My breakfast-of-candidates (BOC) with Bill Thompson, the NYC Comptroller who is running for mayor, was more like a mid-day series of disjointed phone calls than a friendly breakfast at a divey Brooklyn coffee shop. Still, I appreciated the time he took to talk to me on the phone. 

The comptroller/mayoral candidate was scheduled to call me at 10 am on Saturday morning. I was told that he'd be calling from a car on the way to Brooklyn Borough Hall for the kickoff to his 5 Borough Tour. At 10 am I sipped coffee at my desk in the dining room with a sharpened pencil, a couple of working pnes and a digital sound recorder and waited for his call.

And waited reciting my mantra: the candidate is always late. 

It was closer to 10:30 when the candidate called and I launched into my usual line of BOC opening questions about birth, childhood and school days. This seems to loosen up the candidates—and the reporter—and creates an easy rapport.

"Hey, you're Brooklyn-born, aren't you?" I asked right off the bat.

"I've lived in Brooklyn all my life," Thompson told me.

Born in 1953, Thompson grew up in Bedford-Stuyvesant. His mother was a Chicago-born public school teacher and his dad, who is from St. Kitts, was an attorney who later became the first African American state senator and later an Appellate Court judge.

Thompson attended PS 161 in Crown Heights and Hudde Junior High School and grew up in a 4-story brownstone on Vanderbilt Avenue that was purchased by his grandparents in 1939.

A self-described average kid who did "well enough in school", Thompson's parents and grandparents placed a high value on "education, working hard and earning the things you get. 'How did you do in school today?' That was always the question. They were very focused on achievement," he told me.

Thompson attended Tufts University where he majored in political science. "I wasn't the greatest college student," he told me. For him, the  most important aspect of his college experience was the opportunity "to meet people from all over the world and other backgrounds."

At Tufts, he says, he also learned how to take care of himself. In college he realized that "if you make the wrong choices, you pay."

Straight out of college, Thompson was hired to work on the congressional campaign of Fred Richmond and lived in various apartment in Park Slope (on 6th Avenue between Lincoln and St. Johns and on Carroll Street between 7th and 8th Avenues), which he describes as "a great place to live." 

Thompson eventually served as Congressman Richmond's chief of staff. It was this job that convinced him that he wanted to work in politics. "I liked constituent relations, policy, and dealing with health issues."

Somewhere in this chronology,  Thompson got married and had a daughter, now 30, who attended The Berkeley Carroll School, a private school in Park Slope, where she was "a lifer."  He also bought a brownstone on Vanderbilt and Prospect Place. He has since remarried and now has two stepchildren: 11-year old twins.

In 1983 Thompson became Deputy Borough President for Howard Golden. "I'm very proud of the work we did—if I do pat myself on the back,"  he told me. "It was important time for Brooklyn. I'm proud of the development of Metrotech, new housing, the professional focus. The Borough President's office had more authority then in terms of city-wide budget, land use and development contracts."

After ten years in the Borough President's office, Thompson went into the private financial sector "to do something different but I still had my hands in municipal finance." He says that another reason he left the Borough President office was because it was stripped of its power in the 1990's.

But public service beckoned. In March 1996 Thompson became head of the Board of Education (BOE), a part- time position, and stayed until 2001. Certainly it's a dubious distinction to be chairman of a famously dysfunctional boards. But Thompson manages to sing the praises of his time there. "There are many generalizations about how dysfunctional the BOE was," he told me. 

"During my time there: we got rid of decentralization that had been going on from 1960-1996. Now that was totally dysfunctional. Local boards selected principals, budgets, everything. The chancellor basically ran the high schools. Decentralization had to end; what we did was a pre-cursor to mayoral control, which I believe in."

In 2001, Thompson won the comptroller's seat and has been there ever since. He ran as a "fiscal activist" and was sworn in as the city's first black comptroller on January 1, 2002, by his own father.

Education?

At this point in the conversation I could tell that we were running out of time andI quickly asked him to elaborate on his education plan:

He listed his top five factors that contribute to a good school

Thompson: 1. The principal; 2. Teacher collaboration; 3. A collaborative environment; 4. A welcoming environment for parents and parental involvement; 5. Nutrition for kids. 

Mayoral Control of the School?

 "I support it but it  needs to be changed. The parents have been shut out and that's a problem. There needs to be better oversight over contracts and there's a need for independent information gathering about test scores," he told me. 

When I asked Thompson if he thought an educator should be the Chancellor he said: "I would get rid of Klein. People confuse structure with education. There needs to be an educational vision.”

Thompson did say that Bloomberg and Klein have created change and that's a good thing with one caveat: "They benefited from great press. Their "success" speaks more to how they sold this. Math scores for instance. The tests are easier. The NAEP (Nation Assessment of Educational Progress) scores have been flat for four years." 

At this point in our conversation, Thompson, who is extremely friendly, smart, polite and easy to talk to, told me that he had to get out of the car. "I'll call you back in an hour. At 12:30 or so." 

I waited around for a couple of hours and eventually concluded that he'd gotten busy too busy to call.  A member of his campaign staff emailed me a day later to say that the candidate would call back at 4 p.m. on Monday.

Two days later

"Sorry that one hour turned into three days," Thompson told me by way of hello. Knowing that our time was limited I jumped right in.

What makes a great mayor?

"A great mayor understands New York and its people. He has a  vision of what the city should be. But it’s about understanding the city," Thompson said.

Thompson's Favorite NYC Mayor?

"You need to pick pieces or part of mayors. Ed Koch was a great mayor during a very difficult time. His spirit: he was a great leader and had some really creative ideas.

"David Dinkins was great because of his humanity.

"Giuliani, not for his humanity. But he's remembered for crime reduction and proving that government can work.

And Bloomberg?

"Bloomberg did positive things during his first term. Restoring confidence after 9/11, he helped to calm things and convince people and businesses not to move out of the city. But I don’t think Mike understands the people and what they do on a regular basis, their struggles. There's a gap in his understanding.

 "For instance the MTA fare increases. He said he felt sorry for the riders but also sorry for the MTA.

"The minimum wage increase. He said no-one in the city make minimum wage. But 20% of the people in this city earn minimum wage.  He is not understanding the life of the people here."

Does Thompson understand the people?

Thompson says he understands ordinary New Yorkers. I thought about his brownstone in Prospect Heights and the fact that his daughter was a lifer at Berkeley Carroll. He's had well-paying jobs in city government and even a stint in the private financial sector.

 "I’ve gone through a lot of struggles. This is my home. I'm a native New Yorker," he told me. He didn't elaborate on this and I let it slip (dang) but he did go on:

"Money helps to separate Bloomberg from the people. That much money creates a different outlook. When Obama came to the city and it cost $400,000 Bloomberg said: "'that’s not a lot of money.' But it is a lot of money."

Unemployment among African Americans?

I asked Thompson to comment on the Bureau of Labor statistics that showed an unusually high rate among African Americans. It was the comptrollers office that brought this analysis to the attention of the New York Times in a press release.

"It's frightening when you look at rate of increase. Last year it was 5.7% now it’s 14.7% among African Americans. The Hispanic unemployment rate is 9.3%. We can't have this kind of inequality. At this rate there will be 400,000 African Americans unemployed by 2010.

I asked Thompson if this will be top priority if he becomes mayor. He hedged a bit but then said: "We have to take what we have: job training, upgrading of skills, programs we have but they’re not tied together." Rather than talk about ideas and real solutions, Thompson seemed more comfortable with broad statements: "You can’t have a city where 14.7% of the population is unemployed. This goes to issues of opportunity and inequality. There needs to be opportunity for all New Yorkers.

Campaign Finance?

Skipping around, I asked Thompson to respond to Bloomberg's comment during the Working Families Party forum that "There is no such thing as a totally fair campaign: 

"That was just an attempt to excuse the $115 million he is spending on this campaign," Thompson told me clearly exasperated by the disparity between his spending and what the mayor can afford. "Is it his money? Yes. Did he earn the money? Yes. But it affects the structure of the campaign. Finance distorts things dramatically. It pollutes government. We have campaign finance laws so that government isn’t just for rich people," Thompson said. 

Race, class and electoral politics?

This seemed a natural segue into issues of race and class. Thompson seemed to waver.

"You can govern fairly, everyone brings a separate outlook to the table. All of our backgrounds and what we've experienced help to craft how we see things," he told me.

I knew we were running out of time and I still had a long list of issues of concern to Brooklynites. But first I wanted to k
now: What does the Democratic Party stand for?

