The heat is on.
The 33rd District debate (filmed last week) will be on BCAT tonight (Time Warner 56, Cablevision 69, RCN 84 and Verizon 44) and Doug Biviano is already getting riled up about it. Below is a press release he sent out. I'll have more on this at boropolitics.com later...
Jo Anne Simon Dismisses Reform Movement;Ducks Controversy and Refuses to Take a Stand Against Corrupt Party Politics
BROOKLYN, NY-- City Council candidate Doug Biviano continued to build momentum on a message of reform last week at Brooklyn Independent Television's The Candidates Debate which will air on Brooklyn Community Access Television tonight, August 17th at 9:00. Two weeks ago, Biviano exposed opponent Evan Thies for running away from a fight with Vito Lopez over Lopez’s backroom deal to rezone the Broadway Triangle. And the reformer was at it again in this debate, challenging District Leader Jo Anne Simon's record of inaction.
"Two weeks ago I stood up and said 'enough,' and demanded Vito Lopez resign as chair of the Kings County Democratic Party. What I want to know, Jo Anne, is if you'll stand with me today on the side of real reform?" Simon refused to commit, instead offering a lengthy non-answer that ducked Biviano’s challenge."
This is the same thing we've seen from Jo Anne time and time again," Biviano explained after the debate. "She likes to call herself a progressive and a reformer, but she never has the guts to take a stand when it matters. The families of this district need someone to stand up and fight for them. Jo Anne had her chance, and she didn't get it done. I will.
"Biviano reiterated his call for Lopez's resignation during the debate, and continues to lead a growing movement demanding an end to corrupt insider politics in Brooklyn. "I'm an engineer, and I know that when the foundation of a building is crumbling it takes more than a paint job to fix it. My opponents promise paint jobs. I promise real reform, and I'm going to deliver for the communities of this district."
Biviano also called Simon out on her involvement with Brooklyn Speaks, and advocacy group ostensibly designed to address concerns over the Atlantic Yards project. “Again, instead of standing up with the real reformers of Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, Simon instead went the cautious route and formed a second group with a ‘wait and see’ approach that undercut united opposition against the project and muddled the debate. In the end, the status quo always wins when you fail to show real leadership, and that kind of soft inaction that Jo Anne touts on her resume is not what we need right now.”
9 comments:
Vito, Vito, go away
Come again some other day
We want to go outside and play
Come again some other day
- Biviano
Evan Thies really did prove to be a coward by resigning from CB1 before the Broadway Triangle vote.
True, Thies should have stayed on the Board- but he has clarified his position on the Triangle several times! His departure just served as fodder for Biv and the Kens to jab a bit on BCAT...
Yeah, Thies has clarified his position several times, in several different ways.
What's the story today, that he was unaware the vote was coming up, which shows he's irresponsible and unaware.
Or that he wanted to concentrate on his City Council run, which show's he's selfish and more interested in his own goals than the residents of Community Board 1 that he was supposed to be watching out for.
PLEASE.
What a joke that Thies claims his experience working in David Yassky's office is something positive.
Has Yassky come out in support of Thies?
NO!
Tactics aside, Thies has been against the Broadway Triangle process from the beginning. End of story there.
While perhaps tacky- Thies leaving the Board really made no practical difference in a 23-12 vote. True, he couls reiterate his opposition to the process- again- and brought to 23-13...
Tactics?
If Thies was against the Broadway Triangle, perhaps he should have stayed on at Community Board 1 and voted against it, and made his opinion count. But no, he chose to resign, which shows he didn't really care about one of the most contentious issues the Board has seen in years. Or that he didn't have the courage to take a stand.
Thies has proven to be an impotent representative of the people he was supposed to be serving. Or too timid to take a stand and let his voice be heard, through the voting process.
End of story there.
It makes me smile that Evan Thies is insulted for not standing strong against Vito on the Broadway Triangle. Early on, Evan Thies called for an investigation and spoke out publicly against Vito's manipulations of the Broadway Triangle rezoning process, while the other candidates looked at each other and hedged. Now they see vulnerability; that he resigned before the CB #1 vote (which he wouldn't have affected anyway) is seen as some kind of capitulation to Vito-? Why isn't Yassky endorsing Evan Thies? Because Vito wouldn't like it, that's why. But I love that the Broadway Triangle has become an issue that matters, not so long ago everyone was willing to let Vito & UJO just walk away with it.
I'm sure there's stuff to use against Evan Thies, but, unlike most people around, he was Not a coward regarding Vito and his manipulation of the rezoning of the Broadway Triangle. (but hey, pile on! everyone's doing it!)
Everyone, including Evan's friends on CB1, are aware of what a coward he proved to be.
But spin away, Baby, with the politics as usual!
So it seems from reading these posts that both David Yassky AND Evan Thies are afraid to go against Vito Lopez's wishes. Not exactly the kind of fortitude I want in an elected official representing me.
Time to get a real job, BOYS.
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