Sunday, September 27, 2009

Misogynistic Mayor may cost Quinn her Leadership

The mayor doesn't like discussing the subject of the class action sexual harassment case against him and his company.

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's power base is now in question -- following her close association with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his controversial push for third term extensions.

Bloomberg tricked Quinn into doing his dirty work on extending term limits, and then left her out to fend herself against voter anger. More evidence of his bias against women.

From the New York Times : Answers About Michael R. Bloomberg, Part 2 :

Q. Are the sexual harassment issues that are being brought against Bloomberg L.P. recent, or were they prior to his terms as mayor? If they are later than 2002 hasn’t he divested himself from any active role in the company and should it not be a relevant issue? If events occurred during his company stewardship, that is a different matter and should be brought to bear in the current campaign. Would you comment on this subject? — Posted by Ned Brody

A. A complicated subject. Mr. Bloomberg and his company faced three sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits when he was still in charge of Bloomberg L.P. One suit, by a woman who charged Mr. Bloomberg with snapping “Kill it!” when she told him she was pregnant, claimed that he and other company executives subjected women to “repeated and unwelcome” sexual comments and overtures. That suit was settled the year before Mr. Bloomberg became a mayoral candidate. He did not admit guilt, and the plaintiff accepted an undisclosed sum and agreed to remain forever silent. A second harassment suit was dropped because of legal blunders by the woman’s lawyer, and a third was withdrawn after the plaintiff’s husband, another Bloomberg employee, pleaded guilty to stealing from the company.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

YouTube censors Blogger

WEEKS BEFORE NYC MAYORAL ELECTION, YOUTUBE.COM SUPPRESSES FREE SPEECH

YouTube.com has censored the artist-activist-citizen journalist Suzannah B. Troy by suspending her entire account (300 videos).

Suzannah B. Troy, a New York City-based artist, citizen journalist, and blogger, has had her YouTube.com account inexplicably suspended by the popular video website.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Suzannahartist

First Suzannah B. Troy, next us.

Ms. Troy has spent months creating, editing, and posting hundreds of original citizen journalist videos focusing on the controversial election this year of local candidates running for third terms in office. In particular, Ms. Troy's videos have been highly critical of the New York City Council and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The nature of the videos on her YouTube.com account have ranged from breaking news-quality videos of voter demonstrations, to video blogs of her commentary on the elections, to artistic interpretation of news events. There is no reason for her account to be suspended by YouTube other than for the political and artistic nature of their content.

Please write to Youtube at: press@youtube.com and ask them for their official policy of suspending accounts of artists and citizen journalists.

We are only weeks away from an important election, which shall decide if City Council Members and Mayor Bloomberg will thwart the will of voters' two referrenda on term limits. And missing from the free exchange of ideas during the critical debates that will be taking place in the time leading up to the election will be Ms. Troy's body of work.

Without you stepping in to blog, publish, or report about this questionable suspension of Ms. Troy's YouTube account (as well as the potential of loss of hundreds of videos), other citizen journalists may face the same sad fate : cyber suppression.

Please consider the importance of voter participation in free and open democratic elections.

UPDATE: After pressure, YouTube.com restores Blogger's account

The blog site Queens Crap is reporting that YouTube has restored Suzannah B. Troy's account.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Bloomberg exposed in new film






The
Film
You
Must
See
This
Election
Year !




The Promise of New York is an award-winning documentary that follows the entertaining antics of three underdogs who try to unseat billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg during the 2005 mayoral election. Featuring: Michael Bloomberg, Ed Koch, Christopher Brodeur, Jessica Delfino, Seth Blum, Andy Horwitz, and Chris Riggs.

Upcoming Screening Dates:

* Tuesday Sept. 8, 8PM; Monkey Town; $10/$10 Minimum
58 N 3rd ST, Brooklyn, NY ; 718.384.1369
Reservations highly recommended. Click here for Tickets or Information.

* Friday Sept. 11 & Saturday Sept. 12, 9PM; Dixon Place; $10
161 Chrystie ST, New York, NY
(212) 219-0736; www.dixonplace.org
Click here for Sept. 11 Tickets.
Click here for Sept. 12 Tickets.

From the publicity materials :

"A blogger turned stand-up comic, an obsessive political gadfly and a high-school math teacher compete against each other and arch rival incumbent Michael Bloomberg for the post of New York City mayor. As these ordinary citizens take politics into their own hands, The Promise of New York explores the meaning of democracy and the identity of a city with hilarious irreverence and thought-provoking sensitivity."

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Bloomberg wanted to ban cameras in NYC

Mayor Bloomberg and his Unconstitutional Camera Law, according to wearechange.org


"First interaction between We Are Change, who are members of the independent press, and billionaire New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is trying to pass a fascist and unconstitutional Camera ban in NYC."


Thursday, August 20, 2009

Bloomberg's secret political campaign contributions

Thompson Challenges Mayor’s Financial Disclosures

The New York Times reported that City Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr.'s mayoral campaign has filed a complaint with the city’s Campaign Finance Board arguing that Mayor Michael Bloomberg had failed to disclose more than $3.3 million in political contributions for the 2009 election, much of it to Republican organizations. An anonymous expert reported that these contributions were most likely made from Mr. Bloomberg’s own personal funds.

For the record, I did not post the following reader-reaction to the article in the NYTimes :

August 20, 2009 6:57 pm

"Bloomberg is like Nixon, if the mayor does it, it’s not against the law.

"In that thicket of haywire within his head, they mayor is a law unto himself. This was reflected recently when the mayor had distributed money to community groups purportedly at the request of city council members, but in fact solely on the mayor’s initiative. Then the mayor says, well, recollections may differ.

"If there is any taped recording of the mayoral conversations regarding the unreported contributions, you can be sure there are gaps on it, and probably more than 18 minutes worth."

— Nat

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Remember Term Limits NYC 2009

We need a new Mayor in NYC, a new Councilman in Queens, and a whole new State Senate in Albany


Michael Bloomberg, Tony Avella, Christine Quinn, Helen Sears, Daniel Dromm, Term Limits, No Third Term, NYC Mayor, NY City Council