Could New York City Lose A Borough?

It would be pretty hard to misplace a landmass full of buildings and people, especially here in New York. Yet Assemblymember Andrew Lanza wants his own Staten Island to disappear from the city government of NYC. The borough to the south has tried to part ways with NYC in the past, but Speaker Silver killed it in 1994. Now Lanza wants to get it done next year and has written an epic novel to explain how it can be done.

From The Staten Island Advance:

Lanza said a financial study included in his secession bill shows that the Island could raise enough of its own revenue from property, business and payroll taxes in order to be self-sufficient.

While secession critics had said local taxes would skyrocket if the Island were its own city, Lanza said, "Our taxes have been raised over the years anyway.[...]

Lanza said other "unexploited" economic-development opportunities also could be pursued if the Island were no longer part of New York City.

"Being the second-largest city in the state would give us a lot of clout," Lanza said. "We'd have the second-biggest seat at the table."

Well he's right about them being the second-largest city, but as far as clout goes....I'm not so sure. Staten Island will still be "downstate." Staten Island will still have the same political demographics. Staten Island will still have one Congressmember, two State Senators and four Assemblymembers.

The only things that will change is that they will not be a part of New York City. NYC is a global powerhouse and has a tremendous amount of clout. Staten Island may feel that they aren't treated as well as the others, but they receive what they put in. The island may gain some independence, but it'll probably end up as a costly adventure that the half-million residents may soon regret.

Oh and lest we forget, this is New York and if one of the three men in the room (the one representing the Assembly district in Lower Manhattan) doesn't approve then the 2,114 page piece of legislation, it probably won't even see the light of day.

What The Hell Staten Island?

First off, I'd like to congratulate our fifth borough for electing Mike McMahon to Congress, adding yet another Democrat to caucus and making New York City's delegation completely blue. With that, why the hell did the island go for John McCain and Sarah "nutjob" Palin? I know Staten Islanders are generally more conservative, but registrations have moved significantly for Democrats and on top of that, voted for Gore. So what's going on here?

From The NY Times:

“You see that kind of voting there because Staten Island has a lot of Republicans and the people we used to call Reagan Democrats,” said John H. Mollenkopf, director of the Center for Urban Research at the City University of New York Graduate Center.

“You have a large group of Italian-Americans and German-Amercians, people from blue collar backgrounds,” Mr. Mollenkopf said. “And they are used to crossing party lines to vote for one way for one office and for another party for another office on the ballot.”

In fact, Staten Island, the smallest of the city’s boroughs, is vastly different from its counterparts. The island is physically separated from the rest of New York City; no subway runs from other parts of the city to the island and it is reachable by car only by a single bridge or a boat.

It is overall the most suburban of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also the whitest of the boroughs, with about 77 percent of its 477,000 residents being white. Hispanic Staten Islanders make up about 12 percent of the population and black residents make up about a tenth.

Yeah, yeah, the place is different, I get that. Yet is it just because there are more white people that determined the borough's vote? Indiana and Iowa went for Obama and Iowa is way more white than Staten Island. Perhaps it is the "Reagan Democrat" effect, or more bluntly a nastier side of the American electorate that thinks that they'll do better if only those that look like themselves get a leg up. That ugliness popped up on election night when a group of thugs attacked Ali Kamara for being a black muslim, mentioning Obama as they beat him. It may only be one incident, but can you imagine that happening in Manhattan? I think not.

NY-13: The Other Debate In NY Last Night

While we were all getting for the rumble on Long Island, the candidates running for Staten Island's Congressional seat geared up for a debate of their own. McMahon, Straniere, Cochrane and Morano all had a chance to say what they had to offer as one of them will ultimately replace the current and toxic Congressman Fossella. McMahon showed his strength even before it got started with a rally outside the event. It has been quite an interesting road getting here, as CQ Politics shows us in this recap video. Now we are finally getting to the end of the line and things are as heated as ever.

Here's the responses from one question last night:

Q. Mayor Bloomberg has thrust the issue of term limits back into the spotlight. What is your position on limiting the terms of elected officials at any and all levels of government?

Bob Straniere tells the audience he supports going to voters and letting them decide if there should be term limits for city officials. "If they're going to revisit this issue, they should go back to the voters. We are not some dictatorship," he says. The Republican says that the idea that only one person can lead the city now is "elitist. It's a terrible idea."

