Flatbush Jewish Community Forms New Civic Advocacy and Political Coalition

Just weeks after a few Orthodox Jewish activist came out with plea of creating a coalition of various community activists that would solidify the Jewish community's voter base, a newly formed Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition of leading Roshei Yeshiva, Rabbanim, and community activists, was  announced Thursday morning. The coalition, as noted in the press release, was formed to coordinate efforts by disparate segments of the Jewish community in Flatbush to foster the growth and development of one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in the country.

The FJCC plans to address many of the civic and communal challenges that face the Jewish residents of Flatbush, including safety, zoning, quality of life concerns and emerging political issues.According to the organizers, the FJCC will also pursue the important goal of registering new voters, and encourage all to vote in both the Primary and general elections.

Three Dems and One Republican Visibly Courting The Jewish Vote

An Interesting Phenomenon taking place among Orthodox Jewish voters, or rather the rank and file of the community who speak for themselves and their political circle, whom to support for mayor in the upcoming mayoral elections, writes Adam Dickter in The Jewish Week.

Based on his selected conversations, Dicker assesses that while Quinn, Salgado and Catsimatidis are all vying for the Orthodox Jewish vote, Thompson and de Blasio seem to be in the best position for winning a bulk of Jewish votes.

Bob Turner: GOP Insiders Planning To Field New Mayoral Candidate

It ain't over until it's over. The ray Kelly cloud is floating again over the Republican primary, according to former Congressman Bob Turner. If the present Republican candidates do not gain traction in the New York City mayoral race, party insiders are planning to field a new candidate, Mr. Turner told Hamodia. 

“ We'll see, I just don’t know yet,” Turner said. “It won't be me, I’ll tell you that. Trust me.” Turner said that details are too premature but could “possibly” happen. “I can't be sure what may happen,” he said. “The situation is still fluid. The primary isn't until September, which is in a really long time.”

Turner, whose Breezy Point home got burnt down during Hurricane Sandy, has  just submitted his rebuilding plans for approval last week, and hopes to move in by fall. In the meantime, Mr. Turner is living in Kew Gardens and helping the Republican party weather the storm of the latest arrests and the turmoil within the county committee. “I’m still involved a little in politics,” Mr. Turner told Yochonon Donn.“I’m trying to straighten out this Queens mess. And if I could be helpful in the mayoral race to support whoever our candidate is, I’d like to be helpful in that.”

In a brief conversation with NYC Elects, Mr. Turner confirmed that Ray Kelly is the name floating around, but said it did not come up from his behalf. "I'm friends with Both John Catsimatidis and Joe Lhota, and I will do anything to help a Republican get elected as Mayor," said Mr. Turner. 

Mr. Turner hinted who his preferred candidate might be, but said he's not inclined to endorse any candidate before the primary, unless he's asked to do so. 

When asked about Anthony Weiner's run, Mr. Turner assessed that Mr. Weiner would face an uphill battle if he indeed decided to jump in. 

In Meeting With The Jewish Press, Bill de Blasio Promises To Restore Childcare Vouchers

If elected mayor, one of the tasks for Bill de Blasio would be balancing the funding of necessary programs for individuals and communities with the financial difficulty the city faces. “I have worked with some of the most disciplined folks in public life, people like Hillary Clinton and Andrew Cuomo,” Mr. de Blasio told The Jewish Press editorial board.

“I predict the first few years of the next mayor will be very tight budget years – which will be made worse by the open labor contracts the mayor is leaving, something that will tarnish Bloomberg’s record. The people of New York understand the choices are not easy. People have been sobered by the economy, and they want to see fairness," he said. 

Mayoral Candidates Spar Over Freedom Of Speech and Brooklyn College's Sponsoring BDS Forum

In a primary that every vote counts, The Democratic hopefuls and Adolfo Carrion, the Independence candidate debated, for the first time, local issues that matter to the Arab American Community. The  candidate forum, was organized by the Arab American Association of New York (AAANY)and the Islamic Center at NYU, who claim to represent a million Muslim Americans in New York City,105,000 of them are registered voters, according to the executive director of the AAANY, Linda Sarsour.

