Pop Quiz: If New York City’s mayor steps down, who succeeds him? The correct answer is the public advocate, and for the record, the current public advocate is Letitia James, a former City Council member from Brooklyn.
James collected a total of 119,604 votes in the Democratic primary runoff of 2013 when she beat State Senator Daniel Squadron. That is just shy of 4 percent of the 3 million registered, active Democrats in New York City. And James’ name recognition should surely have improved since then: After all, the role of public advocate is about self-promotion—if it is about anything at all.
In fact, that is all the job is about. It has no power, a tiny budget and few statutory mandates. The public advocate can introduce legislation in the City Council, but the holder of the office cannot vote in that chamber. She can make appointments to eight different boards, councils and advisory groups—but none of any real consequence. And the office’s budget of $2.3 million annually is not even rounding error in a total city budget of $78 billion.
The office of public advocate was created in 1993 when the City Council voted to rename the position of president of the City Council. That position was purely ceremonial, a remnant of the old City Board of Estimate, which was eliminated in 1989 by Charter revisions after the United States Supreme Court declared it was a violation of “one man, one vote.” No one expected the position to last. But it did, largely because the first two incumbents were capable and ambitious.
James may well be a serious person with policy insights and leadership skills. Unfortunately, none of that was readily apparent at the New York Law School breakfast. Instead, attendees were treated to vacuous remarks and a plea for more funding for her office. Claiming she wanted to be the people’s watchdog of city services, she seemed to conveniently forget that two different entities already provide that functions: the Comptroller and the Department of Investigation. Her call for undefined “forensic audits” seemed to emerge half-baked from an unproduced TV pilot: “CSI: City Agency.”
It is time to pull the plug: We really don’t need a public advocate whose principal role seems to be self-promotion and the unspoken hope that the mayor croaks or gets indicted.
16 comments:
Looks like Jimmy Van Bramer wants to run for mayor or public advocate -- god help us
I am having trouble reading the observer because of it's owner (the president elect's son in law), and it makes me wonder if the position was filled by a conservative republican would make the author bother writing it, but the way James has run that office and how ineffective she's been it now has validity. All she does is appear at events and protests and as an official, really doesn't contribute anything but haughty platitudes and half-measure promises. The last people to actually been effective in that position are Mark Green who actually kept a check on Giuliani's draconian policies and selective funding and of course, but in a most negative fashion, Mayor Big Slow De Blasio the dope of park slope who was more Bruce Ratner's advocate than the people's.
Unfortunately it's not going to end soon or at all. It's a high paid position and the republicans are no better than the democrats when it comes to superfluous positions and opportunities to use elected office to enrich themselves of wealth and influence.
IT'S A DO-NOTHING POSITION. DEBOZO WAS A PA. CAN ANYONE FIGURE OUT WHAT HE DID THEN?
What does the public advocate do? Why do we need this? Getting rid of this will save the tax payers.
Anonymous Said:
"Looks like Jimmy Van Bramer wants to run for mayor or public advocate -- god help us"
Of course he wants to run for Mayor, it's the best spot at the public teat...
With all the major quality of life issues in Jamaica, “Tish”, the do nothing Public Advocate, well, because it is a do nothing city position literally, has not once contacted me or community activist Pamela Hazel on all the issues we have complained about in years and her office receives all of our complaints and posts. Yet, this supposedly independent position, she knew how to come out to Jamaica and stop for lazy do nothing Leroy Comrie when he was running for Senator.
She is just collecting a big old government welfare check courtesy of you and I. The WORST Public Advocate in NYC history.
Under shameless sycophant Letitia James, one of her militant lackeys named Laura Acosta escorted me and my mother out of her office, on Friday, May 9, 2014, after I presented verifiable evidence of city and state corruption. And, before I was even able to speak a word, this criminal sociopath-manager was dialing 'security,' and then had the gall to say, "You are harassing us," which was HER interpretation of evidence that I presented that they selectively chose to ignore and dismiss with impunity! This is what Third World countries inflict onto their oppressed citizenry——and, now city and state government of New York——and, the public be damned (again and still)!
