(Photo: Getty)
New York City’s lawyers are currently asking the U.S. Court of Appeals to reverse a lower court’s ruling against the FDNY’s hiring policies calling the judge in that case media-obsessed and biased. Assemblyman Keith Wright, who doubles as the Chair of the Manhattan Democratic Party, blasted the city’s move this afternoon and placed the blame squarely on Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
“In the epitome of contradiction, Mayor Bloomberg has accused Federal District Judge Nicholas Garaufis of bias after his ruling for federal oversight on the over four year old litigation concerning diversity in the New York City Fire Department. He even went so far as to ask for Judge Garaufis’ removal from the case,” Assemblyman Wright said in a statement.
Last year, Judge Garaufis ordered an outside monitor to overhaul the fire department’s hiring process to increase the department’s diversity. New York City’s lawyers contend that FDNY’s hiring policies are not intentionally discriminatory, but Mr. Wright strongly disagreed in the strongest of terms.
“After protecting the nepotistic and blatantly racist practices of the FDNY for what equates to an entire mayoral term, it is ridiculous and shameful for the Mayor to again stand on the side of ignorance with this bizarre request,” he continued.
“Although the City has taken some actions to finally integrate the FDNY in recent years, in moves designed to draw attention away from the fact that they were still fighting the integration of the FDNY in the courts, the Judge is right to be distrustful of this administration and their true commitment to justice and equality. As Judge Garaufis has correctly stated, ‘The city still doesn’t get it’ and his bombastic request for removal confirms that Mayor Bloomberg ‘gets it’ just about as much as Blacks and Latinos get jobs as firefighters in New York City.”
Follow Colin Campbell on Twitter or via RSS. ccampbell@observer.com
Do you have any idea what you are tlaking about, or do you just spout off without facts Ken. Do a little research on this case and get back to us.
Redwoodrhp, who is Ken? Do you just spout off without facts? Dummy.
Another Harlem politician heard from. Try attending every court hearing and reading the official court transcripts before rattling off opinions and trying to make them appear as facts. The city should be applauding Bloomberg and the law department for ensuring that the FDNY (a life saving agency) keeps it’s high standards.
So, should I assume you attended every court hearing and then followed that up with readings of the court transcripts, too? Kind of like wearing a belt and a (fireman’s red) suspenders. I have read enough about this case to know this is not about ensuring high standards, and the City doesn’t even argue that. It opposes the remedies imposed by the Court and the ongoing monitoring. If I didnt know better, I would think the phrase “ensuring…high standards” is code for keeping FDNY lilly white.
Think about it. What does Mayor Bloomberg have to gain by keeping the FDNY “Lilly White”?
It is really interesting how many people get behind Bloomberg. These are facts, Bloomberg has actively permitted human rights violations in the city of New York, interestingly enough, not just in communities of color but among whites as well. He has no attachment to the people or the issues the people care about. You should be marching with us!
The FDNY does NOT write or administer the entrance level examination to the FDNY (or to any other City Agency). These tests are given by DCAS.
As for “nepotism”, the sons and daughters of firefighters are the ones who sign up for the exam. The former President of the Vulcan Society (the fraternal organization for the FDNY), Paul Washington, is the son of a retired firefighter.