Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Brooklyn charity may have helped Liu win

From the NY Post:

A taxpayer-funded nonprofit whose president kicked in $2,700 to John Liu's comptroller campaign bused 1,500 Chinese voters to the polls during his runoff win over David Yassky on Tuesday, The Post has learned.

The Brooklyn Chinese American Association helped the mostly elderly voters get to the polls and cast ballots at locations throughout the borough.

The voters, virtually all of them Chinese seniors, piled into vans supplied by the association, whose staffers and volunteers picked them up at the group's headquarters at 5000 Eighth Avenue in Sunset Park and other locations.

They also helped at the polls by explaining where to go and what to do, said the charity's president, Paul Mak.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't know of any candidate in my long life who didn't help seniors get to the polls. Always thought it was a good and decent thing to do.

Anonymous said...

Unions and other groups do it all the time. I'm sure Acorn and the WFP do it, too.

Anonymous said...

But they are not charities that receive taxpayer money and are likely tax exempt.

Anonymous said...

Wasn't Paul Mak an architect connected to Flushing in the 80s-90s?

Anybody know about him?

Anonymous said...

Don't complain you other lazy "Americans".

Chinese/Americans take their citizenship...AND ITS OBLIGATIONS...very seriously!

While you were stuffing your faces with your morning breakfast (or whatever)...they were at the polls.

The early bird gets the worm!

That's as it should be to safeguard a democracy.

And by the time you passed that breakfast, shaved, primped and showered...their votes were recorded.

The bayonets that your forefathers affixed to their muskets in their fight for freedom have long since rusted in your care.

Thomas Jefferson would have praised these bus convoys.

You all make me sick (puke)!

You deserve to lose your right of representation!

Anonymous said...

I'm sure they advertised this service in more than just Chinese literature and social networks, right?

Anonymous said...

I worked at the board of elections. I worked at Saint Andrews church in Flushing/Murray Hill. These people come into the polling site and have no idea how to use the machines and ask me to just give their vote to John Liu.

"I want John Liu, me vote John Liu" is what they say. Hilarious.

Anonymous said...

And what did St. Andrews do to accommodate the seniors in the district..pray tell?

Whoever has got the best "pulling operation" wins the day!

The Korean "churches" peppered throughout the 19th council district have excellent "pulling squads" complete with buses.

You'd best remember this in the Kim Halloran face off on November 3rd!

Words don't pull levers for candidates...fingers do!

Anonymous said...

Getting voters to the polls is a good grassroots campaign move. I didn't vote for Liu twice but that was a smart fun.

Anonymous said...

This city is a 3rd world country with John Liu, pathological liar and son of Bank Robber as comptroller.

Anonymous said...

I am so glad people brought up this subject. Not only were the asians bussed, the interpreters would leave the voting booth areas, go outside to the street, speak to potential voters, and bring them into the buildings. This would happen time and time again, and they even helped the asians fill out ballots. Who knows what they said. Who hires these interpreters anyhow? Anyone else see this?

Anonymous said...

Well...as long as Americans look at voting as a hobby they can leave or take as they feel...they'll be slowly losing their country.

The peril you all fear isn't yellow...it's your own red, white and blue reflection in the mirror of your own lazy arrogance!

Anonymous said...

I would penalize each American citizen who failed to show up to vote...a tax penalty...a fine...a loss or partial loss of some privilege.

Accrue enough points for not voting and you'd have to reapply for citizenship!

Anonymous said...

VOTER APATHY makes a country ripe for a takeover!

Anonymous said...

LOL I can't believe people are complaining about this. Go to Sudan or Iran if you are upset about ballot access.

Red Baron said...

hahha so you guys are pissed that peoplem, elderly people. took the time out of their days, get in to a bus, go to a polling station, and vote. a fundamental american right.... god forbid they exercise their rights as citizens shame on them. hahaha. thank god and country for naturalization we now have a vioce and
you can keep complaining cause we're not "fresh off the boat" any more we're americans who choose to take time out of our days to vote

Anonymous said...

yep, we need to stop groups that promote civic participation like voting...

at least some people give a shit about our community.

Anonymous said...

How does organizing on behalf of John Liu show that this group gives a shit about anyone's community?

Anonymous said...

Most of these comments are so stupid. It's not a crime to bus seniors and disabled to voting booths.

Don't assume that the other guy would have certainly won if more people had come out to vote.