NYT for deBlasio for Public Advocate, Yassky for Comptroller

The both of them took part in ruining Brooklyn.

Haven't liked Yassky ever since he tried to "colonize" the 11th Congressional District - a race won by Yvette Clarke - thank the goddesses

I like DeBlasio for blasting Bloomberg and his 3rd term run - one of the few in this town to have done so. But I like Mark Green better 'cause I really don't think he's going to run for anything else and I think he'd be the best watchdog (and bulldog) against Bloomberg's legacy tour.

DeBlasio ans Yassky are just looking for places to park until the next big seat comes open.

P.S. I'd rather have tall buildings on 4th Ave then on any of the Streets

The Public Advocate position is no longer needed and should be eliminated.

I will vote for any candidate that acknowledges the waste of taxpayer's money and that will eliminate the entire department, such as Jim Lesczynski proposed last time around. I do not trust ANY politician that is voluntarily running for a position that is completely useless. Just a money grab at our expense.

pitu wrote: But did DiBlasio have any real power over that zoning or whatever?

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: They City Council, like Albany, generally defers to the local representative, meaning de Blasio and Yassky. If de Blasio wanted to stop this or improve it, he could have.

Many people have been critical of the 4th Avenue rezoning, both from aesthetic and affordable housing perspectives. De Blasio prides himself on his association with ACORN and the Working Families Party, and so I consider his failure to include affordable housing on 4th Avenue a prime example of how he doesn't live up to his own rhetoric.

I gotta mention that I was shocked to see that at least one building on 4th Avenue was built with STYROFOAM. Not the whole thing, of course, by a wall right on the avenue, which was quickly covered in holes, until it was fixed up. Pathetic.

The 4th Avenue rezoning is one of the great missed opportunities for Brooklyn. It's a really important artery, and it has failed to live up to the initial promises that it was going to be the Park Avenue of Brooklyn (I think that's what Markowitz called it).

i've had some ridiculous dealings with deblasio's office.

i called for help with a difficult tenant in our coop and was told in no uncertain terms that they didn't have any solutions or advice.

yet, said difficult tenant called his office and all of a sudden they were calling me asking to set up mediation, help hammer out a way for all of us to live together in harmony, etc.

i don't think it's a coincidence they took the renter's side, vs the owner's side. they should take BOTH sides.

sorry, deblasio isn't getting my vote

bill c wrote: [yassky] seems to be for and against everything simultaneously.

very well put. guy is starting to remind me of a less-suave john edwards.

Peanuts wrote:

P.S. I'd rather have tall buildings on 4th Ave then on any of the Streets

You wouldn't say that if you lived close to 4th Avenue and your view was suddenly blocked - besides the fact that this is not a "tall building" neighborhood. The tall buildings are also allowed on the side streets near 4th Avenue,

This all started a few years ago when they wanted to build tall buildings in the South Slope....DiBlasio gave in to that and switched to the 4th Avenue area...I guess he thought folks were poorer there and didn't care.

Funny - I always liked Yassky and DiBlasio in part because they pushed through the zoning change on 4th Ave. It opened up the area to development which has provided much needed housing (yes - we still need more housing long term despite the recession) and it helped to protect the character of the rest of Park Slope. Overall, a (rare) good job by the city.

I think I would support elimination of the Public Advocate position if there was a clear mayoral succession + 60-day special election rule that put somebody into power who could not run for the mayor's office in the special election. Maybe.

I like how not even the NY Times fully understands what the PA does, and had to append a correction to their endorsement: said incorrectly that the advocate casts tie votes in the City Council. Since a City Charter change in 2002, the advocate can participate in council debates but is no longer allowed to vote.

d'oh.
oh you know, it's only been 7 years since the change. they're just catching up.

While I do think the comptroller needs to have an understanding of finance the real work is done by his or her staff of Economists and Policy Analysts. The Comptroller sets the tone and agenda.

Diblasio sold us out - those of us close to 4th Avenue. I will celebrate his loss, even though I am no big fan of the obnoxious Mark Green. I'll vote for Norman Siegel.

Hmmm...Interesting take on Siegel.
I just find the other three fairly objectionable for various reasons.