Carmine Morano chimes in: "I'm going to say something I never thought I would say: I gotta agree with bob on this." The Independence candidate says he will not seek more than three terms if elected.

Tim Cochrane tells his opponent, "Carmine, you think you have it hard. I have to agree with both of you." Cochrane says that the Bloomberg plan undermines democracy and the will of the people. "Everybody gets stale, folks. It's the way of the world."

Michael McMahon responds last: "I do not believe in term limits."

The Democrat wonders why Straniere didn't call for term limits while he was serving in the Assembly for 24 years. In a pointed dig, McMahon tells the crowd that when voters turned Straniere out of office... "THAT was term limits."

Regardless of the term limits aspect, McMahon took the opportunity to land a punch on Straniere's lapel and it connected. So as Vito leaves office (but before he goes to court today) the residents of New York's 13th got to see the candidates up close and personal and help the undecideds decide. Of course, that may not matter so much, since this race is looking so good for a Democratic pickup.

Republicans Eat Themselves Alive In Staten Island

With all the focus on the Democratic Convention this week and the Republicans' main event next week, not much attention is being paid to the local races. However, that does not mean that things are all quiet in the Congressional primary races. Things are especially brutish in what was once thought a Republican-leaning district, that of NY-13 that encompasses Staten Island and a sliver of Brooklyn. Vito Fossella is on his way out and the local GOP has had to fill the gap. Unfortunately for them, the situation has become hellish.

From Staten Island Advance:

In a verbal barrage worthy of the hardcore political battle the Republican congressional primary has turned into, Bob Straniere accused Jim Wyne of trying to hide his Pakistani and Muslim heritage by "changing his name," while Wyne said Straniere wanted him to make an "illegal" campaign contribution when Straniere ran for Staten Island borough president in 2001.

Wyne -- who uses the name Dr. Jamshad Wyne professionally -- said Straniere asked him to take $5,000 of his personal cash and disburse it to relatives who would, in turn, write checks in the amounts of $250 or $200 to Straniere for Borough President, thereby maximizing the amount of matching funds Straniere could receive from the city Campaign Finance Board.

That would be illegal, and as the Advance notes, people have gone to jail for such schemes before. Crookedness and corruption is nothing new to New York and especially the GOP, though of course it can be a bipartisan practice to be fair. However, talk like this is exclusively a "conservative" affair:

Meanwhile, during an interview yesterday, Straniere said Wyne has been using the name "Jim" on the campaign trail because "he is trying to remake himself into something other than who is. He obviously doesn't want people to know he is Pakistani and a Muslim."

Way to play the race card Straniere, you must do the GOP party proud....oh wait, no, Straniere doesn't even do that. Straniere and GOP Borough President James Molinaro have gone head to head before and the two have, shall we say, less than warm feelings for each other. However this primary plays out, it is the Dems that have the advantage here.

Harrison/McMahon Versus Somebody

The NY Times did a write-up this week on the differences between the two Democratic candidates running for Congress in Staten Island (with a sliver of Brooklyn too). As anyone can easily see, there are plenty of contrasts between the grassroots-energized Harrison and 'moderate' Councilman McMahon. Steve Harrison has worn out multiple pairs of shoes walking the district while Michael McMahon got the full backing of the Democratic establishment once Vito self-destructed.

Here are just a few differences:

Political labels aside, there are stark differences between the two. Mr. Harrison opposes capital punishment, while Mr. McMahon supports it. The councilman favors nearly all means of addressing the nation’s energy problems, including offshore drilling, something Mr. Harrison opposes. Mr. McMahon supported Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s ultimately unsuccessful congestion pricing plan, while Mr. Harrison opposed it.

On the Iraq war, Mr. Harrison has demanded an immediate withdrawal of American troops, while Mr. McMahon said he supported “a responsible redeployment of our troops in Iraq.”

New York's top Democrats have made life very hard for the progressive Harrison and with all that money, the race for the nomination this year is much tougher. As a liberal, I'd love to see Steve win this, despite the long odds. McMahon reminds me of the DLC Republican-lite crap that has been a losing proposition for too many Democrats over the years. People want to see a candidate with principles and a backbone and frankly, the Councilman looks like he is just playing politics and not standing up for what is right.

