Statements on Congressman Anthony Weiner's Announcement of his Resignation from New York Congressional Colleagues

Statement from Rep. Joe Crowley on Weiner Resignation

“Anthony has been a strong advocate for his community and an influential legislator. Although I was deeply disappointed in his behavior, this is a sad way to end his congressional service. I know Anthony and Huma well and I know brighter days are ahead for them and their family. I wish them the best during what is surely a difficult time in their lives.”

Statement from Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns on Weiner Resignation

“Despite his personal problems, Congressman Weiner was an extremely effective lawmaker who had a positive impact on his constituents and the nation as a whole. He championed many causes, and was tireless in his efforts to make life better for all Americans. His voice will be missed. My heart goes out to Anthony Weiner and his family at this difficult time and I hope forgiveness and reconciliation rules the day. I wish them only the best”.

Congressman Gregory W. Meeks Statement on Congressman Anthony Weiner Resignation

Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (NY-6), Senior Member of the House Financial Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement in regards to Congressman Anthony Weiner’s announcement of his resignation:

“This is a sad day, but Anthony has made the right decision for himself, his family and the Democratic Party. He will be sorely missed by me and his constituents. I wish him the best.

Rep. Ed Towns Addresses Hundreds of Brookdale Hospital Workers & Supporters at 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers Rally

On Friday June 10^th, Rep. Edolphus ‘Ed” Towns addressed Brookdale University Hospital workers (1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers),at a rally outside of the facility. The dispute between the union and Brookdale is over the failure of Brookdale Hospital management to make payments for health coverage. In a statement released last week the Congressman put his support behind the workers. “These workers entered into a good faith contract and it is the responsibility of the State Department of Health to see to it that every effort is made to resolve this dispute in favor of the workers and the community”, said Towns.

REP. EDOLPHUS 'ED' TOWNS’ STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF OSAMA BIN LADEN

“For all the innocent victims who perished on 9/11; to every person who has endlessly grieved for someone they lost on that fateful day; for every 9/11 responder who died as a hero—as well as scores of others who continue to suffer physical and emotional after-effects; to all of our military personnel who have lost their lives on the front lines in the battle against terrorism and tyranny, and for those who continue to engage the terrorists in the fight for freedom, I say quite simply this: justice delayed—but not denied”.

Rep. Edolphus 'Ed' Towns’ Statement on the Death of Hope Reichbach

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of Hope Reichbach. She certainly was a rising political star with so much talent and a genuine concern for the community she passionately served. More importantly a life with so much promise has been cut short at such a young age. Brooklyn has indeed lost a tremendous gift. My prayers go out to Judge Gustin Reichbach and his family, as well as to the staff of Councilman Steve Levin”.

Photos from North Brooklyn Independent Democratic Club Meeting on April 9th...

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Congressman Towns' Statement on Geraldine Ferraro

Congressman Ed Towns (D-NY) released the following statement today regarding the passing of Geraldine Ferraro.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro, one of America’s great public leaders, on March 26, 2011 after a 12-year battle with multiple myeloma.

“Congresswoman Ferraro preceded me in the House of Representatives and our paths often crossed as Members of the New York delegation. She was a strong American and proud New Yorker. She reminded me of another trailblazer, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, my mentor. Both she and Congresswoman Ferraro were pioneers in female politics and epitomized what it meant to be a political force. At a time when many shied away from political challenges, Ferraro stood tall and became first female Vice Presidential candidate for a major American political party.

“Congresswoman Ferraro’s life touched millions, including mine. We cherish her memory and her legacy will be a beacon for other Americans pursuing their dreams. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Ferraro-Zaccaro family.”

Back and Forth: Ed Towns by Chris Bragg - City Hall News

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Rep. Ed Towns has been popping up in a lot of Google alerts lately. His son, Assembly Member Darryl Towns, just took a job in the Cuomo administration. His daughter is running to replace her brother. And the congressman wants to run for his son’s old district leader spot. All the while, the Dilans—Sen. Martin Dilan and his son, Council Member Erik Dilan—are angling to get those seats in their corner. Meanwhile, Assembly Member Hakeem Jeffries’ advisors have been making noise about Jeffries running for Congress against Towns. In an interview, Towns talked about his daughter’s political prospects, his training regimen for 2012 and one of his top legislative priorities: building more women’s bathrooms.



What follows is an edited transcript.


City Hall: Why run for district leader after three decades in Congress?
Ed Towns: That little corner around there, we’ve sort of been the district leader of it for quite some time between me and Darryl, and, of course, Darryl is moving on, so I thought maybe I would just come back and help because that corner is sort of at the end of the borough and sometimes it’s forgotten. That’s basically the reason for it.

CH: Council Member Erik Dilan, who wants to run for district leader also, has argued that a younger person should be in the position. What do you make of that?
ET: I think what the party needs is an experienced, stable hand. I think that’s very much what it needs, more than ever. I think that’s part of our problem today, not having a stable situation in our political organization. I’m concerned with the fact that people running for national office in the most populated Democratic county in the nation and people will run for national office and never come to Brooklyn. So I think that we need to have folks that need to be able to stop this from occurring. Can you imagine one of the most populated counties in the nation, that people run for national office and never come here? I’ve been around a little longer and have more contacts and ties around the nation than most people. I also think we need to bring the county organization together and I feel I can be helpful in that regard.

