Author Archives: donny

Quinn is a long shot

“Among the political chattering classes, Ms. Quinn is thought to be a long shot, someone too close to the mayor to be palatable to a Democratic primary electorate. Labor and progressives have won both of the past two contested Democratic citywide elections, and installed one of their own, Eric Schneiderman, as the state’s attorney general. And to them Ms. Quinn has become a kind of pariah.”

Posted in 2013 Race, Campaign Trail |

Quinn didn’t pay rent

Quinn has “been sued repeatedly for nonpayment of rent.”

Posted in 2013 Race, Overheard |

Quinn’s condo – tax dollars to solve dispute

“Council Speaker Christine Quinn is about to move into a luxury condo building where she used taxpayer dollars to resolve a conflict with a neighboring building over garbage.”

Posted in Abuse of power, Assault On Democracy |

Quinn’s popularity is questionable

“There is some disagreement in political circles about how popular Quinn . . .remains in LGBT circles. Her perch as Speaker of the City Council makes her one of the highest-ranking LGBT politicians in the nation, but she grabbed just over 50 percent of the vote in her re-election bid in 2009, despite running in the most heavily LGBT district in the country.”

Posted in 2013 Race, Campaign Trail |

Gloria steinem letter on sick leave

In an open letter to Christine Quinn, who has refused to allow a vote on the sick leave bill, which has a veto-proof majority of sponsors, Gloria Steinem wrote, “A majority of the City Council members support this bill. We ask you to take the lead and set an exampleof letting the democratic process work. Please give New York women ± and all New Yorkers the guarantee that if they or their children get sick this year they will not lose a day’s pay or their job. We respectfully urge you to bring Intro 97 to a vote.”

Posted in Assault On Democracy, Kills veto-proof bills |

Quinn prevents bills w/veto-proof majority from being voted on

“In order to pass, a bill needs at least 26 Council Member votes. Since she took office as Speaker, Christine Quinn has prevented debate, not to mention a vote, on at least 13 bills with 26 or more sponsors, and at least 34 bills with more than 20 sponsors. These include bills that would promote the welfare of New Yorkers.”

Posted in Assault On Democracy, Kills veto-proof bills, Uncategorized |

Speaker pushed Mayor’s agenda

According to the 2010 report card which grades Council Members on their human rights voting records, “The Speaker essentially pushed the Mayor’s agenda during her tenure, and prioritized the Mayor’s bills over that of fellow Council Members.”

Posted in Assault On Democracy, Separation of powers |

Ms. Quinn has the elites

“Ms. Quinn also has another thing: the so-called elites. These are the people and groups who make up the Partnership for New York City, the Association for a Better New York, who work on Wall Street or in real estate and who make up for votes with money and editorial board influence.”

Posted in 2013 Race, The Money |

Stringer: politics drives discretionary fund distribution

Scott Stringer on Quinn’s distribution of discretionary funds: “Politics has been driving the distribution of these tax dollars for years. There should be no financial reward in toeing the party line.”

Posted in Abuse of power, Assault On Democracy, Uncategorized |

Slush money to groups controlled by friends or relatives

“One of her (Quinn’s) major challenges in her expected run (for Mayor) is the so-called slush fund scandal that erupted in 2007.  It revealed a longstanding pattern of Council members steering money to groups controlled by their friends or relatives.”

Posted in Piggy Bank, Slush Funds |