The Post-Primary Election Calm

It is a cool and calm Wednesday morning outside, a wonderful contrast to the intermittently humid and stormy Tuesday primary election day, a perfect analogy to the day of voting and the day after. The Lower East Side, Downtown, Upper Manhattan, parts of Brooklyn and many other sites across the state yesterday were a buzz with campaign staffers and volunteers, doing all that they could to get their candidate elected.

One guy I talked to down on Grand and Clinton had no less than 20 leaflets handed to him within a few blocks of the train. When I asked him whether it swayed his choice, he mentioned that he couldn't vote but that he was sick and tired of Sheldon Silver. Too bad, because Newell and Henry needed his vote. I was hoping for the two of them to break fifty percent together, but Silver did what it took to win a crushing victory and all it took was 6,743 votes to get 68%. These primary elections hang on so little because so few vote, despite all the publicity on the street and in mailboxes. In this race at least, change lost out to the power of incumbency and the raw power of the guy being Speaker of the Assembly.

In the State Senate however, change won a huge victory in the way of Daniel Squadron. His supporters were everywhere from morning till night and then some even before Tuesday. After more than thirty years in the State Senate, an old do-nothing Democrat was defeated by the young challenger. Squadron did what it took to beat him, having the help of major players such as Chuck Schumer, winning over the Satmars among others and conducting a massive GOTV effort. It'll be a refreshing change to see him represent the 25th district, especially when the Senate changes hands to the Democrats in less than two months time.

Over on the Congressional side of things, two races were up for grabs. Kevin Powell tried to ride in like Obama to the 10th District in Brooklyn. The tenth needs change from Ed Towns, but despite Powell's Obamaesque campaign style, he could not raise the funds nor recover from the problems of his past. In the end Towns beat him handily, nearly by two to one.

In the open seat of the 13th down in Staten Island (and a sliver of Brooklyn) Steve Harrison, a progressive with past support and a close election with Vito two years ago went down in flames. Michael McMahon was the establishment's candidate and their help this year (which was non-existent in 06') put him over the top and on his way to a race against Straniere. November is looking good for the Democrats to pick up the seat, though I think we could have done that with either Harrison or McMahon.

All the results can be found here.

It's Fashionable To Vote....Today!

O.K. so the picture is part of a set for fashion week, but if local politics and how your state legislature and parts of the court system are run, today is your day to make a difference. Primaries are historically low-turnout endeavors and a small number of votes goes a long way.

So if you want to kick out the ethically challenged Speaker of the Assembly and you live in Lower Manhattan, it is time to go out and pull the lever for change. Sheldon Silver has had over 30 years and is a key cog in the mess that is our state government. Both Luke Henry and the press-endorsed Paul Newell are excellent candidates and are committed to reforming Albany. Now I know this race is a long shot, but that does not mean people in the district should stay home. Even with a loss, if Sheldon doesn't hit a healthy majority his political future could be in danger. Not only that, the race will show New Yorkers that Albany can be changed and it would not be surprising to see a few if not dozens of primary challengers to either throw the bums out or make them more accountable to their constituents.

Another challenger to the system is Daniel Squadron, running for State Senate District 25 (basically Lower Manhattan and a large swath of Brooklyn). He is taking on ex-minority leader Martin Connor. Connor, while a good debater on the issues and a somewhat decent record, is still part of the problem in Albany, and despite his 30+ years hasn't really done much in the way of legislation. Voting against NYCHA funding also doesn't bode well for his district (according to Squadron lit). On top of that, he allegedly had people passing out flyers that Squadron is a rich, closeted Republican and Connor is the only true Democrat. If you've seen this 8 1/2" by 11" piece of a childish attack , please don't throw it out, recycle it....and recycle Martin Connor.

There are plenty of other races including the 13th Congressional District in Staten Island (Go Steve Harrison!) and you can find more info on them on the web or almost any decent local paper. The important thing is to inform yourself and then get to the polls. And I can attest that I pulled the lever at my polling site at about twenty after six this morning, even though they didn't have any "I Voted" stickers to give me.

