Helen Marshall | The New York Observer

Helen Marshall, Democrat Who Happens to Like Bloomberg

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:02:57 -0400

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall appointed a Bloomberg aide to serve as her representative on the new Board of Education.

It’s the latest sign of the how close Marshall is to Bloomberg. In March, Marshall said Bloomberg would win Queens, and that he should have sought the Democratic nomination.

I asked Marshall today if appointing Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott to the Board of Education was a precursor to an endorsement later.

...

Borough Presidents on the Coup: Disappointed, Not All Surprised

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:34:00 -0400

After they participated in a rally on the City Hall steps against budget cuts to community boards, I asked three borough presidents who served in the legislature what they thought of yesterday's Senate coup. “It’s unfortunate that we would allow ourselves, as Democrats, to join the Republican Party,” said Ruben Diaz Jr. of the Bronx, who served more than a decade in the Assembly. “That is not acceptable.” When I asked him about possible viable challengers...

Borough Presidents on the Coup: Disappointed, Not All Surprised

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:37:22 -0400

“It’s unfortunate that we would allow ourselves, as Democrats, to join the Republican Party,” said Ruben Diaz Jr. of the Bronx, who served more than a decade in the Assembly. “That is not acceptable.”

When I asked him about possible viable challengers...

Bloomberg Hangs Out with Republicans But Doesn't Endorse Them

Wed, 06 May 2009 10:19:00 -0400

Here's a shot of Michael Bloomberg at a dinner hosted by the Queens Republican County Committee last week. It's from the Queens Courier, which wrote in a caption that since the Queens G.O.P. endorsed Bloomberg for re-election, he "came to their Gala in Flushing to endorse their candidates for Borough President and City Council.They would have been the first endorsements Bloomberg has made in the 2009 cycle. It also would have been...

Bloomberg Hangs Out with Republicans But Doesn't Endorse Them

Tue, 05 May 2009 16:42:32 -0400

Here's a shot of Michael Bloomberg at a dinner hosted by the Queens Republican County Committee last week.

It's from the Queens Courier, which wrote in a caption that since the Queens G.O.P. endorsed Bloomberg for re-election, he "came to their Gala in Flushing to endorse their candidates for Borough President and City Council.

They would have been the first endorsements Bloomberg has made in the 2009 cycle. It also would have been...

Queens B.P. Says Bloomberg Should Have Tried for Democratic Line: 'Would Have Been Close'

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:53:00 -0400

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall said she’ll be supporting whoever is the Democratic mayoral candidate, but said she thinks independent Michael Bloomberg “should have tried to go for the Democratic designation too.” Marshall was speaking to me at an event in Sunnyside where Bloomberg was addressing a local chamber of commerce last night. Asked if she’d support Bloomberg for re-election, Marshall said, “I’m a Democrat. I can’t change that. It’s in my blood, OK? And so...

Queens B.P. Says Bloomberg Should Have Tried for Democratic Line: 'Would Have Been Close'

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:23:03 -0400

Marshall was speaking to me at an event in Sunnyside where Bloomberg was addressing a local chamber of commerce last night.

Asked if she’d support Bloomberg for re-election, Marshall said, “I’m a Democrat. I can’t change that. It’s in my...

Queens Borough President Says Bloomberg Will Win the Borough

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:00:00 -0400

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall told the more than 400 guests at a fund-raiser last night that Michael Bloomberg is going to win her borough in the upcoming mayoral election, according to sources at the event. "It's a pleasure to welcome the Mayor back to our borough. He won this borough before and he will again," Marshall said, according to one person there. Other sources confirmed Marshall expressing confidence Bloomberg would win the borough. Marshall was...

Queens Borough President Says Bloomberg Will Win the Borough

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:32:55 -0400

"It's a pleasure to welcome the Mayor back to our borough. He won this borough before and he will again," Marshall said, according to one person there. Other sources confirmed Marshall expressing confidence Bloomberg would win...

On the Price of Borough Presidents, Bloomberg is Not Outraged

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0400

The crumbling economy isn’t prompting Michael Bloomberg to react with outrage to news stories about extravagant spending by the city’s borough presidents. After more criticism of the office of borough president in the Daily News yesterday, Michael Blooomberg said at a press conference that “their budgets are relatively small compared to the city budget. Do we get good value for it? I’ll leave that to the public to decide but generally I would argue that...

On the Price of Borough Presidents, Bloomberg is Not Outraged

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:49:57 -0400

The crumbling economy isn’t prompting Michael Bloomberg to react with outrage to news stories about extravagant spending by the city’s borough presidents.

After more criticism of the office of borough president in the Daily News yesterday, Michael Blooomberg said at a press conference that “their budgets are relatively small compared to the city budget. Do we get good value for it? I’ll leave that to the public to decide but generally I would argue that...

Minor Intrigue in Queens

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:39:37 -0500

Dave Kerpen, a Queens resident who appeared in Fox’s Paradise Hotel in 2003, is announcing his candidacy for office at an event in Astoria tomorrow.

Kerpen’s political future has been the subject of local chatter for some time.

Initially, he going to run for the City Council seat being vacated by David Weprin, in Hollis. But Kerpen’s announcement is taking place in Astoria, well outside the district.

A source said they’d heard from Kerpen that he was...

The Problem With 'Freezing' 2009 Money

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:44:46 -0500

The city’s Campaign Finance Board declined to offer a detailed opinion about whether they’d allow candidates to access money in a “frozen” account if, at a later date, they decide to run for higher office because an incumbent there suddenly decides to not seek re-election.

The question was posed to the board by Peter Vallone Jr., who was actively campaigning for Queens Borough President until the term-limits law was extended. A spokesman for the incumbent...