"It stands for working people, middle class Americans. There is a huge contrast between Democrats and republicans. That said, the party is not monolithic and there’s a great deal of variation."

Issues of Concern to Brooklyn

I must say, I found his answers to Brooklyn-specific questions to be a bit lackluster. And that surprised me. Or maybe it shouldn't have. He's been endorsed by all the Democratic clubs from Greenpoint to Coney Island and maybe he wants to remain vague on issues that Brooklynites are passionate about to stay out of the fray.

Atlantic Yards?

" I did initially support it. I have real concerns now. I will continue to re-evaluate it, meet with individuals, have a conversation. I plan to sit down to talk and evaluate," he said. 

My reaction: You lived in Prospect Heights and initially supported the Atlantic Yards???? Yikes. And why aren't you more outraged now? Many Brooklyn Democrats are. 

What about Superfund for the Gowanus?

At first I think he misunderstood my question.

"I would be collaborative. Listen to residents rather than tell them what the Gowanus area should be. It has been discussed for decades. Should it be open space, commercial, housing…" he said.

Then he made a correction:

"Oh you’re talking about Superfund. The mayor is supporting an alternative plan to try to have more control, to do it in a faster period of time. I would work in conjunction with the community and I'm not as concerned about Superfund stigma. I would look for input from community.

My reaction: He's not that familiar with the issue.

Community based development?

"I like to talk about smart growth, fair growth. Don’t destroy communities, involve them in planning. The last few years there has been a top down approach. I would work with the community to see how we should approach development.

My reaction: Vague answer without much passion for the idea.

Vision for Coney Island?

"What the people want there is affordable housing. The developers are not talking to the community. City Councilman Recchio is trying to involve the community. It's important to maintain flavor and bring people in. But what they want is affordable housing.

My reaction: Affordable housing is not the only issue on the table in Coney Island. What about the hotels? The recreation areas? What about the mayor's plan, the developer's plan, the Municipal Arts Society plan? What about the history of Coney Island?

Condos for Affordable Housing?

"I think the affordable housing for luxury condos equation needs to be rethought. The problem is that affordable housing is treated as an afterthought.

My reaction: Affordable housing treated as an afterthought is a good line.

Small Business?

In answer to this question, I sensed a bit more passion. Thompson told me that one of the things he loves about Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope are the small shops. "I used to love to go to a bread shop on Court Street," he said. I wondered if it was Caputos but I forgot to ask. I have the feeling that a small business platform may be in the works for the campaign.

"I've been meeting with small business people over a period of time to get their opinions. Just had a meeting today. We discussed tax abatements, retail retention zone, a number of ideas. How to protect what is great about our neighborhoods is important. I want to collect ideas going forward and have a round table.

Big Ideas?

I knew we were just about out of time. I asked if he had any big ideas to add sparkle to his campaign. His answer was disappointing and lackluster.

 "We have a few ideas rolling out over the next few weeks in the areas of small business, job creation, education."

My reaction: His "I'll get back to you" answer was disappointing.

City Budget?

I asked Thompson how bad the city budget really is. Critics of Bloomberg are saying that this year's budget was a pre-election Band Aid solution; the cuts weren't so bad but trouble lies ahead…

"Next year will be much worse. After the election they'll be closing down senior centers, childcare vouchers will be reduced and more," Thompson said. 

My reaction: The fact that he said "they'll be closing down senior centers" suggests that Thompson doesn't think he's going to be the mayor. That said, Thompson suggests that Bloomberg is waiting until after the election to make the cuts. This is a big issue for Thompson and one that he can potentially be passionate about.

And what about reform of the City Council?

"The City Council has lost its independence. It isn't an independent institution. Every mayor wants to work with the City Council…(he trailed off).

My reaction: No talk of reform to the way the City Council works was disappointing.

How are you framing your concerns to the public?

"When you ask New Yorkers if their future is brighter than before they say no. I will make them aware of the flaws in the city: the rise in homelessness, unemployment,

And Finally: Overturning of term limits?

I asked Thompson how big a deal he's going to make out of the fact that Bloomberg overturned term limits.

"New Yorkers are upset and frustrated by what he did. He said he would never go against what the voters wanted. And then he did. He lied to the people. And that resonates with them."

And those are fightin' words. The candidate who has been called the stealth candidate by the New York Times has plenty to run on. He just needs to get his juices flowing and find some passion about the issues that matter to New Yorkers.

This week OTBKB interviewed CIty Councilman Tony Avella at Donuts Coffee Shop and Comptroller Bill Thompson by phone (on his way to an event at Borough Hall).

They'll both be on the ballot September 15th and are vying to be the Democratic candidate for mayor against Mayor Bloomberg.

Tony or Bill (or Green candidate Rev. Billy for that matter): Can anyone beat the richest man in NYC who also happens to be the incumbent who overturned turn limits?

That IS the question.

Coming next week on Breakfast of Candidates meet Tony Avella and Bill Thompson.

Doug Biviano, one of the 33's has a new sign at his headquarters on Montague Street on the corner of Hicks Street. Here he is pictured with his wife and three children.

David Pechefsky, the Green 39er, began his official petitioning period in earnest on July 7. I saw him yesterday near the entrance to the Seventh Avenue F-train. Wearing the green Pechefsky t-shirt with his caricature on the front and back, Pechefsky was good-naturedly trying to encourage Independents and Democrats (who didn't sign another petition) to sign on to put a Green candidate on the ballot.

The last big City Council fundraising deadline is on Saturday. That means that Saturday is the last day to donate to your candidate of choice so that New York City can match your contribution with $6 for every $1 raised from City residents up to $175.

This morning I met with Tony Avella at Donuts Coffee Shop, one of my favorite spots in the Slope. He's running against William C. Thompson in the Democratic mayoral primary on September 15th. During our Breakfast-of-Candidates interview, we talked about this article in the Times' today:

Now I really want to interview him for my Breakfast-of-Candidates series. I've been in touch and his campaign people say he's interested…

Here's some info from the League of Women Voters about registering for the upcoming election:

You can register to vote at any time during the year, but the last day to register for the September 15, 2009 primary election is August 21, 2009; and the last day to register for the November 3, 2009
general election is October 9, 2009.

Supporters of Green Party City Council candidate David Pechefsky will be all over the 39th City Council district in an effort to get the 2500 signatures needed to get Pechefsky's name on the ballot.

If you haven't already signed one of the Democratic petitions and you want to see the Green Party on general election ballot, sign Pechefsky's petition.

You can only sign one petition.

Your signature on the petition doesn't mean that you have to vote for Pechefsky in the general election (although you are more than welcome to do so).

Pechefsky's name will not be on the primary ballot on September 15th because that election is for the Conservative,
Democratic, Independence, Republican, Working Families parties.

Since I wasn't able to make it to the Working Families Party Mayoral Forum yesterday I have to read about it like everyone else in the New York Times, and hear about it on WNYC.

According to all reports something like 400 people packed into the Hotel Trades Association. All three of the major candidates attended but they were interviewed separately.

Bloomberg, who is running as a Republican and an Independent surprised many by his willingness to particpate in the forum of the progressive Working Families Party.

Apparently, he got booed and hissed quite a bit by the audience.

According to the New York Times, Bloomberg poo-pooed the idea that ginormous campaign spending was undemocratic. “You can’t buy an election. The public is much smarter than that," he said.  That remark, according to WNYC "drew boos and
hisses" from the crowd.

Also reported by WNYC,  both of the Democrats running for
mayor, Comptroller Bill Thompson and Councilman Tony Avella, were
cheered several times by the largely progressive Working Families crowd "when they pledged
to raise taxes on wealthier New Yorkers and push for more affordable
housing."

City Councilmember Bill de Blasio, who is running for Public Advocate sent out a press release about Bloomberg's statement that more people are choosing to stay in homeless shelters
because they have become more attractive during his time in office. "It is
insulting to the almost 35,000 people who spent last night in a shelter
to say that they were there out of choice, not out of necessity," de Blasio said.

The format of the event was interesting. It was really three interviews: one with each candidate and then closing remarks.

You can imagine how disappointed I am that I wasn't there. But stay tuned: I am doing a Breakfast-of-Candidates interview with Tony Avella on Monday in Park Slope.

I ran into Ken Baer in front of Citibank on Seventh Avenue and he told me that there were numerous factual errors in my Breakfast-of-Candidates profile of him. I asked why he didn't get in touch sooner and he said he was too busy with petitioning "to sit and edit your piece."

Hmmm.

Our conversation spanned more than two hours as we went from Cousin John's to the Park Slope Food Coop and it did have a rambling quality. Later I did have a hard time reconstructing the actual chronology of some of his work experience. 