Silver Shows His Arrogance With Primary Day Schedule

Yeah I know I've posted a lot about Sheldon Silver today, but he is well worth the words. Especially if those words can be any small part of ejecting him from his Speakership and the Assembly as a whole. The man has millions at his disposal and is spending plenty in order to keep Luke Henry and Paul Newell's vote totals low. For those that are interested in change here in Lower Manhattan (currently sitting in the LES so I can say "here") then it is time to look at the difference in ideas between the incumbent and the challenger. Then after you check their website before going off to vote, check out the attitude that Shelly Silver holds.

From The NY Daily News:

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's primary day schedule has been released, and he plans to start the day voting at 285 Delancy Street and end it celebrating with supporters at UFT's HQ at 52 Broadway.

The word "celebrates" is an exact quote from the press release, as in "9:00 p.m. - Celebrates with supporters at 52 Broadway (at Exchange Place) - 2nd Floor."

Evidently, Silver's camp is feeling fairly confident about the race - the first primary he has had to fight in more than two decades. (As Azi notes, the speaker is really pulling out all the stops on this campaign, despite the fact that his challengers have little name recognition and far less cash than he's got).

Asked why the speaker had decided to use space belonging to one of the state's most powerful special interests for his primary evening festivities, Silver campaign spokesman Jonathan Rosen told DN Capitol Bureau Chief Ken Lovett: "It's right in the center of the speaker's district and its disability accessible."

That "disability accessible" is bullshit and they know it. We all know it. Silver has been in bed with special interests for a long time and he has used is his power in the Assembly to give to those that bend to his will and gets contributions from those he bestows projects and favorable legislation on.

I know the odds are long, but I would love to see Silver's celebration with the UFT spoiled like month-old milk.

NY Daily News Jumps In On The Anti-Silver Fray

Damn, it's here already! Tomorrow is election day here in New York. Starting at 6 am and going until 9 at night, voters from across the state will have the chance to send a message to Albany. Of course not every single New Yorker has this shot, since not every incumbent is being challenged from within their party. Though where there are challengers, chances are there is a need for reform. Certainly this is necessary in the Senate with many long-time, do nothing Democrats that have been waiting for the Senate to turn blue so that they can engage in the same pork-barreled politics that the Republicans have been doing for decades. This is also a necessary endeavor in the Assembly, particularly in AD-64, where 15,000 people can decide to cut the metaphorical head off the snake and cast Sheldon Silver aside. The Times feels this way and now so does the NY Daily News (the Post too, but for other 'conservative' reasons).

From the NY Daily News:

The time has come for the voters of lower Manhattan to turn Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver out of office.

After 32 years in his seat, including 14 years as the Assembly's maximum leader, Silver embodies the insider's game that has captured the state Legislature, to the detriment of 19 million New Yorkers.

Silver's constituents would serve the cause of open, responsive government - and rock Albany to its foundations - by pulling the lever in Tuesday's Democratic primary for challenger Paul Newell.

Across America in this election year, people are demanding change. Let's have it in Albany, too.

Such a vote could mark the start of a revolution. For dumping Silver would send the unmistakable message that the people of this state want a responsible, deliberative Legislature rather than a boss-run fiefdom.

That is exactly what we want. No more fiefdoms, this is supposed to be a democracy dammit. I don't know if this will start any revolution, but getting rid of Sheldon Silver is good news for any reform-minded movement. The key is to keep it up and throw the bums out as soon as we catch wind of their foul odor and not wait decades like New York has down in Lower Manhattan (among many other districts across the state).

So remember to vote tomorrow, and if you know people that live in Lower Manhattan, make sure they vote too!

