"Roots of Betrayal" - Update #4

Make a pledge today to support Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics of Christine Quinn on Kickstarter.

If you live in New York City, join me on Saturday, August 4, from 4 - 6 p.m., on 7th Avenue South and Greenwich Avenue, where I will be passing out flyers and answering questions about this book.

Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics of Christine Quinn will take a ''behind the scenes'' look at New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's politics and ethics. In 2013, Speaker Quinn is expected to publish her memoirs as a slick public relations stunt in her campaign to be mayor of New York City. Roots of Betrayal will recount the stories that Speaker Quinn will leave out of her “fairytale” autobiography – such as the controversial overturning of term limits, the way that Quinn uses discretionary budgetary allocations to subvert the democratic process in the City Council, and the many examples of how Quinn has betrayed progressive ideals, her constituents, and even the LGBT community.

About the Author. Louis Flores is an LGBT activist and blogger. He began blogging about New York City politics in 2009, after Speaker Quinn overturned term limits. His activism and blogs have been covered by The New York Times, The Advocate, The New York Daily News, The Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph, and Têtu.

Fran Lebowitz slams City Council

Read Also : Fran Lebowitz And Frank Rich At The Town Hall : A Review Of The State Of The Union Conversation

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At NYUFASP book launch, Fran Lebowitz slammed City Council over NYU Expansion Plans.

Fran Lebowitz denounced New York City Council's tacit approval of the controversial neighborhood destruction that would result from the zone-busting Sexton Plan to radically expand New York University.

At 1:55, Ms. Lebowitz speaks about the zone-busting history of NYU on the south side of Washington Square Park. She questions why doesn't City Council answer to the demands of its citizens.

We have a mayor we don't deserve, we have a City Council we don't deserve, and now we have a neighborhood we don't deserve.

The purpose of her speech was the book launch of 'While We Were Sleeping : NYU and the Destruction of New York' at McNally Jackson bookstore in SoHo. Please visit the Stand Up 4 NYC website.

We Need To Be On An Anesthesia Drip

AIDS Memorial Park

Bill Rudin AIDS Memorial Park Scandal.

Rumour has it that the AIDS park that will be being built on property that used to house oxygen tanks and other heavy machinery that used to support St. Vincent's Hospital is a replacement park for the Hope Garden in Battery Park City.

Word is that Bill Rudin plans to destroy the Hope Garden, the city's first AIDS memorial park, and that he used the triangle park on Greenwich Avenue across the street from St. Vincent's Hospital, as a bait-and-switch in order to divide the community that opposed the luxury condo conversion plan for St. Vincent's.

If so, then this is all the more reason why it would be unacceptable that New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the city's highest elected LGBT official, should be in bed with the Rudin Family.

Christine Quinn Bio

Christine Quinn Biography

The LGBT activist and blogger Louis Flores is writing a political biography about New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics of Christine Quinn will take a ''behind the scenes'' look at New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's politics and ethics. In 2013, Speaker Quinn is expected to publish her memoirs as a slick public relations stunt in her campaign to be mayor of New York City. Roots of Betrayal will recount the stories that Speaker Quinn will leave out of her “fairytale” autobiography – such as the controversial overturning of term limits, the way that Quinn uses discretionary budgetary allocations to subvert the democratic process in the City Council, and the many examples of how Quinn has betrayed progressive ideals, her constituents, and even the LGBT community.

Mr. Flores began blogging about New York City politics in 2009, after Quinn overturned term limits. His activism and blogs have been covered by The New York Times, The Advocate, The New York Daily News, and Têtu.

"Roots Of Betrayal" Promotional Poster

Fund this project today on Kickstarter.

Roots of Betrayal - Quinn Tabloid Poster Color (First Edition)

Lawsuit Response to Quinn NYU Plan

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation Plan to sue New York City over the controversial NYU expansion plans.

Andrew Berman, the executive director of the GVSHP, told The Village Voice that community's next move is to file an Article 78 petition in court, which will challenge the legality of the Bloomberg-Quinn administration's decision on the John Sexton plan, as the 20-year construction project is called.

