ocrats slate of judicial delegates did awfully in the recent election in the 65th Assembly District, Newell, who was one of the candidates, said, “I am very proud of how we did. It was one club against four clubs. It was the first time we did a judicial delegate race in that district.”
PHOTO BY SCOOPY
Paul Newell and pal.
MONUMENTAL REMARKS: Although we caught up with Paul Newell as he was standing next to a sphinx sculpture in the Elizabeth St. Garden on Saturday at the garden’s Harvest Fest, the district leader left no mystery that he is interested in running for Sheldon Silver’s Assembly seat, should it become available. “There’s a trial starting next week,” he said, referring to the fallen speaker’s trial on corruption charges. “I’m preparing for any eventuality. I think there’s no question that Lower Manhattan is entering a new phase of leadership.” His co-district leader, Jenifer Rajkumar, is also interested in the seat. Asked his position on the Elizabeth St. Garden, Newell also was forthcoming, saying without hesitation, “I think open space is extremely important in a community like this.” As for those howling that the Downtown Independent Dem-
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STRING(ER) THEORY: At the end of last year, as Mayor Bill de Blasio was struggling to regain his footing amid the police crisis — which was spiraling out of control after two cops were executed in Brooklyn — we couldn’t help but notice that Scott Stringer and Christine Quinn, too, were suddenly prominently being featured in the news and on the ’Net. Were they raising their profiles for a potential primary election challenge in 2017? Stringer at least is definitely seen as someone who is ready to run for mayor again if the moment is right. Back then, we asked political consultant Hank Sheinkopf what he thought about it all. But he said for an incumbent mayor to be unseated it would take a perfect storm, a tsunami, of problems, such as a combination of both crime and the schools being out of control at historic levels. “People don’t care if the mayor and police aren’t getting along,” Sheinkopf said. “They just want to feel safe.” We asked around to local progressive politicos then, and even at that dark moment for de Blasio, they mostly all said he had nothing to worry about. “It is very rare for anyone who is out of office for years to make a political comeback,” Sean Sweeney of Downtown Independent Democrats said of Quinn, adding, “It is no secret Stringer seeks the mayoralty some day. However, he is doing well and is secure in his position as comptroller. Mayor de Blasio would have to really slip in popularity for a Democrat in a secure office to risk challenging him.” Added Chad Marlow of Coalition for a District Alternative, “I think Scott Stringer will definitely be running for mayor...in 2021. The bottom would really have to drop out for de Blasio for Stringer to enter early. He’s a leading candidate for 2021, and there is no need to upset party insiders in order to try to get the job four years earlier.” But John Quinn, the Lower East Side State Democratic Committeeman, asked if he thought an incumbent mayor could be toppled, thought about it briefly, then blurted out, “David Dinkins!” Stringer, though, certainly seemed to send a message when, in a recent meeting with the editorial staff of NYC Community Media, he said he plans to host an “urban town hall” the same day de Blasio holds his an-
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nounced progressive presidential forum for the Democratic candidates in Iowa. Stringer said his forum would cover issues like education, housing for homeless families, public housing, economic development and more, and would be held in Brooklyn. “I think you should do town hall meetings, not just in Iowa, but in New York City,” the comptroller stated, adding, “Yes, I’m going to do it the same night. I still think the big story is New York City.” Meanwhile, the police crisis has been replaced by the homeless crisis. On another subject, asked by The Villager how he feels about the N.Y.U. 2031 mega-project today, several years after some of his proposed recommendations as then-borough president for the project were nixed by the City Council, Stringer reflected, “I would say this process was not good for the community. I would say the N.Y.U. outcome was not fair to the community.” As for de Blasio’s defense against the political pushback on his out-of-town trips, his press office referred us to his comments to Brian Lehrer. “I think if you look at the history of New York City mayors, starting with Fiorello LaGuardia, who was one of the founder of the U.S. Conference of Mayors...,” de Blasio told Lehrer. “And Fiorello was one of the people who actually helped to push some of the ideas that became the New Deal, and helped to turn around the economy of the country, and certainly New York City. ... And I think it is my job as well to try and get the bigger policy changes that will help address income inequality in this city. Forty-six percent of New Yorkers are at or near the poverty line because our minimum wage is too low, because our benefits are not guaranteed, because we don’t have progressive taxation on the federal level, and therefore there aren’t the resources to invest in things that would employ people and make the infrastructure changes we need.”
EXPRESS YOURSELF: Speaking of Stringer, he’s on the cover of NYC Community Media’s newest publication, Manhattan Express, a bimonthly newspaper covering Manhattan north of 34th St. Since Villagers “never go north of 14th St.,” you might want to pick up this fine new paper (or read it online) to find out what’s going on up there — quite a lot, from the look of it! It’s edited by Paul Schindler, who also edits Gay City News. Check it out! S.B.J.S.A. ALL THE WAY! Support for the Small Business Jobs Survival Act is gathering steam — and sponsors — in the City Council. In a major pickup, Carlos Menchaca, chairperson of the Council’s Committee on Immigration and a leading new Latino political voice, has now thrown his support behind the S.B.J.S.A. The bill, which would help small merchants negotiate new leases after their old ones run out, has sat dormant in the Council for decades as the powers that be have refused to let it come up for a vote. But with 26 sponsors, the bill now has a majority of support in the 51-member Council. At the end of May, as first reported by The Villager, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito pledged that the Council would hold hearings on small business, covering the issue of lease extensions, among other things, and all possible legislative solutions. SCOOPY’S continued on p. 7 TheVillager.com