Of course, come November when either Harrison or McMahon is up against what's their faces, ultimately there will be one more member in the Democratic caucus, c/o Staten Island.

NY-13 Soap Opera Continues, Meet Powers, Jr.

If you would have told me a year ago that the Republican incumbent in Staten Island would get himself a DWI, confess to the press (and his wife and children) about his love child and mistress living outside of D.C. (blogger takes a deep breath), puts us on a roller coaster few weeks before ultimately deciding to bow out of his re-election race and watch the GOP fail miserably to farm a candidate to replace him, I'd have told you.....yeah, I can believe that.

Due to Fossella's departure, the Democratic Party has a primary between Steve Harrison and Michael McMahon. The Republicans were only able to muster up Frank Powers, a political nobody that has helped shutdown health care facilities on the Island. With all of those twists and turns, we have another one added to the mix today.

From The Staten Island Advance:

An already topsy-turvy political year grew even more so today when Francis M. Powers, the son of GOP designee Francis H. Powers, said he would seek the Libertarian Party line to run for the 13th Congressional District seat.

"This is not about my dad," said the younger Powers, 47, a master carpenter from Clifton who plays and sings with the Staten Island band Box of Crayons and runs an indie record label called Penny for the Guy Records. "I'm running against the Republican candidate."[...]

When asked about the timing of his entry into the race, Powers said, "Me being his son gives me a different platform than normal," a platform that Powers said he wouldn't have against another candidate. "We can't have the Republicans take this seat again," he added. "A vote for my father is a vote for the straight Republican ticket."

"I've tried very hard for many years to help my son," the elder Powers said in a statement released by his campaign.

Now that is some good ol' fatherly love. Nothing like bashing your kid running for Congress after he hits you with his announcement to run against him and split the conservative base. If that wasn't enough, the insurgent carpenter also managed to spit in the face of the voters who are going to have at least a little trouble deciding on which Powers to go with:

When asked about the head scratching that might cause voters, Powers said, "If people can't tell the difference between the Republican Party and the Libertarian Party, maybe they shouldn't be voting."

It may only be June, but I think it is time to stick a fork in the chances of both Powers, Senior and Junior. Of course, that won't stop the continued reporting from this "very interesting" race.

LMAO!

Republicans Practically Concede NY-13

In the last two days the Democratic and the Republican leadership of Staten Island signaled who they want to be their nominee. First the Democratic Committee went with Staten Island Councilman Michael McMahon after a few others were looked at as well as forgoing last year's nominee Steve Harrison. The Republicans however, went through almost twenty different names and their pick shows how badly they expect to do this come November.

From NY-13:

The Republican Party just pulled a fast one on itself. After having 19 potential candidates they passed on and then declaring a front runner no one had ever heard of they nominated someone who wasn't even good enough to be in those top 20.

So Frank Powers is their nominee. Who is he? No clue. But the Advance tells us;
Powers is on the board of directors of Richmond University Medical Center and has served as President of the Staten Island Academy. He served on the Board of the former St. Vincent's Medical Center for over 20 years and is a past president of the Downtown Athletic Club and past president of the Heisman Trophy Foundation. He served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences, and Chairman of the USS Sullivan's' Foundation. He is the former Chairman of the Board of St. Elizabeth Ann's Health Care and Rehabilitation Center. He was elected to the Board of the MTA in 2005. Powers also currently serves on the Board of Wagner College.

So this guy serves on the board of a medical center that is closing clinics across the district and creating major health care concerns. He is on the board of the MTA, which mismanages transportation and funds and is the bane of existance for so many in the district. Oh but he is used to be president of the Heisman Trophy Foundation. Makes sense. He is loaded and can self finance. Congrats Republicans.

Congratulations indeed. Perhaps he can make himself a trophy for his efforts after he loses the seat for the NY GOP. All of that money is going to be needed to try and combat his image of helping to worsen health care on the island. Of course as of now he really doesn't have an image while his opponent has been representing a large portion of the island in City Hall for a few years.

Though you know, that Heisman Trophy thing reminds me of another notable Republican. Some guy who did a heck of a job managing horses. Oh and that baseball team owner too. Perhaps sports and politics don't always go together so well, especially here.

