 Meet Paul Newell, the man who is mounting a primary challenge to one of the "three men in a room", Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. (Actually, Silver is facing two primary challengers, but I'm not certain the other candidate is public yet, so you'll just have to wait to meet him.) I've met with Paul several times (as well as the other challenger) and what impresses me about Paul is his deep understanding of reform issues in New York as well as how this District and its current representative to the Assembly fit into that dysfunctional puzzle. There are few places in the state that a few thousand votes can have more of an impact on the lives of New Yorkers than AD-64. We're literally talking about 6,000 votes or so affecting not only the lives of 19 million New Yorkers, but the very cause of reforming our state government as well.
Primary challenges are always a long shot in New York. The entire system is built upon incumbent protection. Taking on one of the three most powerful men in the state makes it all the more difficult. But, Paul and the other challenger are rather clear eyed when discussing the difficulties of such an effort. Neither Paul nor his colleague have any illusions about the task ahead. It's a Herculean undertaking, no doubt.
It's also a fantastic educational opportunity. It's a chance to really talk about reform issues to people that don't obsess about them the way many of us do. Shelly, who actually ran as a reformer back in the 70's, hasn't had to defend himself and the status quo in a primary in far too long. Now he will and that is a net positive in my book.
Regardless, Paul is for real. The other challenger is for real. The odds are indeed long for all the reasons I mentioned, but they aren't impossible. We really are talking about a swing of 6,000 votes, 6,000 votes that could significantly impact the lives of 19 million New Yorkers.
Here's a message to us from Paul, who is an active member of the Albany Project community, introducing himself.
I'm running for State Assembly to change the way Albany works. For over 30 years, Sheldon Silver has failed. He has failed Lower Manhattan and he has failed New York. For too long, Albany's priorities have been set by the developers and special interests supporting the status quo. It is this culture of failure in Albany that has kept our community from accessing the affordable housing, quality schools and livable streets we deserve.
New York has a tremendous opportunity for change in 2008. We are on the verge of ending the 3-men-in-a-room system once and for all. Lower Manhattanites can play a key role in this transformation. By rejecting Sheldon Silver and voting for a new generation of leadership, we can restore accountable government not only to our district, but to 19 million New Yorkers.
Drop by Paul's site and say hi. He's good people.
(P.S. I imagine we'll soon be hearing from the other challenger. Stay tuned.) |
