By Colin Campbell 2/02/12 10:59am

Young Guns

Rakim Brooks (Photo: Facebook)

Melissa Mark-Viverito’s Comms Director Could Be Planning Council Run

Rakim Brooks, the 24-year-old Director of Communications for Council Member Mark-Viverito, recently filed a New York City campaign committee, strongly suggesting he is at least considering a campaign  for the City Council in 2013.

Mr. Brooks, who declined to discuss the specifics of his intentions with The Politicker yesterday, did say that he was “just exploring some options,” and “seeing if I can raise some money.”

As Mr. Brooks currently lives in Ms. Mark-Viverito’s district, and the Councilwoman is expected to not only run for reelection but campaign for Speakership, speculation is that he could be considering a run for term-limited Councilman Robert Jackson’s nearby Harlem district. Read More

By Hunter Walker 1/23/12 9:57am

Sports Page

New York Giants

Politicians Cheer On The Giants

With their overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers last night, the New York Giants put themselves in the Super Bowl and became the talk of the town. Local politicians were no exception. Their responses to the game included cheers, bewilderment and hatred for our Super Bowl opponents, the New England Patriots. Read More

By Hunter Walker 1/17/12 5:12pm

Out of Towners

Councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito (Photo: Twitter)

Melissa Mark-Viverito Greets Scott Walker With Not-So-Warm Welcome to New York

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who is facing a possible recall after widespread protests over his perceived anti-union proposals, will be in New York tonight for a fundraiser sponsored by the state Republican Party. Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito released a statement expressing her “grave disappointment” with the GOP for hosting “the poster child for the austerity movement in the United States” in the five boroughs.

“Tonight, New York State Republicans will hold a fundraiser for Scott Walker, the union busting Governor of Wisconsin,” Ms. Mark-Viverito said. “At a time when people across Wisconsin prepare to submit petitions for the recall of Governor Walker, it is disheartening that Republican New Yorkers would gather to support him in an effort to subvert the democratic process.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 1/16/12 6:50am

Fighting Words

John Samuelsen speaking at the TWU rally. (Photo: Hunter Walker)

Transport Workers Union President Tells Cuomo To ‘Shove It’ at Contract Rally

As the MTA’s contract with the Transport Workers Union Local 100 was set to expire at midnight last night, hundreds of workers gathered in the bitter cold outside the negotiations at the Sheraton Hotel in midtown for a raucous rally where they were joined by several local politicians.

“I’ve been bargaining for the better part of the last 48 hours,” TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen said. “I’m going to go back into that hotel and I’m going to tell the chairman of the MTA, I’m going to tell the governor to take their petty demands and shove it.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 1/05/12 9:02am

Risky Business

City Council Passes Anti-Corporate Personhood Resolution

The City Council passed Resolution 1172 yesterday opposing the United States Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, which declared corporations have the same first amendment rights as individuals, a concept that has come to be known as corporate personhood. This decision, which was made just shy of a year ago, prohibited the government from placing limits on individual contributions and has become a favored target of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Protesters affiliated with Occupy Wall Street supported the passage of the Council’s anti-corporate personhood resolution and approximately twenty of them packed the observation balcony during the stated meeting yesterday where they applauded for the bill and booed dissenting members. In addition to expressing opposition for the Supreme Court decision, the resolution called for a Constitutional amendment “to provide that corporations are not entitled to the entirety of protections or ‘rights’ of natural persons, specifically so that the expenditure of corporate money to influence the electoral process is no longer a form of constitutionally protected speech.” Read More

By David Freedlander 1/03/12 9:14pm

The Speakership

Melissa_Mark-Viverito

Uptown Smackdown: Inez Dickens and Melissa Mark Viverito Vie to Become Next City Council Speaker

Last month, a top labor official in the city told The Observer that his union had already begun meeting with potential candidates interested in running for one of the handful of City Council seats that will become available in 2013, when term limits at last kick in. And everybody who is contemplating a run is sure to get one question from officials at the union: if you win, who will you support to become the next speaker of the City Council? Read More

By Hunter Walker 11/18/11 5:22pm

Jailhouse Rock

Councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito (Photo: Twitter)

Councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito is Glad She Got Arrested for Occupy Wall Street

At about 6 p.m. last night, Councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito joined was arrested after sitting down in front of the Brooklyn Bridge prior to last night’s massive march with a group of 98 other people. Their act of civil disobedience was designed to support Occupy Wall Street. Councilwoman Mark Viverito told the Observer about her experience being arrested in the name of the occupation. “I was more than happy to participate in this action,” she said. Read More