Michael McMahon

 

Congestion pricing isn't popular in Staten Island. So yesterday, when Staten Island Councilman Michael McMahon at the last minute decided to vote in favor of congestion pricing, it was a big deal in some circles, especially because his likely opponent in the 2009 borough president race, Republican Jimmy Oddo, voted against it.  read more »

On March 8, The New York Times published a survey of where some of the City Council's 51 members stood on congestion pricing. At the time, 20 were against, 12 were for, and 19 were either undecided or did not respond to the survey.  read more »

The subprime mortgage crisis continues to send shockwaves through New York City and now the consequences have spread beyond the economy. The rising tide of foreclosures is making the city uglier (gasp!). Councilman Michael McMahon believes “the proliferation of extra-large for sale signs is having a negative aesthetic impact on residential neighborhoods in New York City.”  read more »

Buried deep in Staten Island Advance reporter Sally Goldenberg's piece about the plastic bag recycling bill working its way through the City Council is this line: "The council employs the Albany lobbying firm of Brown McMahon & Weinraub LLC, of which [Council sanitation committee chair Michael] McMahon's brother, Thomas, is a principal. The lobbying firm has earned $18,000 this year for its efforts."

I asked Michael about it.

“He has a client who has a position on the bill," he told me, referring to his brother. "They did not request the bill. They were not involved in the drafting of the bill. The first time I heard they had a position on the bill is when they came to the hearing.”

More after the jump.  read more »

The city Campaign Finance Board is putting out some numbers today filed by some familiar candidates for citywide office.

The first total after each name below represents net contributions over a six-month period that ended last week, and the second is net contributions for the entire cycle.  read more »

According to Councilman Michael McMahon, the fact that the Democratic Party on Staten Island has never nominated a candidate of color isn't a sign of bias.

That was the implication yesterday from the campaign manager of an African-American Assembly candidate, Kelvin Alexander, who lost the Democratic nomination and is now running against the party-backed candidate, Matthew Titone.

"I am one of those who firmly believes that when the time is at hand, a person of color be nominated and endorsed by the Democratic Party of Staten Island," McMahon said. "The issue then becomes working with the community and finding elections that they can be successful in. Because whatever the election, whether it's the Assembly, state Senate or City Council a person of color has to be able to get votes from all the people in the district just like I, not being a person of color, have to get votes from people of color as well.

"My point is, the issue is not whether there should be a candidate of color but how best to accomplish that."

He went on to say, "They'll point to the fact that the Republicans Party has supported candidates of color, but it's in races when they have no chances of winning."

-- Azi Paybarah

Here are City Council members James Oddo, a Republican, and Michael McMahon, a Democrat, waiting in Speaker Christine Quinn's office and discussing the special election to fill the seat of late Assembly member John Lavelle.

McMahon said that after a few rounds of balloting last night, the Democrats settled on attorney Matthew Titone to be their candidate. Titone beat out Lavelle's son, John Daniel, Robert Olivari, and Kelvin Alexander.

More on that race here.

-- Azi Paybarah

Here is Hiram Monserrate, one of only five City Council members to have voted against a 25 percent pay raise for the council.

The others were Michael McMahon, Andrew Lanza, Darlene Mealy, and Tony Avella.

One insider gave me some speculative reasons for why some of them might have voted this way:

McMahon hopes to run for Staten Island Borough President and this vote will give him ammunition to repel Conservative Party accusations that he's a free-spending liberal.

Lanza doesn't care about Council pay because he's going to the state Senate.

Avella, the only declared mayoral candidate, always objected to increases salaries and taking lulus.

My secret brain trust didn't crack the mystery of Mealy.  read more »

As for Monserrate, he explained himself to reporters after the vote by saying that he simply doesn't like the process of awarding himself a pay increase.

Here he is. -- Azi Paybarah