DEAR'S UNPAID BILL At press time, State Senate candidate Noach Dear hadn't run a single display advertisement in The Jewish Press, in contrast to his run against Rep. Anthony Weiner in 2000, when Dear ran eight ads in the paper. Could that be because Dear never paid the paper for his ads in 2000? A Federal Elections Commission inquiry, stemming from a complaint by Weiner's campaign, found that Dear owed The Jewish Press $52,800 for the ads.

Dear's treasurer in that race told the FEC that the ads were "unauthorized" even though Dear's campaign manager admitted to placing them. In violation of federal law, Dear's campaign committee never reported the debt. The Jewish Press never sued Dear because it viewed him as popular among readers of the paper and felt a lawsuit might backfire. But at the same time, it refused to run ads for Dear's 2002 State Senate campaign unless they were paid for in advance, a policy that seems to remain in effect.

A FINE METZ SHE'S IN Updating our report last week on the sputtering Assembly campaign of the Green Party's Susan Metz: Not only did she disqualify herself by not filing a certificate of acceptance, but the cover sheet on her petition was also ruled defective by the Board of Elections on August 17. By law, she had until August 20 to file a corrected cover sheet. She filed one August 23. In political parlance, that's called a "fatal defect."

Metz plans to challenge the rulings in court. To improve her chances, she'll need a good election attorney, which can cost $10,000. But Board of Elections records don't even list a fundraising account for Metz. With only Republican Ricardo Ocasio on the ballot against him, Roger Green is assured of winning back the seat he held for more than two decades. Accordingly, he hasn't bothered to raise much money. Through July, he had under $10,000 on hand.

CITIZENS UNION'S CHOICES The good-government organization Citizens Union has chosen its "preferred" candidates for the September 14 primary, based in part on interviews it conducted. Most notable, though not surprising, was the organization's choice of Ed Roberts, 56, over Assemblyman Clarence Norman, 52, in the 43rd A.D. "Mr. Roberts has impressive qualifications and would offer a fresh change from the current interests that have dominated Brooklyn politics for so many years," C.U. wrote. "Mr. Norman said that the State Legislature is not in need of reform, further evidence of his desire to keep in place a dysfunctional legislature and party apparatus. Citizens Union believes it is time for new leadership in the 43rd Assembly District."

Referring to the pending criminal case against Norman, C.U. wrote, "Mr. Norman has taken the position that much of what the public and investigators are claiming are corruption and coercion is actually politics as usual. In Brooklyn, that appears to be the case." For State Senate, Citizens Union chose incumbent Marty Malave Dilan, 53, "in spite of [his] ties to party politics" over challenger Ronald Clinton, 33, who couldn't be interviewed.

The organization deemed Kevin Parker, 37, "preferred" but also had nice things to say about Wellington Sharpe. It said nothing about 44-year-old Noach Dear, who declined to be interviewed. Diane Savino, 40, was endorsed in the 23rd District over Cole Ettman and Kelvin Alexander, who also got good write-ups, and Rodney Knight, who couldn't be interviewed.

TIMES ENDORSES FOR JUDGE The coveted New York Times endorsements for countywide Civil Court candidates went to April Newbauer, Gerry Dunbar, and Evelyn LaPorte, though LaPorte was nearly rejected by the paper because she's accepting support from Assemblyman Clarence Norman. The Times also endorsed Robin Kelly Sheares in the Second District and Ingrid Joseph in the sixth. The paper delivered parting blows to two candidates it didn't endorse, Geraldine Pickett ("lacking the temperament and other essential qualities for the bench") and Maxine Archer ("an undistinguished Civil Court judge defeated in a primary four years ago").

Other candidates got mixed reviews, including Bernie Graham ("active in community affairs, but light on litigation experience") and Harley Diamond ("energy and enthusiasm…to distract from his relatively meager judicial credentials"). Finally, countywide candidates Johnny Lee Baynes, Richard Izzo, and Charles Finkelstein were written off as not "plausible."

