After months of speculation, the former city comptroller and scandal-scarred mayoral contender, was nominated this morning by the Queens Democratic Party to run against State Senator Tony Avella, marking the first step of a potential political comeback.
Mr. Liu was not present at the meeting in Forest Hills–but numerous attendees said he will definitely challenge Mr. Avella, an eastern Queens Democrat, who earned the scorn of his party when he became a member of a breakaway faction of Democrats who governs the State Senate with Republicans.
“Mr. Avella was elected as a Democrat and has decided to empower the Republican minority in the State Senate and in essence putting them back into power when clearly the voters of the state more than indicated they wanted to have a Democratic majority in the State Senate,” Congressman Joe Crowley, the chair of the Queens Democratic Party, told reporters.
“John Liu’s record, his tireless efforts on behalf of all of New York as the comptroller of the city, as someone who was an experienced legislator, who has been true to the principles of the Democratic Party of both here in Queens and citywide–I think the choice is going to be very, very obvious and clear in that primary,” he said.
Oh, that's just soooo funny. A guy who accepted donations from fake donors to raise money for his mayoral campaign is true to the principles of the Democratic party... What Joe means is that he can't pull Tony Avella's strings and John Liu is more than happy to be his puppet.
59 comments:
You summed it up perfectly Crappy!
The powers to be don't like Tony Avella because he is an independent thinker who does what he feels is right for the people and the community, not what is right for the mostly useless and crooked elected officials and the Democratic party.
Tony Avella is what our forefathers envisioned what government should be.
Sure back some crooked figure, so you can bend him like Gumby.
We had a chance to have a great Queens Borough President, but the stupid voters went with Helen Marshall, reboot.
I don't care what anyone says about Tony Avella, he has done more for our community than any elected official. He has fought so many battles for us. He has the guts to stand and say what communities need, even when it's not popular.
Liu already threw a young staffer under the bus and has done what for North Flushing?........all I hear are crickets.
Senator Avella has my vote. This guy has proven himself and is an asset to all New Yorkers that he represents. We need more politicians like him.
"The powers to be don't like Tony Avella because he is an independent thinker who does what he feels is right for the people and the community, not what is right for the mostly useless and crooked elected officials and the Democratic party. "
Independent thinker ? Do what's right for the community ?
This man is a career politician, nothing more needs to be said.
As is John Liu.
"The powers to be don't like Tony Avella..."
I don't particularly like Avella either but if I could vote in the dem primary I'd vote for him over Liu every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
In my opinion Liu would follow in the steps of those other great Queens dems like Brian McLaughlin, Tony Semineiro, Malcolm Smith, etc...
Independent thinker ? Do what's right for the community ?
This man is a career politician, nothing more needs to be said.
0000
As is everyone else in office in Queens and wannabes like Liu.
The difference, my hack friend in the employ for the machine, is that Tony does not sing (the tired and increasingly out of touch with reality) tune of the machine.
The machine is increasingly brittle. Its mental resources are in steep decline. Its usefulness sunk to the level of blog parodies.
Lets face it, Honest Joe Crowley is becoming Queens answer to Sarah Palin: a joke.
Liu will win as the pols have destroyed community cohesion and have diced us into targeted interest groups.
Its racist, but it works.
They will now go after the Asian population to support Liu.
Something more needs to be said.
The Silver/Crowley establishment can deal with a clueless newcomer like Dan Halloran or Michael Grimm but a smart, non-corrupt pol like Avella is such a challenge, that they have to drag out Liu from oblivion.
Avella is a career politician, but he's a career politician on our side.
"...Joe Crowley is becoming Queens answer to Sarah Palin: a joke."
Stop insulting Sarah.
Tony is ONLY politician that works for the people in Queens! Give him a problem and he fixes it! Every time!
But sadly, Asians outnumber whites now so The Criminal John Liu will get elected.
Of course Avella had to be challenged. He is part of the group that has given control of the Senate to the Republicans as well as key positions. They are the democratic party, willing to bet if he did not join the IDC he would not have a primary.
If you want to use the influence of this website in an important way, you need to do anything possible to make sure that the criminal Liu does not get elected.
Talk about a man who corruption follows everywhere he goes.......
The IDC will raise plenty of money for Avella.
Tony is ONLY politician that works for the people in Queens! Give him a problem and he fixes it! Every time!