Most of the issues discussed, moderated by Errol Louis, the host of NY1’s "Inside City Hall" show, were about education, public safety, NYPD surveillance and religious freedom. The only issue that drew strike differences, in response to an audience question, and had to do with Israel and the Jewish community, was the Brooklyn College panel on the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement back in February, which was condemned by local elected officials. Many pro-Israel Brooklyn College students, as well as members of the wider community, opposed the event or at least opposed the sponsorship by the BC academic department.

Councilman Greenfield: "Don't Vote In November. Your Vote Doesn't Count."

At a large gathering in Borough park, Tuesday evening, Councilman David Greenfield issued an unusual plea to the attendees ahead of a critical citywide election season. "I would like to ask everybody in this room not to vote in the upcoming November elections," Mr. Greenfield opened his remarks at the Bais Ya'akov annual dinner, according to excerpts provided to NYC Elects By Photo Journalist Shimon Gifter. 

Counting the challenges the Orthodox Jewish community faces, from tax hikes, high tuition costs, special ed funding cuts, public safety and the attack on religious freedom, Mr. Greenfield sought to rally the crowd to take notice of what's at stake in the upcoming elections, and the power of the Jewish vote in  the upcoming Democratic primaries, which, in his view, will determine who'll eventually become the next mayor of New York City.

Catismatidis Emails GOP Supporters: "Liberal Line Will Give Us Victory In November."

Following the endorsement of the Liberal Party this morning, John Catsimatidis sent a email to his supporters, calling it a "game changer." 

This is a GAME CHANGER in the 2013 Mayors Race.. I Received The Liberal Party Endorsement. Just as Rudy Giuliani received the endorsement in his two successful campaigns for Mayor," wrote Mr. Catsimatidis. "The last two election results state it clearly --  Romney Lost New York City 81% - 19 % Paladino Lost New York City 83% - 17% Wendy Long Lost New York City 86% -14% -- We Need Democrats...We Need Independents ...We need all New Yorkers."

Brooklyn Young Republican Club Charge Media For Misreporting The Catsimatidis Event

As reported by Colin Campbell and I,  Republican mayoral hopeful John Catsimatidis went ballistic at 3 republican voters at a forum sponsored by the Brooklyn Young Republican Club. Politicker reported that Catsimatidis had sharp words with “multiple audience members” during the meet-and -greet event held at a Cobble Hill pub.

Here is an audio of the blowup as discussed on the John and Ken show on WOR:

Now, leaders of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club charge that much of the reporting has been overblown. In a statement issued April 30 by the leaders, club members insisted that the meeting at Ceol, a pub on Smith Street, featured more than a verbal dustup.

'Endorsement Day' For Thompson, Lhota And Catsimatidis

The third day of Creation [Bereshis 1:9-13] is the only day in which the expression "G-d saw that it was good" is mentioned twice. As a result of the fact that Tuesday had a double portion of "Ki Tov" [that it was good], Tuesday is considered a particularly fortuitous day of the week.

This week Tuesday, Mayoral hopefuls Bill Thompson, John Catsimatidis and Joe Lhota rolled out key endorsements in hope of getting there to November and beyond. 

Catsimatidis Endorsed By Liberal Party; Gets No from Conservative Party

The Liberal Party, without a line, is backing Republican mayoral hopeful John Catsimatidis.

“John Catsimatidis understands history and respects the power of a successful Republican-Liberal Party fusion in New York City electoral politics." said LP Chairman Jack Olchin. "John also understands the concerns and aspirations of all New Yorkers, and we feel he will be a people’s Mayor just like the first Republican-Liberal Party fusion Mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia in the 1940’s." 

Lhota Gets Long Awaited Staten Island County Backing

Following a week long visits to the island, Republican Mayoral hopeful Joe Lhota got the long awaited backing from the Staten Island Republican Party executive committee on Monday night, Tom Wrobleski reports in the Staten Island Advance.

The committee interviewed Lhota and GOP rival John Catsimatidis before making its pick. According to the Advance, Lhota received 26 of the 29 committee votes. GOP chairman John Antoniello said that Lhota, a deputy mayor under Rudolph Giuliani and former head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, was better-equipped to lead the city. "Both candidates presented themselves extremely well," Antoniello said, but Lhota displayed "a much better understanding of how city government works." 

"He definitely has a world of experience," Antoniello said. "And he has the personality for the job." 

