Are the Barrons Planning to Switch Seats?

Term limited Councilman Charles Barron was asked by Our Time Press if he is going to switch seats with his wife, two-term Assembly woman Inez Barron.  “I am leaving all my possibilities open,” the councilman said. “I am thinking, if we need, to switch seats. That’s a possibility.”

Local political operatives have been talking about it for months.  Switching seats with Inez would be the safest logical move for Charles, who is in his third term in the council. The couple has already made history by becoming the first husband-wife team to be elected to represent the same community at the same time.

So far, Charles is being coy about his plans. “I am leaving all of those options open. We will be making a decision real soon,” he said. “I am thinking of running for Congress in 2012. Whatever I do, I’ve got to start now, especially if it’s Congress.”

Charles Barron said, “We are going to have some political meetings over the summer with the Freedom Party and our political operatives. If it’s 2013 (and a run for Assembly), I have time. But Congress, I have to start now. We have to make some decisions on Congress first.”

The Councilman recalled when he ran the first time in 2006, he started in February of that election year. “I only had $135,000. I got 15,000 votes,” the councilman said. II was less known and organized then than I am now. I think we can do it. Right now, the discussion is whether or not to do Congress. That’s in 2012. If we are going to do that, we have to make some decisions now.”

It seems unlikely Charles Barron will run for Congress.

Word on the streets is Charles is privately talking about asking his wife to step down from the Assembly, allowing him the opportunity for him to run for her seat. In turn, Inez Barron would run for his Council seat.

The likely scenario would be for Inez Barron to complete her current term, run for re-election in 2012, win again, and then step down. Her husband would then run for her seat. Or, Inez could step down prior to next year’s election, allowing Charles to run for her seat, then Inez could run for Charles’ unexpired term, with a subsequent run for a full term in the Council seat.

Switching seats is not unheard of in Brooklyn. In 2001, Assemblyman Al Vann stepped down from his seat. He ran for Robinson’s council seat and won. Then term limited Council woman Annette Robinson ran for his seat in a 2002 special election and won. Both have been serving in their respective positions since then.

Councilman Barron said he has three options. “I can do Congress. I can switch with Inez. I can even think about borough president. And, I can decide not to do any of that, just do the Freedom Party and run other people, try to develop other people,” he said. “So those are the things I am thinking about. But, right now, we have to make a decision on Congress.”

At Wit’s End:Local City Council Members React to Layoffs and Budget Cuts

Halftime Instructions for the Freedom Party

By Alton Maddox
The Freedom Party has to collect 15,000 valid signatures for the gubernatorial candidacy of Councilman Charles Barron with at least 100 “valid” signatures in 15 congressional districts.  The signatures of the Freedom Party are expected to be challenged by another political party because unbridled, political power in the hands of Blacks is not only novel but also threatening to white supremacy.
 Nine of these 15 congressional districts, with the highest percentage of Black residents, on whole or in part, are situated in New York City.  Two are located in Long Island.  Two others are located in the mid-Hudson Valley and another is located in Albany and Schenectady.
The final congressional district is the 28th Congressional District, which is situated mainly in Buffalo and Rochester.  Only four congressional districts in New York have more Blacks than the 28th. Within three days, it had collected the minimum number of signatures.
There are six additional congressional districts that the Freedom Party have targeted for at least 100 “valid” signatures.  Four of these congressional districts are situated in New York City.  These are the 5th, 8th, 9th and 14th Congressional Districts.  They are respectively represented by Gary Ackerman, Jerrold Nadler, Anthony Weiner and Carolyn Maloney.
All petition carriers will have dropped off their petitions by Tuesday, July 27 at designated drop-off centers.  This will allow the Freedom Party to approximate its mid-term achievements so far.  It will also allow the campaign to clean up the petitions on a normal schedule instead of cleaning up already-collected signatures in the eleventh hour.
I expect that the second half will be far more productive than the first half which also required organizing the statewide, political campaign.
Councilman Barron accepted the political challenge in June.  The campaign for signatures started on July 7.
It also takes some time to recruit and train volunteers who must understand that organization is a bottom-to-top approach.  The volunteers must carry the candidates and not the reverse.  This is also how a bee colony works. This ensures continuity and longevity.
All supporters must be focused and instep for the final stretch.   Personal assignments for the final stretch must be identified and executed.  This is especially true for houses of worship, commercial districts, social events and underreported congressional districts.  For more information, call UAM at 718-834-9034.
Weekly Meetings at the Elks Plaza, 1068 Harriet Tubman (Fulton Street) nr. Classon Ave. in Brooklyn at 7:30 p.m. Take the “C” train to Franklin Ave.

Democracy and Diversity Called For in City Council Leadership

“I would bring Democracy to the City Council,” says Councilman Charles Barron, throwing his hat in the ring to replace the current City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and reform the rules of the Council in January 2010.

“No one should have the absolute power so that fifty-one members are unable to vote their consciences, their principles and be the voice speaking for their people’s interests because they fear punishment by this all-powerful Speaker. No one should have that, me or anyone else.”