"We were not listened to as a part of the process," Berman said after the vote. He said that even though his preservation society's taken losses before, the council decision was an "egregious" abuse of power.

Jim Walden, a high profile litigation partner at the Park Avenue law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, spoke at a press conference immediately after community members were thrown out by Speaker Quinn of the City Council's large hearing room.

From an e-mail alert from Jim Fouratt :

Boss Christine Quinn send a press release out 5 hours prior to the City Council vote on the NYU 20-Year development plan stating the results of the vote. When Greenwich Village residents arrive to witness the historic vote, Speaker Quinn who represents many of the people present, never once in two hours looked up to the balcony, where the public had been placed. When the NYU plan came up, a few people in the balcony murmured at how she introduced it. She said, with out looking at the public, that if the public were not silent, she would remove them. It was a Margret Thatcher arrogant abuse of power moment. One elderly grey-haired resident of Washington Square Village, where the 20-year plan will take place, yelled out, "Liar," and Boss Quinn shouted, "Sargent of Arms, remove them." They did, and here is what happened outside. Listen closely. The audio is sometimes weak ... be sure to listen to the lawyer.

Quinn Approves NYU Expansion

That which Robert Moses was not allowed to do, Christine Quinn will do : ruin the special social fabric of Greenwich Village. * BREAKING NEWS : New York City Council Votes To Sell Off Public Park Space, Violate Urban Renewal Agreements, Upzone And Subject Residential Area To TWENTY YEARS Of Construction For NYU Expansion Plan (Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation) * "While this action is indeed a bleak statement on city government and our public land use review and approval process, this is not the end. GVSHP and our allies at NYU Faculty Against the Sexton Plan are jointly represented by the law firm of Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher. We will be pursuing all legal options available to us, including challenging the decision in court. Stay tuned for more news soon," wrote Andrew Berman, the Executive Director of the GVSHP. * More and more, it's looking worse and worse for the effort to save Chelsea Market.

Make a pledge today to support Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics of Christine Quinn on Kickstarter.

Police Misconduct In Response to OWS

Has anybody yet heard what New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn plans to do about this alarming report ?

Accusations of Police Misconduct Documented in Lawyers’ Report on Occupy Protests

From The New York Times :

During Occupy Wall Street protests New York police officers obstructed news reporters and legal observers, conducted frequent surveillance, wrongly limited public gatherings and enforced arbitrary rules, a group of lawyers said in a lengthy report issued on Wednesday.

The group, called the Protest and Assembly Rights Project, which included people involved with the law clinics at New York University School of Law and Fordham Law School, said that they had cataloged hundreds of instances of what they described as excessive force and other forms of police misconduct said to have taken place since September, when the Occupy Wall Street movement began.

Although the report referred to some well-known events, including Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna’s use of pepper spray, it also detailed specific instances of alleged misconduct that had not appeared in news reports. ...

Suppressing Protest Police Misconduct in Response to Occupy Wall Street

High Unemployment As A Mayoral Issue

Unemployment is Not An Issue in the Mayoral Race ?

Why Don't Reporters As Pols If the States High Taxes is the Reason Why NYC Employment Rate Has Hit 10%

New York by the numbers (NYP ED) A devastating new report by a task force of major fiscal experts has confirmed what should be no secret: New York is at the top of the tax-and-spend heap. Which probably explains why a separate ranking of America’s best states for business puts New York just 26th out of 50. The Post blames New York’s “dysfunctional” legislature, high taxes, and “corrupt” unions for the state’s poor economic ratings * The Decline of the Middle Class (NYT)

Read more : True News From Change NYC

Louis Flores Will Appear At Occupy Town Square Jackson Heights

Louis Flores will be at Occupy Town Square in Jackson Heights tomorrow between Noon - 1 pm to distribute flyers and to answer questions about his book-in-progress, ''Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics of Christine Quinn.'' Please come out and find out more about this book and about #Occupy.

Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics Of Christine Quinn

''Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics of Christine Quinn'' a book by Louis Flores

Hi, my name is Louis Flores, and I am a blogger and an activist.

I am writing a book that will take a ''behind the scenes'' look at New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's politics and ethics. I aim to show you how a politician, who claims to be transparent and ethical, has demonstrated herself to be just the opposite.