But sadly, Asians outnumber whites now so The Criminal John Liu will get elected.
I won't comment on the racial overtones of this previous post, as Tony Avella has much support in the Asian American, African American and Hispanic communities.
To clear up any more discussion about the ethnic make-up of Senate District 11, these are the demographics for the district as of 2012:
Total population: 319,114
Non-Hispanic White
Total: 142,776
% of Total: 44.74
Total 18+: 122,497
% of 18+: 47.38
Non-Hispanic Black
Total: 11,606
% of Total: 3.64
Total 18+: 9,314
% of 18+: 3.60
Hispanic
Total: 49,027
% of Total: 15.36
Total: 18+: 37,088
% of 18+: 14.34
Non Hispanic Asian
Total: 105,561
% of Total: 33.08
Total 18+: 82,645
% of 18+: 31.97
Non Hispanic American Indian
Total: 481
% of Total: 0.15
Total 18+: 289
% of Total: 0.11
Non Hispanic Multiethnic
Total: 6,671
% of Total: 2.09
Total 18+: 4,559
% of Total: 1.76
Non Hispanic Other
Total: 2,890
% of Total: 0.91
Total 18+: 2,080
% of Total: 0.80
Looking at these statistics, the total White Population is significantly larger than the total Asian American population, and skews significantly higher when taking into account the 18+ (voting age) population, 47.38% vs. 31.97%.
Additionally, unlike State Senate District 16 (Toby Stavisky), the Asian American population is split in half between east Asians (Koreans, Chinese) and south Asians (Indian, Pakistani, Banglesdeshi).
Additionally, voter enrollment lags considerably with Asian American rezidents.
These are the ethnic demographics of the district - make of them what you will.
Paul Graziano
Who says a majority ofthe white population will support Avella? John has a big influence with the unions and that district is heavy pro-union.
Liu is a criminal I agree. Heaven forbid he gets elected.
Avella however is useless. Other than his constant press conferences ( which have to be "his" or your group can forget it!). What has he really done. After each presser , he goes back to his office and "is awaiting a response". He never actually gets anything done.
He is the lesser of the evils I agree. However, can't we do and don't we deserve better???
If the election is going to depend on ethnicity, as some have suggested here, what is important is not the total population democraphics, but the ethnicity of the registered Democratic prime voters.
Anonymous said...
Who says a majority ofthe white population will support Avella? John has a big influence with the unions and that district is heavy pro-union.
What are you talking about? The only union that really matters in the 11th is the UFT.
BTW I assume Johnny has paid his fines for his old election campaign trash.
And I also assume that he has a totally honest financial support staff now that he separated himself from those unethical people he used to work with!
Liu is presently suing the city and the campaign finance board for not giving him funds after his campaign was found to have broken campaign finance laws.
This is akin to the kid who kills his parents and then asks the judge for mercy because he's an orphan.
If he hasn't paid the fines Virginny Joe Crowley will work out a deal for the fines to be quashed.
Anonymous said...
'The IDC will raise plenty of money for Avella.'
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Laugh all you want. IDC TOUTS FUNDRAISING
Let's not forget that Liu's father, Joseph Liu, is a convicted criminal too.
That's some pedigree that our ex "Mr. Comptroller" (as John Liu liked to be called) has to offer my district in Albany.
Tony Avella for senator. That's my choice.
But Johnny might continue to ask me-- "Are you still grumpy about me"-- as he recently did at a concert we attended--when I refused to shake his hand--when offered to me.
I'm not at all a "grumpy" old man, Mr. Liu.
The facts being--I never trusted you when you ran for city council--and I trust you even less now.
There, now I'm a Democratic party outcast even though I'm a registered Democrat.
My advice to the voters is--turn out for the primary--and turn Liu out into the streets.
Methinks that we'd all still like to know if Alice Liu Huang (Tommy Huang's wife) is a blood relation to John Liu.
John Liu is dead meat. The party is running him as a spoiler and he'll get a fat appointment for his work.
The Democratic dictatorship has ruled unbridled here for to damn long.
Dump Crowley!
Yeah...Liu hired Parkside as payment for securing him that appointment.
I wonder what Liu's neighbor chuck "follow the buck" Apelian has to say.
HELLO CHUCK!
Chuck Chuck from community bored #7!
Liu HAS NOT paid his fines for the illegal signs of the 09 campaign.
