TONY'S SAD TUNE (AND OTHER SORRY TALES) Anthony Herbert, the candidate known as "Tony Tune" during his days as a deejay, was knocked off the ballot in the 35th Council District, where he hoped to face off against Geoffrey Davis, brother of slain Councilman James Davis.

Herbert's petitions were rife with errors, a result of his not having raised enough money to hire top-notch consultants or having the political connections to arrange for expert "volunteers." The Board of Elections found only 545 valid sigantures, 355 short of the minimum. Herbert, a former aide to three elected officials, was trying to be reinstated to the ballot in State Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Geoffrey Davis was getting his own hard lesson in politics as his criminal record was splashed across the papers the moment he announced his candidacy. He didn't handle it particularly well, literally walking away from the reporters he'd invited to his press conference. He wouldn't even divulge how many children he has.

That followed his blaming "the system" for killing his brother and not the actual murderer, Othniel Boaz "Aaron" Askew. Observers forgave his rants on the day of his brother's death, but when they continued for the better part of a week-"My brother was assassinated!" he hollered at least 15 times during one rally, during which he turned to the media and demanded, "And where were you?"-people began to raise eyebrows. Yet the same weekend as the rally, Davis had appeared on Assemblyman Dov Hikind's radio show and was calm, composed, and articulate, according to Hikind. It makes us wonder whether Davis was just playing to the crowd at the rally.

Whatever the case, more than a few folks were turned off by his declaration that he's running "because this is a Davis seat." Said one observer, "People find that very disturbing and unsettling. It's really the public's seat."

Sensing Davis's weakness, his brother's former opponent, Letitia "Tish" James, secured the Working Families Party line in the general election. Davis and Herbert interviewed with the WFP as well. Eric Adams, head of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, says he may run as an independent, but we doubt he can collect enough signatures by the August 19 deadline. (He previously tried to run against Rep. Major Owens, but claimed his petitions were stolen.)

James, the aide to Assemblyman Roger Green who lost to James Davis despite support from the machine in 2001, did not land the Independence Party line, which went to Geoffrey Davis. Former two-time Assembly candidate Hakeem Jeffries was also interested in the WFP line but only if family matriarch Thelma Davis, who chairs her late son James's committee on vacancies, gave him the Democratic line to succeed her murdered son. But she remained adamantly behind her son Geoffrey, who could ride a big sympathy vote to victory.

Or Davis could crash and burn in his maiden voyage through the unmerciful world of Brooklyn politics. That's what happened to Anatoly Eyzenberg, who used the name "Tony Eisenberg" on his petitions and was promptly disqualified by the Board of Elections. Eyzenberg goes by Tony, but he's registered to vote by his legal name, which the board said he had to use on his petitions. At press time, he was in court trying to get back on the ballot against Councilman Domenic Recchia, who also challenged Eyzenberg's residency and said his petitions had insufficient signatures. The other Democratic challenger in the 47th District, Joe Hochhauser, was also knocked off by the board.

Both of Councilman Lew Fidler's Democratic primary opponents were removed by the board as well: Elizabeth Atwood King and Elias Weir. Weir conceded, but King appealed to court-only to miss her hearing because, she claimed, her car broke down. Two words for Ms. King: car service.

King was given a reprieve and told to come back the next morning-when her case was thrown out. Represented by Paul Wooten, she then went to federal court, where her longshot attempt was pending at press time.

In Sunset Park, the board refused to hear Republican Danniel Maio's challenge of Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez's petitions because he doesn't live in her district. But a State Supreme Court judge reversed that ruling, Maio informed us. "According to Sara Gonzalez's attorney, Thomas Garry, she filed 2,700 signatures," Maio wrote on August 3. "We'll find out starting tomorrow how many valid ones she has." Nine hundred do the trick.

In Bay Ridge, Gentile's people were upset that the Campaign Finance Board gave Republican Pat Russo $20,625 in matching funds for a primary against Steve Maresca that was not going to happen, since Maresca only submitted 904 signatures and was challenged by Gentile. But CFB told us it would count the payment towards the amount Russo is scheduled to receive for the general election. Maresca was disqualified on August 5.

If paper ballots in the 44th District were printed today, free-spending former Councilman Noach Dear would be on them against incumbent Simcha Felder. So ruled a federal judge on July 31. Somewhere, a campaign consultant, polling firm, and printing company are celebrating.

Not as happy were taxpayers, who had to cough up $100,000 for Felder. Dear didn't join the matching-funds program, which is why Felder is getting extra cash from the CFB. But the federal judge did not actually put Dear on the ballot. That issue was in state court and hadn't been decided at press time. The feeling here is Dear will be denied a place on the ballot and Felder will have to return most of his matching funds.

Finally, Councilman Mike Nelson's nominal opponent, Democrat Allen Herschaft of Manhattan Beach, was removed by the board for insufficient petitions. Constituents likely hope that ends Herschaft's quest to stick campaign stickers on lampposts across the district.

BETTER LATE… Brooklyn's judicial politics has become a battleground in the circulation battle between the Daily News and the New York Post. So obsessed are the two tabloids with appearing to be a step ahead that good journalism has at times taken a back seat.

To cite two recent examples: The Post reported in June that a Brooklyn election attorney and congressman had tried to shake down a judge up for reelection in 2000, and when they were rebuffed, recruited an opponent. The Village Voice had run the story three years ago, yet the Post played it up as if it had uncovered a new scandal.