Newell Doubles Silver's Latest Fundraising Numbers

The odds are stacked against both challengers to the Speaker of the House in Assembly District 64. The man that is one of three in the proverbial room up in Albany is a powerful one and has many strong allies on his side that want to see the status quo continue as is, with pay to play and obstructionism in full effect. Luke Henry and Paul Newell are trying to change that. While we won't know how residents will divide up their votes, but if fundraising in the last period is any indication of things to come on the September 9th, Paul Newell must be ecstatic.

From Paul Newell:

New York , NY- Paul Newell, the insurgent Democrat challenging Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, has raised more than twice as much money as Silver in the most recent filing period -- and has done so without taking any money from the lobbyists and PACs that fill Silver's coffers.

"The momentum is shifting rapidly in this race," said Newell. "Downtown voters understand that change is very much possible in New York State and they have shown that by re-upping their support of an Albany unswayed by corporate contributions."

Newell, who was recently endorsed by The New York Times and the New York Post, raised $40,015 in the most recent filing period compared to Silver's $19,575.

"It is not just the total numbers that are important" explained Evan Hutchison, Newell's campaign manager, "but where the money came from that matters. This is truly a grassroots campaign and these filings bear that out.

There was no money from PACs or special interests for Newell. Silver on the other hand benefits greatly from them, including anti-congestion pricing groups and the despicable Bruce Ratner that has tried to destroy and re-develop Brooklyn.

Unfortunately for Luke, he only raised a fraction of Newell and Silver's amounts, with just $510 in donations with $8,600 going out, leaving him with $9,000 for the last week of the campaign. Since this is a heavily Democratic district, the primary is for all-intensive purposes the final race for AD-64. Hopefully in the last week before the election, the people of Lower Manhattan will take a close look at each candidate and decide if they want more of the same out of Silver, or a new way of doing things with the insurgent candidate.

Shelly Silver Proves Schmucks Can Fly

Sheldon Silver primarily commutes between Lower Manhattan and Albany, but this weekend he flew out to Denver for the Democratic Convention this week. Although the majority of meetings started today and speakers do not take the stage until later tonight, the parties are non-stop and Silver hosted the New York event last night. Feeling pretty smug, he had two choice words for Azi Paybarah of the Observer.

From The Observer:

DENVER—At a reception he hosted last night at the Sheraton downtown, I asked Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver what he thinks about his primary challenger, Paul Newell, being endorsed by both The New York Times and the New York Post this week.

"Who's that?" Silver said.

Silver may think he's funny, but while he is having a ball in Denver, both Paul Newell and Luke Henry are hard at work on their campaigns to unseat the Speaker. They may have long odds, but they, like the headliner at the convention, are seeking change in the 64th Assembly District as well as the country at large. Silver's friend and Bronx Dem County Chair Jose Rivera suggests as much.

NY Times Editorial Endorses Paul Newell

The paper of record here in Manhattan came out this morning with their endorsements for the upcoming primary on September 9th. The editors that wrote this are looking for change in Albany as much as people across the country want it in the White House. At least here in the city, they have a few picks as to who should stay and who should replace the inhibitors of change up in our state capitol. One of the picks is not Shelly Silver.

It's Paul Newell:

The most important of these races is in Lower Manhattan, where Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, one of the most powerful people in the state, is facing his first real challenge in decades. It is still an uphill fight for any opponent, but the race has already made one difference. It has brought the ever-secretive Mr. Silver out to meet voters and campaign for his job.

Of the two challengers, Paul Newell, a community activist with deep roots in the Lower East Side, has the stronger credentials. Luke Henry, an attorney who moved into the district more recently, is working hard. Mr. Newell has done a better job of identifying Mr. Silver’s weaknesses: mainly, his devotion to closed-door politics, including his refusal to disclose details about his outside income. Mr. Newell is also pledging to support congestion pricing and to press for a nonpartisan redistricting commission, which is essential for real change. In the 64th Assembly District, we endorse Paul Newell.

Now since I wasn't in the editorial board meeting when and if all three candidates sat down for discussions I don't know the entirety of their criteria. I am for change, so that automatically rules out Sheldon Silver, but between the challengers I have been torn. Both want to reform Albany, both care about their community and not the developers that want to demolish it and both would make excellent Assemblymen.

