Press Room

By David Pechefsky

IN Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s State of the City speech on Wednesday, he spoke of the City Council as if it were an equal partner in government. Indeed, the mayor’s surprisingly close re-election, the unusual defeat of a handful of council members and some spirited races in the general election in a city where winning the Democratic primary is tantamount to victory, might lead one to expect the 51-member body to be imbued with new democratic vigor. However, the council members inaugurated this month have joined a body whose governance structure is hardly more democratic than a high school student council’s — where the principal calls the shots.

Ultimately, all City Council decisions are made by the speaker and the speaker’s staff. The speaker controls which members get to sit on which committees and who heads those committees, what legislation comes up for a vote, the hiring and firing of the 250-plus central staff and the money that members get to dole out to their districts.

Since the 1989 City Charter reform enlarged the Council’s powers, a strong speaker has been seen as necessary to counterbalance the mayor, but this balance doesn’t hold. Because the current speaker, Christine Quinn, has so much control over the Council, Mayor Bloomberg can deal almost exclusively with her, ignoring the members and, by extension, their constituents.

The consequence of a cozy relationship between the speaker and the mayor is a Council that goes along with the mayor on most major issues. That’s why we’ve seen the City Council approve — at the mayor’s initiative — the rezoning of large areas of the city for high-end development, congestion pricing and the overturning of referendum-approved term limits.

Fortunately, creating a representative and transparent City Council that can check mayoral power won’t require a wholesale rewriting of the charter. All that is needed are three small but significant changes.

First, the Council should reform its process for approving the city budget. The mayor now prepares the budget with his Office of Management and Budget and city agencies, and then submits a relatively final document to the Council. Council committees hold hearings to review the mayor’s plan, but they have no real ability to make changes.

The Council’s budget negotiating team then spends torturous hours behind closed doors, proposing a few alternative cuts, which are usually rejected by the mayor’s side, and haggling over additional expenditures, which make up a tiny fraction of the whole. The final size of the Council’s “pot” is decided between the speaker and the mayor.

There are better alternatives. For instance, Council committees should vote on the components of the budget under their purview, like Congressional appropriations committees. Votes in committee would be in the form of resolutions and would therefore lack the force of law, but they would be a template for the Council’s negotiations with the mayor and carry more weight than the current closed-door deliberations.

This would engage more members earlier in the process, instead of allowing all the action to happen around the end-game exercises of the negotiating team, and encourage the Council to look at the budget in greater detail and more comprehensively. Best of all, city agencies would have to publicly substantiate the worthiness of their programs or risk an embarrassing vote in the Council.

Second, we need to restructure how the Council is staffed. The members of the central staff, which provides technical assistance and policy advice, serve at the pleasure of the speaker, meaning they can be fired at any time.

So if a councilman requests an analysis of a particular piece of legislation, staff members need to assess whether that councilman is in good standing with the speaker and whether his proposal is likely to get the speaker’s support. If the answer is no to both, then the request gets a low priority on the work pile. This results in some good ideas never getting a full vetting and some bad ones that are never put to rest.

As many parliamentary democracies have already done, the Council should establish a legislative services commission that sets the rules for hiring, compensation, promotion and retention of legislative staff. The result would be a professional staff that works for the Council as a whole, is better insulated from politics and better able to provide objective aid and analysis.

The third fix is to reform how the speaker is selected, and it would require a charter amendment. Instead of being chosen by the council members, the speaker should be popularly elected citywide (and the redundant public advocate position should be eliminated). The speaker should then be subject to a recall vote by three-fourths of the council members; if the speaker lost that vote, a special election would then be held to fill the position. This would ensure that the speaker remains responsive to council members and the electorate.

With these reforms, the speaker would lose some power, but gain a public mandate akin to the mayor’s — as well as leadership over a strong institution that could fulfill its true potential as an agent of democracy.

It is unlikely that any of the candidates running against Michael Bloomberg will prevent the billionaire incumbent from winning a third term as Mayor of New York City. Bloomberg is rich, inoffensive and radiates an uncontroversial managerial competence that is, if not compelling, at least comforting to a city less interested in policy details than its own financial future. This is benevolent despotism at its finest. But this is an endorsement, not an indictment.

Green Party candidate Bill Talen, aka the Reverend Billy, has long focused on the principles we hold dear at The L Magazine:

• The importance of public space in the face of an increasingly corporatized approach to urbanism that favors the developer over the individual.
• The need for strong local economies generated from within (rather than imposed on) the city's neighborhoods.
• Community policing that reconstitutes law enforcement as self-determination rather than occupation.
• Serious investment in public transit, with a focus on sustainable, human-scale infrastructure.
• A heightened eco-consciousness that moves beyond conventional green solutions and radically reconsiders the city's relationship to the broader world.
• Above all, the idea that we are citizens, not demographic statistics or "clients" to be sold to, marketed to, dismissed, or marginalized. The city is not a corporation, democracy is not a product, and we are not mere consumers.