But I need your help to publish this book. Please make a pledge to support my book project.

Next year, Speaker Quinn is expected to publish her memoirs as a slick public relations stunt during the race for mayor of New York City in 2013. Her critics allege that the press does not hold Speaker Quinn accountable for her record of undermining democracy. In 2008 and 2009, Speaker Quinn worked hand-in-hand with Mayor Michael Bloomberg to purposely deny voters a referendum when they overturned term limits. Just the way that term limits were overturned -- a series of back room meetings (and some say, deals), all away from public participation and scrutiny -- still draws much heated discussion in New York. For years now, Speaker Quinn has been using discretionary funds to thwart the full participation of other City Councilmembers in the city's legislative agenda. Speaker Quinn has even gone along with Mayor Bloomberg's budget cuts to the office of the Public Advocate, at each turn choosing to go along with what is not right in order to get along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Speaker Quinn is undermining any oversight and accountability in public office. I am writing my book, so that the the other side of the story can be told.

This KickStarter project will help me to raise money in order to self-publish this book -- in order to to tell the whole story. This is how the money will be used :

• I need to pay $2,300 so that my manuscript can be transformed into a book by a self-publishing company.
• I am also raising the modest amount of $3,100 to pay for marketing materials and to promote my book on the Internet.
• KickStarter will keep $300 for hosting my fundraising campaign.
• Amazon will keep $300 for processing all of the secure payments made to support this KickStarter project.

With your help, my book can be used to educate voters about Speaker Quinn's political record. Can you make a pledge today to support my book project ?

Please help me to spread the word about my book by posting a link to this KickStarter project on your Facebook page. Thank you for everything you do.

Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics of Christine Quinn - By Louis Flores -- One Sheet

Quinn Board of Election Scandal

The New York City Council Is Responsible for the Corruption at the Board of Election (BOE), and the Council Can Reform the BOE If It Really Wanted To, reports Gary Tilzer.

From the 2002 Green Book Page 150 :

"The 10 commissioners of Board of Elections are appointed by the council upon recommendations of the two major political organization of the 5 boroughs. . . Vacancies are filed by the council for unexpired terms."

Quinn Does Not Have to Hold Hearing on BOE Corruption, All She Has to Do is Fire BOE Commissioners She Appointed

If Quinn does not have the power to fire as some say she can refuse to appoint anyone else to the Board until they reform. Quinn get three names to select one for each appointment. She can easily use the appointment power to select a director (now vacant) of the Board who will reform the mess. NYC Council to hold hearing on vote counting woes (WSJ) * "The Board of Elections' inability to accurately tally and report the results of last month's congressional primary in a timely manner threatens the credibility of the democratic process," City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said in a statement Thursday.

Quinn Who Appoints the BOE Commissioners Received No Blame From the Media About the Rangel Miscount

The NYP Does Not Even Understand She Has This Power Over the BOE

The Post worries the city’s Board of Elections will screw up next year’s mayoral races and urges Gov. Cuomo to overhaul the “incompetent” agency. The NYP should demand that Speaker Quinn fire the entire Board if they refuse to reform. Thanks for the warning (NYP) * "It’s even publicizing its incompetence in advance: In a letter to Gov. Cuomo and legislative leaders, board members recently claimed they might not be able to conduct a possible runoff election in the required timeframe after the 2013 primary." (NYP)

Quinn's Political Patronage System ?

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has millions of discretionary dollars to dole out as she gears up for her run for mayor.

Christine Quinn benefits from the appearance of a conflict of interest, as she disperses millions of taxpayer dollars to community groups. Does Speaker Quinn's generosity with public money come at an expectation for political support ?

From The New York Daily News :

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn may not have Mayor Bloomberg’s billions, but she does have City Council millions.

As the Manhattan Democrat contemplates her campaign for mayor, she enjoys a political boon that has to make her opponents salivate — millions of dollars in pork that’s hers to hand out like party favors. And hand it out she does — to an Italian-American group in Brooklyn, a Hispanic center in the Bronx and an AIDS task force on Staten Island.