The biggest mistake: Ken told me that his father did NOT attend Harvard Law School. He was accepted at the school but it was during the Depression and he couldn't go.

Apparently there are other small mistakes as well. I don't think any of them are glaring or misleading. My apologies to Ken. He says that when he has more time he may get in touch and point out the other mistakes.

Evan Thies' campaign is sponsoring a Campaign Trivia Challenge on Wednesday, July 8 at 6:30 pm at Union Hall ( 702 Union St., Brooklyn). 

So what is the Campaign Trivia Challenge? Seven-time
Jeopardy champion and Park Slope resident Justin Bernbauch will host. Supporters and volunteers will compete to see who knows the most about
Brooklyn, and finalists will have a chance to match wits with Bernbauch.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Ken Baer.  He majored in psychology and sociology at Kent State University during the turbulent 1960's and was actually attending the school when four students were killed by National Guard during an anti-war demonstration in 1970. At the time, he lived with "a
bunch of vegetarians" and tried to stay out of the Vietnam War as a
conscientious objector (CO). It was during college, that Baer became
aware of food and environmental issues: "answering questions on the CO
form got me to thinking about killing humans and animals…so I became a vegetarian," he told me. A longtime member of the Park Slope Food Coop, Baer is also a member of the Sierra Club and has held various key positions at the city and state level. He was an early opponent of the Atlantic Yards Project and is a strong believer in community based development.

And in case you missed these from the 33rd (they're all here except for Issac Abraham):

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Stephen Levin.  A classics major at Brown University,  Levin has wonky good looks and a boyish, disarming
manner. His father's cousins are Michigan's Senator Carl Levin and
Congressman Sander Levin and he currently works as Vito Lopez's chief of staff. Lopez,
who is often portrayed as a Darth Vader figure in Brooklyn politics
taught the 29-year-old Levin about "knocking on doors, talking to as
many people as possible, the
importance of having a command of the issues, and having empathy for
the people," Levin told me. A pragmatist, Levin believes "that for for
every problem there is a solution that is not readily apparent."

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Doug Biviano. Expect the
unexpected from Biviano, who is a civil engineer with BS and MS degrees from Cornell
University. Biviano works as a superintendent in a Brooklyn Heights
apartment building and in 2008 was a New York State Coordinator for
presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich , whose politics of peace are a
strong influence. Biviano has lived the skier's life in Colorado and
sailed the Inter-Coastal Highway with his wife installing solar panels
on a boat he barely knew how to sail.

Breakfast of Candidates: Jo Anne Simon.  Her career trajectory from teacher of the deaf to disability rights attorney can make you feel like a slacker  and
wonder how she had time to become such a strong voice in community politics, the female Democratic District Leader and State Committeewoman for
the 52nd Assembly District. A proponent of the art of listening, she
believes that there's a place for all viewpoints at the table and that
"someone who is elected to office can work with everyone."

Breakfast-of Candidates; Evan Thies.
A former aide to City Council Member David Yassky, Thies also worked in
Hillary Clinton's upstate senate office and for Andrew Cuomo. Raised in
New Hampshire, public service was the family business and his
grandmother was appointed by NH governor John
Sununu to be the state's Commissioner of Health and Human
Services. Struck as a child with Fibromatosis, a chronic disease, he
was
home-schooled during the worst of his illness. When he was 11, he and
his mother wrote and passed a bill about his disease.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Ken Diamondstone: A lover of diner food, Diamondstone runs an affordable
housing business with an emphasis on "nice spaces for low prices." He
could have made a killing in the real estate biz but instead stuck to
his principles. Affordable housing is clearly Diamondstone's passion
and through his
business he has been able to translate ideals into action. He is
also a member of three local Democratic clubs and was an early opponent of
Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards project. For Diamondstone, who is
openly gay and lives with his longtime partner, Joe, the rights of the
LGBT community is high on his list of
priorities. But so is the environment. As chair of the Brooklyn Solid
Waste Council he was involved with the Zero Waste Coalition and passage
of NYPIRG's Bigger, Better, Bottle Bill.

And here are the 39ers:

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Gary Reilly. At 34 he's not quite the youngest of the 39th candidates (John Heyer beats
him on that score) but this intelligent and likable man is plenty wet behind the ears and full of
enthusiasm about public transportation and other issues that affect voters.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Bob Zuckerman. A long-time politico, Zuckerman is currently
executive director of the Gowanus Canal Community Development
Corporation and the Gowanus Canal Conservancy.  He remembers the night
Richard Nixon was elected in 1968 (he was 7-years-old) and one of his
heroes is Harvey Milk.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Brad Lander, Lander has two master's degrees and
a BA from the University of Chicago. He made his mark running
community organizations like the Fifth Avenue Committee and Pratt
Center for Community Development, advocating for affordable housing and community sustainablility.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Josh  Skaller. A former computer music composer at
Harvard, it was Howard Dean's presidential campaign that jumpstarted
his interest in electoral politics. As president of the Central
Brooklyn Independent Democrats, he learned to facilitiate dialogue  and
manage strong personalities. Running on a community empowerment
platform with a strong interest in the environment and smart
development, Josh is proud to be refusing donations from  real estate
developers.

Breakfast of Candidates: John Heyer: An assistant to Borough President Marty Markowitz, Heyer is the only candidate for City Council born in the 39th district. A
fifth-generation Carroll Gardener, his twin passions are politics and
theology. He works as a funeral director at Scotto's Funeral Home and
his knowledge of the history of the neighborhood runs deep though he is
only 27-years-old.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: David Pechefsky. The Green Candidate, Pechefsky worked for 10 years in the central staff of
the New York City Council. With a master's degree in public policy and
experience advising local governments in Africa, Pechefsky knows how the
City Council works from the inside out and has ideas about how it could
better serve the people of New York City.

Note: according to Baer, there are some small mistakes in my retelling of his bio. As I find them out I will change them.

It was like pulling teeth trying to get Ken Baer, candidate for the City Council in the Brooklyn's 33rd district, to talk about his childhood. Not because he has any secrets, it's just that Baer is awfully private for a politician.

Baer faced OTBKB's coffee cup in Cousin John's, a bakery/restaurant in Park Slope, where he ordered a three-egg breakfast and talked sparingly about his mother, who was a German Jewish refugee, his dad, who was a Harvard educated lawyer and almost nothing about growing up in Levittown, Long Island and later Huntington.

He did get a bit more verbal when I asked about his college years at Kent State during the height of the 1960s campus rebellions. In fact, Baer was attending Kent State, when four students were killed by National Guard during an anti-war demonstration in 1970. 

At Kent State, Baer majored in psychology and sociology, lived with "a bunch of vegetarians" and tried to stay out of the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector (CO). It was during college, that Baer became aware of food and environmental issues: "answering questions on the CO form got me to thinking about killing humans and animals… I didn't want to kill animals and became a vegetarian," he told me. He is still a vegetarian.

Baer got a second bachelors degree at Kent state in accounting and economics and later returned to New York to work at the Dime Savings Bank on DeKalb and Flatbush Avenue. I asked where he lived and quickly got the feeling he thought I was being nosy.

"That's what I do. I ask questions," I told Baer.

"I'm not big about talking about myself. I'm a doer," he said.

In 1972, Baer volunteered for George McGovern's presidential campaign. He also got a job as a budget analyst at the City's Agency for Child Development. Sometime later he received a mayor's scholarship available to city employees and went to Baruch College to study computer methodology.

During this time, he joined the Park Slope Food Coop, an organization that he is still a proud member of. "I became a Sunday coordinator; I deal with various strong personalities well," he told me.

In the 1980's Baer went to night school to earn an MBA and worked as an accountant at various firms. In the 1980's he also joined the Sierra Club and ran for a seat on the Executive Committee of the New York City group. He won by one vote in a fractious campaign. "I steer a center path between factions. I don't make enemies," he told me.

His volunteer involvement with the Sierra Club is, I think, the foundation of Baer's political activism. Clearly, Baer is genuinely dedicated to the core values of the largest, and most influential
grassroots environmental group in the United States, and has had various roles within the organization.

At this point in our conversation Baer had to walk over to the Food Coop to meet one of his petitioners and I decided to tag along. Once there, we sat in the busy orientation room and spoke more about Baer's work with the Sierra Club.

He told me that he is proud of his work helping the New York State state and city chapters of the Sierra Club through a very difficult and fractious period in 1999 as the result of a misguided fund-raising effort by the NYC group. Due to this mistake, the NYC group's existence was in question. Mediation, a retreat and careful resolution techniques were required to help the parties heal and realize that they needed to stop fighting and start working together again.  "To bring together a national organization when they're having problems is significant," he said.