Lhota said he was "very proud" to get the panel's backing. "These are the same people who allowed Rudy Giuliani to become mayor and George Pataki to become governor," he said. "I'm humbled to be in their league."

Catsimatidis Opposes Congestion Pricing: Americans Should Be Able To Dream Of Owning A Car

At a Park Slope civic council candidate forum, Republican mayoral hopeful rebuffed the idea of congestion pricing as a formula intended to encourage people using mass transit, coming in to the city. "I voted against congestion pricing. I was against congestion pricing," Mr. Catsimatidis said when asked whether he supports Mayor Bloomberg's idea of congestion pricing. "I don't think we should penalize people coming from the outer boroughs to New York."

"If people want to drive God bless them. That's what America is all about... I grew up on 135th street, and I wanted to work hard. You know why I wanted to work hard? So I can buy a car.. And you know what car I wanted to buy? I wanted to buy a GTO. Why? Because I wanted to. I worked hard and Americans work hard. They should have the ability to do what they want to do," he added.

Pressed by the moderator, about Mayor Bloomberg's argument that people should drive less because it contributes to greenhouse gas emission etc., Mr. Catsimatidis put on a blunt face: "So, Americans should not have dreams?" he asked. "I think we should build more efficient cars. But we should not restrict the american people who are having dreams... If you have a dream of owning a car, you should have a dream of owning a car," he added. 

Four Years Late, Thompson Hires Sheinkopf As 'Senior' Strategist

Four years later, after he left Thompson hanging in favor of Mayor Bloomberg, Hank Shenkopf is back in the car with Bill Thompson. In key hiring rollouts, the Thompson campaign announced the hiring of Mr. Shenikopf as a senior strategist, working together with team Thompson's chief strategist Jonathan Prince.

"There was a time when he certainly was not happy with me, but there's a larger issue involved, and the larger issue is getting him to Gracie Mansion," Sheinkopf told The Daily News. "I'm emotionally very moved that he would want me back and working with him, and I hope that I can help to make him the next mayor of the city of New York.

Lhota Husbanding Campaign Finances For Name Recognition Purposes

Appearing on The Fox Business Network with Neil Cavuto, Republican mayoral hopeful Joseph Lhota discussed the uphill battle he faces in besting any of the potential Democratic nominees for mayor. Mr. Cavuto gently pressed Mr. Lhota on how he intends to overcome the biggest hurdle of all - name recognition. "But the name recognition thing. it's so tough," Mr. Cavuto hit the soft point. 

"The name recognition thing is very important," Mr. Lhota responded. "I am out there fundraising every single day. I am husbanding my money, so we can use it as we get closer to the primary. Name recognition is critical. My name will be out there. People will know me when they get to the polls," he added.

A One Percenter! Thompson Donated 1 Percent To Charity

Bill Thompson is the charity cheapskate among the top rivals in this year’s Democratic mayoral campaign, Sally Goldenberg and David Seifman report in the Post. 

Mr Thompson, who earned $727,621 in private-sector earnings last year, gave just $4,750 to charity, according to his tax returns. That’s below 1 percent. By comparison, Comptroller John Liu donated $9,150 of his $294,310 in earnings to charity, or 3.1 percent. Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who earned $165,000, gave 4.3 percent of his salary — $7,117 —  and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn donated more than $4,800 of her $137,777 salary to charity — 3.5 percent.

“Bill has dedicated much of his career to public service, in addition to his donations to well-deserving charitable organizations,” Thompson spokeswoman Dani Lever said.

When CUNY's Mayoral Forum Turned Into A Stand Up Show

Quinn and Lhota Recall Not-Much-Changed-Since Childhood in LI

Before Christine Quinn and Joe Lhota were leading candidates for the Democratic and Republican nominations for mayor of New York, respectively, they were Long Islanders, Newsday reports, as the candidates recall their not-much-changed-since LI childhood.  

The Similarities: Quinn, 46, lived on a Glen Cove street that ended in a cul-de-sac. Lhota lived in a home in the Venetian Shores neighborhood of Lindenhurst, where his parents still reside for part of the year. Both thrived in tight-knit communities, went to their high school proms and got their first taste of politics through student councils. 

Mayoral Candidates Express Religious Freedom Rights When Asked About "Metzitzah B'peh"

The Forward has been reviewing the mayoral candidates stances on the controversial Jewish circumcision practice known as metzitzah b’peh, and came to conclusion that only Rev. Erick Salgado and  City Comptroller John Liu pledged to outright abolish the city’s regulation of the practice. 

