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Scott Stringer:
Mr. Inside Goes Outside

By MICHAEL SCHENKLER

It’s been several months since I first sat down and started interviewing the candidates for citywide office. I haven’t met them all yet, but I‘ve been having the time of my life trying to get inside the heads of the folks who want to lead this City.

It was mixed reactions with the four Dem Mayoral candidates and then came the Public Advocate wanabees. And somehow, so far, one after another has made me smile.

So Queens political junkie Marsha Livson emails me the other day and asks of my series of interviews of citywide candidates, “is there any one you don’t like at all?”

Marsha, it’s not a question of like and dislike — although that matters to me big-time — it’s a matter of who is going to best serve the people of our City. And as I’ve said before and probably will keep saying, term limits and four-to-one matching funds has produced a crop of candidates we can all be comfortable with. There will be time for me and you to choose which of the field is best. Right now, I want to meet the candidates and determine if each has what it takes.

I spent Thursday afternoon with Scott Stringer, now in his fifth term as an assemblyman from Manhattan.

Scott Stringer is an anomaly.

He has played the inside political game better than any of the other public advocate candidates while championing his independence and willingness to challenge the system.

He has demonstrated incredible political skill in building a coalition of some of the most powerful politicians and political organizations in the City, capturing the support, among many others, of Queens County Leader Tom Manton and his County Democratic organization.

He has built a strong political base relying on the good will of his Assembly colleagues. One after another of the large NYS Assembly delegation from the City, has fallen behind Scott’s candidacy. Stringer claims it was their urging that got Manton and other political powerbrokers to back him. It certainly demonstrates the unity of that unique Albany fraternity, as well as the respect Stringer has earned from his colleagues in his ten years of serving as a Democratic assemblyman while still maintaining his independence.

Scott is an insider — a skilled accomplished political insider.

Scott Stringer is an outsider — he shouts his independence and willingness to challenge the system.

Scott was raised in a political family. As a teenager, he was appointed a member of his community board. Having Bella Abzug as an aunt can put fight into one’s blood. From the 60s to the 80s, Abzug, the Upper West Side’s renegade congresswoman and mayoral wannabe made this City sit up and take notice of liberal issues of the day. Fighting the system was the norm for the spirited lady with a large hat.

So it has been with Stringer. Although, he’s done it as an insider, standing up against injustice and his willingness to disagree with party leadership were points he emphasized during our two-hour chat.

Although not his first words of choice, Scott did describe one of the major roles of the office of public advocate as “Being a pain in the ass as part of the checks and balances of government.”

Like many of the other candidates we chatted with, Scott is, “turned on by the opportunity to be part of the new government.” Term limits and matching funds has created this chance. While Scott acknowledged the great group of candidates attracted to participate in the new government, he expressed concern about the power of staff and lobbyists while new members learned their way.

He was super critical of those who attempted to overturn Council term limits without a referendum, but would like to revisit the entire issue and place it before the voters.

Stringer was forceful and critical of the use of public funds for campaign purposes. “In the Assembly, we limit political mail 60 days before the election,” said Stringer. “There must be a moratorium on the use of government mail and T.V.,” said Stringer. But when asked to name names of violators, he only pointed to the Governor — a Republican.

When I pushed the question, he explained, “There are 60 days left for me to make the case for myself, I won’t do it on the backs of others.”

When challenged on the failure of the State legislature to pass a budget on time for the 17th consecutive year, he insisted that, “A fair budget is more important than an on-time budget,” claiming the Governor must take the greatest portion of the blame.

His leadership issues in the Assembly have included: domestic violence, AIDS, abortion rights, affordable housing and ending discrimination.

He cites organizing a demonstration against the KKK to illustrate his commitment to community activism.

He points to his former boss Jerry Nadler, now West Side congressman, and Claire Shulman as two of his City political heroes.

His website reinforced his concern for the City’s infrastructure, libraries, schools and a commitment to abolish an antiquated Board of Elections.

“There is more to the role of public advocate than taking on the powerful,” Scott told us. “In addition to being independent, you must build coalitions to accomplish things.” Stringer insisted he was the unique candidate that could achieve both.

Scott was engaging and informed. I enjoyed the afternoon.