Our conversation zig and zagged but Baer did tell me that in 1996 he decided to throw his hat into the 52nd district  Assembly race against Eileen Dugin, who wanted to introduce a bill "to allow more smoking in restaurants." Dugan died before the Democratic primary and Baer ran, unsuccessfully against Joan Millman, who replaced Dugin in that race.

"I am not a typical politico but I love meeting people, I'm out on the sidewalks, I love people and seeing so many infants and toddlers. These young people deserve a quality education."

Baer was an early opponent of Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards project. In 2004, he attended one of the very first meetings organized by Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn at a local school and instantly had a bad feeling about the over sized project, which left the community out of the development process.

He continues to be an outspoken opponent of the project and has been endorsed by the highly respected Eric McClure, who runs the group Park Slope Neighbors. For Baer the overarching issue for Brooklyn and NYC are development. He believes that community-based planning must be the basis for all new development in NYC.

Baer and I walked downstairs to wait for one of his petitioners; we sat on the bench out front and I asked him to name his heroes. He thought for a long time and finally said softly, "Ted Williams. He was a great hitter. Because he was a World War II and Korean War pilot he lost five or six seasons in his prime," Baer told me emotionally. "He did it out of patriotism."

When I got home, Baer called me and told me to add Eleanor Roosevelt, JFK and Martin Luther King, Jr. to his list of heroes. But I told him I was going to lead with the Red Sox hitter.

"A very domineering man, he wouldn't let anyone pick up a check. But he was a very skilled player and I admire that. A great ballplayer, a very humble, down to earth and approachable person," Baer told me.

Today Stephen Levin faces OTBKB's coffee cup. A major in classics at Brown Univeristy, Levin has wonky good looks and a boyish, disarming manner. His father's cousins are Michigan's Senator Carl Levin and Congressman Sander Levin and he's Vito Lopez's chief of staff. Lopez, who is often portrayed as a Darth Vader figure in Brooklyn politics taught the 29-year-old Levin about "knocking on doors, talking to as many people as possible, the
importance of having a command of the issues, and having empathy for
the people," Levin told me. A pragmatist, Levin believes that for for every problem there is a solution that is not readily apparent."

And in case you missed these from the 33rd:

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Doug Biviano. Expect the
unexpected from Biviano. A civil engineer with degrees from Cornell
University,  Biviano works as a superintendent in Brooklyn Heights
apartment building and as New York State Coordinator for
presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, whose politics of peace are a
strong influence. Biviano has lived the skiers life in Colorado and
sailed the Inter-Coastal Highway with his wife installing solar panels
on a boat he barely knew how to sail.

Breakfast of Candidates: Jo Anne Simon.  Her career trajectory from teacher of the deaf to disability rights attorney will make you feel like a slacker  and
wonder how she had time to become such a strong voice in her community
and the female Democratic District Leader and State Committeewoman for
the 52nd Assembly District. A proponent of the art of listening, she
believes that there's a place for all viewpoints at the table and that
"someone who is elected to office can work with everyone."

Breakfast-of Candidates; Evan Thies.
A former aide to City Council Member David Yassky, Thies also worked in
Hillary Clinton's upstate senate office and for Andrew Cuomo. Raised in
New Hampshire, public service was the family business and his
grandmother, Mary Mongron, was appointed by NH governor John
Sununu to be New Hampshire's Commissioner of Health and Human
Services. Struck as a child with Fibromatosis, a chronic disease, he
was
homeschooled during the worst of his illness. When he was 11, he and
his mother wrote and passed a bill about his disease. Evan studied his
twin interests, political science and journalism, at Syracuse
University but knew that he was called to public service like his grandmother.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Ken Diamondstone: A lover of diner food, Diamondstone runs an affordable
housing business with an emphasis on "nice spaces for low prices." He
could have made a killing in the real estate biz but instead stuck to
his principles. Affordable housing is clearly Diamondstone's passion
and through his
business he has been able to translate ideals into action. He is
also a member of three local Democratic clubs and an early opponent of
Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards project. For Diamondstone, who is
openly gay and lives with his longtime partner, Joe, the rights of the
LGBT commuity is high on his list of
priorities. But so is the environment. As chair of the Brooklyn Solid
Waste Council he was involved with the Zero Waste Coalition and passage
of NYPIRG's Bigger, Better, Bottle Bill.

And here are the 39ers:

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Gary Reilly. At 34 he's not quite the youngest of the candidates (John Heyer beats
him on that score) but he's plenty wet behind the ears and full of
enthusiasm about public transportation and other issues that affect voters.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Bob Zuckerman. A long-time politico, Bob is currently
executive director of the Gowanus Canal Community Development
Corporation and  Gowanus Canal Conservancy.  He remembers the night
Richard Nixon was elected in 1968 (he was 7-years-old) and one of his
heroes is Harvey Milk.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Brad Lander, The intellectual of the group, Brad has two master's degrees and
a BA from the University of Chicago. He made his mark running
community organizations like the Fifth Avenue Committee and Pratt
Center for Community Development, advocating for affordable housing and community sustainablility.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Josh  Skaller. A former computer music composer at
Harvard, it was Howard Dean's presidential campaign that jumpstarted
his interest in electoral politics. As president of the Central
Brooklyn Independent Democrats, he learned to facilitiate dialogue  and
manage strong personalities. Running on a community empowerment
platform with a strong interest in the environment and smart
development, Josh is proud to be refusing donations from  real estate
developers.

Breakfast of Candidates: John Heyer: An assistant to Borough President Marty Markowitz, Heyer is the only candidate for City Council born in the 39th district. A
fifth-generation Carroll Gardener, his twin passions are politics and
theology. He works as a funeral director at Scotto's Funeral home and
his knowledge of the history of the neighborhood runs deep though he is
only 27 years old.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: David Pechefsky. The Green Candidate, Pechefsky worked for 10 years in the central staff of
the New York City Council. With a master's degree in public policy and
experience advising local governments in Africa, Pechefsky knows how the
City Council works from the inside out and has ideas about how it could
better serve the people of New York City.

Stephen Levin faced OTBKB's coffee cup at Ozzie's on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope. At 9:15 in the morning, the humidity was already high but Levin arrived good-natured and cheerful after campaigning at the Borough Hall subway stop. By way of an introduction, he handed me a campaign brochure, a button and a campaign pen, which I needed because the pen I brought was out of ink.

We ordered coffee and talked easily for 90 minutes or so.

I had to be honest. I told Levin point-blank that he was being portrayed, disparagingly, as "Assemblyman Vito Lopez's guy." And Assemblyman Lopez is probably one of the most demonized—and powerful Democratic figures in Brooklyn.

"At your first candidates forum I expected you to come in wearing a black cape or something." I told him.

But Levin has something like wonky good looks. Small framed and skinny, he's got a boyish, friendly face and in a blue button down shirt and a tie he has a  disarming, low key manner.

Still, there's no denying that Levin is Lopez's chief of staff. But where some see Lopez as a Darth Vader figure with a sometimes corrupt approach to politics, Levin sees Lopez as "a great teacher and someone who taught him strategy and the value of running an on-the-ground campaign."

Levin has other important mentors, too. His father's cousin is none other than Carl Levin, the Senior United States Senator from Michigan and the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

And his father's other cousin (and Carl's brother) is Congressman Sander Levin, Democratic representative from the 12th congressional district in Michigan, where he has served since 1983. In fact, when Levin was first contemplating his run for City Council he called cousin Sander (and his wife) for advice.

"We talked about the district. The issues. He wanted to know my chances of winning and what I've been doing.  After listening for about an hour they said 'Yeah, do it. Sounds like a good idea.'"

Born in 1980 (no, that is not a misprint), Levin grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey. His father is a lawyer, who served in Vietnam as part of the Marine Corps and his mother is an art teacher. At home, Levin and his brother "were encouraged to be curious, open and to follow our interests. My parents encouraged hard work and intellectual curiosity," Levin told me.

History was also a topic that was often discussed at home. "My dad always emphasized the back story, the importance of history and getting the full facts. If we were talking about the Vietnam War, he'd bring up French colonialism. There's always more to the story."

So it's no accident that Levin majored in classics at Brown University. "Classics gives you a perspective. There are many parallels with modern life. History is a great teacher," he told me.

The attacks on September 11th, which occurred when Levin was a junior in college, convinced him that he wanted to be involved in public life. After graduation from Brown Levin came to NYC and searched for a job in politics or the non-profit sector.

