City Council District 33 Primary

Your City Council Member really does have palpable influence over the destiny of our neighborhoods and quality of life. District 33 Council Member elections also present a difficult choice, because there has only been one political debate, and Stephen Levin, former Vito Lopez Chief of Staff, has been fuzzy about some of the remedies proposed. By contrast Stephen Pierson has put forward some ideas to address issues that have been raised about the 2005 rezoning. Such as taking a stand to downzone, because the current zoning allows segregated housing by economic status, ie., the “poor door,” and ushers in outrageously oversized developments (that are approximately twice the density of Stuyvesant Town). Levin says, he’ll look into it.

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On September 10, it’s Primary day; your day to make a difference. In the last election, in 2009, voter turnout in Greenpoint and Williamsburg was abysmal. Most North Brooklyn census tracts had turnouts below 20%. It’s vital to remind yourself how important your vote really is.

So, what do you gain through voting? Elected officials know who votes. If this community is turning out less than other neighborhoods, elected officials will pay less attention to us, make fewer appearances here, and provide fewer services.

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Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez is handcuffed by a New York Police Department officer on Hicks Street and Atlantic Avenue on Aug. 5, 2013. Velázquez intended to be arrested in protest of the closure of nearby Long Island City Hospital.

Also arrested were Public Advocate and mayoral candidate Bill DiBlasio, and Brooklyn Councilman Steve Levin. Rally the CHA’s Jeff Strabone was also arrested.

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Click here for New York Shitty coverage of the debate Wednesday night between incumbent Stephen Levin and challenger Stephen Pierson.

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TONIGHT:  “The Cause B Show: Whistleblow Your Mind,” at Over the Eight (594 Union Ave, Union and Richardson) a stand-up comedy show featuring some of New York City’s top comedians raising money for The Bradley Manning Defense Fund. The event is the second in a continuing series of shows produced solely to benefit causes in need. In addition to the creators, comedians in the line up include Emma Willmann, Kendra Cunningham, Leo Martin, and The Lucas Bros.

**Chase Madar will be speaking at the event and available for question following the show. Chase is a civil rights attorney in New York and the author of The Passion of Bradley Manning: The Story behind the Wikileaks Whistleblower (Verso, 2013). He writes for the London Review of Books, Le Monde diplomatique, The Nation, The American Conservative, TomDispatch and elsewhere**

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