Then there was the Daily News's self-proclaimed "exclusive" of July 21 about how Brooklyn Civil Court candidates ShawnDya Simpson and Dawn Jimenez had only just moved to the borough. Exclusive? The issue was first reported in this very column on May 5. The News went to the trouble of researching property and motor vehicle records to show that Simpson lived in New Jersey for four years beginning in 1999. It would have been just easier to ask Simpson, which is what the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats did at their April endorsement meeting. Simpson made no effort to conceal her residency, saying she'd moved to Jersey in a quest for better services for her disabled child.

We also reported in May that Jimenez was living in Manhattan until moving back to the borough of her childhood at the onset of the judicial race.

DeBLASIO REJECTS MATCHING FUNDS: Based on the Campaign Finance Board's Web site, which lists $64,821 in "matching claims" by Councilman Bill deBlasio's campaign fund, we reported that he'd asked for the funds. But deBlasio tells us he only put a number in the "matching claims" column to satisfy the board's software, and never planned to accept any public money. He added that he embarked on his aggressive fundraising effort before he knew he had no Democratic opponent. While that's true, it has been clear for some time that deBlasio's wouldn't be seriously threatened.

Former Green Party candidate Gloria Mattera is collecting signatures to make the ballot as an independent, since the Green Party lost its ballot status in New York by not getting enough votes in the 2002 gubernatorial election.

The other prospective opponent of deBlasio is Bay Ridge resident Luke Vander Linden, a Republican who was given Rosemarie Markgraf's place on the ballot when she withdrew after filing her petitions. Vander Linden lives in Councilman Vinny Gentile's district, and Markgraf in David Yassky's district. Could the Republicans not find a single party member in deBlasio's district to run against him?

GOLDEN NOT FORGIVEN We noticed that State Senator Marty Golden, whose positions and votes have outraged gay activists for years, was the primary sponsor of legislation to change the archaic language of sexual abuse laws, replacing terms like "sodomy" that offended gays.

The gay community cheered that law and another Golden-backed bill providing domestic partners access to credit unions, but still haven't warmed up to Golden. We asked Brownstone Brooklyn district leader Alan Fleishman, former president of the gay political club Lambda Independent Democrats, for his thoughts on Golden's recent legislation.

"Welcome to the 21st century, Senator Golden," Fleishman replied by e-mail. "The offensive language in the state law is indeed very out of date and the bill providing domestic partners access to credit unions is terrific. Marty, can we now count on your support for a statewide domestic partnership bill, equal rights for transgender people, and the rights of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people to marry? And by the way, speaking of out of date positions, isn't it time you recognized that a woman's right to choose is a fundamental right every New York woman deserves?"

We called Golden's office for a response but didn't get one.

MILLSTEIN DIES Adele Millstein, who for years hosted the Kings County Democratic Coalition legislative brunch at her house on Avenue J and Bay Parkway, died July 28. "She was a real giant in the reform movement in Brooklyn," remembered Chris Owens, a member of KCDC when it was an active group. "She wanted elected officials who were really going to stay in touch with people. She wanted high-turnout voting. She was anti-war. She was across-the-board left. But she was practical."

We know Millstein was a true believer because she rather than ask an elected official's campaign committee to fund the legislative brunch, she paid for it herself.

CREDIT DUE In politics, accomplishing something is only half the battle. The other half is getting credit for it. That has certainly been evident in the attempt to reform the way the Democratic Party selects judicial candidates in Brooklyn. The big breakthrough (and we use the term with a trace of sarcasm) came when district leaders changed the composition of the panel that screens candidates.

At least two daily newspapers credited Councilman Lew Fidler with conceiving the plan that was ultimately adopted. And lots of articles have identified Park Slope's Alan Fleishman as a primary reformer. Nowhere did we see a mention of Flatbush district leader Lori Knipel, which couldn't have pleased her much. "You should know that it was MY MOTION that passed unanimously in the Executive Committee that led to this forming of the committee to reform and revise the judicial screening committee," Knipel e-mailed us. "Two earlier motions by Lew Fidler and Alan Fleishman were not passed by the committee."

She added, "My OTHER motion that was passed (which was also unprecedented) was to demand that the treasurer of the Executive Committee DISCLOSE quarterly the financial report of the party." Well, Lori, there's your credit.

But, as is our habit, we must balance that with the observation of an insider who views Knipel's actions with cynicism, given that her husband landed a judgeship through the very process Knipel is now reforming. "Hi ironic that she would want politics out of judicial choices. I suppose now that her husband's got his (judgeship), she can afford to be a reformer," the source noted.

In Knipel's defense, just because she and her husband once played the game doesn't mean she shouldn't change the rules now.

STREET SIGNS TO SAY "YOUR NAME HERE" Well, not exactly. Not yet, anyway. It just seems like we're getting new street names more often than new moons. We've detected some whisperings of discontent among folks who are too polite to raise a stink over naming a street for someone's who's recently died, be it a community board chairman, World Trade Center victim, or politician.

So we will do our duty and pass on their message to the City Councilmembers who can't say no to street renamings: Enough already.

Recently a street was named for the late Assemblywoman Lena Cymbrowitz, who served briefly in the Legislature until her untimely death. Councilman Mike Nelson sponsored the naming of a street for her. "She was not a community activist," one disgruntled observer commented. "She just won because Noach Dear ran the same year (for Congress) and pulled out a lot of (Jewish) votes." Street renamings seem to breed as much resentment as rejoicing. Years from now, people are going to look up at the unaesthetic green street signs and wonder, "Who the heck was that?" In fact, we bet that's happening right now.

If the answer can't be garnered from Encyclopedia Britannica, perhaps the renaming was ill-conceived.

Contact Brooklyn Politics at (718) 399-3693.

Borough Politics Archive

2003
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2002
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2001
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2000
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1999
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