That's when he landed a temporary stint working on  Lopez's re-election campaign where he "basically went out for coffee and did clerical work." But over time he learned Lopez's approach to campaigning which involves  "knocking on doors,  talking to as many people as possible, the importance of having a command of the issues, and having empathy for the people," Levin said.

After Lopez's successful run, Levin got a job with a lead safe house program in Bushwick. He looks back very fondly on that experience, where he was an advocate for families whose children's blood tests revealed high and dangerous levels of lead. The law requires that these families move out of their homes immediately until the problem is rectified. The safe house was needed as a temporary refuge for families who faced this temporary dislocation. "I got very involved in people's lives and helped to walk them through the bureaucracy."

Around that time, Levin also ran an anti-predatory lending program in
Bushwick, where, he says, he helped to organize homeowners and teach them about lending practices that were "decimating the
neighborhood with foreclosures."

In 2006, Levin became Lopez's chief of staff. "Vito trusts me and lets me flourish on policy. He's been a tremendous help and a great teacher." Clearly, Levin was expecting the negativity about Lopez going in to his City Council run but he refuses to speak disparagingly of his boss and mentor.

Levin has been canvassing the 33rd district, "from Grand Army Plaza to Newtown Creek" since January and has learned that there are "no short cuts to talking to people and learning what they care about."

When Levin talks about meeting senior citizens, his empathy for people's lives really comes through. "It's heartbreaking. They live on fixed incomes and pensions. There's a long waiting list for Section 8 housing. When a city is run like a business it loses its human face. I want to help people," he says. "I see a lot of people out there in need."

Levin describes himself as a very practical person. "I believe that for every problem there is a solution that is not readily apparent."

Suddenly Levin stands up and walks to a bookshelf across from where we're sitting. He pulls out a book called Breathing for a Living: A Memoir.

"This is my good friend from college," he says of the author of the book, Laura Rothenberg, who died while at Brown of cystic fibrosis. The coincidence of finding this book at Ozzie's provides Levin with an opportunity to talk about what he learned from his friend.

"Life is precious. Time is limited. It really puts thing in perspective. Laura was fearless not shrinking. She had an inner strength."

Clearly, Levin has an inner strength, too. He's smart, well educated and very, very young. But he knows a lot about history and like his father and his relatives Sander and Carl, Levin wants to extend the family legacy of politics and public service. I don't get a very ideological feeling from Levin or the sense of a strong, political agenda. He strikes me as someone who wants to fix things one problem at a time as he believes, pragmatically, that there's a solution to every problem.

At the end of 90-minutes it was time for me to run as I had an interview scheduled with Ken Baer over at Cousin John's on Seventh Avenue…

This morning on my way to breakfast at Grand Canyon I ran into Bob Zuckerman, candidate for the 39th district, petitioning with a supporter. Actually he was standing out of the rain underneath the scaffolding of Park Slope's infamous House of Whimsy, the mostly unoccupied apartment building on the corner of Second Street and Seventh Avenue.

He reminded me that last week he along with a group of Brooklyn LGBT groups helped to organize a marriage equality rally in JJ BYrne Park. The rally, which was sponsored by the Lambda Independent
Democrats of Brooklyn, the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, Marriage Equality New
York, the Brooklyn Community Pride Center, and the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, was an opportunity for Brooklyn to demonstrate its support for marriage equality legislation. Zuckerman, who is hoping to be Brooklyn’s first openly LGBT legislator ever elected from Brooklyn, was the emcee.

–Meet the Biv Team: This week Doug Biviano (33rd) opens  his brand new campaign headquarters (89 Montague St in Brooklyn Heights, at the corner of Hicks St. and just a couple blocks from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade). Biviano will be doing  back-to-back fundraising events this Thursday, June 18th from 5:00 – 8:00 PM and Friday, June 19th from 5:00 – 9:00 PM.
For a suggested donation of $10 come have some cocktails and hors
d'oeuvres and meet and greet with him and his brand new staff.

That's right: He's even got a staff: Campaign Strategist, Wilson Karaman; Campaign Manager; Henry McCaslin; Public Relations Consultant, Frank Lentini.

Young greeters welcome people to Our Lady of Refuge (Ocean Avenue and
Foster), site of the Brooklyn Congregations United Mayoral Forum.

Pix of Tom Martinez

Mayoral Candidate Comptroller William Thompson at Brooklyn Congregations United Mayoral Forum at Our Lady of Refuge (Ocean Avenue and
Foster). The other Democratic candidate, Tony Avella is seated to Thompson's right.

Was Reverend Billy, Green Party candidate for mayor, there?

Pix by Tom Martinez

Pardon Me For Asking reports that City Council candidate in the 39th district John Heyer (pictured left climbing the lamp post) was on hand for the renaming of Palazzo Way, a stretch of Henry Street, between Union and Sackett Streets. The block has officially been co-named "Citizens Of Pozzallo Way" in honor of the Society Of The Citizens of Pozzallo. He even got to climb lamp post and unveil the sign.

According to PMFA: "The Society was started in 1919 by immigrants from the Sicilian town of Pozzallo,
Italy who formed an organization, to 'promote fellowship and friendship
amongst its members and to educate them to the American ideals in order
to transition them to the American way of life and American citizenship.'"

Photo by PMFA

The politicians were out in full force at the Gay Pride Parade on Saturday night. I chatted briefly with Doug Biviano, candidate for City Council in the 33rd district, who asked me to sign his petition. "Sorry, I can't. I'm a 39er." Council Speaker Christine Quinn and City Council members David Yassky and Bill deBlasio were also in the parade.

Brad Lander and Gary Reilly were also marching in the  Brooklyn Pride Parade on Saturday night. Brad marched near his synagogue Kolot Chayeinu, which is informally
Brooklyn's gay & lesbian synagogue) so he wasn't up with the
other candidates and electeds.

A plan to honor gays and other non-Jewish victims of Nazi persecution
in Brooklyn's Holocaust Memorial Park inspired Assemblyman Dov Hikind to say ridiculously: "the Holocausut is a uniquely Jewish event."

Mole 333, who writes a blog for Daily Gotham (and seems to be a supporter of Josh Skaller) had this to say: "And remember this is the same Dov Hikind who is helping City Council
Candidate Brad Lander in the Hasid community. Dov Hikind has previously
expressed support for racial profiling and segregated neighborhoods and
now denies the right of anyone but Jews to consider themselves victims
of Nazi Germany. I am now calling Brad Lander out on this one. Does
Brad Lander condemn the racism and intolerance of his political ally
Dov Hikind? How does Brad Lander feel about Dov's vilifying of
Muslim-Americans and African-Americans? How does Brad Lander feel about
Dov's Holocaust denial. And let me be clear on this: Dov's version of
Holocaust denial is JUST as disgusting as that of Iran or neo-Nazis who
deny that Jews were targeted for genocide."

Actually, Brad Lander did have something to say about Dov Hikind's Holocaust comment and it was published on Mole333's Daily Gotham blog.

I strongly support the New York City Parks Department’s
inclusion of the full range of victims of Nazi atrocities – Jews, gays,
Romani, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the disabled, and political prisoners (as
well as Catholics, Slavs, trade unionists, and others) – in Brooklyn’s
Holocaust Memorial Park.

Honoring all victims of Nazi persecution does not diminish the
immensity of the six million Jews murdered by Hitler and the Nazis. It
is important to commemorate all victims of the Holocaust, both to
accurately record history, and to learn its lessons. To me, the lesson
of the Holocaust is never again to anyone, anywhere. I have been proud
to stand with Jews and many others in opposition to genocide in Darfur,
and to vicious bias murders in New York City – activism which stems
from a shared history of oppression, and an unyielding commitment to
human rights.

I am grateful to have the support of Assemblyman Dov Hikind in my
campaign for City Council (as well as Congressman Jerrold Nadler, State
Senators Liz Krueger and Daniel Squadron, City Councilmember Rosie
Mendez, Frederick A. O. Schwarz Jr, Ruth Messinger, and many others who
are champions in the fight for human rights). While Assemblyman Hikind
and I agree on the need for affordable housing, support for small
businesses, public safety, strong social service organizations, and
improved neighborhood quality-of-life in Boro Park (where his Assembly
District and the City Council district I am seeking to represent
overlap), I strongly disagree with him on this issue.

The world watches as the State Senate in Albany is in chaos after two Democratic senators crossed the aisle in a Republican power grab. Seems like a good time for a refresher course on the State Senate and the names of those who represent Kings County.

If you don't know in what district you live, you can find out
everything you need to know by entering your address into the New York
City Board of Elections' website right here.

