Believe me when I say I didn’t want to touch Kevin Parker -as the subject of one of my columns- again. I have taken enough flack over the years for writing the truths about him and his anger-management issues. So I was quite happy as time went by, to see my columns vindicated time after time, by Mr. Parker’s own public behavior(s); while continuing to sit on information I have been privy to about his private bad behaviors for some time now. Information I have chosen not to release, since no matter what others may think, this isn’t personal on my part. I just strongly believe that electeds should be held to a higher standard of behavior (both private and public), given that they are role models for our youth; and also given that we have chosen them to represent the best in all of us, at one of the highest levels of government: the legislature.

Yesterday, the senate voted overwhelmingly to revoke Hiram Monseratte’s membership and I had to unwillingly revisit my Kevin Parker treatise. And maybe I should close the thread on this column, since I expect the usual suspects to come up here and castigate me, while in denial of obvious truths; while turning a blind eye to obvious facts about Kevin’s perennial bad behavior. Anyway, here goes (and I will leave the thread open). 

Firstly, let me say that while I shed no tears for Hiram Monseratte, I am not sure about this precedent that the senate has set here. My suspicions are that in time, this new rule will be used conveniently, and will be primarily based on who has how much clout and how many connections (to keep them from being banished). I feel that all those who are so offended by Hiram’s misdemeanor conviction could have come together to help take him out at the polls in September, rather than going a route that will surely lead to years of litigation. But in this game I have come to expect that the lawyers will always get paid. And guess what? Most of the 212 electeds in Albany just happen to be lawyers. Some coincidence huh? 

If we go back to Brooklyn’s present borough president Marty Markowitz and 1988, we find a felony allowed to be pled down to a misdemeanor (guilty) by then Senator Markowitz, and no censure nor expulsion from that very same august body. I could name other legislators who just happened to be convicted of what I consider serious misdemeanors, who didn’t even have a disciplinary hearing. 

Now you can expect some of Marty’s fans to come up here and blast me for dragging up this little piece of mud, but there is a reason I am doing this. You see, justice shouldn’t just conveniently emerge, it should emerge because of standard principle(s); and the same rules should apply to all, no matter what one’s station in life.  

Back then, I do recall that after his arrest, Liz Holtzman (DA) dragging-out this “Hyfin Credit Union” scam for quite some time, in order to allow Marty some wiggle-room, which he eventually utilized. If he had been convicted of a felony, he would have had to give up his senate seat; but by pleading guilty to a misdemeanor he could continue running in the primary, wherein he was being challenged by educator/activist Mr. Maurice Gumbs. Of course Marty was re-elected that year, and poor Maurice Gumbs lost out on one of the issues he campaigned on. 

And what about the many electeds who were caught driving drunk? Some were even exceeding the speed limit at the time. How many of them were allowed to plea bargain their way back to office? How quickly do we forget Hiram’s successor (John Sabini)? And what about the many others who were given special dispensation (like Senator Babboush/Carnarsie). Interestingly enough Senator John Sampson defeated Babboush on said issues around “bad behavior” whilst in office. All the years Babboush stayed in office, not a member rose in the senate chamber to condemn his absences (about 75%), nor his other shenanigans: far less setting up some special committee to have hearings and/or investigate. 

And then we have so many friggin hypocrites up there who know of the bad behaviors of many of their fellow members and turn a blind eye: are we to now assume that in a post-Monseratte senate this will stop?  You have members who had their wives pregnant, the same time they had their mistresses pregnant, the same time they had young legislative interns pregnant, only to be rewarded with higher leadership posts in the senate and/or assembly. You have others who routinely “womanize” with impunity. You have some two-fisted drinkers up there, and others who are borderline alcoholics. And don’t forget those who are mob-connected. And there are closeted gay ones who vote against same-sex marriage; and openly gay ones who will fuck anything that moves. And straight ones who behave similarly. 

And if you think Governor Paterson’s proclivities makes for lively water-cooler- office- conversations, you have to be kidding: his “shit” is mild stuff when compared to others. There are electeds up there who have screwed more whores than Eliot Spitzer. There are some who frequent the gentlemen’s clubs more times than Tiger Woods. 

Look; sex isn’t only in the city folks; many from the city go up to Albany and have dual lives: where mistresses act as wives. Ask how many of them will name “Big Love”  as their favorite HBO series? Others frequent ‘red-light’ areas routinely. The funny thing is this: most in that body know about all what’s REALLY going on. And now -finally- more than fifty of them have decided to cast quite a few stones. Fine; but let’s now be consistent folks: let’s be true to ourselves, our constituents, our pledges, vows and causes. Let’s be real: otherwise, sacrificing Hiram to the altar of expediency -in order to placate some vocal political groups- will be nothing short of hypocrisy with no long-term gain.  

I wrote all this to get to this person: Kevin Parker. You see, a few weeks ago, the Flatbush Life Newspaper (which covers a large chunk of Brooklyn’s politics quite well) had a front page column, detailing an interview with John Sampson. In this interview John intoned that after Hiram’s determination, Kevin Parker will more than likely be the next batter up. This interview missed making the radar screens of the bigger and more celebrated NYC newspapers. It should have though. Its contents were contemporarily profound 

So now, here comes the court case where Mr. Parker is alleged to have fractured a finger of a reporter who was obviously stalking him -and one who may have even crossed the lines of professional decency. If KP was to plead down to a misdemeanor, shouldn’t the senators give him the same Hiram treatment; given the many times KP has broken the rules? Or should he be given the Marty Markowitz (1988) treatment? You readers tell me: please. Cousin Rocky wants to know. 

Maybe John Sampson was verbalizing about the dilemma he found himself inheriting, and wasn’t trying to set the stage for another brouhaha; but he sure let the cat out of the bag in that interview. So now, we will see what some of these hypocrites do; and I feel that Rev. Ruben Diaz is going to look very prophetic with his warning of yesterday. You see, when he voted for Hiram, he warned democrats to be careful of this precedent they were setting. And when you stop to think about it, Hiram did have his day in court -no matter what many of us (myself included) may think of the decision. Yesterday could be interpreted as “double jeopardy” to Hiram’s detriment; or it could signal the beginning of a new period in the Albany legislature, when lawmakers start doing the right thing(s): of which there are many to do.  

Deep down, I would have preferred the voters of the district taking Hiram down, but since I have no dog in this hunt I could live either way. Only time will tell who will be Hiram’s replacement. And only time will tell whether Hiram’s replacement is clean cut. And who knows what skeletons lie in what closet. And are there interns willing to come forward and publicly tell the many sordid tales of Albany legislators, that they regularly tell journalists like me? And will the mainstream media make resources available, so that many of these electeds get the proper vetting to which voters are entitled? After all, wasn’t the fourth estate designed to play just such a vetting role?   

This isn’t over folks: so do stay tuned-in.