These principles may be derided as fuzzy or unrealistic, but we are tired of being told to stop imagining a better future, tired of self-interest and greed masquerading as political "realism." It is from the world's great cities that change will come, and New York City should be leading the way. Principles like these are no longer on the political fringe, and have been realized in municipal policy from Winnipeg to Berlin to London--that management has become such a celebrated virtue in New York speaks to an electorate conditioned by crisis, existing in a state of low-grade anxiety, craving reassurance rather than innovation.

A vote for Reverend Billy might be a protest vote, but that's the point here, to protest. A vote for Billy is to protest Bloomberg's arrogance in seeking a third term; a vote for Billy is to protest the pusillanimous state and city Democrats more concerned with hanging onto power than advocating on behalf of their constituents; a vote for Billy is to protest a New York slowly losing the very thing that has always made it a truly great city, its neighborhoods.

Reverend Billy winning the election would be a miracle. We recognize that his campaign is symbolic, that massive amounts of money are required to seriously compete for higher office in America, but we celebrate the intensity, dedication and courage of those who, along with Reverend Billy himself, have fought to bring the aforementioned issues into the broader discussion. The Billy campaign has served as a focal point for disparate constituencies across the city, bringing New Yorkers together to fight for social justice at the local level, neighborhood by neighborhood.

But this fight does not end on Election Day.

Going forward, we must look to the Billy campaign as a blueprint, an example of how it is still possible to organize for change, even if it just begins on your own block. Imagining a better world is one thing, but realizing it is another--and that is why we endorse the Reverend Billy for Mayor of New York City, because he's shown us how that world might still yet happen.

By Vladic Ravich

Lynn Serpe is hoping to unseat Peter Vallone (D-Astoria) in the general election for the City Council’s 22nd district.

      Serpe is running for office from “a green perspective – which to me is a common sense solution.” A long time Green Party member, Serpe cited her community involvement and professional experience to take the two-term incumbent who she says represents the “political establishment stuck in the past.”

      Her main priorities are increasing energy efficient housing, pursuing sustainable land use and expanding recycle and reuse programs in the district. She also said that transportation must be “safe, reliable and most importantly accessible.”

      Lynne currently works for the Community Environmental Center, the largest weatherization program in the State,

      “Two twin passions I have come together for this campaign: the environment and fair election policy,” said Serpe. Her current job is for a Queens nonprofit that provides weatherization services for low- to moderate-income households and various social service buildings. She has also worked for more than a decade as an expert in election law, first as an architect for New Zealands’ local elections and then as a senior analyst for FairVote.

      Lynne is also a member of the Long Island City Alliance and a co-founder of Triple R Events, which organizes free green events such as clothing swaps to promote reuse and the annual Queens is Green Fashion Show.

      One of the cornerstones of her campaign is to expand recycling. “We produce enormous amounts of waste, then spend enormous amounts of money shipping it out to other states.” Citing a statistic from CORE environmental services, Lynne said that food and yard waste account for 22 percent of our garbage load. She argued that creating an effective composting program, as well as expanding our recycling program, would become cheaper with five or six years, in addition to improving the environment.

      Regarding development, Serpe said her policy would be that “anytime public money is used a public benefit must follow.” This means that any pro development zoning changes or tax incentives must also include provisions for public good, such as requiring a percentage of affordable housing and an emphasis on local hiring.

      For example, Serpe said that “the billion [dollars] spent on stadiums could have been used to fund the Parks Department many times over.” She also opposed a plan to rezone the industrial parts of Hallets Cove into luxury residential housing. “Let’s keep the zoning industrial and invest in green manufacturing. It’s happening at the Navy Yards in Brooklyn, why not in Queens?”

      Serpe said she disagreed with Vallone about the NYPD’s stop and frisk policy, and on term limit extensions “I spent three and half hours waiting to get my two minutes of testimony to urge the council not to do an undemocratic power grab.” She also bemoaned the general malaise she sees in the City Council for progressive changes.

      “We need clean air and water, but also jobs, affordable housing, and immigrant entrepreneur programs,” said Serpe. “I believe the Green Party’s core principles are common sense and people agree with them when they hear them”

      She also stressed the need to make the elevated N and R trains more accessible to the elderly, the disabled, mothers with baby carriages, or just someone lugging their bags to the airport.

      Serpe argues that green policies offer “a quintuple bang for your buck: lower utility bills; reduced energy consumption and reliance on foreign oil; improved wealth and safety of tenants; better reserved affordable housing; and more green jobs that can never be shipped overseas.”

by AnnMarie Costella

Amid chants of “Win with Lynne,” Green Party candidate Lynne Serpe launched her campaign for City Council Saturday night in Astoria. She faces a tough battle for the District 22 seat against Democratic incumbent Peter Vallone Jr., but Serpe isn’t worried.

   She believes the rapidly growing and ethnically diverse neighborhood is seeking political change. She hopes her progressive views on gay rights, election reform and the environment will give her the advantage she needs to win.

   “I have a vision and a plan for a just, healthy and sustainable city,” Serpe said. “I moved to Astoria over 15 years ago and I have seen the neighborhood change, and yet the political structure is stuck in the past.”