He continues to fight that losing battle. I think he pays his lawyers from the campaign fund so by the time he is at the end of the line he'll have no money and claim he is judgement proof.
When his DIRTBALL dad got convicted of Ban Fraud he also fought and appealed until the end.
I know everyone has that right, however people also have the right to stand up like a man and admit their errors.
I don't think John or his dirtball dad have a shred of decency in them. These are just evil people in my view.
I do agree that John is aiming for some appointment when he loses.
Even stupid people are on to John after the arrest and conviction of two of his aides. All that is left are the zombies and those who hate everyone except themselves and would vote for the devil if it got then a ten cent raise.
Crappy, the IDC money CANNOT be used for Avellas campaign, they just didn't tell Tony that. The IDC PAC can only make a $9500 contribution, thats it. It is not an IE and it is not a party committee.
The IDC will host big money fundraisers for Avella.
And here's another
Liu is highly delusional and probably medicated at this point.
If you have the opportunity to shake his hand (yech!) you can feel it.
His once articulate boyish figure has spread out at the middle (which he insists on buttoning his jacket to cover up).
He now is beginning to resemble one of those 1930's "Oriental" film noir characters in a B/W detective movie.
It's all about money and putting out foot soldiers on primary day.
If Tony can turn it out he'll win.
If not Liu has spoiled the race and that's what the demonic Democratic clubhouse really wants.
It's their prime goal to bury reformer Avella.
So if you want the clubhouse quo, vote for Liu.
If you want to see them and their crooked cronies crushed, then vote for Avella.
Avella is for the community and district.
Liu is for himself.
A vote for John Liu is a vote for Tommy Huang and his Taiwanese gangsters.
Cousin Tommy is still pulling some strings.
Isn't it time we sent those criminals back to Taipei?
John';s father, Joseph Liu, was a partner in the 7 Giants realty group. Tommy Huang was connected to them.
The sweat shop that little Liu claimed to have been in was a lie . His parents owned that building in LIC. Liu's own mother refuted that tall tale of sweat shop beginnings.
Liu's family led a privileged life in Taiwan complete with servants.
In the USA they lived in a well appointed house in Bayside.
So much for the hard pan underprivileged youth of Liu-ie the liar!
Whew....that's an old photo. Liu still has some hair on his head. Is it true that he trims his pubs?
Uh...I meant pubes? He doesn't frequent the pubs...or does he while cruising?
Liu has lost his drive.
His speeches are rewrote rehashes. His focus is off.
Now he appears to be going through the motions... mouthing the clubhouse mantra (coached through an earpiece, most likely).
Was he ever his own man, or just a hand puppet with Joe Crowley's finger up his ass...and a bundle of laundered campaign money from Taiwan?
Speaking of "The 7 Giants"...LOL!
Did you ever meet Lung Fong Chen?
This disbarred attorney once served Tommy Huang.
He's about 5'5" tall (a midget) and was a partner in the "7 Giants". LOL! Go figure!
Hey you FBI crew. Continue your investigation. Look into laundered money that passes through the Democratic clubhouse via Flushing.
Liu IS NOT clean! Like father like son. The fruit from the crooked Joseph Liu tree is John Liu.
Vallone shall not tolerate Avella. Vote your death!
So Tony Avella is proud that he raised money from lobbyists in albany now ? he is bragging about how much dotty money he got and how he got paid off for his loyalty with member items ? And he is a reformer ? Tony has become a hack cause his temper got the best of him as usual.
You guys really are funny. You don't like Tony because he doesn't play the political game well, then when he does, you have an issue with it. How about between these 2 candidates, Avella is the far superior choice? For one, he never had fake donors raise money for him and none of his staffers is in jail. Second, he's not a stooge of County. If you want a stooge of county, then by all means vote for Liu.
John Liu and Alice Liu Huang -- remember his first cousin -- and her husband are "criminal".
His father is a criminal.
He himself is of questionable character.
Why would anyone support or vote for him?
There is no good reason to do that.
Every word Liu says is a lie, including “and” and “the”.
(Apologies to Mary McCarthy)
This election is not about Liu Vs Avella. Some people dislike both of them for many different reasons, but it is hard to deny that both of them work hard for their constituents.
This election is about the coalition style government in the New York State Senate.
Right now the Senate is controlled by a coalition because a group of democrats decided to caucus with Republican lawmakers to create a majority. Tony is now a part of that coalition.
