Someone is Lying
The money quote from a laughing Mastro in today's Post: "Mark Green had nothing to do with that."
The Green campaign begs to differ. And to be fair, unless the press has been getting it entirely wrong for more than 15 years, it seems like they have a point.
Mark Benoit sent over the campaign's version of Green's history of dealing with organized crime and garbage.
To the many of you with longer (and better) institutional memories than I have: please take a look at it after the jump and let us know whose version is right.
-- Josh BensonStatement from Mark Benoit of the Mark Green for Attorney General campaign:
"In 1990, McDonald's franchiser Forrest Smith visits NYC Consumer Commissioner Mark Green to complain that his carter was overcharging him and making a death threat. This triggered Green's anti -"mob-tax" campaign (Green's phrase).
Three years before Giuliani becomes Mayor, Green de-licenses mobbed up firms, seeks to lower rates, goes to court against mob firms, and receives a death threat phoned in to his then 13-year old daughter.
In December, 1993, NYC Public Advocate-elect Green meets privately with Mayor-elect Giuliani and urges that the top two city officials - one who's spent years licensing and fighting mob carters and the other a renowned anti-organized crime prosecutor - collaborate on this effort. Rudy Giuliani agrees.
Green introduces bill (with Councilman Ken Fisher) in 1996 to get mob totally out of carting by a regulatory scheme called "competition zones." As the bill is moving to passage, Randy Maestro asks Green and Fisher to wait until Mayor's bill is introduced so all are on the same page. Green and Fisher agree.
New proposal focuses on a regulatory scheme that all sign on to. Announced in large City Hall press conference with Giuliani, Manhattan DA Robert Morganthau, Green, the FBI and others - all speaking and participating. The night before Maestro leaks the story to Selwyn Rabb of the New York Times who writes a piece that morning about Giuliani and Maestro's brilliant efforts on mob carting.
Maestro pushes Giuliani to put public referendum on ballot in 1999 stripping Public Advocate of some of his powers. Green coalition defeats Giuliani effort - led by Maestro - 76% to 24%. Maestro not happy.
In 2001 mayoral race, every major NYC newspaper gives Green credit for helping end organized crime control of carting business."
Dicker got big because of his good relationship with Mario. Now he's a nobody. It's pretty obviouse what's happening here. He thinks that Andrew will get him back on top. Hence the completely unfair article.
What about an article about Cuomo's add where he claims to have fought the KKK, based on one case he did at HUD?
Green is right on this one.
Whatever version Ben Smith comes up with, I'll believe the other version.
If Giuliani got rid of the mob, then all it did was take over the NYPD with that P.O.S. Kerik.
Green did help generate publicity on the issue, first in the Dinkins administration -- this is unsurprising, since that has always been his forte. However, his actual, concrete proposal -- to set up a series of commercial carting districts -- was never actually implemented. I have to give the edge to Mastro on this one, to be honest.
1:54 - look at Maestro's quote: "Mark Green had nothing to do with that."
You're as wrong as Maestro is. Where you there when Green de-licensed carting companies, before Rudy turned up? Don't think so.
Dicker is a Cuomo flack, everyone knows that. Maestro is a Giuliani bag man, everyone knows that.
Andy Cuomo is just upset because all he has is an image of a burning cross and a history of mis-management at HUD.
Does anyone really take Fred Dicker seriously anymore? What a disgusting human being.
Does anyone really take Fred Dicker seriously anymore? What a disgusting human being?
Dicker is as nasty in person as he is in print.
Yeah, and the best Albany correspondent around, bar none. Can't you folks on the Green campaign find more productive uses of your time, by the way?
If you read closely Mark Benoit
If you read closely Mark Benoit
by your own words the green ad is false.
you said major newspapers credit green with "helping". that may be true. but the green ad says he did it, and thats just false.
giuliani, morgenthau were all part of the effort. and by the way, benoit lies again when he makes it sound like green discovered fraud in the carting industry. it was the subject of state and city task forces and DA investigations for 15 years before green was even on the scene.
it is classic green: arrogance. by definition the public advocate could not have accomplished anything alone. the public advocate office had no discrete authority, no portfolio, and no employees. all green could do is talk and others had to act.
Now Benoit is backtracking. Before he and Green claimed that Green got the mob out of carting. Now Benoit is saying "Everyone except the Cuomo crowd knows that Mark Green initiated the campaign to get the mob out of the carting business - three years before Rudy Giuliani became mayor - because Mark de-licensed them as Consumer Commissioner. That's the truth."
That great that Mark initiated the campaign the point is he never accomplished it. So Mark couldn't finish what he started so now he takes credit for Giuliani's good work. No wonder this guy can't win an election.
Next Mark will claim he invented the internet as Public Advocate.
Mastro is still upset with the Puppet and how Green won twice against Charter change.
Maestro actually acommplished something as Deputy Mayor. He is merely pointing out that Mark Green, no matter what he says, had no real part in that acomplishment. Thats Randy's right.
Why didn't Mastro say something before? Didn't Rudy endorsed Andy's father?
Randy cut the deal.
2:58-
Randy isn't a publicity hound like Mark is. Dicker called him for a comment and Randy told it like it was.
Mastro was busy fighting with Teitelbaum in City Hall when Green brought this into public view. Then Mastro was helpful and constructive. But Bernie Kerik's buddy should be careful before the Mastro-Kerik file is opened up.
Maestro is a topflight lawyer besides having been an outstanding deputy mayor. Recently he lead the lawsuit to stop the Westside Stadium. He is a decent hardworking man who loves this City.
Benoit is wrong when he claims that in 2001, "every major NYC newspaper [gave] Green credit" for getting the mob out of the carting industry.
Only the Village Voice actually did that; the other papers (Times, Post, Newsday) all quoted Green as claiming the credit. Which is not the same thing.
Andrew's people will do anything to hide the fact that he's a paper tiger.
By the way, does Cuomo have Bill Clinton's endorsement? Or Spitzer's?
3:59 (and dicker) you are wrong.
NEW YORK TIMES, 9/2/2001:
He was part of the Clinton administration, but then Clinton wont even endorse him...doesn't that raise a few questions?
Sean Patrick Maloney was also part of the Clinton Administration - I don't blame him for not picking sides while they're both in the race.
Int. No. 676
By the Speaker (Council Mmeber Vallone), Council Members Fisher, Koslowitz, O'Donovan, Freed, Michels, Malave-Dilan, Henry and eristoff (by request of the Mayor and Public Advocate); also Council Members Leffler, Povman, Abel, Fields, Lasher, Powell IV and Rivera
If it's between believing Maestro or Green, I believe Green. Are you kidding me? Green may talk and talk and talk, but this time he backed it up. The record is there.
So Andrew Cuomo's campaign is pushing the Giuliani version over the truth? Maybe Rudy will be in Andrew's next ad!