 “For thousands of years, this has been a practice that has been observed by people,” Liu said. “As with most procedures, some risk is inherent. But I would certainly defer to the rabbis on this, as opposed to thinking that, well, we know better after thousands of years of this practice.”

Bloomberg Believes Quinn Is Last Barrier Against Union Takeover

Mayor Michael Bloomberg doesn't seem to be willing to distance himself from mayoral hopeful Christine Quinn, nor would he shy away from heaping heavy praise on one of  his would-be successors.

“Chris Quinn has done a very good job as speaker,” Mr. Bloomberg told John Gambling during his weekly WOR radio show this morning, Colin Campbell reports. “Whether you’re going to vote for her or not, she has been a very good speaker. The city has been very well served by her. I don’t think that she gets enough credit for it.”

Thompson Lands Major Latino Endorsement

Failing so far to have an impact on the race as a minority candidate, mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson landed a major Latino endorsement  by U.S. Rep. Jose Serrano and his son, state Sen. Jose Serrano.

At a press conference Thursday, Congressman Jose E. Serrano, who was joined by his son, State Sen. Jose M. Serrano, praised Thompson as a "coalition builder" who can reach out to the Bronx's large Hispanic population.

Lhota Defends Giuliani's Comments; Lauds Bloomberg On NYPD Speech

Giuliani Would Prefer Bill Thompson as His Democratic Choice For Mayor

Amid Sluggish Poll Numbers And Weiner's Expected Entry, de Blasio Intensifies Attack On Quinn

“Bill de Blasio is getting more and more desperate," the Christine Quinn campaign has charged, as Public advocate has lately intensified his direct attacks at Ms. Quinn, more increasingly since Weiner's candidacy has been looming over the Democratic mayoral field.

"As Mr. Weiner, a scandal-tarred former United States representative from Queens, considers jumping into the race, Mr. de Blasio has gone sharply negative, as if trying to establish his position as Ms. Quinn’s chief liberal challenger before a better known, if somewhat notorious, hopeful usurps that role," writes Kate Taylor in the NY Times.  

Last week, as the first televised debate on public safety draw to conclusion, mr. de Blasio  seized the remaining 60 seconds to accuse Ms. Quinn of changing her position on policing issues, and engaging in “revisionist history” about her views.

SHOCK: Anti-Quinn Blog Compares Christine Quinn To Hitler

A relatively new anti-Gay and anti-Quinn Blog, written and managed by a Orthodox Jew in Brooklyn, has been lately targeting Hasidic/Orthodox Jews who're supporting Speaker Quinn as their choice for mayor of NYC. While they might be motivated to destroy Quinn and pitching in return,  their chosen social conservative candidate for Mayor, Rev. Erick Salgado in the Orthodox Jewish community, the blog is now suggesting that Christine Quinn is even worse than Hitler.

"Failed Messiah reports that the Satmar Rebbe, whose followers are supporting lesbian Christine Quinn, said that the Israeli government is "worse than those who murdered us".

I have news for the rebbe.  Christine Quinn will do anything she could to cause you to leave religion. 

Need I remind you that some Jewish Askonim helped elect Hitler in 1933?  And now you will allow your Chassidim to support what you call to be worse than Hitler?"

In another blog post, the blogger blasts a shop owner for not accepting the candidacy of Erick Salgado. "According to he Satmar rabbi's logic, Christine Quinn is worse than Hitler.  The racism at Bon Appetit is so great, they would rather die in the gas chamber than vote for a Mexican." 

Catsimatidis Says NYPD Should Have The Power To Investigate and Monitor Radical Islamists in NYC

On a live radio broadcast with AM970 radio hosts Curtis Sliwa and Jeffrey Lichtan, Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis seemed to suggest that the NYD should establish its own version of the CIA to monitor and investigate radical Islamist groups in New York City.

Radio host Jeffrey Lichtan, who's an criminal defense lawyer, asked Mr. Catsimatiidis, if there is anything specific he would add to what is existing right now in dealing with Radical Islam. "Would you expand the atrtempts to investigate radical Islamists at the places that they worship, at the schools they are attending right now in our great city?" Lichtan asked.