Thanks to The Brooklyn Optimist for this list.

17th SD: Martin Malavé Dilan
18th SD: Velmanette Montgomery
19th SD: John Sampson
20th SD: Eric Adams
21st SD: Kevin Parker
22nd SD: Martin Golden
23rd SD: Diane Savino (also represents Staten Island)
25th SD:  Daniel Squadron,
27th SD: Carl Kruger

They're all over the place. At subway stations; on all the avenues and streets; Petitioners are going door to door all over the city collecting signatures on ballot nominating petitions
to help the candidates get on the ballot.

Just so you know: during the petitioning period which lasts from June 9th until June 15th, you are being NOT asked to commit to a candidate, you're only be asked to add your signature so that a particular candidate can be on the ballot.

Just so you know: You can only sign one petition and you must be a registered Democrat in the District where you are signing the petition.

Just so you know: Each candidate needs to get 900 signatures of registered Democrats in the district. But they usually try to get more to insure their place on the ballot.

Just so you know: The process is entirely
volunteer-driven, which means that the supporters of all the candidates are out their meeting their neighbors and convincing them to sign the petition.

Just so you know: If you want to see a Green candidate on the ballot in November you must wait until the July petitioning period. Since you can only sign one petition, don't sign a Democratic petition if you are waiting to sign the Green Party petition.

This 39th district City Council race just doesn't disappoint. If it's not one thing it's another. Ya gotta love politics. Howard Dean, former presidential candidate was in Park Slope this morning. He managed to endorse both Josh Skaller AND Brad Lander. 

Brooklyn – Dr. Howard Dean endorsed Brad Lander’s candidacy for the 39th City Council District at an event in Park Slope this morning.

“He is a progressive,” the Former Governor, DNC Chairman and founder of Democracy for America said, noting that Lander had worked on his presidential campaign.

Dean also endorsed fellow City Council candidate Josh Skaller at the same event. He explained that he had been impressed with the positive focus of both campaigns.

Lander said he was thrilled to have Dean’s co-endorsement. “Governor Dean is a progressive champion on so many important issues, from fixing America’s health care system to bringing our troops home from Iraq. I want to confront the challenges we face in New York City with the same energy, conviction, and commitment to progress that he has displayed time and again.”

Howard Dean was running late (don't politicians always run late?). Turns out his plane arrived on time but he took the A train from Kennedy Airport to the F train…

And you know the subway. Especially on an inclement day.

Rain was pouring down and fifty or so Skaller supporters and press squeezed into the small temporary storefront office of Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID) waiting for the man who might have been president had it not been for a scream.

The excitement was tangible. Today is the first day of petitioning and the candidate must get 900 signatures on petitions to get his name on the primary ballot in September. The training has been done and his troops are going door to door tonight. This morning they had volunteers at every F train station in the district, as well.

But Sunday's announcement that Howard Dean was coming to Park Slope to endorse Skaller added even more enthusiasm to an already exciting and competitive race. 

"As soon as Dr. Dean gets here we'll start," Chris Owens, Skaller's campaign manager, told the crowd. Skaller supporters walked around the room with green petitions and encouraged people to sign for Skaller, Jo Anne Simon (the candidate in the 33rd council district endorsed by CBID), Tony Avela (candidate for mayor) and other candidates.

"I'm stalling here," Owens said.

"Do you know how to tap dance?" someone in the crowd asked. Owens laughed.

"How many of you were with Dr. Dean from the beginning?  I shouldn't ask this but how many of you were with Obama from the beginning/ I know many in this room were," he said. 

"He's here," someone shouted from outside. "But he's talking to someone. Just like a politician."

Finally Howard Dean looking fit and thin in a red tie and a blue suit entered the small storefront. He gave Skaller a big hug as Owens introduced the man the crowd was waiting for.

"This man will always be our hero, Dr. Howard Dean," Owens said excitedly.

"The first thing Josh should do is fix the A train and the F train. Actually the subway is pretty good. But it could always be better," Dean said by way of an introduction.

"I work for Democracy for America and we're endorsing Josh Skaller for City Council in the 39th district because he's a real community organizer from the grass roots. He's worked with CBID knocking on doors. And we're going to need someone like him in the City Council to fight, well, we don't even know who's going to be mayor yet. And to help in the state senate (we'll have plans for them later)," Dean said referring to Monday's defection of two democratic state senators to the other side of the aisle in Albany.

"We want Josh to do well. He's a person who does grassroots. He's independent minded. On the streets all the time, knocking on doors. We need independent minds like Josh’s in the City Council," Dean said and then introduced Skaller as "the next councilman from the 39th District, Josh Skaller."

Skaller delivered a strong stump speech obviously fueled by the excitement of having his hero's endorsement.

"If it weren't for Howard Dean I wouldn't be here…"

He hit on most of the points I've heard him discuss at the forums but his speaking style is much stronger in front of a crowd of supporters.

"We have the largest number of independent donors. But not the most money per donor – something I'm very proud of. We're interested in one person at a time. No one big developer at a time."

The first question from the press was about the double endorsement  of Skaller and Lander. Dean was open and forthcoming in his explanation of a sticky situation.

"I was at a party for Jerrold Nadler {Representative of the
8th District of New York} and I met Brad Lander  and he volunteered for me for president and I told him that I
would not endorse anyone in his City Council race. Then I found out
that it was the race that Josh is in. If I was more of a research
oriented person and had done my homework I wouldn't have spoken so
fast. It's a delicate situation. So I'm personally going to endorse
both Josh and Brad. But the Democracy for America (DFA) endorsement is for
Josh and Josh only. They're both good progressive candidates and no one
working for them was willing to say anything about the other candidate.
But the DFA chapter is here is one of the most active and we want to
see progressive people run for office…"

Eventually Skaller, Dean and a gaggle of supporters marched over to the 9th Street subway station and waitied for commuters to enter the 9th Street F train station in front of Smiling Pizza. There wasn't much of a crowd as it was around 10 am and rush hour was over but Dean did shake hands with a handful of startled commuters.

"Hello, I'm Howard Dean and I'm supporting this man, Josh Skaller who is running for City Council."

Some of the younger commuters seemed not to know who Howard Dean was. Some commuters did whatever they could to walk out of the way of the Skaller supporters and the man with the red tie and the blue umbrella. Others were excited to meet an American hero.

While waiting for more subway commuters to arrive Dean made small talk:

"I remember standing at the 86th Street and Lexington Avenue subway station with Ed Koch and him saying. 'How'm I doing? How'm I doing?'"

A reporter asked him about living in NYC:

"I went to Columbia, then to Albert Einstein for Medical School, I worked on Wall Street. But after 1978 I never came back," he said happily.

I asked him if he was endorsing any other City Council candidates in NYC.

"I'm not. But DFA has a whole list of endorsements. They do it through a process. That's how they endorsed Josh. Through a process."

"Do you usually endorse city council campaigns?" I asked.

"Not really. Were you at the press conference before? Did you hear what I said about Brad Lander?

I told him I heard.

"Turns out Brad gave money to my campaign, too. He worked for me. It's a delicate situation. But I think I handled it right."

I asked Dean and Skaller what they were doing next. Were they going to hang out all day or what?.

"I have a bunch of appointments. None of them work related. I'm meeting with an interesting guy, a very important guy who made a lot possible. He's a real link between our campaign and now. His name is Joe Rospars, who started Blue State Digital. He helped online with my campaign, the DNC," he told me.

"You know I don't believe in the great person theory of history. I believe in the grassroots. The people. Six years ago I listened to what the young people were saying. And that's how I got in."

Later a video reporter asked him why people should sign Josh's petiton to be on the ballot:

"You can let democracy wither by not being involved. But by getting involved you insure that hardworking, grassroots people will get into government."

It was time for Dr. Dean to be on his way. He shook hands with Skaller and wished him well. And then he disappeared into the F train station on his way to another meeting in the day in the life of Howard Dean.

Afterwards standing in front of Smiling Pizzeria I asked Skaller if Dean's double endorsement made the endorsement by his hero any less sweet.

"Not really. I'm just glad to have had him here and the endorsement of a great grassroots progressive like him." Skaller told me with a big smile. 

First the exciting news. Dr. Howard Dean, the man that could be credited with changing national Democratic party politics as we know it because of his grassroots presidential campaign in 2004, was in Park Slope this morning specifically to endorse Josh Skaller, a candidate for the City Council in the 39th district.

Dean, the former governor of Vermont, 2004 presidential candidate, and former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is currently a consultant for Democracy for America, a grassroots political organization run by his brother.

