City Council Corruption

Chin Has a Slush Transition Fund

 Incumbent City Councilwoman Exploits Transition Funds(City and State) Councilwoman Margaret Chin, elected in November to a second term representing lower Manhattan, raised more than $30,000 for her inauguration expenses, which she appears to have used to pay bonuses to her campaign staff and for an elaborate “fundraiser.”

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Absent Council Members

60% Foster

City Council’s worst no-show members (NYP) Here’s one way to earn easy money — be elected to the City Council and don’t show up for work. Helen Foster (D-Bronx) takes the title as the council’s biggest no-show — with a dismal attendance record of just 60.6 percent last year, according to...Following her on the “truancy” list was Brooklyn Democrat Erik Dilan, who showed up 73 percent of the time, records show. He did not respond to a request for comment.   Ruben Wills (D-Queens) and Joel Rivera (D-Bronx) had attendance records of 73.3 and 73.7 percent, respectively. Eric Ulrich — a Queens Republican who said he spent much of the year in his Hurricane Sandy-battered district — had the fifth-worst tally, attending 77 percent of his required meetings.


1/13/2013
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How Quinn, Seddio and Recchia Started Brooklyn's Jewish War

At a meeting of the corrupt council redistricting committee which thinks secretly moving sexual harasser Vito Lopez's house into a district he can win in, is done to keep communities together.  The political gang redistricting committee was attacked at a recent meeting for starting a war between the Jews in Brooklyn by creating a Russian council district by cutting the Growing in numbers Orthodox Jews into 3 council districts.  The deal was cut by Quinn operatives in Brooklyn for Russian support in her race for mayor, while insider Councilman Greenfield never spoke out against it.  After the revised district lines became public on Nov. 16, Brooklyn Councilman David Greenfield tweeted that. “First thing that jumps out in S. Brooklyn is creation of Super-Russian-American 48^thCouncil District.”   At first look giving the Russian's a district is not an unreasonable. But it is the political way the redistricting committee cut the district 48th district that started a Jewish war.  The Orthodox cut up by the redistricting committee was to give Seddio and Recchia the district they wanted. A crime against the Jews was committed, pitting Russian Jews against Othordox Jewish to accommodate a couple pols ability to hang on in neighbors that have changed.

 

When Recchia Cut A Third of the Russians Out of His District in 2003 to Help His Shot At Reelecton He Was Called the Butcher of Brighton

In 2003 after winning the council in 2001 in a 5 ways spit between Jewish candidates Recchia had the council redistricitng committee cut out a third of the Russians in his district  IT'S ALL ABOUT RECCHIA! THE VOTERS HAVE NO CHOICE

In 2013 district on either side of the Russian and Jewish community were cut to allow Quinn strong supporter councilman Dominic Recchia to pick his successor in the 47th district and another expected supporter of the speaker Brooklyn Boss Frank Seddio to pick the new the new councilman in the 46th distinct.  The redistricting committee moved Russian Americans out of the Recchai 47th council district and put them into the 48th council district.  This gives Recchia the ability to pick his successor. Buzz is Recchia will pick a non Russian candidate.  The Recchia, Seddio and Quinn changes have caused a ripple effect of splitting the Orthodox Jewish into three where their voice reduced. The growing Orthodox community already has already been split into Sampson, Parker, Golden and Staten Island's Savino state senate districts. There congressional district is split into Clark and Jefferies districts.  

Russian Jews and Brooklyn Orthodox Who Have Similar Views Turned Against Each Other to Save Old Time Pols and Help Quinn Win the Mayor's Race

With the loss of Weiner, Kruger and Filder Seddio's TJ club needs elected officials.  Seddio is expecting to support Assemblyman Alan Maisel for the 46th and hand over assembly seat to a third generation Jefferson Club member of the Partinow family in a special election.  Seddio had Quinn take out of the 48th Orthodox Jewish voters and put them into the 46h. This gives the Seddio's council candidate, a white candidate a better chance to win in what should be a minority district. Racial gerrymandering has allow Seedio has keep power over the past 10 years as the community surrounding his Thomas Jefferson club has turned increasing black. What the redistricting committee should have did was make one district for the Russians and one of the Orthodox and cut out the Seddio and Recchia who no longer have the population to hang on to their district.

Brooklyn Civil War Russians Vs Orthodox

Russians and Orthodox Jews Clash at Brooklyn Redistricting Hearing(NYO)It was the multicultural American Dream, the only hope of ambitious Russian immigrants and the possible death knell of Orthodox Jewish communities, all at once, at least according to some of those testifying at the redistricting hearing last night in Brooklyn.

 councilman dominic recchia* Councilmania: Accusation that 48th Map Intentionally Pitches Russians Vs. Orthodox(http://orthodoxpundit.blogspot.com/)
1/8/2013
The Fake Vito Lopez Redistricting After the Fake Divorce