   Peter Vallone Jr. has been representing Astoria in the City Council since replacing his father, Peter Vallone Sr., in 2001. He chairs the Public Safety Committee and is known for his tough stance on crime.

   But Serpe feels that Vallone focuses too much on crime statistics and graffiti. She plans to fight against what she sees as social injustices, such as harassment of the LBGTQ community and racial profiling. She also differs with Vallone’s decision to vote in favor of extending term limits, calling it an “undemocratic power grab.”

   “I think it would be good to have a breath of fresh air, after a 35-year Vallone dynasty,” said Mike Heffron, who met Serpe during his volunteer work with NYC Cares. “Lynne better represents the changing face of Astoria.”

   Serpe is a long-time environmental activist and urban gardener who works with many local groups to raise awareness of green resources. She is co-founder of Triple R Events: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, an organization that promotes the use of sustainable materials through their annual Queens is Green Fashion Show.

   Serpe also serves on the Steering Committee of Two Coves Community Garden, which provides space to community members for growing fruits and vegetables.

   “I understand that a green economy is possible and necessary,” she told supporters at her campaign kickoff. “It will not only lower utility bills, decrease our energy use, decrease our reliance on foreign oil, but it will improve the health and safety of tenants, and provide good, green jobs that can never be shipped overseas.”’

   Serpe believes that revamping aging housing and building new energy efficient structures will create thousands of jobs in the fields of construction and weatherization. She also encourages the city to invest money in the MTA so that they can make improvements such as upgrading subway signaling and switching systems and increasing service through a bus rapid transit system.

   “She’s bright, well traveled and someone the Queens community can trust,” said long-time friend, Bonnie Gwilt. “As a gardener and naturalist, I am concerned about the environment because we have to take care of the world not only for ourselves but for our children.”

   During her speech to supporters, Serpe reflected on her working class background and her reasons for settling in the area.

   “I love Astoria,” she said. “I walk Astoria, I shop Astoria, I eat the fantastic food in Astoria and with your support, I can win in Astoria.”

   For more information about Lynne Serpe, visit serpeforcouncil.com.

By Nathan Duke

The green thumbs at a three−year−old community garden in Astoria said they were concerned they could lose their plots following recent plans to turn the site into a park.

Two Coves Community Garden is located in a 25,000−square−foot triangular lot on Astoria Boulevard at Eighth Street and 30th Avenue. In the mid−1990s, the site was paved and a fence was installed, but it was eventually left vacant, becoming overgrown with weeds and trash from illegal dumping.

In 2006, a grassroots movement to establish a community garden succeeded in turning the lot into a community garden where local gardeners grow a variety of vegetables, including 10−foot sunflowers, eggplant, squash, tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic and collared greens, said Lynn Serpe, a member of the garden’s steering committee.

“We want the garden to maintain its ability to allow local residents the opportunity to garden and grow together,” said Stacey Ornstein, president of Astoria Community Support Agriculture. “Two Coves Community Garden provides space for hundreds of people to cultivate their own food, reverse damaging obesity and unhealthy nutritional trends, interact across cultures and generations and harvest a lifelong love of urban gardening, all the while reducing municipal costs, crime and pollution.”

But Serpe said the garden could now face its final chapter. In the late 1990s, Astoria’s Goodwill Industries had proposed turning the lot into a park, but their plans fell through, she said.

City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D−Astoria) has now allocated $450,000 to create a park at the site, she said.

“The garden provides everything a park does — green space, educational opportunities and events,” Serpe said. “But rather than using a huge amount of money to maintain a park, we do it by shoveling sidewalks and cleaning trash. We grow our own vegetables, herbs and flowers. It would be a huge step back to turn it into a park.”

She said the garden obtained a license from the city and has received supplies from the city Parks Department’s Green Thumb program, which provides resources for community gardens.

The garden’s users said Two Coves has benefited the neighborhood.

“We don’t have a supermarket in the neighborhood, so we grow our own fruits and vegetables,” said Vanessa Hall, who lives at Astoria Houses and plants small trees in the garden. “And we can get children involved at an early age to eat the proper foods.” 

Vallone said the city has agreed not to begin any work at the site until after this year’s harvest season.

“I understand the importance of sustainable organic gardening,” he said. “I’m trying to work out a compromise so we can maintain some gardening, but also provide a park to the community.”

Queens Parks Department Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski said the agency would hold meetings with Astoria residents and Two Coves gardeners this summer to discuss plans for the site. The city will soon bring in a water source at the site for the community garden, she said.

“We’re working with the community to develop a plan for the park,” she said. “We see it as a positive use and the gardeners are very energetic.”

Serpe said a total of 200 people have their own individual plots at the site and many others take part in its community plot. Neighborhood residents can get their own plot by calling Two Coves and placing a request. The garden’s committee does not charge gardeners for their plots, but suggests a $20 donation.

Gardening season at Two Coves runs from April 1 to Nov. 1.

Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e−mail at nduke@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 156.