Manhattan DA Morgenthau Calling It Quits After 35 Years

by: phillip anderson

Fri Feb 27, 2009 at 11:57:15 AM EST

Robert Morgenthau, Manhattan's iconic district attorney since 1974, will not seek re-election in November, sources said Friday.

The 89-year-old prosecutor opted to retire rather than try for a 10th term, saying he hoped to spend more time with his family, the sources indicated.

The decision throws the top prosecutor's job in the high-profile office up for grabs for the first time since the Nixon White House.

Although Morgenthau faced re-election every four years, the venerable prosecutor barely faced any challenges in his time at One Hogan Place. Only twice did he even face a primary challenge.

Morgenthau - who turns 90 in July - was re-elected eight times, including a 2005 victory over former Manhattan judge Leslie Crocker Snyder. She's likely among the front-runners for the spot.

As Liz notes, this has created quite a stir among those who would wish to replace him. There hasn't been an opening at the top here in decades and the contenders are scrambling.

Being the Manhattan DA is a huge gig and it's different from holding the same job in other large cities or even other boroughs of New York City. The crimes pursued by the Manhattan DA are often unique and very complex. Whomever takes over is sure to have a full plate in the best of times. And, as I think we can all agree, these are hardly the best of times.

This really is the end of en era.

Background on Local Politicians

by: BingChester

Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 22:42:27 PM EDT

SD-62: For Maziarz, Manhattan Only Good For The Money

by: robert.harding

Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 21:22:56 PM EDT

In Western New York, unlike Manhattan, most of us depend on our cars and trucks to get to work, school, the store, and just about everywhere else. And on top of the tax increase, the Governor also wants to raise the fees you and I pay on our auto insurance policies by 300%!

But for Maziarz, Manhattan is where the dough is.

The Times-Union has the story.

Sen. George Maziarz, R-Newfane (that's way west) has a fundraiser coming up May 5 at the Penn Club in New York City for his Senate campaign, which might put to rest any lingering rumors that he might run for Congress.

...

The matter of New York City contributions was an issue in the 48th Senate District special election, but the fact seems to be that  the bigger checks and deeper pockets are there, for both parties.

You can view the invitation here.
This should not be surprising. I have no problem with politicians and where they get their money. However, when you use the whole downstate thing against the Democrats, you look like a hypocrite when you go downstate for cash.  

Tonight in NYC: Cooking w/ Scott Stringer

by: phillip anderson

Wed Apr 09, 2008 at 13:13:32 PM EDT

We're proud to announce this week's super special event: on Wednesday, 4/9 EATING LIBERALLY welcomes SCOTT STRINGER, the Manhattan Borough President, to discuss "Go Green East Harlem," a grassroots guide to wholesome home cooking.

To improve public health in East Harlem, Stringer's office has created a cookbook with recipes contributed by community groups & local restaurants that offer ideas for affordable, accessible, healthy eats.

This FREE event hosted by Eating Liberally will feature snacks, Q&A, guest speakers & a live--and lively--cooking demonstration featuring the Borough President himself.

Lynn Fredericks from Family Cook Productions. & Author of Cooking Time Is Family Time will join the conversation.

EATING LIBERALLY with SCOTT STRINGER
& "Go Green East Harlem"
Wed, April 9th - 6-8pm
The Tank @ C:U - 279 Church St
www.eatingliberally.org

Word has it that the live cooking demonstration will feature the Manhattan Borough President himself cooking up some yummy stuff from the book.  

AD-64 (Yes, Shelly's): Meet Paul Newell

by: phillip anderson

Mon Jan 28, 2008 at 10:13:41 AM EST

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.)

More Of This Please: Scott Stringer's Cookbook

by: phillip anderson

Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 09:51:24 AM EST

In neighborhoods from East Harlem to East LA, the statistics tell the same story; a shortage of shops and restaurants offering healthy food; a surplus of outlets selling cheap, high-calorie, low-nutrient convenience foods; and an alarmingly high rate of diabetes and obesity. Uber-capitalists crow about all our consumer choices, but where are the choices for these consumers, so ill-served that it's literally making them ill?

