Public Advocates Race- Who Is Running And Who Has Signed Our Defending Libraries Letter of Support (Plus, Very Important, Who Is Taking Real Estate Money!)

Who is running for NYC Public Advocate and more . . .

The whole race for NYC Public Advocate is sort of ridiculous at the moment.

There is no time for anyone to find out about the election (it’s on Tuesday the 26th of this month), figure out who is running, or to campaign and say what their positions are.  It is also for a stub term that will be over almost instantaneously.  The next election for the office basically starts as soon as this one ends.

Lastly, it is a shrieking advertisement for why we should have instant runoff voting.  With seventeen candidates (still) running it is a circular firing squad where candidates advertising similar positions will execute each other.  The winner could conceivable win with less than 10% of the vote (more likely it will be with a little over 20%).  A good Republican can be better than a bad Democrat (we don't want to be in any way prejudiced), but with only one Republican running, he may be the winner just because he is a Republican even though no candidate is allowed to run as either a Republican or a Democrat.

What may be more important is how quickly any winner of that office can do something that makes fireworks to set themselves up for the next election for that office.  That includes potentially doing something for libraries and doing the things that protects the city’s populace against the real estate industry, protecting the public realm, public places and maintaining a livable city with human dimension and scale for its residents.

We have written before about the importance of the office of NYC Public Advocate when our libraries are under threat.  Further, one of the prominent and obvious forces in the panoply of forces arraying to threaten libraries, is the real estate industry that spends so copiously to buy off our elected officials.  Information about which of the Public Advocates candidates are taking money from that industry and which of them are taking in the biggest and most troubling ways is available on an article in the Villager by Lynn Ellsworth of New Yorkers For a Human Scale New York (see- Wanted: Candidates who’ll fight big real estate, February 11, 2019) and in a related study she has published on the numbers (see- Follow the Money and the Voting Records:  Public Advocates Race . . .Candidates Who Participated in the First Debate  2/6/19- It uses cute little face icons as a guide to the ext and analysis).

In the Villager article Ms. Ellsworth says the race is lowering her expectations about what is in store for our future because the “race is rife with term-limited politicians, machine pols and recipients of real estate money.”

After a few curt remarks about the effect real estate money has already had on candidates in the huge field that is running Ellsworth says:

The sniff test of “who takes real estate money and who doesn’t” leaves a few candidates standing: David Eisenbach, Nomiki Konst, Dawn Smalls and Ben Yee — and to a lesser extent Kim and O’Donnell. The two women, Smalls and Konst, passed the first of the Campaign Finance Law’s funding thresholds and got into the public debate.

In the bad-news-might-be-good-news department, the most encouraging thing that can be teased out of this overall perplexing situation is that because very few people will vote and know about the election and the candidates, those who do may have significant extra sway over the results.  We encourage you to vote.  Just as important: Let the candidates you are voting for (and not voting for) because of their positions with respect to libraries and the real estate industry know about how those issues have directed your vote.

Right now a number of the candidates have signed the Citizens Defending Libraries letter of support:

Support and Sign-On Letter: Full and Adequate Library Funding, A Growing System, Transparency, Books and Librarians.

(We will be sending the information out to our multi-thousand list soon- plus potentially updating this post- so if you wish to exercise influence on any non-signers to tell them to get down to business please do.)

Public Advocate candidate signers are (roughly in order of quickness of response and enthusiasm):

David Eisenbach (who has written a letter about his support for libraries)
Nomiki D. Konst
Benjamin L. Yee
Jared Rich
Rafael L. Espinal

Non-signers are:

Melissa Mark-Viverito (She has actively ignored all our reach outs)
Yandis Rodriguez (Not likely to come around to signing since he secretly set up sale of Inwood Library)
Jumaane D. Williams (A front runner who should be signing and abstained on the City Council vote on the Brooklyn Heights Library sale as we recall)

And the others who have not gotten back to us:

Michael A. Blake
(Anthony) Tony Herbert
Ron Kim
Daniel (Danny) J. O’Donnell
Dawn L. Smalls
Latrice Walker
Eric A. Ulrich
A. Manny Aliccandro
Helal Abu Sheikh

Candidates who dropped out and are now irrelevant are:

Theo Chino
Daniel Christmann
Ifeoma Ike
Diane Savino
Gwenn Goodman
Michael Zumbluskas
Raphael Schweizer

Democratic Primary (September 12, 2017)- Candidates For Public Advocate: David Eisenbach vs. incumbent Tish James

David Eisenbach wearing save our library, don't sell our libraries buttons as he campaigned outside the Inwood Library to be elected to the office of NYC Public Advocate

What do library defenders need to know about the candidates running to be the Democratic candidate for New York City Public Advocate?  David Eisenbach is running against incumbent Tish James.

Thursday of this week, David Eisenbach was up in the neighborhood of Inwood standing with a large crowd outside the Inwood Library calling for that library to be saved from sale for development by Mayor Bill de Blasio and his administration.

