“Manhattan—The Heart of the Big Apple”
On the website of the current Manhattan Borough President is a drawing of an apple. A heart is cut into the apple. "Manhattan--The Heart of the Big Apple" is just below the illustration.…
Dirty Image (and illegal postering)
16 June 2005, New York Daily News, "City Washes Its Hands of '2nd Dirtiest' Ranking" by Jose Martinez, pg. 4:WE'VE WIPED AWAY the crime, but not the grime. A new survey in…
Education (Charter Schools; Vouchers)
Education is obviously very important, but the mayor and the city council play more important roles here. The borough president does appoint two members to each community education council. More…
Land Use (“It is much easier to defeat something in New York City than to build something”—Donald T
Land Use is, by far, the most serious issue in this election. It's what the Manhattan borough president and the community boards must tackle, and the general philosophy of the borough…
Taxes (Take the commercial rent tax, please!)
You want taxes? We've got a tax just for you! Here are the business taxes: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/business/business_tax_types.shtmlTax Types & DescriptionsBanking Corporation Tax…
Technology (Free wifi!)
[UPDATE: This was written when I was running for the office of Manhattan Borough President in 2005, and it was borrowed from a platform of Public Advocate candidate Andrew Rasiej. I have since…
Term Limits (yes, it’s an issue again)
14 June 2005, New York Sun, "Trampling on Term Limits" by Henry J. Stern:Twelve years after term limits for city elected officials were adopted by referendum, the City Council is making…
Transportation (Second Avenue Subway; Lower Manhattan link to JFK)
The next most important issue, after the community boards and land use, on the Manhattan borough president's plate is transportation. Here's what the other candidates say:…
What the community boards do (and do they really represent the community?)
There are 12 community boards in Manhattan, with about 50 members on each one. The Manhattan Borough President makes about 600 appointments. It's one of the BP's biggest responsibilities.…
What the Manhattan borough president does
The revision of the city charter in the late 1980s has made the once-powerful borough president's office rather toothless. We now have a very strong mayor and a strong city council, but…
Why I am running
On June 1st, right at the deadline, I filed with the Campaign Finance Board to be a candidate for Manhattan Borough President. I had intended to run for Public Advocate. Nothing could be easier.…