In response to my previous article on the pros and cons of expelling Hiram Monserrate from the State Senate due to his misdemeanor conviction for reckless assault (basically abusing his girlfriend on camera), I got a response from someone closely associated with the State Senate which contradicts what I presented State Senators Eric Adams and Velmanette Montgomery and Assemblywoman Joan Millman as believing. Adams, Montgomery and Millman basically argued variations on three themes. 1.) the State Senate rules allows expulsion for felonies but is silent on misdemeanors, and thus it sets a possibly unwelcome precedent to expel Monserrate 2.) the voters should decide whether Monserrate should represent them in the senate or not, and 3.) if Monserrate is thrown out, the Republicans will likely re-paralyze the legislature and prevent anything from getting done.

In response to this, someone well-connected to the State Senate, but who wishes to stay anonymous, wrote the following in response: (altered slightly to mask style)  read more »

Harold Ford's intrusion into New York politics initially sparked some reactions from some black politicians I talked to that basically indicated to me that Ford would not be doing well among black politicians in NYC. Even the Caribbean community, who might to some degree side with Ford's more conservative social views, seems wary of him (see, for example, Rock Hackshaw's piece). So far Harold Ford's main supporters have been Michael Bloomberg and Vito Lopez, two people I particularly do not respect.

Now NY State's LGBT politicians are officially siding with Senator Kirstin Gillibrand of New York over failed Senate candidate from Tennessee, Harold Ford. From their press release:  read more »

Last night at the monthly meeting of the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats there was a long discussion about what to do about the violent, nasty scum of a human being named Hiram Monserrate who currently is oozing around the State Senate.

State Senators Eric Adams and Velmanette Montgomery as well as Assemblywoman Joan Millman were there and focused mostly on the Monserrate dilemma.  read more »

Finally, my latest paper is out. Took a lot to get it accepted, but in the end it came out rather well, I think. From the current issue of Development: (requires subscription for full article)

Insulin signaling promotes germline proliferation in C. elegans

1. David Michaelson,
2. Dorota Z. Korta,
3. Yossi Capua and
4. E. Jane Albert Hubbard

Summary

Cell proliferation must be coordinated with cell fate specification during development, yet interactions among pathways that control these two critical aspects of development are not well understood. The coordination of cell fate specification and proliferation is particularly crucial during early germline development, when it impacts the establishment of stem/progenitor cell populations and ultimately the production of gametes. In C. elegans, insulin/IGF-like receptor (IIR) signaling has been implicated in fertility, but the basis for the fertility defect had not been previously characterized. We found that IIR signaling is required for robust larval germline proliferation, separate from its well-characterized role in preventing dauer entry. IIR signaling stimulates the larval germline cell cycle. This activity is distinct from Notch signaling, occurs in a predominantly germline-autonomous manner, and responds to somatic activity of ins-3 and ins-33, genes that encode putative insulin-like ligands. IIR signaling in this role acts through the canonical PI3K pathway, inhibiting DAF-16/FOXO. However, signaling from these ligands does not inhibit daf-16 in neurons nor in the intestine, two tissues previously implicated in other IIR roles. Our data are consistent with a model in which: (1) under replete reproductive conditions, the larval germline responds to insulin signaling to ensure robust germline proliferation that builds up the germline stem cell population; and (2) distinct insulin-like ligands contribute to different phenotypes by acting on IIR signaling in different tissues.  read more »

Last night our president delivered his first official state of the union address: he was brilliant. Years from now speech instructors will be playing tapes of his speeches for their students; in fact; it’s probably happening already on many college campuses. Years from now books will be written compiling many of his speeches; some given even before he became one of the most historic of all our presidents. From here on in Barack Obama will be the standard by which great speakers are measured. He is undoubtedly one of the best public speakers ever (especially from a prepared script).

A funny thing happened on the way to the presidency though that bears noting. It was when he appeared before the congressional black caucus (at his request) to inform them that he was contemplating a run for the presidency. A significant number of black electeds thought the idea laughable. This is a fact. More than a few of them actually laughed at him and his idea. I mean that literally. Many others scoffed and others still were quite dismissive. They all know who they are.  read more »

[ #SOTU delivered Jan. 27, 2010, as released by the White House ]

Madame Speaker, Vice President Biden, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:

Our Constitution declares that from time to time, the President shall give to Congress information about the state of our union. For two hundred and twenty years, our leaders have fulfilled this duty. They have done so during periods of prosperity and tranquility. And they have done so in the midst of war and depression; at moments of great strife and great struggle.