Several City Council Members testified at a public hearing in Manhattan last night to contest the proposed district lines. Councilmembers Rosie Mendez, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Gale Brewer, and Ydanis Rodriguez, as well as a representative from Jessica Lappin's office, all gave testimony that was critical of the Redistricting Commission's process and the lines it crafted. Residents of Mark-Viverito's district came out in full force at the hearing, reflecting her East Harlem community's strong sense of unity as a center of Hispanic culture affectionately referred to as "El Barrio". Under the proposed district changes, El Barrio would be fragmented into the Council district of Inez Dickens and lose the representation of Mark-Viverito, a longtime advocate for the neighborhood. Mark-Viverito was greeted with a standing ovation as she approached the microphone to speak and proceeded to lambaste the Commission for "rushing" to make changes to other districts while leaving hers split up--a subtle shot at the changes requested by Council Speaker Christine Quinn to prevent Assemblyman Vito Lopez from running for City Council. "More likely than not the people here today will overwhelmingly be here present because of there concerns regarding District 8 and to inspire faith and trust in a truly democratic and independent process," Mark-Viverito said. "It is unclear to me why this level of public outcry has been largely disregarded by the commission, which rushed to make changes to other districts while leaving District 8 the same." The Commission will make revisions to the district maps by January 23rd, with a decision on adopting the revised map coming a week later. The City Council then has three weeks to decide whether to vote on the new district lines or send them back to the Commission for more hearings.(City and State)


1/7/2013
After the Public Lopez Quinn Divorce the Illegal Redistricting Continues

What Is Going On With City Council Redistricting? A Primer(Gotham Gazette)

Quinn Blinkes On Lopez District(True News)

1/4/2013

Saving Vito Lopez's Ass

Dead in Albany Alive In the Council Redistricting Commission 

Skeptical Democrats Grill Redistricting Commission in Brooklyn(NYO)

1/3/2013

Another Fake Council Redistricting
Anti-Vito Lopez club to grill redistricting rep(Crains NY)

 It’s unclear whether the New Kings Democrats will get the lowdown on the commission’s political machinations late last year. Only the commission’s director of outreach, Jonathan Ettricks, will attend, according to the president of the political club, Alex Low. Mr. Low does not expect the commission’s executive director Carl Hum, who is in charge of running the process, to to be present.

Also of interest to the New Kings Democrats: A district currently represented by Brooklyn Councilman Steve Levin was packed with thousands of new Hasidic Jewish voters likely to support Mr. Levin. A prominent member of the New Kings Democrats, former district leader Lincoln Restler, may well run in 2013 against Mr. Levin. Mr. Restler’s odds of winning would decrease if the redrawn lines stand. One ally of Mr. Restler, Brooklyn Councilwoman Letitia James, who would lose those Hasidic votes from her own district, wrote a letter to the commission several months ago asking for those voters to be removed from Mr. Levin’s district, according to two sources, but that effort has apparently so far been unsuccessful.

Is the Redistricting Commission Taking A Dive on the Lopez District to Protect Quinn? . . .  New Yorkers Will  Never Know the Press Boycotts Story Today
There are some who think the commission change it mind to avoid Quinn embarrassment. They think most of the councilmember like their new district and support lopez.

Banana Republic Redistricting
4 Days Ago To quash 'Vito seat,' council must reject all lines - Crain's New York ...(CrainsNY) Panel had told Quinn it lacked power to alter lines

Friday  @NYCDistricting chair says in letter "there is no legal impediment preventing the Commission from withdrawing the plan."

* Districting Commission To Chris Quinn: We'll Vote On Pulling Back Those New Map(NYDN) * Panel had told Quinn it lacked power to alter lines (CrainsNY) The NYC Districting Commission will hold a vote on whether to withdraw, update and resubmit the maps – as requested by Quinn. (This appears to be an about-face for the commission).* Outside In (NY Mag) To become mayor, Bill de Blasio has to harness the energies of the outer-boroughs—and paint Christine Quinn as a Bloomberg clone.

Progressives Jobs4NY $$$ not significant
The So Called “progressives” on the City Council Look the Other Way When Jobs4NY Endorsed One Of Their Candidates

Tenants PAC is declining to endorse incumbent Margaret Chin in lower Manhattan, though she made a career as a tenants rights activist. She apparently declined to publicly condemn the real estate spending on behalf of her candidacy.Defending Chin, Lander said, “I don’t think Margaret Chin has signed on to the REBNY platform…it is hard to know what the relationship is. I pointed this out to Lander, who grew defensive of his fellow Progressive.  “I am not going to criticize Margaret Chin’s campaign,” he said.  “There are several races where Jobs for New York has supported the front-running candidates in hopes that they will be grateful later.  There is no way to solicit or refuse the help, so who is to say whether Margaret Chin even wanted it…”Councilwatch asked Lander, If you will not draw lines against an organization such as REBNY, whose position is anathema to that of the Progressive Caucus, then what does it mean for there to be a Progressive Caucus?CM Lander softened his tone: “I share the concern implied in your question. I am against large independent expenditures, and many of the battles I have fought for affordable housing and in clusionary zoning--I am sure that REBNY would be on the other side of them.So the Progressive Caucus may see Margaret Chin’s refusal to denounce REBNY’s support for her campaign as an embarrassment, but not a significant one.  And as Co-Chairman Brad Lander told me, “I am sure that Margaret Chin will continue to be a committed member of the Progressive Caucus.”

From Today's Daily News Editorial:  

"In a startling investigative series that started Sunday, Daily News reporters are revealing that too many Council members have been playing fast and loose with the law, from ducking criminal complaints to residing outside their districts to finagling their way into subsidized housing." Miscreants abound on New York's City Council, a hard-hitting Daily News series shows

City Council members are lying either about their taxes or residencies, and neither is acceptable Councilmen Peter Koo (R-Port Washington, I mean Queens) and Fernando Cabrera (D-Westchester, I mean Bronx) have been the subject of controversies over where they actually live. Both solemnly swore they live in their districts. Both continued getting tax breaks by claiming a "primary residence" outside their districts. Which means they are either tax cheats or residence cheats. (DN) * New York Councilman Skipped Court Since 1996  (village Voice)