I ran around the City Council chambers chatting with members about the primary elections on Tuesday, the impact term limits may have had, and the upcoming mayor’s race. Here’s are some quick highlights:
Oliver Koppell, said, “I got 64 percent. Last time I got 76 percent. I think the difference was largely term limits. But Read More
The executive director of Citizens Union strongly opposed extending term limits legislatively, and hopes that those City Council members who went along with the rules change face the wrath of voters at the polls tomorrow.
But it may not work out that way. In fact, only a handful of the more than two Read More
At a televised debate last night, Darlene Mealy defended one of her more eccentric supporters from the accusation that he’s emotionally disturbed by saying “all our great leaders are.”
The comment came when opponents Tracy Boyland and Tony Herbert were questioning Mealy about $5,000 in public money she gave to Lynval Read More
Dr. bidi Xili, the “lunatic” who got $5,000 in member item money from Darlene Mealy, was outside City Hall yesterday, handing out literature in support of her.
I chatted with him and asked if he’s supporting anyone for mayor. Indeed, he is.
Michael Bloomberg!
Why?
Because Bloomberg is left-handed.
In the paper he Read More
Some more notes on the Working Families Party endorsements that were announced the other day:
It seems like the big winner there is Vito Lopez, the assemblyman and county Democratic chair from Brooklyn. The W.F.P. endorsed two candidates he’s supporting in competitive races.
The first is Stephen Levin, Lopez’s Read More
The bloc of City Council members opposed to changing the law on term limits legislatively just got one more supporter.
Councilwoman Darlene Mealy of Brooklyn, according to a line buried in this NY1 story, has now said she supports putting the issue up for a referendum. Mealy had initially declined to Read More
Among the funding requests cut by the Council from its budget was one for the Bronx African American Chamber of Commerce, which was slated to get $10,000 at the request of City Councilman Larry Seabrook. The organization earned some attention when it came out that they never accounted for the ultimate Read More
Christine Quinn is pushing back on the notion that she squashed a hearing on legislation here because it was aimed at supporting a bill in congress authored by Barack Obama. Quinn, a Hillary Clinton supporter, just sent a letter to City Council member Darelene Mealy explainng why the hearing Read More
The city’s Independence Party, which is currently rallying around Lenora Fulani’s 2009 citywide race, is looking for fund-raisers. A reader passed on this help wanted ad from Craigslist, which says, “The New York City Independence Party is seeking energetic callers for 6 week fundraising drive, with possibility Read More
Here is Hiram Monserrate, one of only five City Council members to have voted against a 25 percent pay raise for the council.
The others were Michael McMahon, Andrew Lanza, Darlene Mealy, and Tony Avella.
One insider gave me some speculative reasons for why some of them might have voted this way:
McMahon hopes Read More
