By Alex Ginsberg
City Councilman David Weprin (D-Hollis) has withdrawn his controversial bid to join the city's Black, Hispanic and Asian Caucus.
The councilman, who is white, said Monday he would no longer seek to become a member of the group.
Weprin, the son of late state assembly speaker Saul Weprin and the brother of state Assemblyman Mark Weprin (D-Bayside), ruffled feathers among some of the Council's minority members in February 2002 when he first expressed an interest in joining the caucus.
He claimed eligibility based on the fact that his mother, Sylvia, was born in Cuba, although he is better known for his involvement in Jewish issues than for his Hispanic heritage.
The bid was viewed by some as a publicity stunt or an attempt to broaden his power base by aligning himself with a strong voting bloc.
“The media played it up as controversial,” Weprin said in an interview Monday. “There were some members who were not comfortable with it. I did it with the best of intentions. Maybe I was naive. I thought I'd be welcomed, but there were some members who objected, who thought I was doing it for political reasons. I didn't want to cause that sort of dissension or controversy.”
The caucus, formerly the Black and Hispanic Caucus, added the word “Asian” to its name after accepting Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing) when he became the first Asian American elected to a public office in New York state in 2001.
It is composed of the Council's black and Hispanic members and one Asian member. It has no formal powers, but can influence decisions by voting as a bloc.
No official decision was made on Weprin's candidacy. Former Councilman Angel Rodriguez, a Brooklyn Democrat, was caucus co-chairman at the time Weprin first expressed his desire to join, but he resigned from the City Council in disgrace in August before pleading guilty to extortion. Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-Corona), who has since assumed co-chairmanship of the caucus, said he “no opinion” on the Weprin affair because he was not in a leadership position at that time.
The other co-chair, Councilwoman Helen Foster (D-Bronx), did not return calls for comment.
Weprin said the idea first came up during a meeting in Albany when U.S. Rep. Jose E. Serrano (D-Bronx), whose son Jose M. Serrano (D-Bronx) is a city councilman, suggested he explore membership in the caucus.
“Congressman Serrano put the idea in my head,” said Weprin. “He said 'Why don't you apply to join the council caucus?' He didn't see why I shouldn't join. It sounded like a good idea.”
Reach reporter Alex Ginsberg by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 157.