Save the Inwood Library press conference Thursday

Public Advocate Tish James was not there.  In her now nearly four years in office as Public Advocate Tish James has done little to oppose the sale of New York City libraries.

After the current NYC Comptroller, Scott Stringer wrote a strong letter critical of the BPL's sale and shrinkage of its second biggest biggest library in Brooklyn with the current Tish James followed suit to write similarly, and as a candidate for office candidate James campaigned against such shrinkages.
Accordingly, Citizens Defending Libraries endorsed her when she ran for her office.  And Ms. James mentioned protecting libraries in both speeches she gave after her two primary wins four years ago.  She again mentioned the importance of protecting libraries and our public assets in her inaugural address.
 
Nevertheless, Ms. James is one of the list of public officials who have not done enough to exercise their formidable powers to protect the libraries from the significant abuses involved in their sales.

Where does David Eisenbach stand on the subject of NYC library sales?

David Eisenbach has signed our Citizens Defending Libraries letter of support.  See: Support and Sign-On Letter: Full and Adequate Library Funding, A Growing System, Transparency, Books and Librarians.

Letter from David Eisenbach, candidate for Public Advocate, decrying library sales.

David Eisenbach has also furnished Citizens Defending Libraries with a letter further expressing his thoughts about stopping these sales and the role of the Public Advocate in that regard.

It reads:

To Supporters of Citizens Defending Libraries,

My name is David Eisenbach. I teach history at Columbia University and I'm running in the September 12th Democratic Primary for Public Advocate because I'm tired of New York City's Democratic establishment selling off our libraries, parks, and hospitals to Big Real Estate. I'm absolutely furious about the city's plan to demolish the Inwood library and sell the property to a developer. Libraries have played an essential role in my life. As a child my local library hosted storytelling and film programs that enkindled a joy for learning and planted the seeds for my career as a writer and History Channel host and producer. My first book was almost entirely researched in NYPL. I think the Inwood Library sellout is symbolic of the sick, distorted priorities of our current society that values money over knowledge. Now more than ever we need to build and expand libraries not tear them down for the highest bidder.

I know 4 years ago Bill de Blasio and Tish James made a lot of promises to Citizens Defending Libraries -- promises that went unfulfilled. It would be very reasonable for you to be suspicious of yet another politician promising to be THE ONE to defend the libraries. All I can say is I don't accept big real estate money. I'm not a career politician looking to use the Public Advocate's office to become mayor - I only want to be Public Advocate. I've dedicated my career to spreading knowledge and sparking a passion for learning in my students. I promise I'll be a Real Public Advocate who will defend Inwood library and all others. So remember to vote this Tuesday.

Sincerely,

David Eisenbach

PRESS RELEASE & ADVISORY- City Council Vote On Library Sell-Off & Shrinkage Program Prototype- Many questions to be asked about backroom deal involving de Blasio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York City 

WHAT: The New York City Council's expected vote is expected to vote this Wednesday,on the precedent-setting proposed fire sale of a major public asset, Brooklyn's second biggest library, the central destination library in Downtown Brooklyn.  A decision from Mayor de Blasio (who has been taking money from the developer and whose Department of Education as of Thursday per an announcement last Thursday is redeploying substantial resources to promote the library sale) is expected soon afterward if the Council approves. 
WHEN: Wednesday, December 16, 2015, 1:30 P.M. 
WHERE: Council Chambers, City Hall, City Hall Park New York, New York 10007  
WHAT ELSE?:  Citizens Defending Libraries will be on hand to provide facts about the decision before the City Council.

Last Thursday, the City a Council Land Use Committee and its subcommittee voted to approve the sale and shrinkage of the Brooklyn Heights Library (down to 42% of its current size) based on a complicated backroom deal kept under wraps until the last minute.

Tomorrow, Wednesday the 16th, the City Council will be asked to confirm the Land Use Committee's vote, its first ever of this kind, initiating a program of similar library sales based on this prototype.

Here are questions that we hope the City Council members, the NYC Comptroller, NYC Public Advocate and members of the press will be asking about the backroom deal (hopefully before the vote), and which Citizens Defending Libraries is distributing accordingly:

    1.    What is the now reduced amount available from the sale that could become available to other libraries?  When the backroom deal was announced Councilman Levin, Councilman Lander and Brooklyn President Linda Johnson all made statements to the public and press that they still expected an estimated “$40 million” netted from that sale that could go to other libraries.  However, at her Tuesday board meeting this evening Linda Johnson told her board the net amount will actually have to be appreciably less because the shrunken Brooklyn Heights Library will be 5,000 feet larger (“that much more to fit out”) than previously planned (and there will actually be “less money” to go elsewhere).

