-year term (a 2/3 majority is necessary to change the current law) and more are likely to cave. It seems that with the economic downturn our fearless Councilmembers think this isn't the best time to go looking for another job.

What does this mean? The hundreds of Council candidates waiting in the wings to swoop into empty seats will be seriously pissed off. Some of them have spent 2, 4, even 8 years diligently going to community meetings, building their lists of contacts, and ingratiating themselves to anyone who would listen. Now the vast majority of them are likely not to run, demoralized by the daunting prospect of facing off against a highly favored incumbent.

And just think about how many consultants, staffmembers, and petitioners will be denied paychecks because of the hotly-contested primaries that now never will occur. Talk about a blow to the local economy!

Of course, a few brave souls will hold fast to their dreams and take aim at toppling an incumbent. I have heard from a few candidates intent upon sticking with it. I wish them the best. Despite the odds, I think they will have a strong case to make to voters that their opponents have demonstrated contempt for the will of the people, who have twice voted in the last decade for term limits.

Is it not the hallmark of tyrants to change laws just so they can keep power? Who among them would have the right to protest if President Bush tried to do the same?