Marty: Will He or Won't He?
An article in today’s Daily News examines whether Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz is going to run for mayor and, if he does throw his hat in the ring, how he might fare in the race. Markowitz has raised around $750,000 and is going to start meeting with Brooklyn politicians about the possible run over…
An article in today’s Daily News examines whether Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz is going to run for mayor and, if he does throw his hat in the ring, how he might fare in the race. Markowitz has raised around $750,000 and is going to start meeting with Brooklyn politicians about the possible run over the next few weeks, according to the article. Some critics say that Marty would have a tough time campaigning for citywide office since he’s so closely linked to Brooklyn and that the borough president’s rep as Brooklyn’s cheerleader will turn off voters looking for a candidate with more gravitas. “I am somewhat comical. That’s who I am, says Marty in response to charges that his persona isn’t serious enough. I’m not going to deny that and I’m not going to change if I seek this office. ” Political strategist Norman Adler says that if Markowitz does decide to run, it won’t be a shot in the dark for him. He’s been around too long for that.” Think he’ll go for it?
Markowitz Mayoral Bid Could be Tough [NY Daily News]
Photo by threecee.
10:59, I disagree with your scorecard. Marty did not “spearhead” any of the five projects listed by 9:57 that you credit him with. The Williamsburg-Greenpoint rezoning grew out of the community-based 197-a plans. (Let’s disregard how City Planning bastardized them for now.) The Fourth Avenue upzoning was the Department of City Planning’s quid pro quo for Park Slope’s request for a downzoning up the hill. The Downtown Brooklyn plan builds on work by the Regional Plan Association well before Marty’s election and was realized by the Economic Development Corporation. Brooklyn Bridge Park is more than twenty years in coming and the first chair of the local development corporation was Howard Golden, Marty’s predecessor.
However, Marty did have a major role in a couple of the projects listed in your post; the Red Hook cruise ship terminal and the Coney Island Master Plan. I know his staff worked on some of the lawsuits related to the Newtown Creek clean-up but don’t know how significant that was. But Gateway Estate II is a developer-driven project that may pre-date Marty’s election. And the Fulton Mall fix-up should be credited to the business improvement district association.
Gabby closes with the question, “Think he’ll go for it?” No, as a matter of fact, I do not.
10:59=Marty’s PR team
As much as I love Marty and respect his support for Atlantic Yards, I don’t think he’s cut out to be the mayor. He should end his BB presidency and step down. This is one case where I wish there were no term limits.
9:57 AM,
You say he’s ineffective, yet you ramble off five major projects he’s spearheaded. Can you say cogitative dissonance? You didn’t even mention the Red Hook Cruise ship terminal, Gateway Estate II, the Coney Island Master Plan, Fulton Mall fix-up and the Newtown Creek clean-up etc. You might not like the guy, but you can’t say that adding well over 100,000 new dwelling units – many of them affordable – and thousands of jobs in all sectors of the Brooklyn economic is unproductive. Also, your critique – so typical of a privileged, whiny white inhabitants of the brownstone belt – just bolsters his supports among new immigrants, the unions, seniors, communities of color and the almighty Jewish vote. Remember, it takes coalition to make it to Gracie Mansion.
I remember when he was first running for borough president and they asked him if he wanted to be mayor. His answer?
“Yech. No way. I’d have to deal with Staten Island!”
there’s bound to be tape of that quip somewhere. he definitely wouldnt carry that borough.
Borough president is a figurehead and nothing more – Yet another example of NYC Bureaucracy creating positions and line itmes in a budget that are wholly unnecessary and wasteful.
See 9:24 a.m.
Couldn’t stop laughing after seeing this post. Should be entertaining if nothing else.
The man is the midwife to chaos and the destruction of Brooklyn. Wheh he was elected in 2001, everyone thought that he would be essentially harmless and a bouncing rodeo clown to watch for 8 years (as he had done absolutely nothing of merit in Albany or Brooklyn for the previous 22 – but could always be counted on to show up to the opening of an envelop, so everyone knew him. Besides, Ken Fisher’s run was lackluster to say the least and Jeanette Gadson was an also-ran.) In the past 7 years, we’ve seen a complete and utter failure of land-use planning in this borough – from Williamsburg-Greenpoint rezoning, the Fourth Avenue upzoning, the Downtown Brooklyn plan, and Brooklyn Bridge Park – to say nothing of Atlantic Yards. In each of these cases – regardless if you agree that they are good ideas or not – Marty has been entirely ineffectual as a leader who has some nominal power over land-use decisions. The man is an incompetent heel.