    2.    What is the amount of money that the BPL and Levin have agreed to redeploy to the enlargement of the Greenpoint Library (“earmarked specifically” from the Brooklyn Heights sale said Ms. Johnson)?  The Greenpoint library, another in Levin’s district, for which Ms. Johnson said Levin has an “affinity” is to be demolished and enlarged.  Why was this item on Levin’s backroom deal list not disclosed to the public with the rest?  Was it disclosed to the Land Use Committee and its members?

    3.    What exactly is the K-12 "STEM" facility that the de Blasio administration is putting into the developer's proposed tower when the Department of Education buys back from the developer (at what cost) previously public property pursuant to its commitment which involves also outfitting the space (at what cost) and operating it (at what cost)?  Linda Johnson told her board that “what exactly” a "STEM" facility "means" still has to be fleshed out.  Since disclosure of the deal, Steve Levin has said that, based on estimations, the space might be room for up to three (K-12) classrooms.  Also, since disclosure of the deal, he has said DOE will lease the space for ten years with an option to buy.  Levin did not say what the lease amounts would be (hopefully less than installment-to-purchase payments) and said that DOE’s outfitting costs were unknown.  Are they estimated? $6.75 million?

    4.    How long were plans spent working this out in City Hall with the Mayor's office?  How long was the plan that was reached kept undisclosed, specially in is major aspects?  Linda Johnson referred to "months" of prep work and refereed to many days sitting in City Hall working on it.  At the meeting the BPL trustees were told that Deputy Mayor for Development Alicia Glen had personally adopted this project as "her own." The item on the list that was saved for the last to put in place involved some (relatively feeble?) concessions to the unions.  Only days before Levin denied a deal was in the offing.

    5.    What is the story with the promised tiny new DUMBO library (which will also be  in Levin's district).  This will also be subtracting from what funds could (but can’t be guaranteed to) go elsewhere.  Linda Johnson said how this will be “executed” needs to be figured out. (She suggested that in the small space they would be at lot of children’s and tech services.)   Even for a library that is just 5,000 square feet, DUMBO is expensive.  Will it be leased as was the plan for it conceived in 2007 (the same time the Brooklyn Heights and Donnell sales were being conceived and implemented)?  How much will it cost to lease or buy?  How much will it cost to outfit?  $3.75 million?  What then is the overall estimated reduction of funds that might thus be available elsewhere?

    6.    Is the proposed DUMBO library still considered a model for much smaller libraries in the future as was planned in 2007?  With the shrinking 2,500 square foot library in the Walentas BAM South project (286 Ashland Place) we now seem to have two of these very small libraries.  (The DUMBO library was originally supposed to be just 1,700 square feet.)  (Anything less than 10,000 square feet for a library is considered “woefully small.”)

    7.    According to Johnson's report to the board, under its potential "profit sharing" deal with the developer, NYC will pay Kramer's development company $1.5 million for its slight reduction of rents for the off-site "poor door" style "affordable" housing, but only if the developer makes enough money.  Explain this.

    8.    How is this first sale and shrinkage offered for the Council's approval viewed as a “model” for other deals throughout the city and in all three systems as Ms. Johnson testified at City Council’s hearing on the matter?   At the BPL trustee meeting with the trustees applauding this sell-off, the trustees were reminded how sale of this library was chosen as a demonstration for what was possible.  They were told that this was a “huge turning point for the library system” and “across the city in general” with Johnson `pioneering’ the future of libraries.  They were told that Alicia Glenn, de Blasio’s Deputy Mayor for Development has been “one of the best resources to get the project across the finish line.”

That is a short list of the myriad questions surrounding the proposed sale and shrinkage the City Council is asked to approve.  Before this de Blasio/Levin backroom deal there were many more outstanding questions that have never been answered.

Big picture, it is important to remember that this is valuable, recently expanded and fully upgraded library, one of the most modern in he BPL system, that is being sold off for a minuscule fraction of its value to the public, a tiny faction of the more than $120 million it would cost to replace.

We hope that City Council members, the NYC Comptroller, NYC Public Advocate and members of the press will be asking the questions that need to be asked.

While those questions get mulled over we offer you a soundtrack: A new song written and performed by Judy Gorman specifically for the fight to save out libraries from real estate sales (an especially good addition to a radio or podcast news story).

See:

Judy Gorman's Don't Sell Our Libraries Song

CONTACT:
Carolyn E. McIntyre, Michael D. D. White
Michael White, 718-834-6184, mddwhite [at] aol.com
Carolyn McIntyre, 917-757-6542 cemac62 [at] aol.com

Follow us on Twitter: @defendinglibraries

For photos and videos of prior Citizens Defending Libraries rallies opposing the sale, shrinkage, underfunding of New York City libraries, and elimination of books and librarians in the two and a half+ years since its founding, see:

PHOTO GALLERIES- PAST EVENTS

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Citizens Defending Libraries
(718) 797-5207
http://citizensdefendinglibraries.blogspot.com
@DefendLibraries on twitter
backpack362 [at] aol.com