Final shoe hasn’t dropped in naming Staten Island’s Michael J. Ryan as the NYC BOE Executive Director — Is Marty Golden deep in the City Board of Elections intrigue ? Golden aide refuses to comment on who might be selected as BOE Deputy Director
Celeste Katz’ report on the selection of Mike Ryan as the NYC BOE’s Executive Director buried the lead of her story — at least as far as those of us involved in Brooklyn GOP politics are concerned ( See “Brooklyn Democratic Chair Frank Seddio: Erik Dilan Deserved Board Of Elections Top Job” by Celeste Katz, 8/6/13, Daily News/Daily Politics [http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2013/08/brooklyn-democratic-chair-frank-seddio-erik-dilan-deserved-board-of-elections-]). She opened her piece with “The head of Brooklyn's Democratic Party wished new Board of Elections Executive Director Michael Ryan luck Tuesday -- but said City Councilman Erik Dilan should've gotten the job.” However, the real news was buried deep down in the article — in the electronic equivalent of the “continued on page” often used to bury information in the NY Times.
In an almost by the way manner that was only missing the tag “btw,” Katz slipped in this very provocative item, ”A rep for Golden -- whose former aide, Simon Shamoun, now represents his borough's party on the Board -- did not provide comment about lingering suggestions that another of his allies might be in position to get the deputy job.” The line is intriguing enough, but the intrigue that lies behind it is probably worth more than a few lines and certainly worthy of comment by Golden’s principal intriguer, whoever that is.
NEW REPUBLICAN COMMISSIONERS KEY TO VOTE FOR STATEN ISLAND DEMOCRAT RYAN
The mechanics of whole story was summed up in just a few lines out of Katz lengthy article, as follows: “...the Board has seen a dramatic power play by Republican City Councilmen that ended in the ouster and replacement of three of the bipartisan Board's five GOP commissioners. *** All five Republicans supported Ryan in last Tuesday's vote and today's. Both [votes] were added to the BOE agenda with no prior notice. *** [the nomination fell short on the earlier vote] Only Staten Island Democrat Maria Guastella supported Ryan this time.”
According to BOE regulations, the Board must select a Republican to serve as Democrat Ryan's deputy to maintain an apparent political balance to the BOE’s administration. That position is currently held by Bronx Republican Dawn Sandow, who has been filling in as Acting Executive Director since the removal of the former Executive Director, George Gonzalez. Let’s see if this plum now goes to one of State Senator Martin Golden’s favorites.
Golden must have his greedy, power hungry hands all over this. Golden tried to put Georgea into the top spot but it never got any traction because she doesnt even have a college degree. Lets see if he tries to put her into the Deputy Spot. Or maybe his other top dog, Clorinda....either one will certainly be interesting for the authorities to look into. Lets see - he puts his own Commissioner in thru a "deal" with the GOP city council members, then has another of his staffers start a "Republicans for Change" org which fails, now he tries to take the Deputy Spot by having his Commissioner vite for a Democrat to be the top Director....Mooreland Commission would be very interested in this self-dealing, conflict of interest....
ReplyDeleteRepublicans for Change?
ReplyDeleteTry Republicans for Democrats.
Karen Fisher:
Working for Democrat Todd Dobrin who is running for city council against REPUBLICAN Andy Sullivan (R/C). No one knows where Peter Cipriano stands yet.
Timothy Cochrane:
His wife gave money to Democrat Vincent Gentile who is running for reelection to the city council against REPUBLICAN John Quaglione. Not sure where Tim stands on that one.
Gerard Kassar:
Sat on his hands (nearly cutting off all circulation) during the David Storobin (REPUBLICAN) senate race debacle in order to ensure that DEMOCRAT Simcha Felder won an opportunity to ballot for the con-servative line even though Storobin was supposedly "his" candidate.
Martin Golden:
Voted for district lines that benefited himself while also axing Sentor David Storobin and Congressman Bob Turner's seats. Both (REPUBLICANS). Both districts are now represented by Democrats.
Simon Shamoun:
Has and will vote for any DEMOCRAT that Marty Golden has a deal with.
All the stars are aligning for the final act.
Marty Golden's electoral success depends on deals especially now that the majority of his own party's activists wouldn't mind seeing him start to draw another pension from the state senate and go back into the catering business.
Over the past 6 months at nearly every event in southern Brooklyn Marty has appeared with Domenic Rechhia nearby.