It's tempting to look back on these moments and assume that our progress was inevitable – that America was always destined to succeed. But when the Union was turned back at Bull Run and the Allies first landed at Omaha Beach, victory was very much in doubt. When the market crashed on Black Tuesday and civil rights marchers were beaten on Bloody Sunday, the future was anything but certain. These were times that tested the courage of our convictions, and the strength of our union. And despite all our divisions and disagreements; our hesitations and our fears; America prevailed because we chose to move forward as one nation, and one people.

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I love charts. Anything that visualized data is like *shiny* to me. It also shows that at least someone in Congress or the Senate has been doing their homework. Particularly when pointing out there were more jobs created under the private sector under the Clinton administration than under Bush.

The knee-jerk reaction would be to say, "how partisan". Yet that data on those charts make it hard to debate. Sure, the numbers could be off, but it's the kind of work I am seeing more and more from Democrats in Congress than from Republicans on these video clips from the floor.

Seems the Blue Dogs wanted a spending freeze for the next month (how can that be in the middle of a budget?), but Acuri will take the fiscal bone Obama's throwing them with next year's budgetary apocalypse.

Watch it!

Watch Anthony explain in less than a dozen words why health care reform is not just good for the people but it's necessary for the economy because it is jobs.

It is good to elect, in this case, a councilman that has a completely different outlook on the same problem.

To this blogdiva and Eyore stan, the strategic foreclosure of Stuyvesant-Town & Peter Cooper is a sign of the coming affordable housing apocalypse. Yesterday on a quick conversation with Garodnick and his staff, I got a completely different outlook.

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Tishman-Speyers is walking away from the 56 residential buildings, 11,250 apartments, and over 25,000 residents that live in the properties it bought for $5.4 billion in 2006. Yes, they are walking away as in handing the keys to whomever and bidding adieu.

Strategic defaults are nothing new. Billionaires do it all the time. The issue here is that companies like Tishman-Speyer get to walk away from bad deals; whereas the regular family with a hefty mortgage and lost equity is made to believe they have a moral obligation to continue funding what is a bad financial proposition that no corporation would ever honor themselves. Which is why I absolutely agree with the tone of Michael Corkery's Tishman Speyer’s “Jingle Mail” on Stuyvesant Town outrage over at, of all places, the Wall Street Journal:

Where is the outrage?

[...]

Real-estate developer Tishman Speyer is handing control of the Manhattan apartment complex Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village to lenders that backed the $5.4 billion acquisition. With the massive property underwater and Tishman having put only $112 million of its own money into the deal, it makes more sense for the Speyers to walk away from the apartments.

Like residential home owners, Tishman Speyer Group calculated that it could take decades to regain the equity lost on its property.

Similarly, Tishman Speyer has calculated that complicated tenant laws in the New York could prevent the company from profiting on the development for many years. (The company’s strategy depended on being able to evict lower paying tenants and replace them with young professionals.)

Yet while residential homeowners are being attacked for not making good on their mortgages, Tishman Speyer has so far avoided such criticism.

As a Stuyvesant Town tenant I am not shocked with this bit of news. From years there had been rumors that Tishman-Speyers, which has helped New York University amass its real estate empire, was going to buy the place. Of course, the rumors started when MetLife entered into a housing agreement with the univeristy and literally slumlorded apartments into hipster fire hazards. Actually, it was thanks to New York University's business that MetLife and Tishman-Speyer got away with illegally vacating and renting at market prices rent-controlled apartments; especially in Stuyvesant Town (where we snarkily renamed the place NYU's dormtown)

Rent laws prevent Tishman-Speyer or any new owners to evict us, but it still feels surreally insecure to be in the middle of one of the biggest real estate failures in the history of the Unites States. Stuyvesant-Town & Peter Cooper were the third largest real estate sales in this country. It goes to show that when it comes to affordable housing for the grey collar working and middle classes of New York City, you cannot leave it to the vagaries of the mythical "free market". And this is why Tishman-Speyers epic failure is Michael Bloomberg's failure as well.

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Government should always try its best to avoid screwing the little man/woman. You know: the everyday people; the ordinary people like you and I. You see, without government we are left alone to the vagaries of greedy capitalists and unscrupulous speculators. Without government protections the strong and the wealthy will have too much power; much more than they already have. Much more than they already abuse.

Between the years 2001 and 2003, the residents of four dilapidated high rise towers in Brownsville, Brooklyn, were forced to relocate by the government of New York City. There were 368 apartment owners involved in this undertaking, and the lives of more than a thousand residents were possibly disrupted. The apartments were known as Prospect Plaza, in a nexus near Eastern Parkway, including small sections of Prospect Place and Saratoga Avenues.  read more »

Okay; so I hate political dynasties: it’s simple as that. Anything that seems to possess the trappings of royalty brings out the left-winger in me. Plus; in general, I find there is a tendency towards corruption once you allow one family to hold on to political power in any one area for too long. That’s just my suspicion; that’s all. I am making no accusations against anyone (or any group) here. Please, be mindful of that. I am just giving you a peek inside my scrambled brain that’s all -whether you want to peek in or not. LOL.