Of course the Times' endorsement carries more weight than mine, but I am still holding off for the moment. September 9th is still a couple weeks away. Though as long as change in Albany is what wins, then I'll be satisfied.

Luke Henry Wants A Debate With Shelly

From Luke Henry's website:

New York, New York (July 15, 2008)—Assembly candidate Luke Henry today calls upon his opponents to join him in three debates between now and election day on the issues facing Lower Manhattan.

"For 22 years, Sheldon Silver has been able to coast to re-election without a primary challenge," said Luke Henry. "This year, his constituents have the opportunity to hold him accountable and force him to make a case for his re-election. Over his lengthy tenure, Silver has presided over the erosion of affordable housing in his district, blocked efforts to address the public health crisis created by traffic congestion, and failed to secure essential reform in order to combat legislative dysfunction in Albany. I challenge him to defend his record in open debate."

Speaker Silver elected not to attend a May 18 forum hosted by the progressive organization Democracy for New York City. Henry had written to the incumbent in April encouraging him to attend that forum. "Downtown New Yorkers have a right to know where the candidates stand on the issues most important to them. I sincerely hope that Speaker Silver will accept my invitation to debate in order to give the voters all the information they need to decide who will best represent them in Albany," Henry said today. The May DFNYC debate did give the public an opportunity to compare Luke Henry's message with that of Paul Newell, who is also challenging Sheldon Silver. After evaluating the two challengers, DFNYC endorsed Luke Henry by a two-to-one margin.

Henry filed over 3,000 petition signatures last week—over six times the required number of 500—and his campaign is confident it can easily withstand any challenges and will appear on the primary ballot on Sept. 9.

For more information, please contact Kate Tomassi at (646) 408-4452, press@lukehenry.org.

Hmm, well it is a powerful statement, especially with the backing of his 3,000+ signature count and Newell's count also speaks volumes about how the two challengers are charged up and have active grassroots support that show Silver better do something to hold on to his seat.

However, this is Sheldon Silver we are talking about. He has thrown many bones to his constituents in AD-64 and they can be pretty meaty, especially since he is Speaker of the House and one of "three men in a room" up there in Albany.

My take on this? One of Sheldon's aides will show the press release to him, he'll chuckle and then take comfort in the fact that there are two challengers that will split the anti-Silver vote. As long as Newell and Henry are both fighting him, there is a slim to none chance that Shelly will lose his seat this year. It may hurt him down the road, but as for 2008, he is good to go.

Shelly Silver Helped Cover For Rapist In His Office, Now The Victim Is Working For Paul Newell

Shelly Silver, one of the three men in the proverbial room, is a real piece of work, but we already know that. He is the master at stalling legislation in the Assembly and rules the chamber, but I never thought he would be so deep in the old boys club that he'd cover for an alleged rapist (at the time, now it is proven fact) in his own office, yet he did exactly that.

From The NY Daily News:

Crothers, 32, was a young staffer for an upstate Republican assemblyman when she brought an internal complaint in 2001 with the Assembly that she was raped by Silver's then-counsel Michael Boxley.

Crothers and her boss met directly with Silver, who she said was callously eating pretzels as she recounted her story.

Silver initially put out a statement backing Boxley, who denied the charge. An internal Assembly investigation was inconclusive, and Crothers and Boxley agreed the matter was closed. She never filed a criminal complaint.

Several years later, Boxley was led out of his Capitol office in handcuffs after another legislative aide accused him of rape.

The story is absolutely disgusting, for him to be eating fuckin' pretzels while she recounted her horrific and traumatic story should be criminal for the heartlessness of it all, not to mention (un)wittingly aiding Boxley. So what is Elizabeth doing these days? She's out to get revenge in the very best way possible.

Elizabeth Crothers has since moved to California, but she's so bent on ousting Silver that she is volunteering for Paul Newell, one of two Democrats taking on Silver in this fall's Democratic primary.