If you connect dots like I do it is becoming clear that Golden needs to feed the Democrat beast another REPUBLICAN to survive in 2014.
The grapevine is abuzz with rumors that Marty will not face a Democrat in 2014 (at least not a real candidate) in exchange for sitting on his hands for REPUBLICAN Michael Grimm who will be running against Democrat Domenic Recchia.
Let's see how long this axis of Republicans for Change/Democrats lasts...
Craig Eaton: Gave a Wilson Pakula to Charles Hynes -- a DEMOCRAT.
DeleteThe Republican petitioners: Collected signatures for Charles Hynes -- a DEMOCRAT.
I'm sorry . I must have missed all the REPUBLICANS that expressed interest in running for DA this or any other year.
DeleteBTW- Marty Golden also supports DEMOCRAT Charles Hynes for the non-partisan post of District Attorney.
District Attorney absolutely is a partisan elective office and don't let anybody --- regardless of their "professional" or "judicial" or "academic" credentials pull the wool over your eyes that it isn't. --- In fact, in Brooklyn it is one of the most politically powerful positions of all, maybe the most powerful IN AND AROUND all of the parties. That's why any change is a very big deal.
DeleteEarly in this election cycle I called for a real Republican candidate for DA instead of the long-time incumbent Charles Hynes --- who in recent elections "routinely" received the GOP line. That was how I felt then, and if things were somewhat different, I might come to that same conclusion right now.
However, things are how they are. To my knowledge, there was no interest by anyone other than DA Hynes in running for DA on the Republican line. In addition, the Democratic Party challengers (now there is just one) were running on many campaign positions that were far to the left of the incumbent. That made Mr. Hynes not only a sensible choice, but the only choice for the GOP (and the Conservative Party).
Endorsing Hynes for re-election as the Brooklyn DA makes complete sense for the GOP; and this might turn out to be the most important race of all in November...
Everybody in the GOP (and the Conservative Party) agrees on this one --- why fight one lick about it ?
Besides, this post is about the Board of Elections and what went on there in recent times, especially yesterday. It's not about GOP cross-endorsements for certain Democrats by either Eaton or Golden --- unless that's part of this particular deal to back Mike Ryan to be the NYC BOE Executive Director.
Golden is just the puppet of Gerry Kassar
ReplyDeleteThe Bay Ridge Manor is owned and operated by Martin Golden's family in his senate district.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans for Change held at least one meeting there a few months ago. The cost of that meeting is unknown and possibly unreported to the BOE.
Nothing is free in Golden land.
In the latest BOE set of financial disclosure reports Marty Golden paid his family for events held there from his campaign account:
05/28/13 $12,141.93
06/20/13 $4,301.06
06/20/13 $7,082.79
06/20/13 $1,838.00
Grand Total: $25,363.78
...Mmmm that's a lot of "rubber chicken" ... I love "rubber chicken"...
DeleteThe first subpoenas from Cuomo's Moreland Commission are targeting people involved in real estate tax abatements in Manhattan.
ReplyDeleteSenator Golden, time to lawyer up.
The stage is set for act 3.
ReplyDeleteGeorgea K. for Deputy Executive Director.
Wait and see.
Well, alrighty then, that makes it all worth while.... She's a very nice lady and deserves the very best.
DeleteBACKFILL: When five out of the 10 commissioners on the Board of Elections voted in favor of Democrat Ryan last week, all of the votes in favor were from Republicans, while Mr. Ryan got no affirmative votes from the five Democrats on the board. But yesterday that stalemate was broken when Mr. Ryan secured the sixth vote from the Democratic commissioner from Staten Island, Maria Guastella ( See “Board of Elections finally names new director” by Chris Bragg, 8/6/13, Crain’s Business [http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20130806/BLOGS04/130809931]). Another report, cited in the post above, stated that a week ago Staten Island Democrat Commissioner Gaustella had explained that she had abstained from the vote for Ryan, because the vote had not been on the BOE Commissioner’s agenda. Oddly, when she voted for Ryan yesterday, that vote was similarly not on the BOE Commissioner’s agenda.
ReplyDeleteIn an interesting side comment, Chris Bragg said that it is likely that the coup at the Board of Elections earlier this year, which allowed the Republican delegation on the City Council to replace three prior Republican commissioners.was an important factor in the unanimous votes for Ryan by the Republican commissioners.