Not the two-legged kind. “Fed Up New Yorkers” is a new tabloid that boldly states its mission: “Because No Third Term Means No Third Term!”

The inaugural issue of FUNY became a collectors item overnight, if only for the cover illustration: full color depiction of a smirking King Bloomberg (Mayor for Life) perched on his throne, Quinn peeking from behind him, with loyal lowly serfs - the NY Times, real estate developers, NYU president, NY civic groups, the Republican and Independent Parties - bowed at his feet, greedy hands reaching for treasure chests full of tax breaks, the Bloomberg Foundation, and campaign cash. The illustration is a classic, suitable for framing.

Just the other evening, a man walked his bicycle down his driveway, intent on taking a ride to get his father something to eat. Before he stepped off the curb, an officer stopped the man, accusing him of riding his bicycle on the sidewalk. The officer asked for ID, and said he had to run the man's driver's license. After a few moments, the officer said a warrant came up. The man, gainfully employed, asked “What kind of warrant?” Answer from the cop: “A motor vehicle warrant.” The man asked, “What's that?” Cop: “I don't know, but motor vehicle issued a warrant for your arrest.”

The campaign season is in full swing and the candidates are seemingly everywhere. One event they had to attend was this year's Brownsville Oldtimer's Weekend. I had never attended, for fear of getting caught in a... well, you know. It's Brownsville. Those from the 'Ville never run, never will. (No offense, Jocko.) Oldtimer's Weekend is the biggest ghetto fabulous street party I have ever seen. (People who wear “Bye Hater” t-shirts should be fined until they are destitute. Oh, it's Brownsville. Nevermind.)

Darlene Mealy has not skipped a beat since she shocked everyone -- including the WFP, which was instrumental for getting her elected -- when she abruptly changed her mind and voted in favor of Bloomberg's unpopular term limit extension. She acts like it doesn't matter. I must say, however, I haven't heard one of Darlene's subject/ verb agreement faux paux's lately. She must have a grammar tutor on the side.

With all due respect to the co-equal branch of government, I neglected to list judicial races in a previous post. 

Below is the short list of candidates for the judiciary who have no challengers based upon Board of Election records of petitions filed by last week's deadline. 

Kings County

Judge of the Civil Court

3rd Municipal District, Vacancy #2

Pamela L. Fisher (Democratic line)

 

Queens County

Judge of the Civil Court

Vacancy #9

Jodi Orlow Mackoff (Democratic line)

Vacancy #10

Richard G. Latin (Democratic line)

You thought I would make endorsements or wild predictions regarding the outcome of multi-candidate races? Not a chance.

Below is the short list of candidates who have no challengers based upon Board of Election records of petitions filed by last week's deadline. 

No need to wait. Swear them in and pop the bubbly.

Brooklyn District Attorney: Charles Hynes

(Democratic, Republican, Working Families, and Conservative lines)

44th Council District, Brooklyn: Simcha Felder

(Democrat, Republican, and Conservative lines)

24th Council District, Queens: James F. Gennaro, Jr

When the 41st Council District is quiet for too long, you know drama “soon come.”

Two of Tony Herbert's campaign workers accused the Mealy campaign of brandishing a gun at them – a 9mm silver handgun. 

The incident allegedly took place on Ralph Ave. across the street from the Breevort Houses. The campaign workers, ages 18 and 20, were collecting signatures when according to Tony, a blue Tahoe with Darlene Mealy posters on it pulled up to the youth. A male leaned out and told the youth to “Get the hell out of here.” The man then allegedly pulled out a 9mm silver handgun and pointed it at the youth. After blocking the youths path, the vehicle drove off. Tony says this incident happened about 5- 5:30 pm. The youth called Tony, who says he arrived on the scene 10 minutes later and took the campaign workers to the precinct, where they gave a description of the man, and the vehicle. The youth did not get the license plate number. 

Dr. Lenora Fulani has a plan: deliver NYC to Mike Bloomberg's Upper East Side home for another 4 years. Her plan has elements of Bloomberg's 2 previous elections – siphoning a measure of blacks from voting on the Democrat line and merging them with the city's Independents. 

Fulani, previously incensed at Bloomberg's flouting of 2 (count 'em, 2) citywide referendums in support of term limits, changed her tune when His Honor agreed to support the Independence Party's agenda: “non-partisan political reform,” aka open primaries. And of course, published reports state Bloomberg agreed to “help” pay for the Independence Party's campaign costs.

After coming thisclose to unseating Charles Hynes a few short years ago, State Senator John Sampson says he is not running for Brooklyn District Attorney this year. With a mere 5,000 votes deciding the outcome (approximately 35,000 votes to Hynes 40,000), many looked forward to  Sampson making another run.