So what's the Dean/Skaller connection?

Josh Skaller worked for Howard Dean's presidential campaign and Dean felt strong about personally endorsing him. He also brought word that Democracy for America was endorsing Josh as well. That endorsement is part of a more official process as that group endorses grassroots progressive candidates all over the country.

Dean's personal endorsement is a huge boon for Skaller, who is one of the front runners in a competitive race. But there's one caveat. Brad Lander, another candidate for City Council district in the 39th also worked for Howard Dean's presidential campaign. Dean, at the press conference this morning in the temporary campaign headquarters of Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats on 10th Street just off Seventh Avenue, explained it this way: 

"I was at a party for Jerrold Nadler and I met Brad Lander and told him that I would not endorse anyone in his City Council Race. Then I found out that it was the race that Josh is in. If I was more of a research oriented person and had done my homework I wouldn't have spoken so fast. It's a delicate situation. So I'm personally going to endorse both Josh and Brad. But the Democracy for American endorsement is for Josh and Josh only. They're both good progressive candidates and no one working for them was willing to say anything about the other candidate. But the DFA chapter is here is one of the most active and we want to see progressive people run for office…"

Funny non-sequiter that followed: "People say that Obama copied us with Obama for America because we were Dean for America. But the truth is they followed us in copying Bartlet for America from The West Wing."

While I was away…

Josh Skaller, candidate for City Council in the 39th was endorsed by Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont, 2004 presidential candidate, former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee and now a consultant with Democracy for America, a grassroots Democratic organization run by his brother.

A
press conference will take place at the campaign office of the Central
Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID), 548 10th Street (between 7th
& 8th Avenue) in Park Slope, Brooklyn at 9 am. Dr. Dean will then join
Josh Skaller at a nearby subway station to greet residents of the
neighborhood.

Skaller
was also endorsed by Assemblyman Jim Brennan, state Sen. Eric Adams, the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats and CORD.

John Heyer has been endorsed by the Independent Neighborhood Democrats.

Bob Zuckerman has been endorsed by Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, Councilman Alan Gerson,  state Sen. Tom Duane, Assemblymembers
Jonathan Bing, Deborah Glick, Micah Kellner, Daniel O’Donnell and Matt
Titone.

Not sure about Gary Reilly. 

Tomorrow: A look at the endorsements in the 33rd.

Starting June 9th Democratic City Council candidates all over the city will begin "petitioning." That means they're getting out there to get the required number of names that they need to be on September's 15th primary ballot.

It all starts next week and the candidates are gonna be busy. You will probably be seeing some of these candidates on the streets of your neighborhood. Some are having petitioning parties and special events.

Keep in mind you can only sign one petition. If you want to support Green Party candidate David Pechefsky's right to be on the ballot in the general election, you will have to wait to sign his petition in July.

The petitioning period is a good chance to eyeball the candidates. You can talk to them and get a feeling for who they are.

Go to the candidates websites to find out where they're going to be next week. To find their websites, google their names and you'll find their website.

39th candidates: John Heyer, Brad Lander, David Pechefsky (Green Party petitioning in July), Gary Reilly, Josh Skaller, Bob Zuckerman, (Green Party).

33rd candidates: Issac Abraham, Ken Baer, Doug Biviano, Ken Diamondstone, Jo Anne Simon, Even Thies.

Democratic Brooklyn City Councilwoman Lettia James attended Omar Edwards' funeral in Bed Stuy. She told a reporter for the New York Times (published on City Room):

She added, “There’s no way we can ignore the issue of race: It’s got to be confronted.”

Today Ken Diamondstone faces OTBKB's
coffee cup. A lover of diner food, Diamondstone runs an affordable housing business with an emphasis on "nice spaces for low prices." He could have made a killing in the real estate biz but instead stuck to his principles. Affordable housing is clearly Diamondstone's passion and through his
business he has been able to translate ideals into action. He is
also a member of three local Democratic clubs and an early opponent of Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards project. For Diamondstone, who is
openly gay and lives with his longtime partner, Joe, the rights of the LGBT commuity is high on his list of
priorities. But so is the environment. As chair of the Brooklyn Solid Waste Council he was involved with the Zero Waste Coalition and passage of NYPIRG's Bigger, Better, Bottle Bill.

And in case you missed these from the 33rd:

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Doug Biviano. Expect the
unexpected from Biviano. A civil engineer with degrees from Cornell
University,  Biviano works as a superintendent in Brooklyn Heights
apartment building and as New York State Coordinator for
presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, whose politics of peace are a
strong influence. Biviano has lived the skiers life in Colorado and
sailed the Inter-Coastal Highway with his wife installing solar panels
on a boat he barely knew how to sail.

Breakfast of Candidates: Jo Anne Simon.  Her career trajectory from teacher of the deaf to disability rights attorney will make you feel like a slacker  and
wonder how she had time to become such a strong voice in her community
and the female Democratic District Leader and State Committeewoman for
the 52nd Assembly District. A proponent of the art of listening, she
believes that there's a place for all viewpoints at the table and that
"someone who is elected to office can work with everyone."

Breakfast-of Candidates; Evan Thies.
A former aide to City Council Member David Yassky, Thies also worked in
Hillary Clinton's upstate senate office and for Andrew Cuomo. Raised in
New Hampshire, public service was the family business and his
grandmother, Mary Mongron, was appointed by NH governor John
Sununu to be New Hampshire's Commissioner of Health and Human
Services. Struck as a child with Fibromatosis, a chronic disease, he
was
homeschooled during the worst of his illness. When he was 11, he and
his mother wrote and passed a bill about his disease. Evan studied his
twin interests, political science and journalism, at Syracuse
University but knew that he was called to public service like his grandmother.

And here are the 39ers:

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Gary Reilly. At 34 he's not quite the youngest of the candidates (John Heyer beats
him on that score) but he's plenty wet behind the ears and full of
enthusiasm about public transportation and other issues that affect voters.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Bob Zuckerman. A long-time politico, Bob is currently
executive director of the Gowanus Canal Community Development
Corporation and  Gowanus Canal Conservancy.  He remembers the night
Richard Nixon was elected in 1968 (he was 7-years-old) and one of his
heroes is Harvey Milk.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Brad Lander, The intellectual of the group, Brad has two master's degrees and
a BA from the University of Chicago. He made his mark running
community organizations like the Fifth Avenue Committee and Pratt
Center for Community Development, advocating for affordable housing and community sustainablility.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Josh  Skaller. A former computer music composer at
Harvard, it was Howard Dean's presidential campaign that jumpstarted
his interest in electoral politics. As president of the Central
Brooklyn Independent Democrats, he learned to facilitiate dialogue  and
manage strong personalities. Running on a community empowerment
platform with a strong interest in the environment and smart
development, Josh is proud to be refusing donations from  real estate
developers.

Breakfast of Candidates: John Heyer: An assistant to Borough President Marty Markowitz, Heyer is the only candidate for City Council born in the 39th district. A
fifth-generation Carroll Gardener, his twin passions are politics and
theology. He works as a funeral director at Scotto's Funeral home and
his knowledge of the history of the neighborhood runs deep though he is
only 27 years old.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: David Pechefsky. The Green Candidate, Pechefsky worked for 10 years in the central staff of
the New York City Council. With a master's degree in public policy and
experience advising local governments in Africa, Pechefsky knows how the
City Council works from the inside out and has ideas about how it could
better serve the people of New York City.

Today on Breakfast-of-Candidates, Doug Biviano, candidate for City Council in the 33rd district faces OTBKB's coffee cup. Expect the unexpected from Biviano. A civil engineer with degrees from Cornell University,  Biviano works as a superintendent in Brooklyn Heights apartment building and worked as New York State Coordinator for presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, whose politics of peace are a strong influence. Biviano has lived the skiers life in Colorado and sailed the Inter-Coastal Highway with his wife installing solar panels on a boat he barely knew how to sail. 

And in case you missed these from the 33rd:

Breakfast of Candidates: Jo Anne Simon.  Her career trajectory from teacher of the deaf to disability rights attorney will make you feel like a slacker  and
wonder how she had time to become such a strong voice in her community
and the female Democratic District Leader and State Committeewoman for
the 52nd Assembly District. A proponent of the art of listening, she
believes that there's a place for all viewpoints at the table and that
"someone who is elected to office can work with everyone."

