After years with, effectively, no Public Advocate in NYC, 2009 will be the year we will elect someone to replace Betsy Who?, our current occupant of that position.

Many people are speculating who is going to be running. Names I have heard kicked around include Chris Owens (now eyeing Brooklyn BP), David Yassky (who really should run for Marty Connor's senate seat, many believe), and Marty Markowitz (who some people say should just give up the facade and go on Bruce Ratner's payroll).

But the name that most who really care about civil liberties are waiting to hear is Norm Siegel. Norm has run twice in the past. I have met him both times and found him to be the ideal man for the job. In fact, he has been our real public advocate for decades. He was Executive Director of the NY Civil Liberties union for 15 years. Since then, according to Democracy for NYC, he has done the following for New Yorkers:

Norman has advocated for and represented myriad groups including:

* the newly created Association of New York City Education Councils
* the Williamsburg community's right to keep its local firehouse open
* Prospect Heights, Brooklyn and Harlem communities working to stop the government from using eminent domain to take their homes for the enrichment of private developers
* firefighters and non-profits seeking the implementation of a skyscraper safety program and provisions for our firefighters to guarantee they have proper working communication equipment
* families who lost a loved one on September 11th, 2001, as they seek the public release of materials from that day, including 911 emergency tapes and transcripts (Norman argued this case in the New York Court of Appeals on February 9th).

When protesters were arrested and held illegally in unsafe conditions during the 2004 Republican Convention, the mayor, city council and Betsy Who? did nothing. But Norm Siegel represented them, and the city took some real hits because of the illegality of their actions. Without Norm Siegel, the city would have stepped on our civil rights for the benefit of Bush and no one would have helped.

Norm Siegel has all but announced his candidacy for Public Advocate in 2009. But I suspect he will do so soon. I have been hearing for months he is considering running, but now I hear it is practically a certainty. Of course I want to see who else enters the ring, but I can think of no human being I know who is more qualified to be our Public Advocate than Norm Siegel. I am very likely to support him on 2009.