SHELTER FOE RESPONDS Carroll Gardens resident Danny Contreras took exception to our suggestion of a law forbidding the publicizing of the address of a prospective battered women's shelter, as he is doing. "You really do feel that I belong in jail, without knowing absolutely anything about me?" he e-mailed. "Do you know me as an individual? And what I have done positively for so many people?"

We replied that if an abusive husband found his battered wife through Contreras's Web site and beat the hell out of her again, Contreras's other good deeds wouldn't be much consolation to her. Subsequently, opponents ceased publicizing the shelter address, saying people were getting the wrong impression.

Meanwhile, supporters of the shelter, to be called Rose House, were buoyed by a pro-shelter statement from Rep. Nydia Velazquez in this column last week. But they were briefly chagrined by this one released by Borough President Marty Markowitz's spokesman Andy Ross: "We are currently evaluating the project to determine whether this is the most appropriate location for the facility." "Not 'an appropriate location' (a standard one could hardly argue with) but 'the most appropriate location' (as if there were only one in the world that would be truly acceptable)," complained an e-mail sent by shelter supporters.

They promptly sought a clarifying statement from Markowitz and soon got one, thanks to his chief of staff, Greg Atkins, who lives in Carroll Gardens, personally supports the shelter, and is president of Independent Neighborhood Democrats, which recently passed a resolution (introduced by Howard Graubard and seconded by Democratic district leader Liz Daly) supporting the shelter.

The statement from Markowitz's office read: "While we understand and respect the community's concerns, we are fully supportive of the efforts by Assemblymember Joan Millman and Councilmember Bill deBlasio to allay those concerns so that this facility can begin protecting a small number of abused women and children that desperately need a safe place to sleep. We can never shy away from our society's responsibility to take care of those suffering from the devastating effects of domestic abuse, including those most vulnerable-the children. And we also must remember that it is imperative, no matter how one feels about the shelter, not to do anything to publicize its location. I'm confident that a compromise will be reached and that the shelter and its neighbors will be able to peacefully co-exist."

The IND resolution passed without objection from two fence-sitters in the room, deBlasio and Millman, who say they're remaining impartial so they can act as mediators. But a representative for Rep. Major Owens told IND that the congressman supports the shelter. District leader Alan Fleishman also expressed support at the IND meeting.

Rose House supporters have encountered some resistance from politicians who didn't learn of the project until the sponsor had purchased the building (for $1 million) and begun renovations. "The elected officials are kind of bent out of shape that they weren't contacted initially," one shelter backer said. "I think if the group had more knowledge of the neighborhood, they would have contacted the elected officials. However, as a general policy I understand why they don't. If they were going to Sheepshead Bay, should they have contacted [State Senator] Carl Kruger? You don't think he would have been out there setting up picket lines?"

We didn't include that quote as a cheap shot at Kruger, but you get the idea. The shelter sponsor perhaps thought contacting the elected officials might have backfired, though in the case of Millman, deBlasio, Owens, Velazquez, Markowitz, and State Senator Marty Connor it likely wouldn't have. Also yet to weigh in on the issue is mostly liberal Community Board 6. One CB 6 member, referring to a leading Rose House opponent, said, "Sal Russo got up at his last Nuremberg rally and demanded the community board take a position. I think we should give him his wish."

HERBERT'S NEW GIG The candidate thrust into the media spotlight when Councilman James Davis was killed now has a new gig: Tony Herbert is the citywide spokesman for the proposed City Charter revision.

The revision, if approved by voters on November 4, would replace the Democratic and Republican primaries with one big election for all candidates. The top two finishers would then compete in a runoff election. Democratic Party leaders, union members, and others are fighting this, claiming it would dilute the power of minority voters, nearly all of whom are Democrats. They like the current system in which the Democratic primary essentially decides the outcome of most elections.

However, it's hard to envision a scenario where nonpartisan elections-in which candidates could still include their party affiliation on the ballot-would undermine a candidate favored by minorities. Nonpartisan elections in other cities haven't reduced the number of minorities winning elections. In most Brooklyn districts, the revised system would lead to runoffs between two Democrats. Such would have been the case this year in East Flatbush, where Councilman Kendall Stewart edged challenger Sam Taitt in the Democratic primary.

Stewart won only because a percentage of anti-Stewart votes went to the third- and fourth-place finishers, Omar Boucher and Erlene King. In a runoff between just Stewart and Taitt, the challenger would have picked up most of the votes received by Boucher and King in the first election, and most likely taken the election.

In that race, the current system protected the incumbent. Could that be why Democratic Party and union officials (who almost invariably support incumbents), not to mention many politicians themselves, oppose any change? Yet Taitt does not support the charter revision. "Even though I could have won the race," he noted.

FROM COHEN, A DELUGE When Assemblywoman Adele Cohen gets upset, she tends to burst like an angry storm cloud on a hot summer day. It happened again last week during a meeting about the possible demise of the Carey Gardens Boys and Girls Club in Coney Island.

The impetus for her fury was an afro-sporting teenager who dared to stand while Cohen was attempting to address the meeting. Cohen undiplomatically ordered him to "sit down!" but the teen refused, perhaps not wanting to play the role of chastened puppy in front of his peers and a large gathering of adults. That occasioned a long rant from Cohen, who seemed to consider the youngster's action a sign of ingratitude from club supporters. "After all I've done for you…" Cohen kept saying. "I'm trying to work with you!" At one point she added, "I don't know who this kid's parents are…" a witness reported. "Her face changed colors," the observer noted.