CH: The Dilans have also said your son’s Assembly seat should now be filled by a Hispanic and are running Council Member Dilan’s chief of staff Rafael Espinal. Do you buy into that logic?
ET: I don’t have a problem with that—my daughter’s Hispanic. She’s from the Dominican Republic. She’s adopted. She’s been with us since she was six weeks old. So those kinds of arguments should be eliminated. It’s not something that I make a case of, but when people make statements like that, I have to respond.

CH: The Dilans say they will be in control of who gets the Democratic nomination for both the district leader and Assembly seat. Do you agree with that?
ET: I think that’s logical, but that doesn’t stop us from running. You can go out and create a line and it’s a special election, there have been a lot of situations where people in a special election have won. Charlie Johnson ran up in the Bronx in a special election and won. Bobby Garcia ran for Congress in a special election on the Liberal Party line and won. When there’s nothing there but that race, the Democratic line is one you would always like to have, and I think you make your life a lot easier if you do have it. That does not stop us from going out and running. The name Towns is known in the district.

CH: Have you thought a name for the ballot line? The Towns line?
ET: Save Our Children? There’s a lot of things that can be used. Rent’s Too Damn High and the Gas Too? [Laughs.]


CH: Are you planning on running for re-election to Congress in 2012?
ET: Oh, I’m running. I feel good, I feel good. I know some people have mentioned my age, but I’ll take on whoever’s mentioning my age. If they want to have a track race, I’ll race with them on foot, I’ll take that. And I really mean that, whoever it is. You just tell them I’m prepared to give them a foot race, a contest to see how many hours we can go in a day. Whatever.

CH: You’re in training?
ET: Oh yeah. I enjoy what I’m doing. It’s hard to beat somebody who enjoys what they’re doing.

CH: Assembly Member Hakeem Jeffries is looking at running for your seat. Does that worry you?
ET: That’s one of the weaknesses of democracy—that people are able to run against me. But no, no, I have no problem with that. If people are eager, that’s it. But would I be worried? Absolutely not. I mean, really. I’ve represented this district 29 years. And I’m prepared to take on whoever or whatever. And I’m the kind of guy who’s had a lot of races throughout the years.

CH: Jeffries is seen as an up-and-comer though…
ET: I think he has a lot of potential. And I personally like him. But I understand how politics go. That doesn’t stop him from being eager or wanting to take my place or thinking I should retire when I don’t want to.

CH: Charles Barron is also talking about running, what do you think about that?
ET: The more the merrier. If you hear of anybody else, tell them, ‘Come on.’

CH: Was it difficult losing your spot chairing the House Oversight Committee, and then your spot as ranking member?
ET: No, no. All my advisors and all my immediate staff felt that I should get back to Energy and Commerce. Because when you’re the ranking member on the Oversight Committee, you really have no say. Being on the Energy and Commerce committee is one of the most prestigious committees in the United States Congress. Fifty-five percent of all legislation in the House goes through that committee.

CH: What issues are you working on right now?
ET: We’re still looking at the student athletes’ right to know, in terms of the college and universities reporting college graduation rates with athletes. Because what had happened in many instances is that you have young people who sign up with a university and have no chance of graduating. In fact, some schools have gone 10 or 20 years without graduating an athlete. So making sure athletes or anyone advising them have the information that anyone advising them knows, that in the letter offering them a scholarship to the university, they have to put that information in. We’re working on a bill called bathroom parity, which is very important. That’s making sure any building funded with government dollars has an a comparable amount of bathrooms for women. You see women standing in long lines to go to the ladies room and we need to correct that. In the old days, women didn’t go to sporting events and things like that, so therefore, they didn’t provide for them. Up until a few months ago they didn’t even have a bathroom for women on the floor of the House of Representatives. So we’re looking at issues like that that are very, very important.

Dilan v. Towns Tensions Escalate As Deidra Towns Declares For Assembly by Chris Bragg - City Hall News

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Deidra Towns, the adopted sister of outgoing Assembly Member Darryl Towns, is set to run for her brother’s seat, she confirmed in an interview on Monday.

“Yes, I am intending to run when the seat becomes available,” she said.
The move is certain to heighten tensions between the Towns family—led by Rep. Edolphus Towns and his son, Darryl—and the Dilan family, led by State Sen. Martin Malave Dilan and Council Member Erik Martin Dilan.

The two families had been in negotiations about whom would get the Democratic notification to replace Darryl Towns, both in his district leader position and in his Assembly seat.

Nearly every candidate in the discussions is either a family member or has close ties to one of the two central Brooklyn dynasties.

