Is this the best we can do?

From the NY Post:

Meet the crew running for City Council from Queens: a deadbeat dad who allegedly threw a punch at a rival; a lawyer accused of drawing a gun on a rival's wife; an imam who filed for seven bankruptcies; a former city worker with $70,000 in judgments; two candidates with past campaign-finance violations; and four who don't live in the district or moved in so recently they're still unpacking their carpetbags.

Seven are vying for the seat left vacant when Councilman Thomas White Jr. died in August. It is one of only two council contests this year and the only one contested.

Nicole is in

From the Daily News:

Four years after her fiancé's death on their wedding day, Nicole Paultre Bell is focused on Election Day.

Bell, who typically marks her November by the anniversary of Sean Bell's death in a 51-shot police fusillade, is intent on winning a vacant City Council seat from Queens.

"What happened to me four years ago - I didn't expect that to happen," Bell said in an exclusive interview with the Daily News officially announcing her candidacy.

"This is what life threw my way. It made me realize that there are serious problems out there."

The once-tragic figure says her platform centers on education reform and elderly care - and improving police and community relations.

The inexperienced candidate running to replace the deceased Thomas White Jr. already faces one obstacle: The 26-year-old single mother of two doesn't live in the Jamaica, Queens, district she wants to represent.

Former City Councilman Allan Jennings, one of her opponents in the Nov. 2 special election, was quick to attack Bell's announcement.

"She has name recognition?" snapped Jennings. "So did George Bush. But he couldn't get elected in this district."

Bell widow may run for White's seat

From the Daily News:

Sean Bell's fiancée has the potential to turn a crowded Queens City Council race upside down - if she moves into the district.

Up to a dozen candidates are looking at jumping into the competition to fill the unexpired term of the late Councilman Thomas White Jr.

Nicole Paultre Bell, whose fiancé died in a hail of police bullets almost four years ago, brings name recognition and a heart-stopping personal story.

She declined to outline her political plans, though a source close to her confirmed she is considering a run.

She lives outside the district in Far Rockaway, and is still registered to vote at her mother's house in Suffolk County. Under state election law, however, Bell would have to move into the district by Election Day - and get 899 signatures from registered voters on her nominating petitions.

Bell has been a regular at the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network, and may be able to count on his support for a run as well.

Special election on Election Day

From Capital Tonight:

Mayor Bloomberg just called a special election on Nov. 2 (to run concurrent with the November general) in the 28th NYC Council District in Queens to fill the vacancy left by the death late last week of Tom White, who lost a battle with cancer at the age of 71.

The newly elected Council Member will serve until December 31, 2011. A second election to fill the remainder of the term will be held on Election Day in November 2011.

Rest in peace, Councilman White

City Councilman Thomas White Jr. of Queens died this morning at North Shore LIJ after a long illness, a well-informed source tells the Daily News.

A little on the side

This comes from the Gotham Gazette. Interesting ranges there...

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Melinda and Johnny have won it in past years (Melinda a stunning two-time winner). But this year, we will crown a new monarch.

Ladies and Gentlemen, make your pick for 2010.

The winner will be crowned on New Year's Day.

Lynn Nunes concedes to Thomas White, Jr.

"Over the past year my campaign and I have been working tirelessly with one goal in mind- to better the community and improve the lives of the residents in this district and our great city. Our Campaign has worked from the very beginning, understanding that bettering the lives of the people in this district is the ultimate achievement.

As our campaign comes to a close, our motivation and purpose is still here. With the best interest of my community in mind, I have decided this race has come to an end and I would like to congratulate Thomas White Jr. and extend a hand to help turn this community into the best it can be. I have spoken to thousands of people over the course of this campaign and I promise to still fight for our causes and always be available to help.

These are difficult times for our community, city, and state; and I pledge to our councilman to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face. I urge all residents of the community who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our Councilman our support and effort to find ways to come together, to find common ground, and to work in good faith. We must work together to help restore our community’s character against over development, improve schools by reducing class sizes, and protect our seniors from cuts in funding.