HOME STRETCH IN SENATE RACE The four-candidate Democratic primary in the district represented by retiring State Senator Seymour Lachman will be decided September 14, with the winner to battle Republican Al Curtis in November. It's our last chance to run sound bites from the candidates. Former NYPD sergeant Kelvin Alexander said, "We need drug and alcohol testing for police officers who fire their weapons." He noted that the officer who mowed down a family with his car in Sunset Park had instead shot them during his shift, we would not have found out he was drunk.

Alexander also said his affiliation with the Rev. Al Sharpton wouldn't hurt him in the district, which is only 14 percent black and includes Borough Park and Bensonhurst, where Sharpton would lose a popularity contest to the Grim Reaper. "He has changed his image," said Alexander, who was national field director for Sharpton's organization while the boss ran for president.

Cole Ettman, the only Jew in the race, said if elected he'd use State Senator Carl Kruger as a model. Kruger has taken some heat for supporting Governor George Pataki and other Republicans, but Ettman said, "I think he made the right decision in playing both sides of the field. I look at Carl Kruger as one of the people who set a good example." Ettman also complained that the commute to Manhattan from Coney Island is longer than from Suffolk County. "How come we don't have a ferry?" he asked.

Diane Savino, a former foster care case worker who after about five years went to work for the union she was in, rising to become a vice president at SSEU Local 371, said that unlike the other Democratic candidates, she's not targeting one ethnic group for votes. "I'm not assuming that I just have to get out the Italians," she said.

Savino said she would join the Senate Democrats trying to change Albany by reforming the budget process and holding open hearings on issues and bills. And what about the partisan process by which district lines are drawn? "This district represents the worst of political gerrymandering," she said. Savino just rolled out an endorsement by Borough President Marty Markowitz.

Rodney Knight sees his community leader credentials as superior to those of his opponents. Because of his work with youth basketball and football organizations in Coney Island, when NBA draft pick Sebastian Telfair learned Knight was running, he said, "Rodney Knight, whatever you need, because you've been here." Said Knight, "I've been here for years working and putting these young men on the path to success." Knight said he'll get votes from across the district, not just Coney Island. He noted that he's run with Russians Alec Brook-Krasny and Tony Eisenberg on candidate slates in the past.

NICK PERRY FOR CONGRESS Assemblyman Nick Perry doesn't mince his words when discussing the 2006 Democratic primary in the 11th Congressional District, currently represented by Major Owens. "I certainly intend to put my name in that race and I think I could match my record with any of the contenders," he said.

The contenders-assuming Owens wins reelection this year and retires at the end of his term-figure to be his son Chris Owens, State Senator Carl Andrews, Councilwomen Tracy Boyland and Yvette Clarke, and probably others. Perry and Andrews would both have to give up safe seats in the state legislature to run, creating spirited races in their districts as well.

Why didn't Perry run this year? "There is a saying that good things come to those who wait," the assemblyman said. "Patience is a virtue." Besides, he said, Owens "is an ally…I'd probably vote exactly the way he has voted" in Congress. Perry said he supports Owens's Washington agenda, adding, "I don't think replacing him with a junior, extreme lightweight member would help push that agenda through." That was a not-so-subtle knock on Boyland and Clarke.

The New York Times's editorial board seemed to agree, writing, "If either Ms. Clarke or Ms. Boyland [were] elected, she would very possibly have a lock on the district for decades to come. Brooklyn would be better served if voters waited two years to see if better options come along. In this contest, we endorse Congressman Owens." Of course, Perry's own chances in 2006 would surely be aided by an Owens victory this year.

MEET MR. PEARSE Longshot congressional candidate Gabriel Toks Pearse criticized his opponents for being inaccessible to their constituents, and said if he were elected to represent the 11th Congressional District, "I would have an open-door policy." Memo to Dr. Pearse: at last count, the district is home to 654,361 people. A congressman would get little done if he met with every little old lady who wanted to show him pictures of her grandchildren.

