City Hall Staff for O'Connell
The staffers helping O'Connell are Fred Kreizman and Matt Gorton. (Kreizman's cell phone message, when I called, said that he'd be out of the office until February 7, the day after the election.)
Such a loan of Bloomberg personnel is not without recent precedent, especially when the beneficiary is in a position -- as Republican Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno clearly is -- to exercise discretion over funding for the city. When Bloomberg administration staffers went last year to help Senator Joe Lieberman in his hard-fought primary against Ned Lamont, for example, it may well have been something a "thank you" for past and future help with homeland security money.
As my insider source put it, "The mayor is a results-oriented guy."
But the last word here goes to mayoral spokesman Stu Loeser, who said in an email that these two staffers are acting on their own. "The Mayor doesn't send people. If personnel want time off and their supervisors okay it based on the office's workload, they get it. It's an administrative decision that has nothing to do with the Mayor's support of a candidate."
-- Azi Paybarah
So, by "Community Assistance" Bloomberg means helping the Republicans make sure that NYC does not get its fair share of state aid?
Fred Kreizman is actually the Mayor's senior adviser on Jewish issues. He is usually dispatched to help turn out the Jewish vote. Great Neck has an abundance of Jews. Shifting even a few of them to the Republican side could mean the margin of victory in a special election.
Bloomberg means helping the Republicans make sure that NYC does not get its fair share of state aid?
anon- are you on drugs? Two out of the "three men in a room" along with the L. Gov and Senate Minority leader are all in NYC. There is no way you can make an argument that NYC schools are not going to get a fair shake.
upstate guy you are not only on drugs, but drunk -- since when is the senate min. leader and l. gov. a part of 3 men in a rm. it's the speaker of the assembly, gov., and majority leader.
I'm all for people being drunk and on drugs, but soon all 3 men in the room will be from NYC: Spitzer, Silver, and Senate MAJORITY Leader Malcolm Smith
Fred Kreizman is no Jonathan Greenspon. He doesn;t have half the talent.
my prediction: it will be a while before smith is majority leader. too many huge forces trying to keep the republicans in even if bruno is not the leader.
Bloombery's tactic will get zero for NYC. As we all know he is a Democrat and plays with the Republicans. So much for party polictics. His tenure with NYC will be over soon. GREAT.
A greater Jewish vote benifits Craig Johnson who happens to be Jewish. Da
A heavy Jewish vote helps Craig johnson who happens to be Jewisk. Da
Craig Johnson is Jewish?
We are really supposed to believe that Mayoral staffers are using their vacation time to go to Great Neck (and last year both Connecticut & Missouri) and they are not being reimbursed in anyway by Bloomberg?
Yeah, Yoda. Bloomie meets them in the parking lot at One PP and hands them paper bags of unmarked dollars. Of course he is not reimbursing them and of course this is on the up and up. Do you think Seifman would ignore this type of thing?
shame on the Mayor...I have a strong suspicion Maureen O'Connell will not vote to say, change NYS's school funding formula to take $ away from the wealthiest school districts in the State (Port Washington & Great Neck conveniently located in the district) to give NYC its fair share.
That Stu Loeser is such a kidder!
Last time I checked, Malcolm Smith supported Pataki and Bloomberg--why bother giving the dems the majority in the senate if their leader is a Republican wannabee?
Gorton is new star that we all seem to be overlooking. He is going to be the new leadership in the Queens Republican Party. Finally do away with haggerty and serf