The audience was mortified at such an outburst from an elected official. No doubt the crowd breathed a sign of relief when, at the conclusion of her soliloquy, Cohen stormed out. Cohen didn't want to discuss the incident with us because she said it would distract from the much more significant issue, the imminent departure of the private entity that runs the boys and girls club for a thousand kids who might otherwise be milling about unsupervised on the streets of Coney Island. "The kid stood up and I told him to sit down," Cohen said. "We're going to save this community center, which is the important part."

The club operator says it can't afford to continue with the reduced level of government funding being offered. "The boys and girls club is an instance where we can say that privatization went awry, because the [New York City] Housing Authority has allowed the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club to run their program in their [housing authority] facility. And then Madison Square picked their toys up and said they're leaving … It's just unconscionable that someone in whom 1,000 families put their trust would pick up and walk out."

So, getting back to the outburst … Is any kind of statement or apology forthcoming? "If I issue a statement," Cohen said, "you'll be the first one to get it."

POLS WEARING TWO HATS District leaders, actually called state committee members, are unpaid party officials elected every two years in every Assembly district-one man and one woman for the Democratic and Republican parties. District leaders are generally worker bees, folks who do the political organizing that makes their party look good on election day. A district leadership is also a good stepping stone to get to higher elected office, like a minor league for aspiring politicians.

But Brooklyn is seeing a trend toward politicians becoming district leaders themselves, perhaps to make sure no one can build strength to run against them. More than 25 percent of district leaders are also city or state legislators.

Elected officials who are also district leaders include Assemblymembers Vito Lopez, Clarence Norman, Dov Hikind, Diane Gordon, William Boyland Jr., Annette Robinson, and Felix Ortiz, and City Councilmembers Lew Fidler, Al Vann, Diana Reyna, and Kendall Stewart. Another one, Rep. Ed Towns, just resigned but was likely to be replaced by his son, Assemblyman Darryl Towns.

Reform Democrats frown on such double-dipping, which is why Joan Millman resigned as district leader upon joining the Assembly, noted Alan Fleishman, the male leader in her district. "It's disturbing to me that Brooklyn elected officials are district leaders when we should be encouraging young leaders in those districts to get involved in the Democratic Party by becoming district leaders," Fleishman said.

NEW LOW FOR HIKIND Apparently Assemblyman Dov Hikind never learned that if he had nothing nice to say, to say nothing. So when the Daily News asked him about a gay-marriage bill supported by the New York State Democratic Committee, Hikind-rather than simply state his opposition-compared gay people to animals. "What's next? Do we legalize bestiality? Do we legalize incest?" Hikind told the newspaper.

The Borough Park assemblyman was promptly lambasted by Brooklyn's gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender Democratic club, Lambda, as well as the G.O.P.'s gay organization, Log Cabin Republicans of New York City. "Comparing homosexuality to bestiality or incest is inexcusable," Alan Fleishman, Brooklyn's only openly gay district leader, said in a statement released hours after the article appeared. "Hikind's words are clearly intended to placate a small minority of Orthodox Jewish voters in his district who believe that there is something sinful and awful about homosexuality. Assemblymember Hikind should step into the 21st century and join the long list of those supporting marriage rights for gay and lesbian New Yorkers." Lambda President Dan Tietz said Hikind "is now engaged in the worst kind of pandering."

The Log Cabin Republicans demanded an apology (something tells us Hikind didn't put that on his to-do list) and added, "The issue of equal marriage rights for gays and lesbians certainly awakens strong emotions, but our leaders must approach the issue thoughtfully and reasonably." We're not sure why it should awaken strong emotions. What harm would come to Hikind if gays could marry?

And by what logic should the state deny the rights and responsibilities of marriage to gays? It seems to us the equivalent of forbidding women to vote, blacks to get driver's licenses, immigrants to attend public school, etc. There's just no logic to it. It would also boost revenues for banquet halls and other wedding businesses, not to mention divorce lawyers.

RETURN TO SENDER One observer of Community Board 12 in Borough Park took note of our item about how Assemblyman Dov Hikind's lobbying helped Wolf Sender land the district manager's job over Daniel Fingerer. The truth, according to the source, is that even without Hikind's involvement, Fingerer wouldn't have gotten the job.

In Fingerer's meetings with board members, the source said, "He came across as arrogant and condescending. Even at the interview, he said, 'I'm the most qualified.' He came across as if the job was his for the taking. And it never was. He didn't have a lot of support."

HYNES KIN PROMOTED Kevin Hynes, the 39-year-old son of Brooklyn District Attorney Joe Hynes, was promoted to second deputy D.A. by Westchester D.A. Jeanine Pirro, bumping his salary to $128,752. Pirro undoubtedly thinks the younger Hynes is a fine prosecutor. But it couldn't have hurt his chances for promotion that when Pirro's husband was convicted for tax evasion, Hynes wrote a letter to the judge asking for a lenient sentence.

COLTON WANTS TAX BACK Assemblyman Bill Colton, one of the few state legislators to vote against repealing the commuter tax in 1999, renewed his call for reinstatement of the tax in light of the city being denied permission to refinance its 1970s debt. Colton says the resulting hole in the city's budget could be filled in part by the commuter tax, which was repealed in an unsuccessful attempt by Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver to help a Democrat win a special election upstate. Colton was planning to introduce a bill reinstating the tax. It won't go anywhere without Republican support in the State Senate, which is unlikely.

CORRECTION We quoted a Legal Aid staffer saying Bernadette Bayne was the Democratic Party machine's candidate when she won election to Civil Court in 1999. In fact, she ran against the machine that year, as we have previously reported. The machine's candidate that year was Wavny Toussaint.

Contact Brooklyn Politics at (718) 399-3693.

Borough Politics Archive

2003
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2001
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1999
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