Crothers said she plans to spend more time in New York raising money and campaigning for Newell, telling her story in hopes he can pull off a primary upset. Just this week, she was part of a host committee for a Newell fund-raiser.

"I see it as the only opportunity to bring real reform to New York and to unseat one of the worst leaders in the state and quite possibly in the nation," Crothers said.

There are already plenty of reasons to get rid of Shelly Silver, but Elizabeth Crothers adds a very personal and traumatic story, hopefully to rid the Assembly of Sheldon Silver for good.

No Matter What, Sheldon Silver Is The Wrong Choice

Now that the beginnings of a primary race in Assembly District 64 are taking shape, Silver's supporters are coming out to gasp for air words in print so that they can tout him above those that wish to unseat him. Sure, he's a Democrat and yes, he does support items that I as a progressive Democrat are in favor of, but if there was one paragraph to sum up how I (and many others) feel about Shelly it has to come from Roatti at The Albany Project yesterday.

From The Albany Project:

Sheldon Silver is unfit for office: NYMBYism, treating marriage equality as a crude brgaining chip, his desire to keep Bruno in power, his refusal to release his side income, he opposed David Paterson's bid for minority leader, he killed congestion pricing without even an up-or-down vote, and he uses YOUR money to pay for his political mailers.

Yeah that is definitely a good start. The article (at the link on top) highlights one of Shelly's trips to Vegas where he was practically put up at Caesars and had dinner with lobbyists. Of course the whole issue of Caesars looking into building casinos in New York had nothing to do with it of course. Don't we all meet lobbyists when we go to Las Vegas?

This isn't what the residents of AD-64 deserve and as Silver is the Speaker of the House and one of three men in a room, all of New York deserves a change, so check out Paul Newell and Luke Henry and help support the challenge to Sheldon Silver.

Newell And Henry Square Off, Shelly Silver Nowhere To Be Found

Sheldon Silver didn't show up to Democracy for New York City's debate between the primary candidates for the 64th Assembly District. He claims he is waiting to see who all the candidates will be, code word for I'm too good for a debate because I'm Mr. Speaker of the Assembly. Someone doesn't think their shit doesn't stink, but down here under his high horse it is revolting.

Anyways, his challengers, Paul Newell and Luke Henry did show up and there was definitely a lot to talk about. Here are a few clips thanks to the camera work of Azi Paybarah of the NY Observer:

First, are these guys electable?



Are you a progressive?



And will you fight for affordable housing?



There's plenty more coverage from the debate, check out Azi's YouTube page for all the clips.

The Case For Shelly Silver?

The Working Families Party is a great asset in New York. They fight hard for progressive issues in Albany, even if many do not succeed (thanks in part mostly to Joe Bruno). Dan Cantor leads that fight as their Executive Director and has done a lot of good in that post. Unfortunately the ways of Albany may have clouded his vision just a little bit. He has come out in favor (though short of a WFP endorsement) for Shelly Silver's re-election.

From OpenLeft:

The reason is simple: on every one of the issues noted above, and others that are unmentioned, the most reliable force in state politics for progressives over the last decade has been the Assembly Democrats led by Silver. He may be among the more uncharismatic politicians in world history, but it would be folly to mistake his lack of glitter for a lack of nerve.

Context is important. Over the 12 long years of drought otherwise known as the Pataki Administration, when the Governor and the Republican Senate Majority Leader (Joe Bruno) would combine to offer ever more right-wing answers to New York's problems, only Silver had the backbone to say no. Unlike some Democrats at the federal level, he refused to blink. He was an obstructionist of the best kind - holding out, month after month and year after year - not only standing in the way of the right, but forcing Pataki and the Senate to make concessions to the left.

His batting average has not been perfect - nobody's is. But he prevented more harm and accomplished far more good than anyone could have expected during an era when Democrats were a minority party among Albany's power centers.[...]

