Observer » John DeSio

New York Pols Who Make Tweets

Azi Paybarah — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:49:02 -0400

I never thought cutting my hair was a sign of the implosion of the American economy, until I read about it on Twitter.

“benpolitico: times tough: @azipaybarah cutting own hair.”

The item is short, true, and was written a few seconds after the words left my mouth. I was sitting at my desk in City Hall making some idle conversation with a source when part of the talk went online.

Not that it was all that surprising. These days, if you don't share, chances are someone else will do the sharing for you.

I've been doing my best for a while now to get well into this spirit of full (or excess, depending on your taste) disclosure.

On Youtube, I’ve posted an interview with my mom, and more than once let some local politicos take over my camera and subject me to their questions. On Flickr, pictures from my vacation are interspersed with shots of Michael Bloomberg and David Paterson. On Facebook, “friends” I’ve met while covering their campaigns now know which high school I went to and how often I miss my favorite Wednesday night television show.

That was all before Twitter.

Now, rapid-fire Tweets have stripped away all bells and whistles from today’s multi-dimensional communication arts and put into everyone’s hands a haiku Uzi.

This Twittery new landscape on which New York politicos meet their online audiences is dramatically different from what existed just a couple of years ago, meaning that the online reporting world that followed Michael Bloomberg’s first re-election looks nothing like the one that will follow his second.

Dissemination of news is instantaneous. The gathering part is quicker too.

Take, as an example, me: Twitter helps me find what's floating out there, letting me aggregate RSS feeds into a cascade of, well, everything. Sometimes, it acts like a comments section detached from any particular web site or blog entry. Other times it acts like a quicker (and more public) form of email. I asked a New York Times employee, over Twitter, who else in his company uses the site. Minutes later, over Twitter, he sent me the list. (Thanks again.)

The PolitickerNY site automatically feeds stories to Twitter, using a formula most web sites do: the headline is the body of the lede are sucked into the body of the Tweet and then there’s a link to read more if you like. Additionally, I go on Twitter, using my own name, to write my own Tweets that let people know in the shortest possible terms what I have to offer.

A growing vanguard of local politicos and journalists seems to be warming to the possibilities of doing likewise. Earlier this month, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum starting Twittering, making her the latest New York politico to enter the hasty new world of unfiltered, incremental communication with the public.

Here are a few more Twitterers:

Michael Bloomberg, mayor

http://twitter.com/mikebloomberg

Howard Wolfson, Bloomberg spokesman

http://twitter.com/howiewolf

Kevin Sheekey, Bloomberg aide

http://twitter.com/kevinsheekey

Bill Thompson, comptroller

http://twitter.com/Thompson2009

Jeff Simmons, Thompson spokesman

http://twitter.com/JackHites

Christine Quinn, Council speaker

http://twitter.com/quinn2009

Bill de Blasio, councilman

http://twitter.com/billdeblasio

Eric Gioia, councilman

http://twitter.com/ericgioia

Eli Richlin, Gioia spokesman

http://twitter.com/elirichlin

The Working Families Party

http://twitter.com/WorkingFamilies

Patrick LaForge, Times editor

http://twitter.com/palafo

Sewell Chan, Times reporter

http://twitter.com/sewell_chan

Errol Louis, Daily News columnist

http://twitter.com/errollouis

Alex Zablocki, public advocate candidate

http://twitter.com/alexforpa

KT McFarland, former Republican Senate candidate

http://twitter.com/ktmcfarland

Joseph Mercurio, consultant

http://twitter.com/Natpol

Brooklyn Young Republicans

http://twitter.com/BrooklynYR

Andrew Hawkins, City Hall News reporter

http://twitter.com/andyjayday

John DeSio, Riverdale Review reporter

http://twitter.com/johndesio

The New York City Council

http://twitter.com/NYCCouncil

http://twitter.com/azipaybarah

[Image captured by Nicholas Carr at Britannica Blog]

Foster Challenges 'Polarizing' Hispanic Machine in the Bronx

Azi Paybarah — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:38:23 -0400

Helen Foster, who is contemplating a run for Bronx Borough President, said the last two people who have held that job have divided the borough’s black and Puerto Rican communities.

A story in the Riverdale Review (still not online!) this week quoted Foster’s father, the former Councilman in the area, at a February 7 meeting saying, “The last two borough presidents we've had were not and are not sympathetic to the black community.”

Helen Foster, who was at the meeting, defended the remarks. She told me in an interview yesterday afternoon, “In terms of Freddy Ferrer and Adolfo Carrion, I don’t think those statements need further explaining. It is what it is.”

She continued, “I think they have furthered the polarization between the black and Puerto Rican community in Bronx County.”

Proof?

“I think where you need to look is look in his office, and see who is hired and who is working on projects and see the projects he’s endorsed,” she said.