And, that's how the corporate fascist beholden mayor trains his henchmen to behave like (who is currently destroying our once great, proud and independent city to the point where I can't even mention his name anymore, because he's so filthy and corrupt beyond words!).
So, the corruption from which I suffer (and pay) is STILL unresolved (as my family and I languish), but according to a bulldog (or, rather 'bull dike'), like Acosta, it is I who is harrassing a city who willfully refuses to represent me, one of their constituents, and this vacuous and totally worthless money pit of an agency continues to do what they do best: 'Delay, Deny——And, Hope That You Die!'
Then, cradle-to-graver Letitia James (and yet another dumb Assio pal), returns to her REAL FAKE position of public office that reinforced her sworn, abrogated oath: ❝Don't Blow MY Scam——And, I Won't Blow YOURS!❞
Ignoring corruption is to conone it——and, THIS crooked administration reinforces corruption like no one else (even Boss Tweed would be impressed)!
When she ran against Squadron in the 2013 runoff, an Assemblymember endorsed her pretty much saying she needs "a job" since she was term limited, unlike State Senator Squadron who was not.
So much for providing a compelling case for her candidacy. And what has she done for Queens?
What the public advocate does is the work of other city agencies employees. Wait! We already pay them! Abolish the office. Another do nothing for a paycheck affirmative action hire. DeBlasio was the public advocate - That's it in a nutshell.
A neighbor called her council member's office, which happened to be Letitia James. There's a notorious corner bar with after hours loud music,fights,drug dealing and gun play. A baby was killed by cross fire in front of this very bar. Neighbor was called racist for caring about an innocent black baby who was senselessly murdered.
James office did nothing about the bar. This is James track record. Let Letitia James be the very last NYC Public Advocate.
A thought to ponder...what did DeBlasio do as public advocate? 🤔 Have no idea.! To much unnecessary city government jobs that do nothing and we are paying for this?
She gives mendacity a bad name, not to mention Affirmative Action itself, which has always been bad enough already without this brown nose sycophant of epic fail!
It's a case of colossal arrogance, City Hall cronyism and protection, and unprecedented cowardice. Impeach BOTH de Blasion and James, two out of many who've filled up the swamp to capacity!
I thought that P.A. stood for Port Authority when I first read the title. Got excited for a second there....
Oh my!
Someone just realized that there is a useless public official in a tax wasting position.
Say it is not so! Stop the presses!
I hate to be the one that breaks it to you, but they are all useless...
Sure.....and I'm still waiting to win the lottery.
The entire administration, from DeBlasio on down, is grossly inept, incompetent, and callous. Since DeBlasio and his minions, like Farina, still follow Bloomberg era policies like harassing senior teachers, I'll vote for anyone running against him, including a republican if need be. I'm a happily retired teacher who would have stayed another couple of years if it wasn't unpleasant to come to work. DeBlasio needs a permanent vacation
Anonymous said... "Under shameless sycophant Letitia James, one of her militant lackeys named Laura Acosta escorted me and my mother out of her office, on Friday, May 9, 2014, after I presented verifiable evidence of city and state corruption."
If Letitia James and her "militant lackey ... Laura Acosta" won't acknowledge the "verifiable evidence of city and state corruption", please share this information with Crappy's readers.
If you are unable to do so in this forum, please get in touch with the person who manages this Queens Crap blogspot for ideas on how to get action.
The more people speak out -- even if our electeds don't listen -- the more we all can put this information out to the public and, with time, be able to affect a change and get rid of the corruption.
We all pay taxes and have to live in this rapidly diminishing turf. If we don't at least try to change the corruption and those that are corrupt, our lives will get worse not better.
Please share. We will be behind you to help if we can.
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