Monday, August 8, 2011

How the Queens Machine protects its candidates

From the Queens Chronicle:

In just under one week, Jacobs and about 10 of his volunteers had collected more than 1,600 signatures. After being told by the Queens Democrats that there wasn’t time to interview him to determine whether he could be a viable candidate for the party as they instead chose Michael Simanowitz, a former aide to Mayersohn, Jacobs was ecstatic that he might still be able to make a bid for the seat that represents the neighborhood where he has lived nearly his entire life.

Then, however, the city Board of Elections ruled last week that Jacobs’ signatures were invalid because he had not written the number of the Assembly district on top of each page of signatures.

“I followed the New York laws and rules regarding the Independence nomination, and I did everything that the petition form from the Board of Elections said to do,” Jacobs said. “Nowhere on the sample form did it say I had to have the Assembly district number on top of every single page. It’s upsetting.”

For a number of good government groups across the state, Jacobs’ situation is representative of New York’s tedious election laws, which they argue seriously deter people other than the party favorites from running for office.

“The function of all these convoluted rules is to protect the established parties from insurgent parties and to protect the established office holders from insurgents,” said Michael Krasner, a political science professor at Queens College. “The fact that you can make a good living as an election lawyer, someone who’s an expert in minutiae in laws, shows how difficult it is for someone without that expertise to mount a challenge to a candidate from one of the major parties.”

While Gov. Cuomo has said he hopes to make election reform a priority next year, Krasner and others have expressed skepticism that legislators would want to change the current system that often gives them a great deal of stability.

15 comments:

Canchita said...

Chavez in Veneuela could take lessons from us on how to rig elections.

Anonymous said...

Notice how neither Simanowitz nor the Democratic Party suits had any comment for this story. Let's give their a "no comment" and "no" vote come September 13.

Anonymous said...

Total BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

wRITE IN, WRITE IT IN, ITS THE ONLY WAY TO SHOW THESE ENTRNCHED CRIMINALS THAT WE MEAN BUSINESS.

WRITE HIS NAME IN,

Anonymous said...

Throw the bums out. One term limits work for me. You say we couldn't get anything done? What the hell are we getting done now.

Anonymous said...

Way to go Sweeney, Gallo, Reich and Bolz! Keeping democracy safe for another election cycle.

Anonymous said...

I am outraged and disgusted! This is scandalous and should be dealt with immediately by us voters! Let's not do anything.

Anonymous said...

why change?

ever see a local around a politician?

turns your stomach to see an adult act like that. the pols do this because they know their electorate.

the people don't want to make the effort to change things.

they are stupid and are taken advantage of by the machine and don't care.

Auntie Invasion said...

that's what happens when you don't hire professionals. he exploited volunteers. petitioning is very hard work. pay those people good money!

this is a capitalist economy.

you have just learned an important lesson. hire professionals who are familiar with campaign & election law.

Crappy will disagree with me but he don't know from crap 'bout this.

Anonymous said...

Crappy, could you get a copy of the sample?

Anonymous said...

ITS TIME TO ABOLISH THE CITY COUNCIL AND BOROUGH PRESIDENTS THEY ARE OVERPAID COWS AND DO NOT ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING GET OUT THE GUILLOTINE!!!!!

Gary the Agnostic said...

We can definitely get rid of the Borough Presidents, but what do you have in place of the City Council? We're supposed to have a legislative body!

Anonymous said...

wRITE IN, WRITE IT IN, ITS THE ONLY WAY TO SHOW THESE ENTRNCHED CRIMINALS THAT WE MEAN BUSINESS.

WRITE HIS NAME IN,

---------------------------------------------

I will! As many times as I can!!!

Anonymous said...

Next Council election write in Alfredo Centola. When you go to vote take your voting card and at the bottom of the list of candidates for city council will be printed the word "other" with a blank line next to it. Fill in the circle next to word "other" and write in "Alfredo Centola".

Show the machine the People that they work for can and will beat them!

Anonymous said...

$35 million was reportedly spent by U.S.unions to rig the state recall special election in Wisconsin. and they only managed to defeat two out of six republicans.

the electorate of Wisconsin deserve a shout out......

when will the nys electorate throw the left wing bums out ?