He then goes on to talk about a number of issues that Silver has been helpful on, such as laws to help unions, thwarting the Pataki Administration and boosting the minimum wage. The millionaire's tax proposal is also noted, but Cantor conveniently forgets that Silver went along with Governor Paterson and Joe Bruno in scraping it. Then there's this:

Put this all together and I just think that an attack on him from the left is, well, intellectually shallow and politically naive.

The real reason more good progressive legislation - public financing of elections is one such piece, and there are many others - the real reason these do not see the light of day in New York State is not because of legislative "dysfunction" but rather because of Republican intransigence. They disagree with us, and the Rs still have control of the Senate floor.[...]

Paul Newell and Luke Henry are running principled campaigns, and they have every right to do so. Primary challenges are not just appropriate, they are healthy. They keep everyone on their toes, and that keeps democracy vital. I urge the netroots to meet with tenant and union leaders, with the public financing of elections crowd, with LGBT advocates. If that happens, and you're still persuaded that Silver deserves the attacks that the corporate press heaps on him, so be it.

Here Cantor completely contradicts himself. How can two challengers run against Silver and be both "intellectually shallow and politically naive" while at the same time, "are running principled campaigns and they have every right to do so" go together even if they are four paragraphs apart? Well Cantor is right on that last one, Newell and Henry have every right to challenge a Speaker that has been in office for over thirty years, hides what he makes and what he does at his other job and abides by a system of government where he is one of three people that makes decisions for our state.

I salute Dan Cantor for all of his progressive activism, but using words such as "shallow" and "naive" is not something we do to fellow progressives unless they truly deserve it. Newell and Henry want to change the system, Sheldon Silver is the system.

Newell Slams 1199 And GYNHA For Pay-To-Play Tactics With Shelly Silver

When it comes to New York politics, corruption and all-around shadiness persists in every nook and cranny. If someone comes along and tries to challenge the status quo, the powers that be will do whatever they can to quash the "problem." Gobs of money will be spent and all aspects of the dictionary will be used to make that person go away. G.Y.N.H.A. and 1199 give tons of money to people like Joe Bruno and now they are helping Shelly Silver stave off two primary challengers in his own district. Staying silent about these practices helps them to go on indefinitely. So when I heard one candidate address the pay to play nature of Albany, I did a silent cheer.

From Paul Newell:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 1, 2008

NEW YORK, NY - May 1, 2008

Sheldon Silver is pulling out all the stops as Paul Newell's grassroots challenge gains traction. Despite having more than $3 Million in his campaign fund, Silver has already turned to third party special interests to fund his campaign.

Yesterday, 1199 and the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) filled 64^th Assembly District mailboxes with a 2-sided, full color 8½" X 11" mailer praising Silver. GNYHA and 1199, which recently gave $100,000 to Republican Joe Bruno, have long been recognized as among the savviest operators in Albany's lobbying culture.

Paul Newell responded to the piece, saying "The problem is not the mailer itself, it is the pay-to-play culture in Albany. Silver and Bruno have put the word out that the way to get something from New York State government is to spend big money supporting the status quo." Newell continued, "No amount of special interest money will hide the fact that Sheldon Silver has been failing the people of Lower Manhattan for decades."

The highly unusual timing of the piece - more than four months before Silver's first contested primary in 22 years - is clear proof that Silver is concerned about community organizer Paul Newell's campaign. Evan Hutchison, Newell's Campaign Manager reacted, saying "We knew that Sheldon Silver's millions in special interest money would come into play, we just didn't expect him to start calling in favors so early in the campaign. They are obviously scared". Newell has already knocked on over 4,000 doors and distributed over 10,000 flyers to voters in the district.

In another sign of concern, Silver recently hired high-priced campaign consultants BerlinRosen to manage his defense against Newell's aggressive grassroots campaign. The hire is Silver's first such move in over 20 years.

It is great to see Silver's anxiety about the race front and center. It will definitely make itself even more apparent as the primary election gets closer. The big players that operate around the state capitol have no intention of watching one of their three men in a room be kicked out of office. That is why we must fight as hard as we can to kick Shelly Silver out for good and finally start to clean the stench up in Albany.