Everyone from activists to nutritionists to farmers to politicians is trying to tackle this fundamental problem of how to provide people with more of those fresh fruits and vegetables the USDA keeps telling us to eat but doesn't seem inclined to subsidize (unlike the corn that's coming out our ears and every other orifice, now, and going into our gas tanks, at great environmental expense.)

But bringing these underserved communities more fresh, whole foods is a half-baked plan if you don't follow through and show folks how to cook up all that gorgeous produce. That's why I was so thrilled to find out about The Go Green East Harlem Cookbook, which Jones Books is publishing today. It's a lovely little paperback packed with 68 recipes for wholesome comfort foods, it's bilingual (English on one side, Spanish on the other) and it's going to be given away for free to East Harlem residents at community events (the rest of us can buy it in bookstores or online for $17.95).

Wow, sounds like a real public service! And that's because it is. The Go Green East Harlem Cookbook was produced by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer in collaboration with the non-profit Community Fund for Manhattan, who spent $54,000 to print 8,000 copies of the cookbook.

The simple, tasty recipes were donated by East Harlem's chefs, community leaders, and other residents who wanted to share their knowledge and love of good food with the rest of us, and the equally appealing photographs are the contribution of a group of graduates from the International Center of Photography. The recipes were vetted by Integrative Nutrition, a school whose declared mission is to "play a crucial role in improving the health and happiness of Americans."

They're off to a great start with this book, which, in addition to dozens of recipes for delicious soups, stews, salads and other dishes, features savvy advice from Scott Stringer on his own culinary specialty-take-out. The Manhattan Borough President is the first to admit that he himself doesn't cook, but Stringer's "Top Ten Takeout Tips" for how to ensure that the food you're eating is healthy even when you have to outsource your meals could be the most valuable resource in the entire book for those who can't, or won't, take the time to cook.

...

For far too long East Harlem (like so many other inner city communities) has been an "afterthought for urban planners," as Scott Stringer notes in the book's introduction, and a "dumping ground" for environmentally undesirable projects. Stringer's out to change all that with his Go Green East Harlem initiative, which also includes the creation of The East Harlem Asthma Center of Excellence, set to open this spring with a goal of reducing asthma hospitalizations by 50 percent within 3 years; a tree planting program that brought hundreds of new trees to East Harlem and provided a tree care workshop to teach neighborhood kids how to care for the trees; and a green building conference last fall that promoted sustainable development and renovation for less affluent neighborhoods.

So to all you cynics who think that government can't be a force for good in the 'hood, I say, get your hands on a copy of The Go Green East Harlem Cookbook. You'll have to eat your words.

What a great story. Kudos to everyone involved with this one.

A Primary Challenger for My State Senator?

by: phillip anderson

Mon Oct 22, 2007 at 16:47:50 PM EDT

A reader who is a Brooklyn Heights resident who lives in Democratic Sen. Marty Connor's district (25th SD) called to report receiving a curious survey phone call yesterday asking his opinion of three Democrats: Connor; housing developer Ken Diamondstone, who ran an unsuccessful primary challenge to Connor last fall; and Dan Squadron, a former aide to Sen. Chuck Schumer who is perhaps best known for co-authoring Schumer's recent book, "Positively American, Winning Back the Middle-Class Majority One Class At A Time."

The reader said it quickly became clear that the focus of the call was Squadron, who now works for KnickerbockerSKD. (He was hired in May after firm co-founder Micha Lasher departed to work for Rep. Jerry Nadler and contemplate his own potential run for office - probably for the seat of Council member Gale Brewer, who is term-limited out in 2009).

Squadron has never held elected office, but he has worked for both Schumer and another Schumerite, Rep. Anthony Weiner (he ran the field operation for Weiner's 2005 mayoral campaign) - points that were made during the call, according to my source, who said he was asked whether he would be more or less likely to support Squadron if he knew these details.

Neither the Senate Democrats nor the state Democratic Party paid for the call, sources said.

Interesting...