The coalition has done some good things, but it also blocked some good progressive legislation from being voted on, like:
*The Women's Equality Act;
*The Dream Act; and
*Campaign Finance Reform
As a voter, if you agree with the above pieces of legislation and want to see them come to the floor vote Liu.
Or if you like the idea of democrats caucusing with republicans to form their own party, vote Tony.
It is pretty simple.
It's more like the wacko far-lefty Dems that make up the majority of the Senate these days vs the more conservative, traditional Dems that are in the IDC.
Yuck. This is a choice between the lesser of two evils. I don't trust Liu and I don't trust Avella especially after his buddy Espada got arrested.
Anonymous Mike Francesa said...
Yuck. This is a choice between the lesser of two evils. I don't trust Liu and I don't trust Avella especially after his buddy Espada got arrested.
Mike, I don't think anyone knows what you're talking about. Avella has no ties to Jose Espada of any kind.
It's very simple: either vote for Avella, who has a clear record of doing the right thing, sometimes at political cost to himself; or vote for Liu, who has spent his entire career lusting for power and doing whatever it takes to get it.
Read this article and you'll get a better idea of who Tony Avella is instead of making up some BS connection to a convicted felon:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/CHANGE-COMES-TO-THE-NEW-YO-by-Tom-Weiss-110105-887.html
This election is about the coalition style government in the New York State Senate.
Our legislature in Albany is considered the most dysfunctional in the nation - by far.
Anyone that tries to clean it up. like Tony, has my vote.
Liu and his baggage represents everything that makes Queens a laughing stock in the real world outside our borders.
Crappy - those "wacko far lefty dems" do not make up the majority of the Senate or Tony would not have joined the coalition style leadership that has stymied strong progressive legislation from coming to a vote.
This is particularly intriguing because Tony defeated Padavan by disseminating misleading information about Padavan's stance on choice. Now he is part of a coalition style government that will not let the Women's Equality Act come to a vote.
You might say "well it would not pass anyway," but that is not what this blog is all about (I am only a casual reader, but that is what I gather). The people who read your blog are interested in a fair and transparent process that allows them to know where their representatives stand on particular issues. The coalition that Tony is now a part of blocks pieces of legislation to protect their members.
Further - the Senate dems have changed a lot since 2010. The leader of the SDCC during that time period is no longer with them (remember he now is the leader of the party Tony decided to join.) Further Cousins replaced Espada and they are running a strong candidate against Smith who does not even have a conference anymore.
At the very least you have to agree with that, right? Further - you have to believe that Tony's move is hypocritical, right?
He spent his whole career telling folks that he would not sell out for political expedience, but that is exactly what he did.
I am sure you will come up with a quick and witty response to this comment. However, at the EOD you know that this recent move goes against everything he has told his constituents he believes in.
I'm sorry but decriminalizing abortion at a point when the child is viable is far lefty wacko shit as is giving away the store to illegal aliens.
Actually all the Women's Equality Act does is codify the existing federal law on choice into the New York State Constitution.
And seriously that is your stance on the dream act? I mean you can be against the bill, but characterizing it in that fashion is classless.
And you forgot campaign finance reform.
No, it does not "codify" existing federal law, it goes a step beyond. There's a lot more illegal alien pandering that the state legislature Dems want besides the Dream Act, so it's funny that you just singled that out. Drivers licenses, etc. If speaking the truth makes me classless, then so be it. And I did not forget campaign finance reform as it wasn't a real reform to begin with. No loss there.
Why do we need "equal pay" laws passed by NYS when president kennedy signed that into law in the 1960s? PEOPLE WASTING TIME IN ALBANY.
I will tell every single person I know to vote for Tony Avella!!!
The Women's Equality Act failed because the 10th pro-choice related bill didn't make it to the senate floor. This wouldn't have happened even if the IDC didn't exist because you have Pro-Life dems like Simcha Felder and Ruben Diaz, which would not have resulted in a majority of any kind. Additionally, the 9 other parts passed the senate, but in a power play to make republicans look bad, the dems in the Assembly insisted the bill be introduced as One bill with 10 clauses, not 10 separate bills pertaining to women's issues. This all or nothing tantrum of an approach had prevented very important policies from being implemented. And for the Record, Avella is one of the Co-Sponsors for the pro-choice legislation.
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