Like all Council members, Quinn has a pot of discretionary money to fund local concerns in her district, such as senior centers or nearby museums. But as Council speaker, she also controls a huge stash of $15.7 million that she can spread to groups around the city.

“Having tens of millions of dollars available to distribute to Council members and their constituents translates to votes,” said Baruch College political scientist Doug Muzzio. “It gives her an advantage, a significant advantage, as a matter of fact. The money helps her win support for legislative initiatives among Council members and also raises her profile among voters.”

Read more : It appears that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has millions of your tax dollars to give out to community groups, but people question whether these payments come in exchange for political support (a.k.a. political patronage) ?

Make a pledge today to support Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics of Christine Quinn on Kickstarter.

Jimmy Hall NYPD Christine Quinn

Who is Jimmy Hall, and what is his connection to NYPD and to New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn ?

Christine Quinn Caught Engaged In Wikipedia Rewriting

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has been busted using taxpayer resources (the City Council communications office) to do sneaky public relations work by altering the speaker's vanity Wikipedia page, and the editors of Wikipedia have placed a ''conflict of interest'' badge on her page, indicating the the information on her page may not be trustworthy.

Inside City Hall : Mayoral Hopefuls Diligently Monitor and Alter Wikipedia Pages

From The New York Post :

The City Council communications office on Nov. 23 made 11 changes to council Speaker Christine Quinn’s life story on Wikipedia.

Most were minor, explaining for example that she graduated Trinity College, not just attended it.

There was also updated news from The Post that a federal investigation of the widely-publicized “slush fund” controversy was over.

Somehow, the revision removed all mention of the controversy, in which the council parked $17 million in discretionary money meant for real organizations under fictitious group names — one of the most embarrassing chapters in the council’s history.

Along the way, another entry was removed — one that accused Quinn of being impolite for chewing gum during speeches and of approving a 40 percent budget cut to the office of the Public Advocate in 2009.

“It is our job to provide the most accurate, up-to-date and complete information about every member of the New York City Council,” said Quinn spokesman Jamie McShane.

The wonder of Wikipedia is that anyone can edit its entries, which is why lots of politicians spend considerable time adding and subtracting on their own.

Read more : City pols rewriting records : Wiki-sneaks ‘fix’ their pages

HHC Dialysis Treatments Outsourcing

80 Shootings In One Week

Christine Quinn Gives Good Lip Service Regarding Gun Violence, says Gary Tilzer on True News From Change, but that's about it. We're basically on our own.

• Regarding guns, City Council Speaker Chris Quinn says she cares. That’s such a comfort. “I know there is great concern in all communities about crime and violence,” Quinn told an online publication yesterday. * A coalition of the caring (NYPost Ed)
• Two officers escape injury during Brooklyn patrol in latest shooting (NYPost)

Quinn Speak : “Council members care, [Police Commissioner] Ray Kelly cares, I care and the people who live in the hardest-hit neighborhoods care. All of us are united in horror at the recent examples of gun violence and senseless killings.” (NYPost)

• Mayor Bloomberg Defends NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly in a spat with Quinn. Mayor Bloomberg Defends Top Cop Ray Kelly For Chastising Pols On Fighting NYC Gun Violence (NYDN)
• "The violence over here it's ridiculous," said Nikeima Williams, Murray's aunt. "It's like, sometimes, you don't even want your kids to be outside and play because, you know, a stray bullet, anything." * Brooklyn, Bronx Shootings Latest In City Gunfire Rash (NY1)
• It was a classic political slugfest this week : Police Commissioner Ray Kelly trading barbs with City Council members and other local politicians. Caught in the middle was City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, often an administration ally. * Fight Between Kelly, Local Leaders Puts Quinn In Uncomfortable Spot (NY1)

Where are the Security Cameras, Quinn ?