The Riverdale Review article had also quoted Foster saying, “Queens is the last plantation, and I'm not talking about the residents, I'm talking about the elected officials.”

That would be a reference to Queens Democratic County Leader Joe Crowley.

When asked about the comment, she told me, “I’m not limiting it to Joe Crowley. What I’m saying is it is a stronghold for people that are into County organizations and it’s an example to look to where the County leader controls how people vote, controls everything.”

UPDATE: When asked for comment, Ferrer emailed to say, "How very sad."

NY Press Fires Blogger

Azi Paybarah — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:39:40 -0400

A bit of news from the small world of local political blogging: New York Press writer and blogger John DeSio is out, ending what has been his tortured relationship with the alt-weekly that was recently acquired by the more mainstream Manhattan Media.

From an email he‘s sending to friends and colleagues:

“Differences with new management over just what the column should be have kept it out of the paper since mid-September, and this morning I was informed that my services as a blogger were no longer required.”

DeSio, in what may well be a new trend for departing writers from that publication, launched his own web site. (Full disclosure: I worked for that paper under different management.)

Anyway, DeSio is keeping his job as an editor for a Bronx newspaper (which still isn’t online!), but at least he’ll be operating with less red tape.

Here's his whole good-bye email:

Hello All,

As Homer Simpson once said, "welcome to the humiliating world of professional writing."

In February 2006 I took over the "Follow The Leader" political column and blogging duties at the New York Press. Differences with new management over just what the column should be have kept it out of the paper since mid-September, and this morning I was informed that my services as a blogger were no longer required. This effectively ends my association with the New York Press.

I have some other irons in the fire, so this won't be the last you hear from me. And, for the time being, I'll be continue to blog on my own at johndesio.blogspot.com. So please come by and check it out.

I wish new editor David Blum and everyone at the New York Press the best of luck. But it's probably for the best that we start seeing other people.

If you want to reach out to me, my contact info is below.

All the best,

John DeSio

Elsewhere: Spitzer, Obama, Edwards

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:13:55 -0400

City council candidates answer questions about police brutality (bad), affordable housing (more, more) and Iraq (boo!).

Eliot Spitzer created the new position of Education Czar.

The Daily News' publisher is pissed off about getting calls on his cell phone about Rudy Giuliani.

Harry Siegel explores a Libertarian traffic plan. (Insert joke here).

John DeSio reflects on the bad things Efrain Gonzalez's ex-wife is saying about her former husband.

The city comptroller collected $5 million in back wages for underpaid workers.

The attorney general has a major settlement against advertisers who use adware.

African-Americans are safer in prison than in their own neighborhoods. The opposite is true for whites.

Is Barack Obama the Tiger Woods of politics?

The Independence Party is wired. Literally.

And John Edwards reveals the secrets of politician-hair.

-- Azi Paybarah

Nader Sees the Future: Boring

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 15:56:31 -0400

How excited is Ralph Nader to see the rise of the netroots?

In a conversation with NY Press scribe John DeSio:

"I don't think much is going to come of it," says Nader of the current hybrid of politics and technology. "I don't think the electronic media is very motivating for people to really act. I think person-to-person is really the only way. Marches, demonstrations, living room meetings, when people connect human-to-human, not through some screen. That tends to work throughout history. We had greater mass movements 100 years ago without any telephone, automobile, anything like we have today."

-- Azi Paybarah

Fewer Tech Issues and More War

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 12:43:12 -0400

Sincerest apologies for the absence of posts over the last couple of hours. We've been having some tech issues that are, for the moment, resolved.

And now, as we were saying...

If there was any doubt how Ned Lamont might try to revitalize his campaign, this ad should answer your question.

Here's what it says: A vote for Joe Lieberman means more war.

Back to basics.

-- Azi Paybarah

UPDATE: John DeSio, whose brother is in the military right now, has some strong opinions about the ad.

Follow the Leader

Mon, 27 Feb 2006 15:48:06 -0400

There goes my chance of crawling back to New York Press.

The new blog there, Follow the Leader, is up and running. The "new boss" there is the always humble John DeSio. He has been toiling away at The Bronx Press Review for years. Now, he'll be splitting his time between the two papers, which helps when people like Tom Suozzi go campaigning in The Bronx.

With all the info DeSio digs up on folks like Larry Seabrook, the site will undoubtedly be a must read. And as an added bonus, real fans can indulge in vintage NYPress blogging on the site's archive.

--Azi Paybarah

Committee Meets!

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 14:45:57 -0400

And yes, in the City Council that's sometimes news.

The Bronx Press's John DeSio emails to note that City Council Member Larry Seabrook of the Bronx held the first-ever meeting of the Civil Rights Committee today, about two years after it was formed.

He gets $4,000 a year for the leadership position. According to the committee's Web page, "there are no current committee matters at this time."