Vito Fossella Gets Himself Into A DUI-sey

I rarely write more than one post a day on the 13th Congressional District of New York in one day, but today Congressman Fossella pressured me into it. See Staten Island's Congressman not only helped pen an Op-Ed in the NY Daily News today, he was arrested for drunk driving late last night down in the Washington area.

From The Washington Post:

Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-N.Y.) was arrested overnight in Alexandria and charged with driving while intoxicated, court records showed today.

Fossella is scheduled to appear in Alexandria General District Court on May 12 for an advisement hearing, the records said.

No other details were immediately available.

Reached by phone, Fossella's communication director had no immediate comment on the report.

If I were working for Vito, I'd have no comment either, so I don't blame the poor staffer. Maybe Vito had trouble writing that phony piece about FISA last night before it was published and he decided to get hammered. Later on in the day Vito did come out and make a statement that drinking and driving is bad and that as a parent he knows better. He also apologized for embarrassing his district.

Um Vito, the DWI is embarrassing for you and your family. The district is embarrassed because you side with George Bush, you support his war and abandoning the rule of law so that telecommunication companies can escape prosecution for their crimes against the American people. Though before the voters get to you on that this November, you'll have to deal with the rule of law for your own person first.

Clean Energy From A Dump Can Be A Reality

Landfills are generally thought of as eyesores and the sources of horrific smells that coalesce from every piece of junk and scrap of garbage imaginable. Plenty of jokes have been made about Fresh Kills landfill at Staten Island's expense, there's even an ice cream flavor for the old landfill down there. For a while now, borough President James Molinaro wants to do something about it, and make the landfill into a wind farm, but for some reason there has been roadblocks thrown up in his path.

From The NY Times:

Mr. Molinaro noted that BQ Energy, which has worked upstate, is willing to develop the farm at no cost to the city. “The city needs to begin the land lease process now,” he wrote. He first began promoting the plan in August.

But the cooperation of the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation would be required, and has not been forthcoming. In the letter, Mr. Molinaro wrote that one official there he met with in December had a “lukewarm at best” reaction to the plan.

“She said she would have to study the issue, but has yet to get back to us,” he wrote.

The response from the new Governor has also been tepid as the Times notes. Common sense says that clean energy is a no-brainer, especially if BQ Energy wants to develop it at no cost. The project could power 5,000 homes and save New York millions in non-renewable energy costs (not to mention helping our environment). So Mr. Paterson and the folks at DEC.....why is this a problem??

A Good Reason To Go To Staten Island

Once your stomach contracts from all of the Thanksgiving dishes this Thursday, you'll probably just want to lie around for a while to take it all in. By Sunday, with most of the leftovers gone, it'll be time to get out of the house and try and do something productive at the end of the long weekend. Well I have a great idea for you if you're going to avoid the shopping nightmare outside. Come help defeat the only remaining Republican Congressman in New York City.

From The Daily Gotham:

Wine and Cheese with Steve Harrison
At the Home of Catherine “Mac” O’Callaghan

Sunday, November 25, 2007
4:00 to 6:00 PM

351 St. Paul’s Ave – Staten Island, NY

Donation - $40.00 (or as much more as you can give!)

RSVP (718) 720-0095

Let's review Vito's record:
High Rating from the Christian Coalition: 81%;
American Conservative Union: 78%;

Vito Fossella voted NO to help provide affordable housing to low-income Americans still affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Vito Fossella voted AGAINST help for American senior citizens (PDF) eight times out of nine (with one no vote) in 2006!

Vito Fossella voted AGAINST a minimum wage increase every chance he could.

Those are five good reasons to come out and help kick Fossella to the political curb. If you enjoy wine, cheese or a combination of the two, make your way down to Staten Island (unless you live there already of course) and help Steve out. Remember this, strong early contributions to the campaign will impress those bigwigs at the DCCC in Washington to give Steve the major dough he'll need later on next year. Your two Andrew Jacksons (or bring more if you so desire) can help launch a tidal wave of campaign cash that will turn NY-13 rightfully blue!

If you do have plans next Sunday but still want to help, you can donate right here. Find out more about the next Congressman from Staten Island as well.

