The eight city councilmen running to succeed Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito vowed to further democratize the body—and some said they would be tougher with the mayor.
The speaker candidates—Manhattan Councilmen Corey Johnson, Mark Levine and Ydanis Rodriguez, Queens Councilmen Donovan Richards and James Van Bramer, Bronx Councilman Ritchie Torres and Brooklyn Councilmen Robert Cornegy and Jumaane Williams—made the remarks at a Crain's forum in Midtown. As speaker, Mark-Viverito has instituted reforms such as distributing discretionary money based on district need, but some members have chafed that she bottles up legislation unless she has negotiated a deal for the mayor's approval.
This has spared Mayor Bill de Blasio, who helped engineer Mark-Viverito's election as speaker in late 2013, from having to veto even a single bill after nearly four years in office. Torres decried as an "embarrassing months-long spectacle" the ill-fated agreement between Mark-Viverito and de Blasio to curtail the horse carriage industry in Central Park.
"Instead of representing the weight of the members, I thought the leadership of the council was effectively doing the bidding of the mayor," said the Bronx lawmaker, viewed generally as an underdog in the speaker's race.
He asserted that bills with a veto-proof "supermajority" of 34 or more sponsors should receive a vote regardless of the mayor's or speaker's feelings, even as he argued the speaker should provide some kind of "quality control."
Several of Torres' colleagues noted that the council bucked both the mayor and the speaker on the carriage deal. Van Bramer, Johnson and Levine praised Mark-Viverito for overcoming the mayor's initial resistance to more NYPD hires, to a new legal defense fund for all undocumented immigrants fighting deportation and to closing the Rikers Island jail complex.
Still, they called for rules changes that would stop a future speaker from continuing Mark-Viverito's tack of blocking bills that she or the mayor dislikes. Johnson suggested new mechanisms that would ensure a hearing on bills with majority support (at least 26 sponsors) and a vote on bills with 34 members signed on.
15 comments:
All those candidates will be null and void if de Faustio wins. The mayor doesn't give a shit about the laws because he thinks and his fauxgressive agenda are above them
These stands by the shitty council really tells that there is a large percentage of voters that can't stand this repulsive mayor and are cognizant of his corrupt dealings with predatory developers beyond his initial relationship with Rechnitz.
Funny, Jimmy Van was not mentioned there.
The Dinkins years are coming again...
What bullshit! The new speaker will kiss the mayors ass just like Viverito does now.
Van Bramer a reformer?
yea, sure.
"say hello to he new boss, same as the old boss"
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/who/wontgetfooledagain.html
The general election is not even over and they are already talking about the Speaker election, in which the people do not have a say at all, and which is decided by insider deals. Van Bramer a reformer... I had to laugh at that one...
Crappy, who do you think would make the best speaker?
JVB is full of you know what he is also a liar and a thief --
To fifth Anonymous from bottom who said: ❝What bullshit! The new speaker will kiss the mayors ass just like Viverito does now.❞
This is exactly what former City Council Speaker, Christine Quinn, attempted to execute, as soon as she climbed into Mike Bloomberg's musty butt——and, NEVER LEFT!
Not only was she completely wrong about her being on the runoff ballot in October, 2013, but she was eliminated altogether——and, now it's Mayor de BLASS-hole's turn for karma to catch up with his OWN corruption, graft and endless greed.
So, watch what happens to de BLASS-hole when We, the People turn on this voracious thief (for endorsing Bull$hitlary over Bernie Sanders, followed by his hyper-corrupt, entrenched and establishment-rigged leadership that devalues honesty itself!), as it's going to be a case of déjà vu all over again (as the late, great Yogi Berra used to say), and it can't happen soon enough!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycuw9Cvh6W4
https://www.facebook.com/nancy.baer.77/posts/1975360289357482
What's the difference? Democratize? Yeah! Right! In a city run by REBNY.
THEY ALL GET THEIR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THOSE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY MOGULS!
The best any NYC resident can do is keep their earning power high enough not to be priced out of the city.
To fifth Anonymous from bottom who said: ❝What bullshit! The new speaker will kiss the mayors ass just like Viverito does now.❞
This is exactly what former City Council Speaker, Christine Quinn, attempted to execute, as soon as she climbed into Mike Bloomberg's musty butt——and, NEVER LEFT!
Not only was she completely wrong about her being on the runoff ballot in October, 2013, but she was eliminated altogether——and, now it's Mayor de BLASS-hole's turn for karma to catch up with his OWN corruption, graft and endless greed.
So, watch what happens to de BLASS-hole when We, the People turn on this voracious thief EXACTLY the way this shithead turned on US (for endorsing Bull$hitlary over Bernie Sanders, followed by his hyper-corrupt, entrenched and establishment-rigged leadership that devalues honesty itself!), as it's going to be a case of déjà vu all over again (as the late, great Yogi Berra used to say), and it can't happen soon enough!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycuw9Cvh6W4
https://www.facebook.com/nancy.baer.77/posts/1975360289357482
Great news Crappy, Gothamist is finished
https://assets.dnainfo.com/message.html
another blow to the progressive media
Re: Gothamist
That site was garbage 98 % of the time, but it's extinction is nothing to celebrate.
The shutting down of the site including it's archives is a form of institutional fascism and a strike against a free press and union organizing. Despite the alleged economic reasons Ricketts ended it.
It seems, no it is, that he bought Gothamist just to destroy it.
This is disturbing and actually frightening.
Re: Gothamist
Wow, wonder if the former employees would like a mulligan on that vote to unionize.
Now I'll have to find another source for when the local pancake breakfast is.
>another blow to the progressive media
Funny how the progressive media publisher hates unions so much he'll burn down the site rather than work with them.
It's also funny how he doesn't mind the unions and mega-contracts of pro baseball players but won't let a reporter have some extra income or a pension.
Ricketts owns the Chicago Cubs. This will be their new 100 year curse of futility. In fact, he is starting to get heat for his decision to thoroughly shut them down.
Gothamist is actually back up, so anyone looking to get a place on line for a shitty craft beer or fusion bagel can sleep easier. Unless you're still tweaking from that 4th 5 dollar venti coffee.
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