Viola Plummer Wants Your Help

John DeSio — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:31:10 +0000

It's a little old, but pictured below is shot of an advertisement in an edition of the Black Star News from a few weeks ago (that I just picked up), in which City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is described as a "white supremacist."

The ad is taken in defense of Viola Plummer, the former chief of staff to Brooklyn City Councilman Charles Barron (left), who was removed from that position by Quinn following her behavior during the "Sonny Carson street renaming" dust up.

The ad is signed by the December 12th Movement, a group Plummer chairs. In it Plummer is defended as the latest target of "white supremacy in New York City," and that her lawsuit seeking her reinstatement as Barron's chief of staff is "challenging the racism of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn."

There's more. The ad goes on to state that Council member Leroy Comrie, who Plummer stated should be "assassinated" following the street renaming vote (that statement cause her firing by Quinn in the first place), broke his promise to other council members to support the renaming. It also describes Quinn's rule at the City Council as a "de facto dictatorship" and declares her lawsuit as an effort to prove "the First Amendment still applies to Black people."

The ad closes with a plea for contributions to the "Viola Plummer Defense Fund," noting that her lawsuit will probably cost $15,000 to implement.

The full ad is after the jump.

For more New York political coverage visit City Hall News.

Engel Blasts Congestion Charge

John DeSio — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:41:41 +0000

Congressman Eliot Engel, who represents a district that swings from Riverdale in The Bronx all the way through Rockland County, has made it official and come out in opposition to congestion pricing.

"The Mayor promises that the
money from congestion pricing will go towards mass transportation, but the
experience of the lottery money for education is illustrative. Money from the
lottery went to education, but the money previously allocated by the State and
City for education abated, replaced by lottery money. We can expect the same from
this scheme; congestion pricing money goes to mass transit freeing up money
that had been allocated for other purposes," said Engel.

The full statement is after the jump.

News
from

Congressman
Eliot Engel

Representing the Bronx,
Westchester, and Rockland
Counties

Offices in the Bronx, Mount Vernon and West Nyack

2161 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC
20515

Contact: REDACTED

For release: November 1, 2007

STATEMENT
BY CONGRESSMAN
ELIOT ENGEL

ON
CONGESTION PRICING

Something
must be done about traffic into Manhattan,
but congestion pricing as now proposed is not the answer. All it will do is move
Manhattan’s problems to the Bronx,
Brooklyn, and Queens. There is inadequate
public transportation available to handle the expected influx of passengers,
and the MTA estimates creating such an infrastructure will cost approximately
$750 million. (Based on experience, we can assume that by the time it is built,
the cost will be closer to $1 billion.)

Socially it
will also be divisive: the Emerald City of downtown Manhattan with an admission charge, and the
rest of the boroughs — the 718 people — paying to get in.

Riverdale, Kingsbridge,
and Wakefield face more parking, traffic, and
pollution problems as people from Yonkers, Mount Vernon and even Rockland drive here, park, and transfer to
public transportation. It is unfair to them and it is unfair to the Bronx. (This has already happened. Within the past few
years parking meters were installed in Kingsbridge to stop Westchester drivers
from parking and taking mass transit to Manhattan.)

The Mayor
promises that the money from congestion pricing will go towards mass
transportation, but the experience of the lottery money for education is
illustrative. Money from the lottery went to education, but the money
previously allocated by the State and City for education abated, replaced by
lottery money. We can expect the same from this scheme; congestion pricing
money goes to mass transit freeing up money that had been allocated for other
purposes.

Further,
subways and buses are already overcrowded. Adding the extra crowds expected to
be generated by congestion pricing, before added space is available does not
make sense.

The $8 fee
for cars will also encourage toll increases. The Port Authority is already
talking up a toll increase and MTA Bridges is talking about a $5 toll on the Henry Hudson
Bridge. Since the toll
will be deducted from the $8, no matter what the bridges charge, up to $8,
drivers will be paying the same amount.

In short, the
results of congestion pricing will be added tolls, added traffic, and added air
pollution, but less parking spaces.

Vague-ery Rodham Clinton

John DeSio — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:08:17 +0000

Over at the conservative Weekly Standard Fred Barnes is taking Hillary Clinton to task for her lack of specifics in the most recent Democratic debate. Quote:

Senator Hillary Clinton tried a new tactic at the Democratic
presidential debate Tuesday evening. It amounted to this: a major event
or policy breakthrough or something else must occur, she indicated,
before she’d be ready to state her view on a number of touchy issues.
In effect, she used this tactic to duck issues. And she ducked a lot of
them.

The full piece is here.