Newell In The News

More appropriately Paul Newell was in the New York Sun today, being profiled as one of the candidates that is seeking to oust one of the three men in a room up in Albany, the infamous Sheldon Silver. Silver has been Assemblyman of District 64 for decades now and does so by bringing in the pork to some of parts of his district (like Wall Street) but he is a thorn in the side of the reform efforts that our state government so desperately needs. Paul Newell is one of two men looking to change the process and he was given the once over by the New York Sun.

From The NY Sun:

Blaming Speaker Sheldon Silver for thwarting an overhaul of the Rockefeller drug sentencing laws — "possibly the most destructive piece of legislation on the books," Mr. Newell said — he had looked forward to voting against the speaker.

His polling station, however, was closed because Mr. Silver, as usual, had no opponents. "I was thinking that somebody ought to challenge this guy," Mr. Newell said. Two election cycles later, Mr. Newell has quit his job as an AIDS awareness organizer for a South African NGO and is campaigning full-time against Mr. Silver, who represents a diverse district that encompasses the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Wall Street.

"I need to get a few thousand people to vote for me," he said. "Sheldon Silver is a very powerful man in Albany. He's not that powerful downtown."

Mr. Newell is running on two issues: accountability and "affordable" housing, both of which, he said, Mr. Silver is against.

He accuses the speaker of "blocking development of 'affordable' housing in downtown for 20 years" and also blames him for "killing" congestion pricing, an issue, he said, that is "the perfect demonstration of Sheldon Silver's contempt for the democratic process and the concerns for Lower Manhattanites."

The article goes on to more mundane points such as where Paul went to high school, what he has done with his life since and his political experience campaigning for the once powerful Speaker of the House Tom Foley. However he is no Washington insider and certainly no Albany insider. Along with Luke Henry, either are much more able to change the status quo in our state capitol, because Shelly Silver is the epitome of the status quo.

Sheldon Silver Shows His Concern About Primary Challengers

Matt Townsend of the New York Observer wrote a piece today about being polled about the upcoming primary election in Assembly District 64. If you don't know that number, you will shortly, it is the district of the Speaker of the Assembly, one of the three men in a room, Sheldon Silver. Apparently Silver is worried about at least one of his primary challengers, Paul Newell.

From The NY Observer:

Last month, a market-research firm called my Lower East Side apartment to gauge my support for Paul Newell.

I admitted that I had never heard Newell's name before, and the caller quickly explained that Newell will challenge my state assemblyman-Speaker Sheldon Silver-in the Democratic primary in September.

The caller told me Newell is 32, worked as a community organizer and lives on the Lower East Side. Then he presented positive statements about Newell and Silver, followed by negative statements about Silver. He asked me to say if the statements would make me "more likely" or "less likely" to vote for that candidate. Then it was over, but the origin of the call was a mystery.[...]

When asked if he was worried about Newell, Silver responded: "I'm always confident that my record on education, rebuilding ground zero and transportation is unmatched by any public official. I think my record speaks for itself."

When I spoke to Newell, he said he heard about the poll from several people, and he has no doubt that Silver commissioned the poll to see how vulnerable he is.

Newell said that he believed Silver's campaign may have been reacting to some 6,000 fliers he and his supporters handed out to voters in the 64th Assembly District on Super Tuesday. From what he heard about the poll, Newell said, the positives the callers are presenting come almost verbatim from the flier.

"My gut reaction [to the poll] is that I can't believe he's calling this many voters and telling them my positives and his negatives," Newell said. "I thought it meant that he's taking the race seriously, but I might have liked if the giant had been sleeping for a few more months.[...]

"There is no doubt in my mind that Sheldon Silver commissioned the poll," Newell said. "It was either me or him, and it wasn't me."