Sampson, recently appointed to chair the Senate's Judiciary Committee, says he is exploring his new role overseeing the $2 billion Unified Court System.  In the four months since he has been in the position, Sampson has used his influence to bring more diversity to the state's bench, including: Fern Fisher, the first African American woman Chief Administrative Judge; Sylvia Hynes Raddox, Administrative Judge, Civil Term; Justices Plummer Lott and Priscilla Hall, Appellate Division, 2nd Dept.; and Justice Gonzalez, Presiding Justice, 1st Dept.

The Half Million Dollar Man hosted a “national” march presumably to commemorate the 55th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education. Even with the enticement of a free bus trip to DC, sources who were there say only a couple of thousand  attended, many of whom must have been members of National Action Network.

The consummate racial huckster has found his “new” civil rights” agenda: education. The issue is laudable and necessary, but this civil rights leader did what civil rights leaders do – overdose on testosterone to the exclusion of Black (and now Hispanic) women.

Of the dozen or more speakers (elected officials, education specialists, parent groups, and clergy), the organizers of the march could find only 2 females suitable to address the issue of education: Miss Teen DC and Minnijean Brown Trickey, member of the “Little Rock Nine” at Central High.

Mayoral candidate Comptroller Bill Thompson has been steadily racking up high profile endorsements. One of the most notable is former Mayor David Dinkins. 

      Dinkins, who has seen his share of political battles, is the consummate party man. When asked why he chose to endorse Thompson instead of Bloomberg as former Mayors Koch and Guiliani have, Dinkins said of Bloomberg, “He's not a Democrat.” Dinkins added, “Democrats should stick together.”

      “I endorse Thonpson because he is my friend. His father is my friend,” said Dinkins. “I think he is a damn good public servant.”

     Twelve-year-old Diamond Johnson, a resident of Brownsville, Brooklyn, was missing for a week and 2 days. On Thursday, Tony Herbert partnered with Diamond's family, community residents, members of several SUV clubs, and police to conduct a door-to-door search for the girl. A dazed Diamond was found Friday and returned home.

      There is much speculation as to the exact whereabouts of Diamond for more than a week. Many say she could not have been at an extended sleep over, since any mother would have contacted Diamond's parents. Unconfirmed rumors suggest Diamond was in the company of an adult male all that time.  

Is the Bible even relevant anymore? Having gone through multiple translations from the original Aramaic, missing chapters, sporadic discovery of “new” Dead Sea scrolls, justification of all manner of discrimination over the centuries, and the glorification of what some call an “imaginary friend,” the “Good Book” is being used to challenge NYS’s move toward codifying GLBT relationships.

More than 40 years after passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination based upon race, color, sex, religion, or national origin, Governor Paterson introduced Marriage Equality legislation. Even before the official announcement, mostly church based opposition spoke out, led by clergy.

We all remember our first summer job: the pride of earning our own money to spend as we wish; buying our own school clothes; signing our own paycheck.

According to an article on the Daily News site – Mayor Bloomberg is welcoming high school students to work as paid interns on his re-election campaign.

Those familiar with campaign grunt work know the children will be making phone calls, distributing literature, going door to door, and engaging in other voter outreach activities.

One week after the MTA Board voted for drastic fare increases coupled with service cuts and outright elimination of several train and bus lines, the Water Board is scheduled to vote on a proposed double digit increase in water rates this week.

On Friday April 3, the Water Board is scheduled to meet to consider raising rates for local water consumers. Last year, the board approved a 14.5% increase and predicted that this next one would be another “astounding” double digit increase as well.

Comptroller Thompson and Council member David Weprin (2009 candidate for Comptroller) called for changes to the NYC water system to “spare water rate payers steeper future costs while ensuring the safety of the region's water and sewage systems.”

Friday's final Assembly hearing on Mayoral control of schools was, at turns, spirited, vivid, and confrontational. The Brooklyn hearing was packed with stake holders who  felt Mayoral control should be either defended or amended. 

Large numbers of giddy parents, who themselves had experienced decades of seemingly deliberate miseducation in NYC public schools, applauded the improvements under Mayoral control – oblivious to the role NCLB plays in the new standards of accountability. Groups like East Brooklyn Congregations and Learn NY organized the turn out of many parents. 

Only retired Congress member Major Owens opposed “direct Mayoral control” and supported “the re-establishment of a citizens Board of Education.” Owens called for a Parents Bill of Rights and Responsibilities; opposed the use of vouchers as a subsidy for schools which have no public oversight or control; supported public funding of charter schools with clear enunciation of the requirements that they abide by the laws, rules, and regulations established for conventional public schools; and stated that charter schools “must accept the basic terms of collective bargaining agreements.”