By Colin Campbell 8/02/12 1:17pm

brooklyn

(Photo: Getty)

Candidates Jostle Over Who Opposes Cuomo’s Special Education Veto More

On Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed legislation that would have provided public funding for special education students to attend private schools, a move he and Mayor Michael Bloomberg said was fiscally prudent yet also one that was condemned by politicians representing observant Jewish constituencies.

The bill’s chief sponsor in the State Assembly, Helene Weinstein, vowed to “continue the fight” in a statement, aiming to try and get enough votes in her chamber to override Mr. Cuomo’s veto. However, being the chief proponent of the bill is apparently not enough to avoid being attacked for not doing enough on the issue, and Ms. Weinstein’s Republican opponent Joseph Hayon sharply criticized her in a statement last night. Read More

By Colin Campbell 5/31/12 8:22am

brooklyn

New York GOP Chair Ed Cox and Joseph Hayon (Photo: Facebook)

Cymbrowitz’s 2010 Challenger to Run Against Weinstein This Time Around

Joseph Hayon, a Republican activist in southeastern Brooklyn’s Jewish community who did surprisingly well against Assemblyman Steve Cymbrowitz in 2010, will forgo a rematch and instead run against Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein. Indeed, Mr. Hayon, who also doubles as the head of the Brooklyn Tea Party club, told us that he was “99%” likely to run.

Mr. Hayon is known in Brooklyn political circles as a particularly passionate opponent of the gay marriage legislation signed last year, and he hinted that Mr. Cymbrowitz’s vote against the bill — and Ms. Weinstein’s support of it — factored into his decision-making, in addition to redistricting changing the shape of the map. Read More