NY Observer > Fernando Ferrer

Ruben Diaz Remembers When Other Democrats Supported Republicans

Azi Paybarah — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:49:57 -0400

Democratic State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr.--who is running for re-election on both the Republican ticket and the Democratic one--wants to clear the air about a few things.

He called to say that his August 13 fund-raiser features Democratic State Senate Leader Malcolm Smith and conference co-chair Jeff Klein, but they are not behind the event.

“They are not organizing it,” Diaz told me. “They never organized nothing for me.” Diaz said his paid fund-raiser for the event is Anne Noonan, and that he is calling contributors himself.

Diaz also said of the party, “I’ve been there when they needed me,” and added that he contributed money to help his conference pick up seats. read more »

Another Willets Point Rally As Ferrer Joins Anti-Bloomberg Crowd [UPDATED]

Eliot Brown — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:39:11 -0400

The city hasn't heard much out of former mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer since he lost his bid against Mayor Bloomberg in 2005. Now, the former Bronx Borough President has joined the camp of landowners and critics who oppose the Bloomberg administration's plans for Willets Point, the 61-acre industrial site by Shea Stadium.

According to a release from the Willets Point Industry and Realty Association, Mr. Ferrer will join local Councilman Hiram Monserrate at the event, where the main Willets Point property owners' group will call for the ouster of the chairman of Queens Community Board 7. The board voted last week to endorse the city's plan, with some conditions. read more »

Ferrer Returns to Oppose Bloomberg on Willets Point

Azi Paybarah — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:56:59 -0400

Fernando Ferrer, the 2005 Democratic mayoral candidate, will join Hiram Monserrate in opposing Michael Bloomberg's plan to redevelop Willets Points.

Ferrer has been pretty quiet since losing to Bloomberg nearly three years ago. Monserrate's opposition to the administration's Willets Point plan could result in another defeat for the mayor on a development issue.

From the press advisory:

East Elmhurst, NY – On Thursday, July 10, at 10:00am, Council Member Hiram Monserrate will join with Fernando Ferrer, former Bronx Borough President, outside Queens Borough Hall to call on the Queens Borough Board to vote against the Bloomberg Administration's plans to redevelop Willets Point. Ferrer will join Monserrate and the broad coalition of Willets Point business owners and workers, community leader and elected officials, and community and affordable housing advocates that has developed in opposition to the Mayor's proposal. read more »

Recchia Has Global Strategy Group for Fossella Race

Azi Paybarah — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:30:43 -0400

Councilman Domenic Recchia has kept a low profile since the congressman he is trying to unseat, Vito Fossella, got arrested for driving drunk.

But when political consultant Jefrey Pollock prefaced remarks about Fossella on NY1 last night by saying he’s working for Recchia’s campaign, that was news. read more »

On Congestion Pricing, Fidler Echoes Ferrer's 'Two New Yorks'

Azi Paybarah — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:00:49 -0400

Lew Fidler, a vocal critic of congestion pricing, spoke Wednesday night at the Stonewall Democratic Club in Manhattan, putting his objections to the plan in context with language borrowed from 2005 mayoral candidate Freddy Ferrer, who used to say during the campaign that New York was becoming two cities.

Fidler told Stonewall, “There is no doubt in my mind that the congestion pricing proposal, once you get past all the laudable goals that it attempts, unsuccessfully, to achieve, is just that kind of system.” read more »

Foster Challenges 'Polarizing' Hispanic Machine in the Bronx

Azi Paybarah — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:38:23 -0500

Helen Foster, who is contemplating a run for Bronx Borough President, said the last two people who have held that job have divided the borough’s black and Puerto Rican communities.

A story in the Riverdale Review (still not online!) this week quoted Foster’s father, the former Councilman in the area, at a February 7 meeting saying, “The last two borough presidents we've had were not and are not sympathetic to the black community.” read more »

Weprin Welcomes Carrion to Comptroller's Race

Azi Paybarah — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:35:58 -0500

Adolfo Carrion's fellow comptroller candidate, David Weprin, welcomed Carrion to the race yesterday by way of some remarks on his own qualifications:

“I still stand on my financial credentials, and in the end, I think that‘ll be very significant," he told me. "I served as Deputy Superintendent of Banks under Cuomo. I was in senior positions in municipal finance on Wall Street. I chaired the Security Industry Association’s New York district. And I’ve been head of the Finance Committee in the City Council for the last six years. So, I think those credentials can stand on their own.”

He went on, “I think in the position of comptroller, there’s less ethnic politics involved than, say, the office of mayor where ethnicity plays a bigger role. So, I don’t think it’s going to breakdown along those lines.”

Also running for comptroller: Melinda Katz, David Yassky, Jim Brennan, and (all but announced) Simcha Felder. Other than Carrion, all of them are from Brooklyn or Queens and except for Brennan and Carrion, all are Jewish.

Anthony Weiner and the Carrion Effect

Azi Paybarah — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:40:37 -0500

A reader pointed out that Adolfo Carrion’s absence from the mayor's race alters the landscape for Anthony Weiner's candidacy.

In the Democratic primary, a candidate must get 40 percent of the vote to win the nomination and prevent a run-off. Without Carrion in the race, it’s more likely that Bill Thompson, the only black candidate, will earn at least that number.

Assuming that if Carrion had run, Thompson and Carrion would have split support from the black and Latino communities, Weiner then would have been in a run-off with one of them, and earned a second chance at capturing the nomination.

More after the jump. read more »

Reactions to Carrion for Comptroller: Ferrer, Thompson, Katz, Etc.

Azi Paybarah — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:40:46 -0500

Some reactions from the 2009 circuit to Adolfo Carrion’s entry into the comptroller’s race:

Fernando Ferrer, the most recent Hispanic candidate to run for mayor, told me via cell phone, “Well look, I think that he’s staked out for himself a race where he’s going to be a dominant figure.”

Asked if he was disappointed that Carrion would not be seeking the mayor's office, Ferrer replied, “I’ve just given you my comments.”

More after the jump. read more »

Ferrer Rumors

Observer Staff — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 09:44:34 -0500

The rumor that Eliot Spitzer has approached Freddy Ferrer about an appointment as Secretary of State has been making the rounds for weeks now. We first heard about it on Oct 25th, and when I asked Ferrer in an email, he wrote back that day with a clear cut "no."

On the 29th, the New York Post ran a story suggesting otherwise. Ferrer wrote me to deny the story.

"With respect to today's story, the answer is still 'no,'" he wrote. "No one from the Post ever called or contacted me about this."

Today New York Magazine has David Paterson saying "it's still live" and adds some interesting backstory as to why the appointment is a plausible one.

This time, so far, Ferrer isn't responding to a request for comment. --Jason Horowitz