20% of the Rise In Shooting Have Come From Public Housing . . . Does Quinn Care About the People in Public Housing ? The city’s public housing authority has failed to install a single security camera even though it has $42 million to spend on the improvements thanks to the agency’s foot-dragging (NYDN) * Latest Brooklyn shooting prompts calls for action (WABC) * NYCHA has $42 million in funds for security cameras and other measures that the agency is sitting on while they figure out how to spend it, even as crime spikes. (NYDN)

NYPD use Police Brutality against #OccupyWallStreet activists (Again)

After the Occupy Guitarmy 99 Mile March returns to Wall Street from the National Gathering in Philadelphia, the NYPD are up to their old tricks at Zuccotti Park. No word, as usual, from New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, about the continuing pattern of police brutality against peaceful activists.

Richard French Stop and Frisk

Richard French reports on NYPD's notorious ''Stop and Frisk'' policy which overwhelmingly targets young men of color in their very own neighborhoods. (What has New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn done to slash the NYPD budget to put an end to ''Stop and Frisk'' ? Nothing.)

It's Time To Dump Quinn

Flackback to the 2009 election, from www.ChristineQuinn.com :

It's Time To Dump Christine Quinn - Flyer from www.christinequinn.com

Lambda Legal Michael Lucas Politics

Did New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn ever take a position on the Lambda Legal-Michael Lucas scandal at the LGBT Community Center ?

Rudy Giuliani Endorses Christine Quinn (Parody Video)

Randy Credico rides again with his signature Rudy Giuliani impression. In this parody video, Rudy stumps for Christine Quinn in the upcoming NYC Mayoral race.

Make a pledge today to support Roots of Betrayal : The Ethics of Christine Quinn on Kickstarter.

Christine Quinn, Living Wage, and Corporate Backing

What ever happened to that living wage bill that New York Speaker Christine Quinn watered down ?

Is Christine Quinn playing by the corporate backing rules ? Said another way, are more people finally coming to terms that she has sold out ?

Amber Hollibaugh, co-director of Queers for Economic Justice, gave a shocking and frank interview to The Nation magazine.

“Christine Quinn is a complication, I think, for many parts of the LGBTQ world. On the one hand, she has enormous power and visibility and she’s an open lesbian and…we have certain kind of access to her because she is an openly queer person. [On the other hand,] she wants corporate backing. If she wants corporate backing, she knows what the rules are for getting that corporate backing and she’s playing by those rules. If you are an LGBT organization that feels that economic justice and things like unions and minimum wages and family care are your baseline, she may be your ally, but she may also not return your call.”

Living Wage NYC Letter To Christine Quinn

Christine Quinn Con Ed Lockout

Is Christine Quinn taking management's side in the labour lock-out at Con Edison, in the middle of a heat wave, really ?

When the lights go out, don't call Christine Quinn. From The Nation magazine :

The lockout also highlights some of the continuing friction in labor’s relationship with the Democratic Party. New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn appeared to be playing both sides by sending a joint letter to Con Ed CEO [Kevin] Burke and Harry Farrell, president of Local 1-2, requesting that Burke end the lockout and that Farrell agree to “reasonable” notice before a walk out, citing concerns about people losing power during a heat wave. But the union’s refusal to provide seven days’ notice is the reason Con Ed locked them out in the first place, leading some union members to believe Quinn is siding with management.

James Tom's Blog Post About Christine Quinn

Christine Quinn For Janitor

Check out James Tom's blog post about Christine Quinn.

Bill Rudin Side Effects SVH Cartoon (Satire)

Bill Rudin Obamacare Cartoon SVH (Satire)

Quinn Slush Funds Keep Flowing -- To Political Allies

"City Council Speaker Christine Quinn awarded some council members more than four times as much discretionary funds as their colleagues, reviving accusations that she is playing favorites," reported Michael Howard Saul in The Wall Street Journal.

Under the city budget approved Thursday night, Council Member Domenic Recchia, a close ally of Ms. Quinn, received more than $1.5 million in so-called member items to allocate to more than 150 community organizations of his choosing.

On the other side of the spectrum, Elizabeth Crowley of Queens and Charles Barron of Brooklyn each received less than $400,000.

"Those who are in favor get more, those who are not get less," Mr. Barron said. "It should be given on a need basis—the communities that are the neediest, not the councilmen who are the most cooperative with the speaker."

Read more : Christine Quinn Faces More Criticism That She Uses Slush Funds To Reward Political Allies, Again, No Surprise