The Public Employees Federation (PEF), New York’s second largest state-employee union, representing 9,000 professional, scientific and technical state employees, as well as hundreds of employees in local government agencies, including the Albany County Probation Department and Albany Housing Authority, Thursday announced its endorsement of Corey Ellis in his bid for mayor of Albany.
Ellis, City Councilman from Albany’s Third Ward, has already received the endorsement of the Working Families Party in his quest to unseat four-term incumbent Jerry Jennings. With the PEF support, he can now expect to get a sizeable volunteer army in his get out the vote efforts.
In the Democratic-controlled city, victory in the September primary all but assureds victory in November, but now should Ellis finish just short of a win, he may have sufficient reason, as well as a ballot line, on which to continue the race through to the general election. Today’s endorsement however, makes this race tighter than Jennings expected.
Three thousand miles away, in California’s 10th Congressional District race, the moment of truth comes much sooner for underdog challenger, Anthony Woods. The primary is September 1. However in a crowded field that includes more established, well-known and experienced politicians, Woods picked up an endorsement from the Bay Area Reporter, a gay and lesbian newspaper that has come out in support of this openly gay, African American Iraq War veteran.
…it is more than Woods’s sexual orientation that leads us to recommend him to East Bay voters. Woods would bring a fresh perspective to Congress which has become mired in special interests and hyperbole. One need look no further than the current debate over health care reform; there are not enough progressive Democrats and Republicans are swooping in to kill any effort at real reform.
Finally, New Yorkers who want to vote in the September 15 primary for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, Manhattan DA and a host of city council seats, need to register by Friday, August 21.
Bolt cruised to the finish of the 100-meter final at the world championships in Berlin, besting the 9.69 mark he set winning gold at last year’s Beijing Olympics by 0.11 seconds, finishing in a time of 9.58 seconds. It was the biggest improvement in the 100-meter record since electronic timing began in 1968.
Since my return to blogging you may have noticed a particular emphasis on politics. I admit, I’m political observer and activist, basically a political junkie. Right now we are in the midst of a hot campaign season and frankly that interests me more even than the standings of my pathetic New York Mets right now. I am actively involved in or simply paying attention to several races around New York City as well as other parts of the country, so from time to time will post updates.
The race I care most about is the one for New York City Mayor. Democratic challenger Bill Thompson has picked up key endorsements this week, from Congressman Jose Serrano and the city’s largest municipal workers union, District Council 37, who supported incumbent Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the last elecction. While reports of a less than stellar fundraising month may have given some people pause, those in the know understand that building the grassroots support is the most vital strategy right now, which will pay off as the campaign moves closer to November.
The billionaire mayor’s money will always buy him more television ads and direct mail brochures. But Thompson has a growing and energized base of real live human supporters, prepared to do the neighborhood leafleting, fundraising and visibility events, and the get out the vote efforts.
Downtown in City Council District 3, Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, incumbent Council Speaker Christine Quinn seeks re-election as a result of her deal with Bloomberg to engineer a City Council vote to extend term limits (against the wishes of the citizens of New York). At a candidates forum this week, she faced sharp criticism from her challengers.
Contenders Maria Passannante-Derr and Yetta Kurland ripped Quinn not just for her role in the term limits vote, but in not forcefully opposing a 2005 Bloomberg-backed lawsuit that successfully appealed a state court decision allowing same-sex marriage.
“This election is about an arrogant incumbent that has sold out our community for a right-wing Republican mayor,” Passannante-Derr charged.
Back upstate, in my old stomping grounds of Albany, Democratic Mayoral challengers, City Councilman Corey Ellis and four-term incumbent Jerry Jennings held competing press conferences this week on the same subject, what to do about the city’s growing number of abandoned and vacant properties, and they articulated two distinctly different approaches.
The Huffington Post this week called the Albany mayor’s race one to watch.
While we still wait to hear from the “leader of the Democratic Party in New York State,” New York City Democratic Mayoral candidate and current city Comptroller Bill Thompson has been racking up endorsements from other influential sources this week including a major labor union that will announce their support today.
Saturday, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1056 officially backed Thompson, then Wednesday, Staten Island State Senator Diane Savino officially gave her endorsement, which may open doors in that traditionally Republican borough.
Now comes word that District Council 37, representing 120,000 city government workers, will come out in support of Thompson. The union, made up of many office-based workers, like secretaries, accountants and social workers, had supported Mayor Bloomberg in the 2005 election, which was a departure for the traditionally Democratic-leaning organization.
Update: Perhaps the “leader of the Democratic Party in New York State” has made an endorsement afterall?
The long wait is over. Season 6 of Project Runway returns to the television airwaves next Thursday night, August 20 on the Lifetime cable network.
The delay since the end of season 5 was caused at least in part by the decision by show producers to leave its previous cable home on Bravo and switch to Lifetime. A legal battle ensued and the show was on indefinite hold until that was cleared up.
A move across the dial is not the only change. Hosts, supermodel Heidi Klum and Liz Claiborne Chief Creative Officer Tim Gunn, along with judges Michael Kors and Nina Garcia, have left New York’s Parson’s School of Design behind for a move to California. The show now calls FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles its new design studio.
Sixteen designers will compete for the Project Runway title and a chance at prizes and increased visibility for their own careers. There are three Black designers among this season’s cast, including 50 year old Epperson (he just goes by a single name) and 42 year old Qristyl Frazer, both from New York, and 31 year old Ra’mon-Lawrence Coleman from Chicago (who does blip the gaydar, but his identity hasn’t been official established yet).
Also new this year is a behind the scenes look at what the Project Runway models experience. Models of the Runway will be a companion program where 16 women vie to be paired with the winning designer of “Project Runway” for a $25,000 cash prize from L’Oreal Skin Genesis and a fashion spread in Marie Claire magazine.
The entire evening will begin however with a look back at some of our favorite Project Runway contestants from the first five seasons. Project Runway: All-Star Challenge pits eight of our favorite designers from past seasons, all of whom made it to Fashion Week during their seasons, with one even winning the whole show. The winning designer will take home a $100,000 cash prize.