Anyway, over the years I have worked with many candidates who tackled the Boyland clan in Brownsville. At one time or another, the Boylands have simultaneously held the 55th Assembly seat; plus the 41st City Council seat; plus the district leaderships (both male and female) in the 55thAD. Plus they have even had family members on the local School Board. And they are colorful political players too. In fact, I have to admit that Brownsville has given us many colorful characters in the “game” of politics; but I will save that for another column.  read more »

From where I come in politics there is something called “paying dues”; it’s the reason I didn’t vote for Hilary Clinton in the general election of 2000. Although I endorsed her (and voted for her) in the primary that year, when the general election came I found her wanting. To me, the idea of moving into the state and immediately running for senate was revolting: so yes, I went with Rick Lazio (one of the few times I have voted Republican in my life).

Hilary ran all around the state on a “listening tour”, which I thought was an insult to my intelligence. Plus, I saw her candidacy as purely a stepping stone to a presidential run; and that was a turn off. So if I couldn’t vote for Hilary Clinton (a brilliant woman on many many levels), where the bleep is Harold Ford going with this trial balloon he has been floating for months now? Can you simply pack up a U-HAUL truck one morning, drive a thousand or so miles to New York, and immediately announce that you are contemplating a run for federal office from this sate? Gimme a break! There are at least a million people better qualified to represent New York in the senate than this carpetbagger.  read more »

Charles Barron, who challenged Christine Quinn for the Speaker's chair (like that was a contest) and has gotten into several ... spirited debates with Quinn, is the only Democrat in the Council without a lulu (except for Simcha Felder, who is leaving the Council at the end of January).

Is anyone surprised?

Some interesting assignments (interesting to me, anyway), after the jump:  read more »

Today the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, gave corporations the same rights as citizens when it comes to the freedom of expression implicit in campaign donations. In other words, legislation limiting corporate donations to politicians and political causes have been overturned.

In terms of the effect this will have on elections, it is a terrible decision. However, Constitutional decisions are not based on fairness or the consequences of those decisions so much as what rights we are given by the Constitution. For years the ACLU has opposed many of the strongest campaign finance laws because they view them as limiting free speech. This is not the ACLU trying to help the rich and powerful. It is, in their eyes, the correct way to interpret the constitution and the civil libertarian view.

I have never decided whether I agree with them or not. It is a gray area. Usually, when faced with a gray area, I tend to prefer the civil libertarian view. Better to err in favor of rights than go too far the other way. So, despite being very much in favor of campaign finance reform and wanting as strict rules as possible, I have also been open to the ACLU arguments.  read more »

(Note: Cross-posted from my website.)

Fans of the television series "The West Wing" will recognize the title of this column. In a first-season episode, the Bartlet administration is one year old and flopping around, seemingly unwilling to dive into any issue, preferring instead to "dangle our feet in the water." After one year of the Obama administration, life seems to be imitating art.

The last ten minutes of that episode should be instructive to President Obama.

In the wake of the loss of the Senate seat held for almost 60 years by Kennedys (Ted and John), especially in one of the bluest states in the country, Democrats are now reportedly doing some soul searching.

Again.

More after the jump -- a lot more.  read more »

Yet another reason to dislike the Brooklyn Machine, that corrupt wing of the local Democratic Party that the Working Families Party decided to ally with in 2009. Wonder what WFP and Steve Levin think about this little inside rumor. Source is the Post, so take with a grain of salt. But then again, Vito Lopez has a record of backing conservatives like Noach Dear and Pataki.

B'klyn Dems eye Ford in drive vs. Gilly
January 18, 2010, Fredric U. Dicker, INSIDE ALBANY - NY Post

The powerful Brooklyn Demo cratic organization may be about to throw open the door for Harold Ford Jr.'s challenge to US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, The Post has learned...

"I just think that somehow, Gillibrand doesn't connect to the voters, and I believe that's what's making her as vulnerable as she is. Harold Ford seems very gracious, he's a very nice talker, and is an impressive personality," Lopez said.

"I want to meet with him and begin a dialogue. He called me last week and asked if we could talk. If he decides he is running, and if the dialogue we have with him is a good one, we're going to move ahead," Lopez continued.  read more »

Kirstin Gillibrand's support has, in my opinion, greatly solidified recently. And, I think, the number one reason was the political posturing of one Harold Ford, jr.