For more New York political coverage visit City Hall News.

Giuliani 45, Obama 43

John DeSio — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:04:57 +0000

Another national poll looks good for Rudy Giuliani.

A new Rasmussen poll gives the former mayor a 45-43 national lead over Barack Obama, an improvement for Giuliani from an earlier October poll. The poll finds that Obama still has a slim lead over former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson, 44-43, though that number is also an improvement for Thompson.

More here.

For more New York political coverage visit City Hall News.

Gore Wins, Sans Names

John DeSio — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 08:16:46 +0000

When you simply read the bios of the top Democratic presidential candidates you’re likely to choose Al Gore, according to a new Zogby poll.

For the poll Zogby read the biographies of Gore, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama to potential Democratic voters, without mentioning their names. The poll finds that Gore winds the blind taste test with 35% of the vote, followed by Clinton with 24%, 22% for Obama and 10% for Edwards.

Gore does especially well among self-described liberal Democrats, beating Clinton 43-21.

More here.

For more New York political coverage visit City Hall News.

Hillary Up In (Former) Hometown

John DeSio — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:04:43 +0000

Here’s some good news for Hillary Clinton from down south.

The former First Lady of Arkansas is the leading presidential candidate
in that state, according to a University of Arkansas-Fayetteville poll
released yesterday.

The poll finds 35% of Arkansas residents would back Clinton if the
presidential race were held today. The next highest performing
candidates are Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Governor Mike
Huckabee, both of whom grab 8%.

More here.

For more New York political coverage visit City Hall News.

AFSCME Backs Clinton

John DeSio — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:52:30 +0000

Hillary Clinton’s campaign has announced the endorsement of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees (AFSCME). AFSCME is the nation’s largest public sector union,
representing more than 1.4 million workers.

“As our President, Hillary
Clinton will help rebuild America’s
middle class and make sure that everyone shares in our country’s prosperity.
She has a record of leadership, of bringing people together for more than 30
years. Hillary Clinton inspires our members. She sparks the flame we need to
win,” said AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee.

For more New York political coverage visit City Hall News.

Romney Burns NY At Both Ends

John DeSio — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:41:47 +0000

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is taking simultaneous shots at both Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton.

Romney’s campaign has put out another fact sheet on Giuliani’s
opposition to the line-item veto, titled "Big City, Big Spender: Suing
for More Spending." Find it here.

At the same time Romney is taking a shot at Hillary Clinton and her
fellow Democrats by announcing his clear opposition to Governor Eliot
Spitzer’s plan to give drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants. That
one’s here.

For more New York political coverage visit City Hall News.

Gotbaum Finds More NYCHA Gripes

John DeSio — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:58:06 +0000

Public
Advocate Betsy Gotbaum released her annual report this morning, which
finds a 7% increase in complaints about the New York City Housing
Authority (NYCHA). Most of those complaints dealt with maintenance.

"New York is the greatest city in the world.
But city government? Sometimes it can be more of an obstacle than a tool to
help New Yorkers. Our job is to help New Yorkers cut through the city’s red
tape, so they can access the social services, housing and quality education
that they and their families deserve. I want to thank and congratulate my staff
for all of their hard work and dedication this year," said Gotbaum.

More here.

For more New York political coverage visit City Hall News.

Rudy Tops Hillary, Nationally

John DeSio — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:26:09 +0000

The latest national Quinnipiac Poll gives former Mayor Rudy Giuliani a 45-43 lead over Senator Hillary Clinton, a reversal of Clinton’s 46-43 lead in August.

The poll also finds that voters think the performance of President George W. Bush will make it hard for any Republican to succeed him by a margin of 58-37. Clinton’s approval numbers have also dropped in the poll, from 48-43 in August to an even 46-46 today.

"Sen. Clinton’s success
on the campaign trail and the perception that she is unstoppable has made her
the prime target for all the other candidates, Republican and Democratic. And
the wounds are showing," said Maurice Carroll, Director of the Quinnipiac
University Polling Institute. "The Clinton Express has hit a bump. Future
polls will show if it’s been derailed."

More here.

For more New York political coverage visit City Hall News.

NYPress.com - New York's essential guide to culture, arts, politics, news and more » John DeSio

Viola Plummer Wants Your Help

Engel Blasts Congestion Charge

Vague-ery Rodham Clinton

Giuliani 45, Obama 43

Gore Wins, Sans Names

Hillary Up In (Former) Hometown

AFSCME Backs Clinton

Romney Burns NY At Both Ends

Gotbaum Finds More NYCHA Gripes

Rudy Tops Hillary, Nationally