Last week, I handed in my resignation to Ms. Darlene Mealy (NYC council member of the 41st District). I assume that most of you are aware that I have been working with her since December -as the part time Communications Director. Hopefully, my last day in this role will be on the 26th of March (as per my resignation letter). .

The main reasons I have chosen to go this route are what necessitate this column. I want to make it clear that this is my choice -and mine only. I was not forced to walk the plant, nor given any subtle shoves out the door. I have given her enough notice (4 weeks) so that she can hire someone to replace me without her small staff being strained, stressed and/or stretched.

As far as I read it, I can stay on with the councilwoman, once I accept the rules and regulations around public blogging that she handed to me from the City Council’s Office of the General Counsel. I have chosen not to do that, despite many friends and relatives telling me to stay on. They all think that I can offer so much more than I have so far.

These are the rules:  read more »

In my last Vines column (see # 10-09), I told you that I had inside info, which stated that upon finding out Eliot Spitzer’s team had tagged him for the Lieutenant-governor slot, David Paterson said: “they surely haven’t vetted me for this job”. And now Paterson goes up on a local radio station and directly corroborates said info. This had been a news item on the blogs (see Elizabeth Benjamin’s blog) last week. I hereby reiterate what I wrote in a column recently, calling for mainstream media (and alternative mediums too) to do a better job vetting candidates before elections are held; this is a responsibility placed squarely on the shoulders of the fourth and fifth estates (non-identical twins). And by fifth estate, I refer to all the alternative mediums that have sprung up with all the technological advancements in communications, since the founding fathers ratified the constitution (and the fourth estate). For example: the internet, twittering, blogging, texting and the like, can now be considered the fifth estate.  read more »

I haven’t done a “grapevines” column in ages so here goes. Too many people are saying that David Paterson needs to step gingerly out of the upcoming gubernatorial race: too many people. I wonder why? If I were David I would be gearing up to run by giving them all the finger; which I suppose he is doing right now. This whole mess was handled wrong from the day Eliot Spitzer selected him for LG. Even though I am not sure David Paterson will get elected as governor, I still think he should run.

I hate it when the so-called “powers that be”, stifle competition amongst candidates and leave the voters with little or no choice (like they have now done with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand). By the way, do you know what Paterson said when he found out that he was selected to be Lieutenant Governor on Spitzer’s ticket? In his trademark jocular manner, I am told he said something to the effect: “surely, they couldn’t have vetted me”. He was right, wasn’t he? LOL.  read more »

Please don’t think for a minute that I am angry about losing my race last Tuesday, because I am not. My mind is at ease. I am at peace with myself. I am back to walking around the apartment in the nude. And I am writing poetry again. I am glad I ran. I wouldn’t trade the strange experience of this campaign for anything. It was rather informative and revealing. It’s just that I have to get a few things off my mind and that’s why I am writing this particular two-part column: that’s all. And by now some of you must know that I hate to keep hot things on my chest unless it is a female human; so here goes.

Early in my campaign for the 40th city council seat, I came upon a personally defining moment. It was just around the beginning of spring. I was talking to a small group of residents and answering questions, when one asked what I would do if I were to lose the race -since the perception was that the incumbent Mathieu Eugene was unbeatable (given the overwhelming Haitian-American presence in the neighborhood). My response drew ire from a few of my supporters. I said: “my life doesn’t begin or end with me winning or losing this race”. It may not have been the smartest answer but it was an honest one. Therein lies my biggest problem with one of my two opponents (Leithland “Rickie” Tulloch): he needs to get a life. It should never be about winning at all costs.

In his apparent desperation to win this race, Tulloch was willing to denigrate the contributions and accomplishments of his two opponents. He was also willing to openly lie about both of us. He knew better. He should be ashamed of himself.  read more »

A wise man once said that success usually comes after moving from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm. Another one said that the best way to succeed at something is by increasing your failure rate. Either way, both sages lauded tenacity and persistence. I concur; and that's one of many reasons why I am formally announcing today that I will be running again next year, despite my defeat at the polls last Tuesday 15th September, in the 40th city council district democrat's primary.

Next September (2010) I intend to run for two positions in the Democratic primary election. Firstly, I will run for the 42nd Assembly seat in the state legislature, against the incumbent Ms. Rhoda Jacobs. The incumbent is presently getting a salary for the position, and a pension for the same position: at the same time. I believe that what she is doing is wrong. This is double-dipping. She filed her resignation papers last year but has stayed in the post while collecting two checks.  read more »