NY-Sen: Stringer Won't Challenge Gillibrand

by: robert.harding

Tue May 19, 2009 at 16:34:13 PM EDT

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said today that he will not run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Gillibrand. Stringer was considered one of the serious challengers to Gillibrand.

Liz has the details.

Stringer came to this decision after holding just one of the two of two private meetings he had scheduled with his political advisers and supporters today.

The former assemblyman flirted with the idea of a citywide run this fall, most likely for public advocate, although he has never denied he harbors a desire to be mayor.

But after the extension of term limits (which he both supported and worked behind the scenes for) he decided to seek re-election instead.

Stringer was one of the few potential Democratic challengers to Gillibrand who actually had filed paperwork to create an exploratory committee. (The other is Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper, who not only isn't dropping out of the race, but has launched a new campaign Web site).

Here's Stringer's statement, which, interestingly, does not include an endorsement of Gillibrand:

   "In light of President Obama's clear desire to avoid a Democratic primary in New York State, I have decided to focus on my re-election race for Manhattan Borough President and to suspend my exploratory committee and fund-raising efforts for the 2010 Senate race."

   "I firmly believe that innovative thinking on issues like education and the urban environment must be joined with bedrock Democratic values on gun control and immigration if New York's interests are to be effectively represented in Washington.

   "I will be working harder than ever with every member of New York's congressional delegation to make sure that we get the support we need from Washington to uphold the core progressive values so many New Yorkers hold dear. I want to thank the many friends and supporters who worked with me on this effort."

Two of the top possible challengers for the seat say they aren't running less than a week apart. That is telling. Gillibrand has proven to be a force in the first few months of her term and has plenty of time to gain even more momentum. With Israel and Stringer out, the chance of a serious primary occurring is decreasing.

Why Gillibrand will be tough to beat

by: Dan Jacoby

Sat May 16, 2009 at 15:01:07 PM EDT

They all have one serious problem -- Kirsten Gillibrand is an extremely bright, politically savvy person who can raise an enormous amount of money.  She comes from a politically active family, and has shown the rare ability to rise above her early indoctrination (her father was a Republican lobbyist, and her first political job was as an intern for Al D'Amato).

Since becoming a Senator, her views on guns and gays have "evolved," to use the popular buzz word.  She has spoken publicly in support of universal healthcare coverage, including a public option.  These positions will win her downstate votes.  They may cost her something upstate, but not much.

The main reason for assuming continued strength upstate is that none of her potential challengers comes from anywhere farther north than Peekskill, and all but one of them hail from NYC or Long Island.  Senator Gillibrand is positioning herself brilliantly, both on issues and geographically.

In a primary, she will win upstate handily, and between her evolution on issues and the support of Senator Schumer she will gain plenty of downstate votes to win.  In a general election she will do even better, earning a lot of upstate Republican votes as well as virtually every Democratic vote in the state (can you see a Democrat voting for George Pataki or Peter King?).

Even Rep. Israel would have been at a serious disadvantage.  For every upstate vote he gets, he loses two or three from NYC.  If he tries to focus on NYC/Long Island, he loses by such an enormous margin upstate that there is no way he makes up for it.

More after the jump...

SD-25: Squadron Presents 11-Point Reform Plan, Nabs Stringer Endorsement

by: Roatti

Mon Aug 18, 2008 at 19:59:01 PM EDT

"Throughout his career, Daniel Squadron has demonstrated an intelligent, progressive approach to challenging the status quo and getting results, and in this campaign he has shown courage that is almost unheard of in Albany. Only one candidate in this race will be the powerful voice for progressive change that we so desperately need in Albany. That is why, as someone who cares deeply about reforming government at every level, I am proud to support Daniel Squadron."

Even better, Squadron released this 11-point plan on how to make the State Senate an actually functioning legislature once the Democrats take control:

1.    Mandate that bills that clear committees see timely debate, of a reasonable time period, and a vote before the full chamber.
2.    Ease the restrictions on discharge petitions to more easily allow legislators to force roll-call votes in committee or the entire chamber.
3.    Increase transparency related to committee proceedings and require more committee participation.
4.    Allow sponsors of passed legislation or the leadership of the houses to call conference committees when similar (but not identical) bills pass both houses.
5.    Repeal the 2005 rule forcing rules changes to be approved by the Rules Committee.
6.    Equalize the distribution of staff and office resources.
7.    Implement a Clean Money, Clean Elections system of public financing for state elections, with a system mirroring New York City's as a starting point.
8.    Institute a strong enforcement mechanism and strengthen regulations on personal spending and disclosure requirements.
9.    Create a non-partisan independent redistricting commission, so legislators can't draw their own districts, and allow the legislature only a simple up or down vote.
10.    Make voting easier by passing Election Day Voter Registration.
11.     Improve ballot access by reducing petition signature requirements and reforming the vacancy-filling process.

Lots of great stuff here, and you can read the more detailed version of these bullet points here (PDF).

This is exactly why we run reformers in primary challenges.  Connor, while in the minority, had 30 years to try to drain the swamp in Albany, several of those years as the Senate's minority leader.  Even as a minority legislator, he did not use his pulpit to promote these issues.  Now, despite who wins, these issues are ont he table and Connor is making campaign promises to enact reform if the Democrats take the Senate.

For those who doubt the wisdom of running primary challengers to against entrenched incumbents, Al Smith was completely right when he said the only cure for the ills of democracy is more democracy.  

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.  

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.