I have overall liked Gillibrand. Her successful run for Congress was a huge victory in NY State for Democrats. And, when she was in Congress, she seemed to do a good job of representing her district, which is one of the more conservative districts in NY State.  read more »

So many people have been asking me via twitter who they should be giving to, I've decided to just write a quick post about it. Not, of course, without directing you first to Feydra León's blog post and her excellent list at Help for Haiti - My Question Of The Day and Sarah Van Gelden's article at What You Can Do to Help Haiti — YES! Magazine.

As to which are the organizations that I support? Here's a few:

YELÉ Haiti or donate $5 by texting YELE to 501501
From their donation page: Yele Haiti is a movement led byWyclef Jean that is helping to bring hope back to Haiti. Projects are designed to make a difference in the fields of education, health, environment and community development.  read more »

Haiti is one of the poorest nations on earth. Yet it has a noble history and could have been part of America. It as founded by a successful slave revolt and was even able to stand up to Napoleon's armies when he tried to retake the nation. Early in its history there was talk of absorbing it as a state in the United States, yet of course the divide over slavery within the United States made it impossible to accept a nation that had been formed by a successful slave revolt. We did not even afford them diplomatic relations for a long time.  read more »

(Note: Cross-posted from my website.)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”
– Matthew, 5:3

An enormous earthquake, followed by a long string of very powerful aftershocks, hit Haiti yesterday. Reports are still just beginning to come out of that bleak country, but it appears that the number of dead will be in the tens, or possibly hundreds, of thousands. In addition, as many as three million people are left without homes, without belongings, and possibly without hope.

Despite the enormous suffering and the hideous, horrifying situation the Haitians are facing, Pat Robertson – televangelist, hypocrite and pathetic excuse for a human being – said that this was the result of a “pact with the devil” made by Haitian slaves who overthrew their French overlords over 200 years ago. I’m not a physically violent person, and I have never truly wished to see someone die slowly and agonizingly, but for Pat Robertson I may be willing to make an exception.

Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, and has been for two centuries. Even before the earthquake, the country had little hope of ever advancing beyond its pitiable condition. It didn’t have to be – when Christopher Columbus landed on the island now known as Hispaniola, it was a lush, beautiful place. How, then, did the eastern two-thirds, now called the Dominican Republic, become merely poor, while the western third, called Haiti, become so impoverished?  read more »

The English Encarta Dictionary (North America) defines a “Don Quixote” type as “an impractical idealist who loves to champion hopeless causes”; I thought of this when I watched Charles Barron last Wednesday, as he tried to make his case for becoming Speaker on the New York City Council. It was the first stated meeting of the newly elected city council. Barron was pleading his case before this semi-august body, which will be 357 years old on February 2nd, 2010.

Late last year, when I first came upon the news item that NYC Councilmember Charles Barron (#42) was challenging Speaker Christine Quinn’s re-election, I thought to myself that this was a tremendous opportunity for Barron to publicly lay out his arguments for reform within this legislative body. I even went to some length to convey this to him in person.  read more »

Last night I went to an annual after-holidays party put on by the Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND), one of my local Democratic Clubs, at the home of one of my district leaders, Jo Anne Simon. As many of you know I am sometimes at odds with IND, a theme to keep in mind as I write this piece. But, whether untied or divided, IND always puts on a great party, with ample desserts and interesting discussions with and among politicians. I had several such interesting conversations, including a conversation with one of my favorite Congressional Representatives, Nydia Velasquez, and another conversation with two members of the New York State Legislature, Assemblyman Richard Brodsky and State Senator Daniel Squadron, which covered similar themes. The gist of both discussions was that, both in Congress and in Albany, it is clear that Democrats, because of internal dissensions, are losing ground to more unified, though numerically inferior, Republicans. And this is despite the fact that Democrats have the better plan, the better ideas, and the better message. One person, referring specifically to Albany, put it this way: the left is on the run right now.  read more »

Politically speaking, the year 2009 was rather elliptical. It started out with tremendous promise (Obama) and ended up somewhat unsatisfying. If I were to describe it in one word, I would say priapic (as in priapism). To all my grad students who regularly read my column, I could only say this: go look up some of these words/lol.

There were a few highs and far too many lows last year; and for me, getting the opportunity to peregrinate the 40th council district while campaigning for its city council seat was a political high that words could only deflate. Many people who went up to my website (www.rockhackshaw.com) in order to view my platform, contacted me to say that they were impressed with my thinking through some of the many issues facing us here in the Big Apple. That was quite encouraging during some very tough days last summer.  read more »