Sunday, August 18, 2013

Dan Garodnick - Hypocrite



Here I thought I was the lone voice raising this issue.  Apparently not:

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/term-limits-losers-article-1.1385645

Unleashing passions that still burn today, the City Council voted in 2008 to allow New York officials to run for three terms in office, rather than just the two terms that voters have repeatedly commanded. That 29-to-22 vote enabled Mayor Bloomberg to win his trifecta and Council members to go for three as well. Subsequently, the voters overruled the Council and imposed the two-term maximum again — but only for future officeholders. This history has placed 10 incumbents in position to run for third terms this November. They are doing so in clear violation of the public will. Worse, five of the defiant 10 are members who actually voted against allowing officials to seek three terms.

They are both defiant and hypocritical.

We place all of their names on the record. Considering the ire aimed at mayoral hopeful Speaker Christine Quinn for supporting the term limits extension, we are secure in the knowledge that the voters will be intensely interested.

The five members who voted for the extension and are defying the subsequent will of the voters are: Maria del Carmen Arroyo and Jimmy Vacca of the Bronx; Brooklynites Sara Gonzalez and Darlene Mealy , and Inez Dickens of Manhattan.

The five hypocrites who voted against allowing members to run three times but are doing so now are: Dan Garodnick, Melissa Mark-Viverito and Rosie Mendez of Manhattan; Vincent Gentile of Brooklyn , and Annabel Palma from the Bronx.

Once, they told their constituents that the city was best served by injecting fresh blood after eight years. Now, breaking their bond, they serve only political ambition.

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I know he has friends who read this blog, and he or his staff may also, but there's no defense possible here that doesn't lapse into the predictable BS of "I'm doing this for my constituents."  Garodnick's political ambitions evaporated when Scott Stringer decided not to run for Mayor, but rather for Comptroller, which was the office Dan was seeking.  It wouldn't do for his ambitions not to have a political office now, so continuing as a councilman is the best course for him.  For a third term.  Against the will of the people of New York.  Some of whom care, while others do not.  Democracy in action.

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who would we get if he didn't run for a third term? I think that the Mayor should be term limited, but the Council members can be useful if they can get re-elected because they know the needs of their constituents much better than the Mayor does - especially the current Mayor! His constituents only comprise a bunch of one-percenters and developers!

Stuy Town Reporter said...

It's not a question of who would we get (obviously we'd get someone), it's a question of politicians sticking to the rules and not overriding them because of self-interest. I am actually not FOR term limits, but I am FOR democracy and the sanctity of a vote. The latter which were made a joke by Bloomberg, the majority of the City Council and the ones who are now running for a third term.

Anonymous said...

Dan G sold out ST/PCV to the real estate interest groups running our homes.


Thanks Dan for the Green Market. Thanks Dan for the ice skating rink. Thanks for ignoring your constituency in doing NOTHING about the god awful summer bullshit concerts.

Did I forget anything?

Dan is a suck up politician. Slightly above the integrity of Anthony Weiner.

I hope he loses his councilman's seat.




Anonymous said...

term limits are stupid and undemocratic. the only reason garodnik and the others voted for them was because bloomberg was extending them without a referendum, as the law requires.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

Garodnick made the case for term limits--when he was not personally affected by them.

Anonymous said...

He won't be getting my vote because I think he is a bulshit artist and opportunist.

Anonymous said...

http://www.garodnick.com/press-release/garodnick-dont-extend-term-limits-without-voter-referendum

i literally took five seconds to google what garodnik actually said at the time. Maybe you should have done the same. “The people of New York have spoken on this issue – twice,” said Council Member Garodnick. “The best way to respect their will and the processes of good government is to send it back to the people before we make any changes.”
seems like hes mostlyconcerned with there not being a referendum.

this is sort of frustrating. you guys have a bee in your bonnet with garodnik, so dont vote for him i guess, but at least get your facts straight before posting this stuff.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

Yes, and the people did speak twice and even a third time, and Garodnick is still running for a third term. He is NOT respecting the will of the people and the process of good government. There's no reasonable way you can spin this in his favor.

Anonymous said...

"He is NOT respecting the will of the people and the process of good government. "

are you trolling your own site? do people do that? look, the people will get to show their will when they vote this year. and i think we all know theyll show their will pretty handily in his favor, because hes good at his job and popular. garodnik didnt say councilmen shouldnt run for third terms bc third terms are evil. he had an objection to the process. if you arent for term limits, as you said you arent earlier, than you should be for whatever lets people run for reelection the most times.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

It is absurd to suggest that Garodnick is not a hypocrite when he voted against extending term limits and then took advantage of the extension to run for a third term. In essence, he voted to refuse other council people to run for a third term. His tune changed dramatically when he found out he himself needed to run for a third term because that's all that was available to him with Stringer opting to run for Comptroller. Not to worry. Your precious Garodnick will easily win his third term, as people tend to be sheep with short memories. And, oh, he's such a nice man.

Anonymous said...

Supposing Garodnick didn't run for a third term. What would happen to his Council seat? Would it just remain empty and we would have no one representing us in his constituency?

Roger That said...

I guess you really can fool most of the people all of the time. Because nobody forced NYers to vote for Bloomberg the third time. But guess what, a majority did. Meaning that enough of the brainiacs who voted with the majority to impose term limits also voted against them when they pulled the lever for Bloomberg's third. So much for "democracy and the sanctity of the vote."