Again, I would like to thank everyone who has worked with me and helped our campaign over this great journey."

Sincerely,

Lynn Nunes

It's White by 4 votes

From the Queens Campaigner:

The City’s Board of Elections released the official vote tally for the hotly contested Democratic primary for Council District 28, naming incumbent Thomas White the winner by the slimmest of margins.

White, who is running for his second term, beat challenger Lynn Nunes by four votes, with 1,940 Democratic constituents choosing him as their candidate, according to the BOE. The results were released by the BOE on Sept. 23.

Nunes is challenging.

Proof that every vote counts

From NY1:

Election officials are now counting absentee and paper ballots in the 28th City Council District's Democratic primary that left incumbent Thomas White Jr. with only six votes more than his leading challenger, Lynn Nunes.

The caliber of candidates keeps getting better

From the Daily News:

A Queens City Council candidate took the brawl for City Hall literally on Friday, throwing a punch at a rival in a wild argument over election rules, witnesses said.

The brouhaha broke out at the borough's Board of Elections office, witnesses said.

Ruben Wills - who's running for the 28th Council District seat - took a swing at former City Councilman Allan Jennings, but missed and socked an aide, Jennings said.

Wills, 38, is challenging Jennings' petitions to get on the ballot for the upcoming Democratic primary in September.

"He leaped up and came after me," said Jennings, 42, who held the seat from 2001 to 2005. "He wanted a signature off, and I disagreed."

Jennings campaign worker Frank Perero said he was sitting in front of a computer when Wills' fist hit him and knocked him to the ground.

"All of a sudden, Mr. Wills pops with an angry look on his face, and I find myself on the floor," said Perero. "My back is killing me."

Wills, who told the Daily News he is withdrawing his petition challenge, accused Perero of "buffoonery to act like he was assaulted."

He also accused Jennings of "using the F-word used for homosexuals. He used it 10 or 11 times. He kept going with it."

Wills and Jennings are running against incumbent Thomas White for the seat that represents Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, Jamaica and Rochdale Village.

White broke campaign finance rules

From City Hall:

Pictures provided to City Hall show that Council Member Thomas White (D-Queens) has been mixing Council business with his personal re-election campaign, in an apparent direct violation of campaign finance laws.

In pictures sent in by one of White’s opponents in the race, White campaign workers are shown in front of a store simultaneously petitioning and handing out White’s official Council newsletter, complete with the Council logo and White’s Council email address on it. White himself does not appear in the photos from the event.

Queens Council members go green

From NY1:

This election year, "going green" will be a popular position for candidates running for office. But which elected officials in Queens borough are as green as they say?

Gioia and White scored 100%, Gennaro and Katz scored 83%, Crowley scored 22% and Ulrich scored 17%. Watch story to find out why. (Some of it is pretty bogus.)

Challenging the Council's Invisible Man

The 2009 race for City Hall is already underway in Richmond Hill, where a 23-year-old businessman is challenging incumbent Councilman Thomas White.

Lynn Nunes, who ran against White for a Democratic District Leader position earlier this year, said he is eager for a rematch.

"This district ranks in the bottom of education, crime and foreclosures," said Nunes, a recent Queens College graduate.

"I'm not promising the world, but we should be on every doorstep and trying to improve the community," he said.

White first held the seat from 1991 to 2001, when he was forced out by term limits. He returned to office after defeating controversial incumbent Allan Jennings in 2005.

Nunes noted White has one of the worst attendance records in the Council. It has earned him the moniker "the invisible man."

"There was enough dust on his desk to have an archeological dig," Doug Muzzio, a professor of public affairs at Baruch College, told the Daily News in 2005.

White, who voted for the controversial term-limit extension bill in October, did not respond to Queens News' requests for comment.

Young gun Lynn Nunes taking shot at Thomas White's Council spot

Wow, a real estate broker...just what the district needs!

Which tweeders will flip?