Barron contends that the result of this concentration of power has been in the impact on middle and working-class people. He cites the statistic that 1.1 million people left New York City and their average salary was fifty-seven-thousand dollars or less and says the city has been made unaffordable for the middle-class and working-class families struggling in our neighborhoods. “So the middleclass and working class are leaving, but at budget time they say we can’t put a tax on the rich because they may leave. So while you won’t raise the taxes on the rich, you will raise the subway fare, you will raise the SUNY and CUNY tuitions, you will charge the homeless rent. The reforming and democratizing of the City Council would lead to giving priority to the working-class people in our neighborhoods over the power elite.”

In a city as diverse as New York, skin color is always a factor in power-sharing. “The Mayor is White, the Speaker is White, the Public Advocate is White, the Comptroller is Asian.” And then there is the Council itself. “Historically, the three most powerful positions are Speaker, Chair of the Finance Committee and the Chair of Land Use. No person of color has ever held one of those positions. And with the Blacks, Latinos and Asians being 27 of the 51 City Council members, it’s time for the sharing of power and diversifying the power ethnically.”

To the reasons of diversifying ethnically the power and bringing integrity to the City Council, Barron adds that there must be “a check and balance to the power of the Mayor and not a Speaker who acts like a Deputy Mayor.”

Barron insists the times call for a powerful City Council and reminds that it’s the Council that passes the budget, the laws and determines land use issues, not the Mayor. “And if they are afraid of the Mayor and the Speaker, that just won’t happen.”

Toward this end, the councilman called a meeting to explore the possibility of a challenge to Speaker Quinn, and said it was “Very spirited, very productive and very promising.” Asked to elaborate, Barron said that about 30 people attended including a representative of Reverend Al Sharpton, Tony Avella, several union leaders, Alton Maddox, notable community leaders, and several Council members as well.”

They announced the formation of the Barron/Avella New York City Council Democratic Reform Movement with Paul Washington acting as coordinator. Barron said the purpose of the movement will be to bring Democracy to the City Council, diversity to the power positions, and take power away from the Speaker and give it to the Council members, such as having an equitable distribution of capital and expense money, allowing Council members to determine the process of legislation as opposed to the Speaker who can determine whether or not it lives or dies in committee and a process to determine who chairs committees.

The councilman will be making a public announcement on the 24th of November at 12 noon on the steps of City Hall. He hopes to bring community support to put pressure on their Council members “to consider this campaign and this movement. At least support the movement,” says Barron. “The City Council should be a Democracy built from the bottom up rather than the top down.”

 

 

 

 

 

Community Outraged at Proposed NYPD Use of Youth Center

 “This is ludicrous” was the emphatic comment of community activist Salema Davis, speaking about the New York City Police Department takeover of the Arnold and Marie Schwartz Community Center, a 25-year-old East New York PAL Center and the only youth center in the area.  “But because the building needed work, they had to close the building and put the NYPD in there as a training facility.” 

“The building is huge” she continued.  “There is a library, studio, basketball courts, and the basement areas have old little courtrooms.  What they need to do is bring enrichment programs in there for young people and for the seniors.  Bring a training facility.  Their failure to do that says they’re looking for this community to fail.”

Ms. Davis spoke of the four housing projects in the area, the high crime rate and the numerous gangs in the area.  “The young people don’t have many enrichment programs.  When you have more children than community centers, what do you do?” 

Carolyn Walker Diallo, Executive Director of The George Walker Jr. Community Coalition, Inc. said “I was born and raised in East New York and recalled going there as a teenager. About two years ago we heard rumblings that the PAL was out and the building was unsafe for children and the building was closed. With the population of over 90,000 mostly low-income people in the East New York community we need this Center to provide much-needed services.”   

A coalition of several groups contacted the city to see what could be done with the building to provide  a multi-service center for the community.  “We got the run-around and the next thing we know, the response is that there is so much work to be done that the NYPD will come in and take over the building.  At the same time, they are requesting money from the community board to fix the building.” 

Ms. Walker was perplexed by this, asking “If we have money to fix the building for the NYPD, then why don’t we have money to fix it for our seniors and our young people?” Speaking more on the young people of the area, she says,  “We have a very high crime rate.  The gangs are out of control and when you speak to these children, a lot of them just don’t have anywhere to go.” 

“It’s absurd,” said Councilman Charles Barron, who’s district is nearby.  “How are you going to take away youth services?  The reason you need the police is because we have no youth services.”

Ms. Davis and Ms. Diallo both described Councilman Erik Martin Dilan, as a supporter, but we were unable to reach the councilman before press time.

A coalition that includes the George Walker, Jr. Community Coalition, Inc.; East New York United Concerned Citizens, Inc.; Brooklyn East New York Crisis Team and We The Kids Foundation has come together and held a rally in front of the Schwartz Center.

Ms. Diallo reported that at their Wednesday meeting, Brooklyn Community Board #5 passed a resolution in support of retaining the location as a community center and in opposition to the NYPD bringing in offices and a training center.