Robert Jackson

Here’s a shot of Manhattan City Councilman Robert Jackson seconds before Christine Quinn ordered the balcony cleared of the boisterous protesters who were yelling about the Harlem rezoning the Council was about to pass.

“Jackson you’re a snake. Jackson, you’re a sellout to your people,” one women yelled down from the balcony. Another man yelled out, “Uncle Tom!”  read more »

It’s a pretty crowded room upstairs in the City Council chambers, where testimony about congestion pricing is being given by city Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and the Director of Long-term Planning and Sustainability, Rohit Aggarwala.

In one exchange, Aggarwala told City Councilman Robert Jackson, “[Y]ou don’t have to get 20 percent of the people off the road to have 20 percent reduction in traffic.” She continued, “Sometimes, if you take one or two cars off, it takes a crowded, congested condition and it turns it into traffic that can flow.”  read more »

City Councilman Robert Jackson, an avid runner, has a metaphor (exhortation?) for the Clinton campaign.

“You run the best race you can and you finish the race," he said.

And where exactly is that finish line?  read more »

Continuing with our marginally useful compilation of Hillary Clinton-designated Democratic National Convention delegates for next year, here's who the campaign picked in the Harlem-based 15th congressional district, according to a reader in the district and confirmed by a knowledgeable Democrat.

The delegates are: Assemblyman Keith Wright, City Councilwoman and Charlie Rangel ally Inez Dickens, Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat (who championed the original driver's license policy that tripped up Clinton during the last debate), City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito (who has close ties to 1199), City Councilman Miguel Martinez, and disabled activist Pamela Bates.

The alternate is City Councilman Robert Jackson.

At a joint appearance on the Upper West Side to recommend improvements to city middle schools, Christine Quinn and Michael Bloomberg announced a push for expanded school days, raises of as much as $10,000 for some teachers, Regents courses in all middle schools by 2010 and clarified disciplinary powers for educators.

UFT president Randi Weingarten said the recommendations could turn around every middle school in the city.

"Let’s make this real,” she said. “Let’s turn around our middle schools.”

Robert Jackson, chairman of the City Council's Education Committee, made his own comment on the current state of the city’s middle schools. On his way into JHS 100, he said, "What, no air conditioning?"