Breakfast-of Candidates; Evan Thies.
A former aide to City Council Member David Yassky, Thies also worked in
Hillary Clinton's upstate senate office and for Andrew Cuomo. Raised in
New Hampshire, public service was the family business and his
grandmother, Mary Mary Mongron, was appointed by NH governor John
Sununu to be the New Hampshire's Commissioner of Health and Human
Services. Struck as a child with Fibromatosis, a chronic disease, he
was
homeschooled during the worst of his illness. When he was 11, he and
his mother wrote and passed a bill about his disease. Evan studied his
twin interests, political science and journalism, at Syracuse
University but knew that he was called to public service like his grandmother.

And here are the 39ers:

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Gary Reilly. At 34 he's not quite the youngest of the candidates (John Heyer beats
him on that score) but he's plenty wet behind the ears and full of
enthusiasm about public transportation and other issues that affect voters.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Bob Zuckerman. A long-time politico, Bob is currently
executive director of the Gowanus Canal Community Development
Corporation and  Gowanus Canal Conservancy.  He remembers the night
Richard Nixon was elected in 1968 (he was 7-years-old) and one of his
heroes is Harvey Milk.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Brad Lander, The intellectual of the group, Brad has two master's degrees and
a BA from the University of Chicago. He made his mark running
community organizations like the Fifth Avenue Committee and Pratt
Center for Community Development, advocating for affordable housing and community sustainablility.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: Josh  Skaller. A former computer music composer at
Harvard, it was Howard Dean's presidential campaign that jumpstarted
his interest in electoral politics. As president of the Central
Brooklyn Independent Democrats, he learned to facilitiate dialogue  and
manage strong personalities. Running on a community empowerment
platform with a strong interest in the environment and smart
development, Josh is proud to be refusing donations from  real estate
developers.

Breakfast of Candidates: John Heyer: An assistant to Borough President Marty Markowitz, Heyer is the only candidate for City Council born in the 39th district. A
fifth-generation Carroll Gardener, his twin passions are politics and
theology. He works as a funeral director at Scotto's Funeral home and
his knowledge of the history of the neighborhood runs deep though he is
only 27 years old.

Breakfast-of-Candidates: David Pechefsky. The Green Candidate, Pechefsky worked for 10 years in the central staff of
the New York City Council. With a master's degree in public policy and
experience advising local governments in Africa, Pechefsky knows how the
City Council works from the inside out and has ideas about how it could
better serve the people of New York City.

Doug Biviano, a City Council candidate in the 33rd district, met me for breakfast at Theresa's, a Polish coffee shop on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights.

In 1969, Biviano was born in the Mill Basin neighborhood of Brooklyn. Biviano's dad was a Transit Authority carpenter and his mom a nursing assistant. The family later moved to Brentwood, Long Island. But his parents separated soon after and Biviano and his brother spent weekends at his father's apartment in the Ex-Lax building on Atlantic Avenue. Biviano came to love Brooklyn Heights on those trips especially when he and his father would take long walks to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and the Fulton Ferry Landing.

Biviano attended Cornell University, where he received a B.S. and a masters in Civil and Environmental Engineering. "Math and science always came easy to me. I am a conceptual thinker," he said.

Clean cut in a blue blazer and a neat button down shirt, Biviano
ordered a bowl of fresh fruit and coffee. I ordered a toasted, buttered bagel, which
arrived toasted and dry. But my conversation with Biviano was anything but dry.

Unexpected is a word that Biviano likes and I can see why as his life story takes all kinds of unexpected twists and turns. After a post-graduate stint at an engineering firm in Buffalo, NY,  Biviano followed his girlfriend (who later became his wife) to Colorado to live the skier's life. Seasonally he got work as a soil consultant at Geo Technical and Vail Associates. 

"They pay you 20% in the view," Biviano told me. He enjoyed the work which involved driving to the mountains and doing foundation excavation and track rigging. Later, he got his professional engineer's license but was frustrated by the low "mountain pay" in an area, where it's very expensive to live.

Another unexpected turn: Biviano decided to start his own construction business with a friend while his wife cleaned houses. They worked hard and managed to save enough money to embark on another adventure.

The couple bought a sailboat and packed up their belongings and headed for Annapolis, Maryland to pick up their Morgan Outlander and set sail on the Inter-Coastal Highway.

Biviano and his wife knew nothing about sailing.  "I figured I'd learn. You figure it out. Like running for City Council," he joked. "It's the journey always the journey," he added.

For nine months the couple lived "off the grid." On the sailboat Biviano designed and installed a solar power system with controllers and battery
bank, which utilized sun, wind, rain water and a reverse osmosis water maker. He loved the sense of community he found in Freeport where hundreds of sailors dock in the winter.

It was on this sailing adventure that Biviano developed his appreciation for the "goodness of people around the world. The people I've met are good, decent and hardworking."

When the couple realized that they were expecting a child, they sold the sailboat and headed to New York City. A job as a superintendent in a Brooklyn Heights coop provided Biviano with a job and an apartment in the neighborhood he learned to love as a teenager. Biviano is proud of the fact that he works as a laborer and an engineering professional because it gives him a broader perspective on the world. 

And then 9/11 happened. Biviano watched from the roof of the Brooklyn Heights coop where he is a superintendent and wondered why someone would want to do that.  "Instead of thinking 'let's go get 'em' I found myself wondering why. I wanted a deeper answer."

"I reject the 'Axis of evil.' The people I've met where I've gone are good and decent. Start there."

This revelation set Biviano on a path that has led to his candidacy for City Council. It was his subsequent discovery of WBAI on the radio dial and Amy Goodman's show Democracy Now in particular that helped him refine his humanistic and progressive beliefs.  

He also discovered Dennis Kucinich, who is now one of his heroes. "I love his politics. Peace as an organizing principle of society," Biviano said. In 2004 Biviano made a monetary contribution to Kucinich's presidential campaign but in 2008, he donated his time and energy becoming Kucinich's New York State coordinator. From Kucinich he learned "the possibilities of politics" and traveled to many forums where he spoke as Kucinich's surrogate. In this capacity he discovered an ability to connect with an audience and communicate political ideas in a humanistic way.

"I learned from Kucinich to put a human face on politics. Iranians are beautiful people. They love their children. If you start from there, put a human face on it, it's different."

With two kids at PS 8 (and another child too young for school), Biviano is a regular school yard dad. A year ago, he found out that a friend was out of a job and would be paying $1,600 a month for COBRA.

"There are 400,000 people in Brooklyn without health insurance," he told me incredulously. Biviano advocates a single-payer system supported by a group called Physicians for a Single Payer Health Plan that would cover all medically necessary services, including: doctor, hospital, preventive,
long-term care, mental health, reproductive health care, dental,
vision, prescription drug and medical supply costs.

When Biviano realized that that City Council Member David Yassky was
vacating his Council seat, he decided to throw his hat into the race with a focus on Medicare for all, a livable
city that respects its institutions like public schools and big picture ideas like reducing the budget for war as a way to fund cities.

"I'm a dreamer. A little kid," Biviano told me. And in a way it's true. It's his background in engineering that taught him an important maxim: "if you can think about it you can build it."

We were talking for 90-minutes when I realized I had to leave to see a friend on a panel about search engine optimization at the Brooklyn Business Summit.

"Do you know where Polytechnic Institute is?" I asked Biviano.

He volunteered to walk me over to the school which is in the Metro-Tech complex not far from Theresa's. This gave us a chance to continue our conversation while we walked speedily in the light rain.

Biviano is running for City Council because he believes that the City legislature is a powerful position on the world stage. "It's such a powerful platform for a massive Democratic voice."

At the candidates forums Biviano has been an unexpected and sometimes refreshing presence. He talks about bringing fun to politics. But he's very serious, too about the ways that war spending takes away from our cities. 

"Let's take a slice of the trillion-dollar war pie and feed investment
in our communities," said Biviano. "There are structural problems at
the city, state, and federal levels where there are funding processes
that are not connected to community interests. I want to think big," Biviano told the Brooklyn Star.

In the 39th Council district:

Bob Zuckerman: On Wednesday Bob Zuckerman, candidate for City Council in the 39th district announced his strong support for the nomination of the Gowanus Canal for the National Priorities List, otherwise known as Superfund. Zuckerman, the former Executive Director of the Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation (GCCDC) and Gowanus Canal Conservancy (GCC) finally decided to back Superfund designation after long deliberation.

In the 33rd Council district:

Jo Anne SImon: One of the cases that Republicans in Congress have used in the past
to hold up Judge Sotomayor's previous nominations and promotions, Bartlet vs NY Board of Law Examiners
was argued by Jo Anne Simon, who is running for City Council in the 33rd district. Below is an excerpt from an editorial/essay that Ms
Simon wrote in support of the Sotomayor nomination: