From City Hall:Avella watchers used to remark about what a tin-ear the outgoing Bayside Council member had for the most basic political necessities. But running for mayor may turn out to be one of the savviest moves an obscure New York politician has made in a long time. Few outside his district or among some hard-core issue advocates had ever heard of Tony Avella a few months ago. Now, he has stood toe-to-toe with Democratic nominee Bill Thompson at a debate, and television cameras followed him when he went to vote on Primary Day.
“This may surprise you, but I’m actually a pretty modest guy,” Avella says, denying that running for mayor was ever about raising his profile. “That wasn’t the intent. The intent was to win.”
Still, Avella could remain a serious contender for an office like public advocate, especially if the eventual winner of the run-off runs for mayor in four years, as expected. Alternatively, his Council district overlaps with Frank Padavan’s State Senate district, and many expect him to finally make his long-expected run at that seat, especially as confidence wanes in Jim Gennaro’s interest in taking another crack at it himself.
Many Albany Democrats, however, dread the prospect of Avella, who spent eight years stirring up trouble on the usually unified Council. In Albany, where backroom deals are common practice and where wildcards have been known to bring the machinery of state government to a standstill, the last thing they need, perhaps, is Avella gumming up the works.
There are other roles, whether turning himself into a Henry Stern-type government critic or trying to hoist himself on the kind of movement-in-exile that has grown out of the scattered supporters of Ron Paul’s 2008 presidential campaign.
18 comments:
Sorry to have to stick a pin in the Avella balloon but:
He'll never unseat Frank Padavan unless Frank chooses to retire.
Padavan's district office runs like a fine Swiss timepiece.
Many, unfortunately, concur that Avell'a staff is abysmal at attending to constituents' needs...long before he chose to focusing on a run for the mayor's seat.
So it's grade "A" for Frank and grade "C" for Avella.
Whatever the reasons...a candidate's past record on the delivery of constituent services is absolutely essential to him winning an election.
Public advocate for Tony would be the smarter move and most beneficial to New York City.
I hope Councilman Avella is listening to the right people for his advice.
Everybody is eager to lay claim to being a "political adviser" these days.
"Many, unfortunately, concur that Avell'a staff is abysmal at attending to constituents' needs...long before he chose to focusing on a run for the mayor's seat."
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Nothing could be further from the truth in my experience.
Tony was great at dealing with constituent issues.
Maybe not in his first year, but once he got on track he, if anything, modeled himself after Senator Padavan's constituent policy and was very effective.
It's so funny you criticize him so when IMO, Tony saw what was successful in our great Senator (I loathe to imagine what NE Queens would have looked like without Frank's incredible service) and put it into place in his own office.
To the corrupt and incompetent (and you all know who you are), Tony Avella is like the crucifix to a possessed person.
Tony is certainly smart and can think on his feet. Perhaps there's a future for him in political commentary on a local station (Hello, FOX News, are you awake?), or writing a column in one of the dailies.
Believe it when Tony says: “This may surprise you, but I’m actually a pretty modest guy,” Avella says, denying that running for mayor was ever about raising his profile. “That wasn’t the intent. The intent was to win.”
Don't we need an honest, intelligent fellow in NYC politics and government?
Or, are we just too unworthy of that?
Just out of curiousity, could Tony still run for mayor in the general election without a party??
"Many, unfortunately, concur that Avell'a staff is abysmal at attending to constituents' needs...long before he chose to focusing on a run for the mayor's seat."
Not only did Tony help my neighbors and me with a variety of city-related problems, we do not even live in his district! His staff was courteous and professional. Need I say more?
Primary Ann Margaret Carrozza and beat her.
Then go to Albany and show them what a 100% attendance rate looks like.
He can paint my House.
Primary vs. Gennaro for Padavans seat - - - Definite.
He loses, again - - - Definite.
He takes a clan of overdevelopment zealots to the midwest and forms a doomsday cult, predicting the eventual takeover of our country by larger modern homes and luxury buildings - - - Strong possibility.
I used to like Tony Avella but then realized that he is a liar and a scam artist. he threatened to destroy an animal rights group for not endorsing him and has caused a lot of trouble in the movement. Just as he cause trouble in the city council.. he can't work with people. he is unstable.
Tony Avella was the only councilperson to help us with the St. Saviour's and Tommy Huang issues here in Maspeth and he is also the only council member to denounce Dennis Gallagher.
I guess it would have been better if he just "played along" with his colleagues and pretended what was going on was not ridiculous.
Primary Ann Margaret Carrozza and beat her.
Then go to Albany and show them what a 100% attendance rate looks like.
Now that's a plan!
Christina Wilkinson said:
"Tony Avella was the only councilperson to help us with the St. Saviour's and Tommy Huang issues here in Maspeth and he is also the only council member to denounce Dennis Gallagher.
I guess it would have been better if he just "played along" with his colleagues and pretended what was going on was not ridiculous."
- - -
Christina sheds light on the way many voters think.
Many voters believe that the mark of a good candidate is that he/she is willing to play nice in the sandbox with other elected and appointed officials.
What a wrong way to evaluate. An elected official in any office, at any level of government has but a single job: to represent the best interests of his/her constituents; NOT to play nice with people who oppose the interests of those voters.
He takes a clan of overdevelopment zealots to the midwest and forms a doomsday cult, predicting the eventual takeover of our country by larger modern homes and luxury buildings - - - Strong possibility.
IGNORANT TROLL!!!
Taxpayer:
This is what everyone wants you to do everywhere. Even in my school, all the teachers hate the curriculums they're teaching but are told to just "play the game", don't make any waves. Isn't that ridiculous?
Higher ups just want robots that will agree and do anything they say.
I'll bet the City Council is no different. Many of the CM's know what they do is wrong but to make their life easier they "play the game".
Italian Girl,
So many people get the jitters when they witness two people in disagreement, and just want the "controversy" to end.
Disagreement, in a civil discourse, is a purifier.
Going over the pros and cons weeds out the bad and, if done properly, ends up keeping the best. This process works on any matter, recipes, child-raising, buying a car, yada, yada, yada.
Trouble is, in political settings the stakes are high and passions run as high. A clever politician creates controversy out of thin air and blames the "trouble" on the opposition.
Slowwitted observers, nervous Nellie's all, want the clamor to stop and root for the "victim" of the controversy, who turns out to be the troublemaker.
They vote and we all wind up with liars who easily outwit the slowwitted.
The slow-wits want to keep watching "Housewives" or some other mindless show designed to keep them pacified and shopping.
We lose.
wow. look at the Padavan people shiting in their pants. whats the matter ? you aint all for avella anymore ? tony avella will smoke that old nazi padavan.
run for assembly tony !
run for public advocate four years from now !
run to produce a radio show !
hahahahahah. finally, the showdown.
Tony beats that old coot in a race and tony goes to THE SENATE to clean things up. he will be a statewide hero, THEN he runs for mayor again never having to give up his seat.
sorry, Vinnie, go back to checking the wifes immigrant status, cause Tony is COMING !!!!!!
and good luck padavan explaining hios $300,000 in lulus against tony.
Tapayer,
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
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