Glick Has Not Earned Your Vote. Nixon Represents Change. Think About It!
By Jim Fouratt
In the September issue of Westview, I wrote that Cynthia Nixon, if she did not win her primary against Andrew Cuomo, would be a perfect candidate to run on the Working Families ballot for NY State Assembly opposing 28 year incumbent Deborah Glick. Nixon is now on the ballot confirming what I hoped would happen. Nixon stands for principle and change. I believe change is essential if the Democratic Party can be revitalized and returned to its core values of representing the unifying values of diverse populations that make up what is supposed to be the core of the Democratic Party.
I want CHANGE in Albany. I want the state legislature cleaned up and transparent.
After watching Nixon bloom and shine as she not only took on Cuomo, but refused to be threatened and bullied by him, I was impressed. I acknowledge it is complicated for Nixon to challenge a sitting female legislator like Glick. Both women are open lesbians. Nixon is married with a family. But I suggest we, the voters, look closely at Glick’s political record.
Deborah Glick, 28 years in place as my NY State Assembly representative, does not deserve my vote or yours based on her last ten years of service. It is widely recognized that the New York state legislature is one of the most corrupt in the country. Deborah Glick, once a radical choice when first elected as an out lesbian-feminist, walked away from her own history when she became and was rewarded as the bully enforcer of now convicted felon Shelly Silver’s policies. Silver was convicted of criminal corruption and of personally profiting from his power role as Speaker of the NY State Assembly. As the Daily News wrote, Glick is lucky she was not indicted and sent to jail with her mentor.
What happened to Glick? When she was denied the endorsement of the NYC Democratic machine for Borough President she turned her back on her constituents and walked into sleaze-filled backrooms of political Albany. Sad. But more importantly, Glick, in practice rather than rhetoric, turned in her progressive identity to become a power broker supporting Silver and Cuomo when push came to shove. Her actual record shows how few bills she introduced in her 28 years in office. Yes, Glick did give leadership on one issue: women’s health. Important, yes. But Glick held out until almost the very end on endorsing same-sex civil marriage. To my mind, single-issue politicians fail to represent the diversity of needs of their constituents.
I want change! Real change at the New York state legislature. Glick did nothing in practice to change it because she was right in the center of the back room—the corruption cesspool. And no matter how many times Glick tries to deny her role, she cannot get the blood off her hands. Spin or no spin.
Glick was publicly silent on the closure of St. Vincent, despite her power position in Albany and her relationship to Cuomo and his Commissioner of Health. Glick was silent over the building of a fracked gas pipeline that enters her district just below 14th Street crossing West Street. Like her political sister Christine Quinn, Glick did nothing to educate and organize her constituents to resist the potential explosion map that showed the High Line and the business and residential communities, including the Whitney Museum, were at high risk. On the legislative front, one of the few bills Glick has introduced (and doing it in the closing hours after midnight on the last night of the Legislature session and with Silver’s support) was a bill that put the entire West Side riverfront—now occupied by the Hudson Park Trust—and its air rights up for land grab and development by the octopus arms of the hungry real estate developers. Glick is responsible for a West Street that is now subject to massive development. In her own district, this includes the St John’s 1600 units to be built, without any concern for the devastating impact on the ecology and infrastructure of Glick’s entire district.
Glick fought congestive pricing which would have restricted traffic flow from 96th Street to Chambers Street.
What did this elected official do when Hurricane Sandy was about to hit the Lower West Side? Glick packed up and left town to her home upstate, so low was her concern for her own constituents.
There is so much more. If you look at her legislative record, in 26 years Glick has introduced few actual bills. Check her financial contributions over the last 10 years and you will find she took in hundreds of thousands of dollars in “dark money” from LLCs and political PACs.
The Democratic machine and media like The Villager may call her progressive but if one looks closely at her actual record it defies the definition.
We are so lucky to have two out lesbians running for State Assembly on November 6th… Nixon is on fire! Glick should have retired to her home and partner upstate.
Nixon will bring new energy and vision and I just bet she will keep in close contact with her constituency…something Glick has not done for years.
Beware of the spin that Nixon did not want to run and will not serve. It is no accident Nixon’s name is on the ballot on the Working Families party line—Nixon agreed to run. That is what matters to me. When Nixon wins, I expect her to accept the call of the voters.
If she does accept the job, a special election for an open seat will take place. Finally, other qualified candidates can enter the race without fear of political retribution from the Democratic machine and Glick militia.
I WANT CHANGE!!
This is why I am voting for Cynthia Nixon for State Assembly.
