The “New” City Charter Revision Commission headed up by CUNY President Matthew Goldstein hit a few public opinion speed bumps concerning term limits, non-partisan elections, and municipal services delivery.
Yes, because of the summertime heat wave and everyone being on vacation the hearings had poor attendance, bad publicity, and unfriendly meeting locations. But, the meetings still pushed on.
To abolish term limits for good?
Non-partisan elections where well-funded self or special interest push button candidates can easily win?
Charge homeowners for garbage collection?
As our Mayor said, “everything is up for discussion.” Well, let’s discuss a few things.
In 1996, the newly minted Independence Party let me and Forest Hills member John Burns spearhead the public debate for city term limits using our party platform, which clearly states three terms for legislators and two terms for executives, along with the leverage our ballot status to protect term limits.
Even my political nemesis Dr. Lenora Fulani and her followers spoke out in favor of term limits. Did we win? No. The compromise was three consecutive, four-year terms agreed upon with then City Councilmembers John D. Sabini of Jackson Heights and Walter L. McCaffrey of Woodside.
Unfortunately, City Council Speaker Peter Vallone had his own political agenda of staggered term limits, which went down to defeat on Election Day.
Our 1996 Independence Party term limits ballot proposal was straight forward and easy to understand for every New Yorker – three consecutive, four-year terms for Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, and City Councilmembers with voters involved in any future changes. A term limits leveled playing field – endgame.
Mayor Bloomberg’s first City Charter Revision Commission in 2002 was a political payback to the Independence Party splinter group called “Social Therapy,” headed by Dr. Lenora Fulani, Dr. Fred Newman, lawyer Harry Kresky and others, now calling themselves “The NYC Independence Party.”
This all sounds crazy and it is. Visit renowned author Dennis King’s web site www.lyndonlarouchewatch.org for more details. In fact, Kresky was a Charter Revision Commissioner.
Back then our Deputy Mayor Harold Wolfson was working for the Democratic Party and labor unions to defeat non-partisan elections. He used my playbook with much success that I gave to the Central Labor Council to defeat the non-partisan elections ballot proposal without acknowledging me or our Save the Independence Party Voter Coalition volunteers in 2002.
Michael N. Niebauer is President/CEO of Spindoctor Inc. media & advocacy company
Founder of the Independence Party of Queens County Organization and QPTV Producer of “The Independent,” a popular live cable TV talk show on Time Warner, RCN and Verizon Vios Cable Systems.
