wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Comments

• [1] Nick from Manhattan September 09, 2008 - 10:09AM

  Can anyone point to a web page that lists what races are up for grabs in the primary, in specific areas of the city?

  You'll be doing your listeners a great service if you can post such a resource!

  /Nick

  [[Click on the link above for the New York State Board of Elections Website, which has all of the races and information you need.]]

  
  
• [2] Nina from NYC September 09, 2008 - 10:13AM

  I second Nick's question. Have received some leaflets but is there a central venue with info. on candidates' positions (and list of offices on each district's ballot)? The Board of Elections website is not very helpful.

  Nina

  
  
• [3] Carol from Lower Manhattan September 09, 2008 - 10:15AM

  If Sheldon Silver loses re-election, who is likely to take over his "three men in a room" seat in Albany?

  
  
• [4] Nick from Manhattan September 09, 2008 - 10:20AM

  Re: Board of Elections web site

  Thanks for the suggestion, but, as far as I can tell, the BOE site doesn't tell me what I (and I think many others) want to know:

  What offices are up for election in my district, and who are the candidates?

  [[Okay, we've posted a link to Gotham Gazette's Guide for the Last-Minute Voter. Should help!]]

  I think this info is critical, and it's disappointing that the BOE doesn't provide it.

  Any other sources, O wisdom of the crowds?

  
  
• [5] NPV from Sea Cliff, N.Y. September 09, 2008 - 10:21AM

  Question: Did you ever wonder why there is such little information ?

  Answer: Because Shelly Silver desperately wants to hold on to his Assembly seat, his power and his control of the NYS Assembly.

  Listen to Brian's interview of him on yesterdays broadcast. He was incredibly arrogant and did not answer any of Brian's questions.

  
  
• [6] RJ from Prospect Hts September 09, 2008 - 10:21AM

  Re: Marty Connor. It's remarkable for Marty Connor to use as an argument that there's not much he could have done in the minority in the Senate. It wasn't until he was deposed as Minority Leader (by Sens. Eric Schneiderman and Sens. Liz Krueger, and now Gov. David Paterson) that the Senate Dems made any attempt to change the Rep-Dem power balance and have Dems take control of the Senate.

  Mr. Connor is also known for supporting landlords in rent regulation fights, among other issues that go against the interest of his constituency. What he *does* do is very ground-level community service--a garden here, a streetlight there--which generates loyalty from those who need those services and don't have access to the bigger picture.

  
  
• [7] RJ from Prospect Hts September 09, 2008 - 10:24AM

  Ed Towns has *also* supported the health insurance industry throughout his career, and taken buckets of money in campaign contributions from them. So like Marty Connor, he has, as the most recent pro-Towns caller said, done on-the-ground direct-service work (mostly the job of hired staff in community offices) while defeating their bigger interests in Washington.

  
  
• [8] Rich from Staten Island September 09, 2008 - 10:26AM

  Any chance you can discuss the endless phone calls! McMahon has called us at least 5 times! He never responded to my letters. How about a DoNotCall list for politicians.

  
  
• [9] susan restler from brooklyn September 09, 2008 - 10:28AM

  why id daniel squadron against the brooklyn bridge park plan as it has been worked out?

  
  
• [10] John from East New York September 09, 2008 - 10:31AM

  I find it Ironic how Brian says we know little about the primaries but yet he too only gives the primaries only a segment of his show to coverage. My assemblywoman in East NY was arrested for 2 years for corruption and her seat is open. Thanks for not covering East New York.

  
  
• [11] shc from Manhattan September 09, 2008 - 10:31AM

  Thanks for the links! Very helpful.

  Can someone explain the role of "surrogate?"

  
  
• [12] J.C. from Minneapolis September 09, 2008 - 10:33AM

  I'm not from NY, but I agree with the caller who was frustrated about judicial races. I don't feel I have enough information to vote for judges, and I think MN and NY have the same rules that try to prohibit judicial candidates from speaking out on issues (though I'm unsure how those rules fare after the 2002 case of Republican Party of Minn. v. White).

  Personally, I think the only good (not perfect, just better than the alternatives) way is to follow the federal model and have the governor appoint judges with the consent of the state Senate. That way the voters still retain some sort of control over judges since their elected officials taking public votes on the confirmation and we don't have this thorny problem of vague information given to voters on judicial candidates.

  
  
• [13] Nick from Manhattan September 09, 2008 - 10:39AM

  The Gotham Gazette site is very helpful. Thanks!

  
  
• [14] Sebastian from Brooklyn September 09, 2008 - 10:40AM

  correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Mayor promise, during his re-election campaign, he wouldn't run for a third term?

  
  
• [15] Jim September 09, 2008 - 10:46AM

  Your guest,Mr. Hicks of the New York Times, was very informative and interesting. However, if I remember correctly, he said that most politicians in Brooklyn supported Rep. Towns in the 10th Congressional District. I would like to call to your attention that the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, a major reform Democratic club based in Park Slope, voted to endorse Mr. Towns' opponent, Kevin Powell. You may visit the CBID website at www.cbidems.org .

  
  
• [16] KC from Washington Heights September 09, 2008 - 10:49AM

  Bloomberg has a blind spot for developers when it comes to large real estate projects. He and his super-rich cronies don't need another term. Advocates for affordable housing get my vote.

  
  
• [17] Lance from Manhattan September 09, 2008 - 11:27AM

  Jonathan Rosen (Shelly Silver for Assembly), in response to a comment I posted yesterday, posted a link to GayCityNews' endorsement of Silver.

  Gay City News' editorial does not address my statement that Silver has not been a *leader* on gay rights. In the case of same-sex unions, for example, he refused to take a position (2006, 2007) until confronted by overwhelming support among the Democratic caucus and from the governor (2008).

  And, again, has Silver EVER marched in the NY Pride Parade (in which even some Republican officials have participated)?

  
  
• [18] karen September 09, 2008 - 11:58AM

  Obama on O'Reilly was fantastic and it's not true that only FOX Republicans listen to O'Reilly. The very fact that it was OBAMA and it was on O'REILLY must have brought viewers to the TV

  
  
• [19] ileen from manhattan September 09, 2008 - 01:54PM

  "BOE site doesn't tell me what I (and I think many others) want to know"

  I agree. In fact, they have erroneous information on their site about where to vote in my area. I received a postcard last week informing me of my new polling place at 263 W. 86th. When I checked the BOE site yesterday and typed in my address, they instructed me to go to my old site at 175 W 87th.

  I tried to find someone at the polling site who cared enough to contact the BOE to get them to update their site, but no one was interested.

  
  
• [20] CJ from Crown Heights September 09, 2008 - 11:50PM

  So I went to vote this evening (ED 16 and AD 43) in Brooklyn and there was NO SIGN of my usual site being a pollsite today! It is a senior home and one of the ladies there told me the voting machines didn't get delivered but that I should walk 2 blocks down to the local grade school. There, posted outside, was a sign saying "no voting machines delivered." Did anyone else have this issue today? End effect: I couldn't vote, even if it was just a judicial race in my district.