It was only three short months ago that these words appeared in a letter sent to Amanda Burden:

"We write to share with you our absolute opposition to the current Willets Point Plan...this is a product of a flawed process that has continously ignored the requests of the community in pursuit of a top-down planning process that sets a dangerous precedent for large-scale development projects citywide...the community has unified around an agenda calling for a plan that takes eminent domain off the table in all acquisition negotiations...Before this project proceeds to a doomed fate in the council, we strongly urge the administration to come to the table and work with us to address and resolve the issues of the Willets Point Community."

Sincerely,
Hiram Monserrate, Tony Avella, Thomas White, James Sanders, Jr., Maria del Carmen Arroyo, Annabel Palma, Letitia James, Sara Gonzalez, Darlene Mealy, Mathieu Eugene, Vincent Gentile, Diana Reyna, Albert Vann, Charles Barron, James Gennaro, David Weprin, Rosie Mendez, Miguel Martinez, Gale Brewer, Eric Gioia, Robert Jackson, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Joe Addabbo, Bill deBlasio, Larry Seabrook, Eric Martin Dilan, Kendall Stewart, Helen Foster, Inez Dickens, David Yassky

I'll be doing a "profile in tweeding" in the near future for each council member who flips today.

Photo of Doorman from NY Post

Katz coy on term limits vote

...Councilwoman Melinda Katz from Forest Hills says she is conflicted.

"I've always been a long opponent of term limits," she said.

But she says she's listening to her constituents before she takes a definite stand.

"It's on both sides," Katz said. "Some folks really just don't like the way it happened – the process, the vote. But some of the same folks would like to have the choice on who to vote for next year."

Meanwhile, in the district right next door, City Councilman Thomas White's constituents are also conflicted.

White did not speak to NY1 Sunday, but he's described himself as undecided. White is still in his first term, so he is eligible to run again regardless of the council's decision.

Many Council Members Still Undecided On Term Limits Bill

Katz, however, is coming to the end of her second term, and the decision to change term limits could have a ripple effect on her political future.

"I am a candidate for New York City comptroller, and at the moment, Comptroller Bill Thompson says he's running for mayor," she said. "I spent over two years getting prepared to run for that office and so I'd be excited to be able to do that. And, after that, we'll have to see."

Pete pushing revised detector bill

The bill (Intro 650) mandates companies get a permit if they have any equipment, which can detect radioactive, biological or chemical weapons. The bill, which was drafted by the Police Department, has been toned down since its original introduction, which was hotly contested.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, a coalition of 40 groups oppose the bill because they fear it will impede their ability to test for air and water quality for academic and research proposes. That rests on the assumption that the police department would heavily guard the distribution of its permits.

Detector Permits Debated Tomorrow (Today)

When first introduced, these members had signed on: Vallone, Joseph Addabbo Jr., Leroy Comrie, Lew Fidler, Vincent Gentile, Letitia James, Michael Nelson, Domenic Recchia Jr., Kendall Stewart, David Weprin and Thomas White Jr.

Now the only sponsors are: Vallone, Fidler, Sara Gonzalez and Nelson.

John Liu doesn't like it:

White's water woes

A nonprofit group run by City Councilman Thomas White owed the city nearly a quarter of a million dollars in unpaid water bills, according to records obtained by the Queens News.

Water bills at one the group's buildings on Baisley Blvd. in South Jamaica ballooned to $226,789.83, according to city Department of Environmental Protection records.

White (D-Jamaica) is CEO of the Queens Village Committee for Mental Health for the Jamaica Community Adolescents Program.

He recently sponsored two well-attended seminars in his district on how to pay off delinquent water bills - an irony that has raised the hackles of government watchdogs.

"It's incredulous that a member of the City Council would head a nonprofit that owes over $200,000 in unpaid water bills," said Dick Dadey, executive director of the government watchdog group Citizens Union. "As an elected official, he needs to set an example as a model citizen. He clearly is not."

City Councilman's nonprofit group owes quarter million in unpaid water bills