Pearse also knocked the 23-year incumbent, Major Owens, for boasting of being the third-ranking member of the House Education Committee. "After 23 years, if he's satisfied with being the number three man, then we are not satisfied." But a panelist informed Pearse that committee rankings are based strictly on seniority. Owens, by the way, was incensed after the police unplugged the sound system he was using to address the annual Pakistan Independence Day Parade last month. Seems it was 6:10 p.m., 10 minutes after Mayor Bloomberg's curfew for all parades. Owens demanded the policy be rescinded. The response from Bloomberg was a deafening silence.

NORMAN CORRECTS CRAIN'S Indicted Assemblyman Clarence Norman denied a report in Crain's that he missed the Democratic National Convention because the conditions of his bail don't allow him to leave the state. He said he could have asked the judge permission to go, but didn't because his policy is not to leave town when he has a primary opponent. This year, that's attorney Ed Roberts.

The source who called Crain's had also called us, but we declined to go with the tip because it was implausible. The legal system is not worried that Norman will flee to Massachusetts to escape prosecution. However, Norman did have to surrender his passport. The feeling here is Norman skipped the convention because if a politician accused of stealing taxpayer dollars were photographed with John Kerry, it could be fodder for a Karl Rove attack ad.

TIDBITS Former Democratic district leader Bill Saunders is hoping to reclaim the post, now occupied by Francis Byrd. But we wonder how an experienced campaigner like Saunders could have plastered Fort Greene with posters misspelling his name "Saunder" in big letters…

Northern Brooklyn continues to be a political battleground, with Assemblymen Vito Lopez and Darryl Towns in different camps. "The feud between Darryl Towns and Vito is back on," one observer said. "I heard they tried to make peace this year but clearly that was not very successful."

Civil Court Judge Sarah Krauss of Brooklyn Heights is up for reelection to another 10-year term, but you won't see her on the ballot this year. No one is running against her. Incumbent judges are generally not challenged unless they screw up royally…

Assembly candidate Inna Kaminsky's campaign manager Gary Tilzer charged that every independent Russian-American poll worker in the 46th A.D., where Kaminsky is challenging incumbent Adele Cohen, is being transferred out. That could reduce turnout among Russians, who are more likely to vote for Kaminsky…

State Senator Velmanette Montgomery's latest printing of "Guide to Your Elected Officials in the 18th Senate District" omits any mention of the 57th Assembly District, which has had no representative since Roger Green resigned in May. Green, incidentally, was slammed by an Albany Times-Union editorial for having "the gall" to run for his old seat after billing taxpayers for travel expenses he never incurred. "It's so much easier for Mr. Green to pretend that nothing ever happened, or that it was at most a big misunderstanding, when the Assembly refuses to make public the report by its ethics committee recommending that Mr. Green be punished for his travel reimbursement scam," the paper wrote…

While Green at least accepts partial responsibility for his crime, Assemblyman Clarence Norman admits to not a single regret despite four felony charges filed against him by District Attorney Joe Hynes. Well, one regret. "I think my biggest mistake, if there was a mistake, was supporting Joe Hynes," said Norman, referring to Hynes's past campaigns…

Bernadine Boisson withdrew from the race for Democratic district leader in the 43rd Assembly District because she couldn't prove she registered as a Democratic in the district in time to be eligible to run. Boisson had been on a slate with Ed Roberts, who's challenging Assemblyman Clarence Norman…

Perennial candidate Richard Taylor managed to stay on the Democratic primary ballot against Assemblywoman Annette Robinson…

The Working Families Party has debuted a daily news summary with links to political stories. To receive a daily notice, e-mail a request for "Bacon & Eggs" to wfp@workingfamiliesparty.org…

Sam Taitt issued a press release for a candidates forum featuring "Enoch Dear." Would that be a combination of former councilmen Enoch Williams and Noach Dear?

Contact Brooklyn Politics at (718) 399-3693.

Borough Politics Archive

2004
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2001
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