At least it's somebody competent taking advantage of a thoroughly messed-up situation.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>Supposing Garodnick didn't run for a third term. What would happen to his Council seat? Would it just remain empty and we would have no one representing us in his constituency?<<

The Democrats do have someone running against Dan. It's a woman, and sorry but I forgot her name. When it looked as if Dan was just going to run for Comptroller, several candidates for his councilman seat appeared. They disappeared once he got back into the councilman race. I'm also assuming a Republican is going to challenge Dan.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>At least it's somebody competent taking advantage of a thoroughly messed-up situation.<<

There's nothing messed up about it, though someone is certainly taking advantage.

Anonymous said...

I voted for Bill Thompson last time around.

He narrowly lost to billionaire Mike.

I think he'd make a good mayor.

Anonymous said...

No. Sorry. The Democrats do NOT have someone running against Dan. Dan is running unopposed. I just got an email from him recently that says and I quote,

"I am very pleased to report that I do not have a primary opponent..."

Stuy Town Reporter said...

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/149658-nypds-largest-union-pressuring-council-members-over-stop-and-frisk-bills/

Garodnick, who is running for his third term in Council District 4 on the Upper East Side, faces no notable opposition in the race. Campaign Finance Board (CFB) records show Helene Jnane running for District 4, however she has raised no money, has no campaign website, and has no official Twitter account.

Anonymous said...

If nobody's opposing him, then why does he even need to run? Wouldn't he get to stay in office by default?

I can't make up my mind whether to vote for DiBlasio or Thompson. Thompson seems to be a bit too understated and DiBlasio seems to be a bit overstated. The fact that he's attracting the likes of Susan Sarandon puts me off him. I despise that limousine liberal and her ilk.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

Jnane may be just running on the Libertarian Party, however. She's got my vote. One wonders why Garodnick needs near a million dollars in his war chest to battle someone who has "raised no money, has no campaign website, and has no official Twitter account." What's the deal here, Dan? Do you get to keep the money for a rainy day when you run for a bigger office? Or is something else at play?

Stuy Town Reporter said...

And, btw, why is Dan pleased that he has no primary opponent? Isn't choice a good thing? Isn't a vigorous debate among candidates equally good?

Anonymous said...

I see that the useless old hack, Tom Duane, is campaigning for Quinn. Sleaze clumps like shit.

Anonymous said...

Looks like it's back to Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. That is, unless they're mad at him for getting them involved with a conversion that may never happen or at least, if it does happen, may very well not go their way.

Anonymous said...

Ice skating rink? Green market? Hello?

Anonymous said...

C'mon STR. Who wouldn't be pleased not to have a primary opponent. I say that, but don't get me wrong. I think Garodnick SUCKS for not holding CW Caps feet to the fire about the Greenmarket. He had them, but he didn't follow through. Bad decision.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

Of course Dan is pleased. Ecstatic. But is not having an opponent good for democracy???

dcf said...

STR, you are right on the money about Garodnick. I liked him fine until his lack of getting ANYTHING done about commercialization of the Oval. I mean, if you can't get any results, then that's that. I am sure he's a decent man but that's that. Thompson or DeBlasio? Either one will be a blessing after the Bloomberg years. Although I am not into identity politics, I would actually like to see a woman mayor, perhaps to bring a new sort of eye to the job, just not this woman, who can disown Mayor Mike all she likes but we all know who's who here. LOVE Thompson's last run against him, despite all the odds. Love DeBlasio's positions and his cute son, too!!

Anonymous said...

If he has no opponent, then I won't bother to vote for him. Won't vote for Stringer, either. I'm sick of these back room deals that pols pull on us.

Anonymous said...

I'm with you on Stringer--interestingly, I was going to vote for Spitzer in the primary, mostly because he is a known quantity, and Stringer just did that really wacked betrayal with the Midtown development plan.

Anonymous said...

And he wants to be our latex salesman...er...Mayor. NO SOUP FOR YOU, DAN! NEXT!!!

Anonymous said...

If third terms were voted for in the City Council with Dan voting against, there's no reason why he shouldn't take advantage of the situation and run for a third term. I'm with him!

Anonymous said...

I won't vote for Garodnick because he has done nothing for the PCVST community. He doesn't give a flying fuck about us now that the conversion pipe dream has pretty much gone away.

Anonymous said...

ABG.....Anybody but Garodnick!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Dan is a hack.

Anonymous said...

He could have raised some questions when CW
threw out Rose Associates, an experienced and proven NYC RE management company and put in their own fledgling inexperienced bunch of incompetents who are being paid enormous fees for fucking everything up. That would have taken some cajones and sincerity. Unfortunately, Dan lacks both.

Anonymous said...

I think Dan Goradnick does the best he can with what he's got. There's only so much he can do concerning Stuyvesant Town/PCV, but I wish he would be a bit more "energetic" in going after this rogue landlord and "management" company. We are being harassed to death by these bloodsuching incompetents. The only things they are good at are harassing tenants and sending out glossy notices inviting us to bring in a friend for a bounty! I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy! I warn everybody I come in contact with not to even think of moving here and to pass the word on. Garodnick could probably make a few more waves with regards to the reign of terror and incompetence of CW and Compass Rock. I would vote for him in a heartbeat if he would show a little more interest in what we are suffering here.