Seeing this story is rather amusing to me, since I was talking to Luke Henry a couple hours ago at City Hall about the race (He was there in support of Clean Elections in NYC). I asked him about possible upcoming debates and rhetorically if he thinks he'll see Silver on stage with him anytime soon. Of course he noted that we need to put pressure on the Speaker to show up at some point. Yet that doesn't mean he isn't paying attention, and doing a poll on the race all the way back here in March is telling that Shelly is worried about the much needed change we need in this country, and specifically up in Albany.

Sheldon Silver Is On Notice!

The Times-Union did a great little write up on the two challengers to the Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver this morning. It emphasizes that these young Democrats were not even out of the crib when Silver went up to Albany to represent the 64th District. More importantly it shows how much these two young activists want to change the scene up in Albany and institute real change, not only for the Lower East Side and Downtown, but the entire state as well.

From The Times-Union:

Newell, 32, and Henry, 33, have both formed campaign finance committees and begun campaigns to defeat Silver in the Sept. 9 Democratic primary for the 64th Assembly District.

They say they want to overturn the power structure in Albany.

For years, Silver has refused to disclose his income as a trial lawyer. Both Henry and Newell said they'd release their tax returns.

"We're running this campaign to win," Newell maintained. "That said, we're trying to get a more responsive government. If we scare Sheldon Silver, that would be a great help."

Henry puts it more simply.

"The goal is to win," he said.

Yes, the goal is to win. We need change in Albany desperately and rooting one of the three men in a room in our state government would be a great start (including taking the state Senate back) to reforming how things are done in New York. I've had the honor to talk to Paul a few months back and certainly liked what I heard. Getting face time with Sheldon Silver is less likely than the Knicks having a plus .500 season this year (hint: they've already lost 1/2 the season thus far). Silver won't even talk to the press about his challengers. That is because he does not want to acknowledge the people in his district, people like Paul Newell and Luke Henry who are sick of how things are being done. The residents of the 64th District.....and all of the districts around our great state deserve a system of government that responds to the citizens, and not the cronyism that we have now.

Sheldon Silver Practices Cronyism? Never.

Did you hear the sarcasm dripping in that title? Or was it more of a roaring, giant waterfall sound? Silver has been the Assembly Leader since forever and in 'representing' Lower Manhattan/LES since the mid 1970s. After you have acquired enough power like Sheldon has, coupled with working in Albany, you know things can go wrong when it comes to good government. Well, he was caught in the act again this week.

From The NY Post:

Silver and Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith last month tapped Arthur Luxenberg as their appointment to the 13-mem- ber committee that recommends to the governor candidates for the Appellate Division, Court of Claims and State Supreme Court in the city's district.

Luxenberg is a co-founder of Weitz & Luxenberg, one of the state's largest trial-law firms. Silver has been "of counsel" at the firm since 2002.

He and the firm have repeatedly refused to reveal who his clients are or how much he is paid, although sources have said it could be in the seven figures.

Luxenberg told The Post he was a joint appointment of Silver and Smith and denied the fact that Silver's ties to the firm had anything do with his placement in the nonpaying post on the commission.

Oh of course not. How could we think such a thing of Silver? I'm sure they barely know each other in the office and that his name came up because he was highly recommended by some government watchdog organization like, oh, I don't know, maybe N.Y.P.I.R.G.?

"The speaker is entitled to pick someone who shares his judicial philosophy, but he should look outside a firm with which he is affiliated," said Russ Haven, of the New York Public Interest Research Group.

One lawyer with knowledge of the appointment noted that Luxenberg, whose firm's Web site boasts of "more million-dollar verdicts than most firms in the country," will now have a say in selecting appellate-court judges who will decide whether to uphold or lower such awards.

"It just doesn't look good," said the lawyer, who asked for anonymity.

No, it doesn't look good. Not at all. It looks like more of the same from Albany. Just another reason why voters from his district must take a look at Paul Newell in the primary this year. Paul is anything but about cronyism and shady deals, the exact opposite of what we must deal with in Sheldon Silver's stewardship of the Assembly.