Harrison About To Get Some Competition For NY-13

Dominic Recchia has made a name for himself in the City Council representing Brooklyn. Now that term limits are bringing his job to an end, he is in search of a new one and quite possibly kicking Vito Fossella out of office. Whether Harrison (who already announced his campaign) or Recchia win the Democratic nomination next year, I will be glad to see Vito banished to the sidelines of Staten Island. That Republican is an eye-sore from this side of the Verranzano and must be a hell of a lot worse on that island, he even hates the needy if his (R) isn't enough for you.

It has been one official month since Harrison filed and has been almost inevitable since he lost to the incumbent last year. Now you would think that Harrison would be active in his campaign, building a war chest and whatnot. Yet it is eerily silent even though there are still fourteen months until election day. In these times, campaigning is a full time gig and Harrison should already be off and running.

Well apparently the Democratic powers-that-be have been looking at NY-13 and want to win it back (thankfully). Nancy Pelosi and others see a shot in Dominic and apparently he was persuaded by them not to pursue the race for Brooklyn Borough President according to the Post.

So....this is why we have primaries. May the best candidate win over Staten Island (and south Brooklyn) Dems so we can finally make New York City Republican-free when it comes to the Congress at least.

Steve Harrison For Congress!

Ok so I'm a few days late to the game...even though I did hear about this while I was in Chicago over a week ago. Steve Harrison made his announcement to run for Congress a few days ago. He'll be challenging Staten Island's incumbent Vito Fossella (R-NY), who has been in Congress as NYC's only Republican remaining in the five burroughs. For this city, one (R) is too many and Harrison is our best hope to get Vito out.

From The Daily Gotham:

An email informs that Steve Harrison, the Democratic candidate in last year's Congressional election in the Thirteenth District, is holding a press conference tomorrow at 12:30.

Who: Brooklyn Attorney and 2006 Democratic Congressional Candidate Steve Harrison
What: Press Conference concerning 2008 NY 13 CD (Staten Island/Brooklyn) race
When: Aug 9, 2007 12:30 PM
Where: Arthur Von Briesen Park (foot of Bay Street at Fort Wadsworth), Staten Island.

You have to wonder what that's all about. Just as a refresher, Harrison lost last November to Vito Fossella, 42,739 to 55,981.

It would be really sweet to be able to be able to declare New York City, at last, liberated from its last republican Member of Congress. Since that requires a strong challenger, keep your fingers crossed that this is what I think it is. Experience suggests that entrenched incumbents are rarely dislodged on the first go; 2008 would be the third attempt by Democrats to oust Fossella, and you know what they say about third times and charms.

I couldn't make the press conference, had to work in Manhattan that day. Nevertheless, I will be more than happy to head downtown, catch the ferry to Staten Island and campaign for Steve. Ridding NYC of Vito is more than worth it. I suggest the same for all the passionate Democrats out there. Stay tuned for more info.

Staten Island Screams At Ice Cream

I for one, love ice cream, especially local brands that bring a fresh flavor to the scene. Apparently a few people in Staten Island disapprove of 5 Burroughs Ice Cream company's new flavor that represents that island south of the city. What could possibly be wrong with vanilla ice cream mixed with brownie chunks, chocolate crunchies, chocolate fudge and cherries? Well if it represents the Staten Island landfill, I guess you might see a few raised eyebrows in Richmond County.

From The Gothamist:

Staten Island is not having a good week. In addition to the outrage over the weird ad copy appearing in part of a Virgin Mobile campaign, the borough’s president has also called for an ice cream boycott. Last Friday, a perturbed James P. Molinaro wrote a letter to Scott and Kim Myles, husband and wife co-owners of the Queens-based 5 Boroughs Ice Cream company. Someone had shown Molinaro a copy of a flyer printed off the 5B website, meant to help persuade local specialty food storeowners to carry the ice cream. There are currently eight 5B flavors, all made in small batches; each is named after a NYC locale or neighborhood. For Molinaro and many Staten Islanders, the offending ice cream flavor is Staten Island Landfill- a swirly mix of brownies, fudge, crunchies, and cherries in a vanilla base. Molinaro objects to what he considers old hat outer borough typecasting; the Staten Island Advance quotes his letter to the company as saying "I am hard-pressed to think of a more insulting and derogatory attack in the name of consumerism.”

I personally think that sounds incredibly good and its much healthier than eating scraps out of the actual landfill. Molinaro seriously needs to lighten up. Come on James, stop complaining and go get yourself a pint and a spoon (and maybe some whipped cream if you are feeling adventurous).