As we sat and chatted, the election for public advocate seemed to crystallize: With a number of skilled, competent candidates, would the people of our City best be served by having a public advocate who plays inside or outside the system? Is the position best suited for one whose mission it was to be the odd man out — the ultimate outsider — committed to watch, monitor and report to the people on the foibles of government? Or is it in their best interest to find the player who can play within the system and build coalitions?

Scott Stringer wants to be them both.

Look for a quality campaign and debate to answer the question and benefit the people of the City.

A Bleaker Side Of The Council Races

Ninty-nine candidates registered in the NYC Campaign Finance Board matching fund program for Council.

WOW!

More filed petitions: 88 Dems, 9 Repubs, 10 Green Pty, Liberals, Conservatives, RTLs. That’s an average of over eight candidates for each of the 14 Council seats. Now, a large number might not make it through the petition- challenge process and be removed by the Board of Elections (or the courts) because of aggressive challenges to their petitions by the Queens County Democratic Organization.

At the end of the day, however, expect just under 100 candidates to survive and make the ballot.

We’re not going to use this time and space to rant about the antiquated ballot access rules in our State where the organizational candidates have great advantage over the grass root candidates – but they do. It’s high time New York allowed any of its citizenry to run for office without making them jump through laborious and technical hoops. Reform is called for. Reform is demanded.

Well, now that we didn’t rant about reform, let’s assume that 98ish candidates — or 7 per seat — are left standing. In all likelihood, five of them would be vying for the Democratic line. Queens is a Democratic borough and with recent Republican scandals, can be expected to fill seat after seat with the candidate that wins the Democratic Primary. 

SHAME ON THE G.O.P.

As an aside, it is sad to consider, that the new Council is likely to lose three Republican members from Queens and wind up with only minority party member(s) from Staten Island. The two party system is needed to keep the players honest.

But Councilman Tom Ognibene and his chief of staff Dennis Gallagher, are tainted by an alleged Mickey Mouse gift-taking scandal from some gangster who claims Ognibene did favors for him with the Buildings Department. Matters were made worse when the financial records of Christ the King High School, whose Board of Directors is controlled by GOP County Leader Senator Serf Maltese and Ognibene, were scooped up by the authorities. Gallagher, who was perceived by most as the popular Republican successor to Ognibene, seems to be in the middle of every investigation. He apparently ran a website which sold among other things adult magazines from rented space inside the Catholic high school.

Then there is GOP heavyweight, Borough Presidential designee Councilman Al Stabile. Missing Little League money and scandal seem to stick to big Al. His staff members, JoAnn Ariola and Phil Lutz, who are competing for the Republican line to replace him, won’t be immune from the stench in big Al’s dugout.

Finally, clean cut Mike Abel — no we know of nothing (not even rumors) on him — has held a seat in Northeast Queens that is marginally Democratic. Lack of County GOP leadership and funds and the lack of a big name candidate will likely result in a win for the winner of a hotly contested Democratic Primary.

Sad, but where we sit today, the GOP can be expected to choke and give up its three Queens Council seats.

Although, things can change in the next seven weeks.

More Shoddy Candidates

Now, we were talking about almost 100-odd candidates who will fight for the 14 Queens Council seats. We’ve been chasing the candidates for months while shouting how impressive many are.

We are saddened by how a number of them are quite unimpressive. You see, we’ve published notices, sent emails, made phone calls, reached out to consultants, candidates and campaigns. We’ve contacted every name and number we could, to tell Council candidates that we are publishing bios and statements – send them to us.

We published a large notice  many times on this page and elsewhere in our papers that requested candidates to email us: their bio -- under 200 words; their photo; the three most important issues facing their district and how they plan to resolve them – under 200 words total.

Well, quite a number of the candidates, many of whom told us the info was being sent, never got it to us. When we called back, they said they’d take care of it. Quite a number didn’t. There was a tiny handful that we were unable to contact.

Well friends, time is up. Shortly, we will name the names and tell those, who couldn’t inform our readers of their bio and basic issues, what we think of them. This is their final notice. You want to be a legislator? You can’t get your material to us in a reasonable time? Shame on you!

If you can’t answer simple questions in a timely manner, you don’t belong in the race for office.

Not4Publication.com by Dom Nunziato

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Michael Schenkler can be reached at: MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com

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