By Ross Barkan 5/14 12:20pm

Prog Talk

Panelists discuss a progressive vision for New York City at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Progressive Pow-Wow Presents Hopes for Next Mayor’s Administration

Short on bombast and long on analysis, left-leaning academics and the co-chair of the City Council’s Progressive Caucus took to the stage at the CUNY Graduate Center last night to outline their alternative vision for a city in the twilight of the Bloomberg era.

“We’ve been in a kind of sitting in the laboratory, mixing the chemicals phase in the past nine months and we hope to go out and cause a few explosions in the coming months and after the elections,” said John Mollenkopf, a CUNY political science professor and co-organizer of the panel discussion, “Progressive Policies for the Future of New York City,” which the New York Times’ Michael Powell moderated. Read More

By Hunter Walker 1/06/12 5:42pm

Fingerprint Feud

Peter Vallone Jr. Defends Mayor Bloomberg on Food Stamp Fingerprinting

Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. defended Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s policy of requiring food stamp applicants to submit fingerprints in a Facebook post this afternoon. Governor Andrew Cuomo said he wants to stop food stamp fingerprinting in his State of the State address Wednesday arguing that it deters some people from signing up for the program. Councilman Vallone took issue with the idea people feel stigmatized by fingerprinting.

“I was fingerprinted to be a prosecutor,” wrote the Councilman, who worked for several years as an assistant district attorney. “I havent needed therapy at all to get over the stigma. Most city workers are fingerprinted.” Read More