Other possible candidates include Janitza Luna Dilan, Erik Martin Dilan’s wife, as well as Council Member Dilan’s chief of staff, Rafael Espinal. And the race for the Assembly seat is not the only contest pitting the two families against each other. Ed Towns is running for his son’s old district leader spot—but Erik Dilan is also interested, if he does not run for Assembly.

Darryl Towns had originally been supportive of the idea of Erik Dilan running to replace him in the Assembly.
Sen. Martin Dilan expressed dismay at Deidra Towns’ decision to run for the Assembly seat, saying this represented a breakdown in the negotiations between the two families.

“The congressman is in discussions with us in respect to a district leader position and independent of that, it seems he wants his daughter to be an Assembly member, his son to be a commissioner,” Dilan said. “This appears to leave no room for anyone else to grow.”

The Dilan family ostensibly controls the county committee process that will ultimately determine who gets the Democratic nomination for the Assembly seat, so Deidra Towns will likely have to petition on the ballot and run as an independent candidate.

But Deidra Towns would likely pull back if Erik Dilan runs for the seat, which would allow the Towns faction to put up a candidate for his Council seat.

Council Member Dilan is said by multiple sources to be likely to ultimately take a pass and allow his wife or his chief of staff to run.

Martin Dilan said Monday afternoon that a decision would likely be made Monday evening about who would run from the Dilan faction. He did not return subsequent phone calls seeking comment.

Many insiders see Espinal as the favorite since Janitza Luna Dilan has two young children and is said to be reluctant to go to Albany.

In an interview, Ed Towns somewhat jokingly suggested two possible names for the independent line that his daughter will run on: Save Our Children or the Rent’s Too Damn High, and the Gas Too.

Towns disputed the idea put forward by the Dilans that a Hispanic aligned with the Dilans should be elected to represent a district with a growing Hispanic population.

After all, Towns noted, his daughter is actually Hispanic—she was born in the Dominican Republic and adopted by Towns at six weeks old.

Towns said he believes his daughter could pull out an uphill victory. The family has very high name recognition in the district and several independent candidates have won past special elections.
He reiterated that he was fine with Erik Martin Dilan running for the Assembly seat, but would oppose any other Dilan-backed candidate.

Governor Cuomo Taps Towns to Head Big Housing Agency by Daniel Massey - Crain's New York Business

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Brooklyn Assemblyman to Become Commissioner of State's New Homes and Community Renewal Agency that Focuses on Housing

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday appointed Assemblyman Darryl Towns as commissioner and chief executive of New York State Homes and Community Renewal, the state agency that oversees finance, development and preservation of housing.

Mr. Towns replaces Brian Lawlor, a veteran housing official who last year led a consolidation of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal with nyhomes. As per the consolidation, Mr. Towns will also serve as chief executive of the state’s Housing Finance Agency and the State of New York Mortgage Agency.

A state official said Mr. Lawlor is likely to remain with the agency in a senior policy role.

Since 1992, Mr. Towns has represented the 54th Assembly District in Brooklyn. His father, Edolphus Towns, is a 14-term congressman. Darryl Towns has long been considered a potential successor to his father. It wasn’t immediately clear what his new position says about his aspirations for higher office.

While in the Assembly, he spearheaded the ANCHOR Program, which helped bolster commercial revitalization in residential communities in New York City and support the increase of newly constructed housing developments.

"HCR is an essential agency with the ability to effect real change for the people of New York,” said Don Capoccia, vice president of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing. “Assemblyman Towns will make it his priority to facilitate affordable housing in both urban and rural communities, therefore advancing much needed economic growth in New York.”

The appointment does not require Senate confirmation, a spokesman for the governor said.

Rep Towns Statement on Proposed Budget Cuts

My Republican colleague, Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee released recommendations for budget cuts last week that would trim $32 billion from the remaining 2011 fiscal budget.  My first problem is that the Republican majority in the House recently passed a resolution giving Rep. Ryan sole authority to set budget limits for the entire country—a power that’s never before been given to an individual.  I am also dismayed that many of the proposed cuts will negatively impact many people who are struggling in my District and others throughout the nation.

            

I understand the urgent need to reduce the federal deficit.  We will be paying around $200 billion in interest payments on the debt this year and if budget deficits continue to grow at current rates, the Congressional Budget Office projects we will be paying $778 billion in the year 2020 or 3.4 percent of our Gross Domestic Product.  This, of course, would be a dangerous drag on the economy and unsustainable over the long haul.

President Barack Obama is proposing an austere budget, freezing spending levels on discretionary funding over the next five years that will lower spending as a percent of GDP to levels last seen in the Eisenhower Administration.  His proposed budget cuts community service block grants in half to $350 million and reduces Community Development Block Grants by a quarter or $125 million.  These are resources many struggling communities depend on to provide critical services.

Yet, the Republican budget plan calls for even deeper cuts that would cripple government agencies’ ability to meet the basic needs of many Americans.  Many Brooklyn residents are already struggling in this depressed economy.  But here we go again trying to balance the budget on the backs of the poor and less fortunate when we know that we can never cut our way to fiscal balance.  While it is necessary to be diligent with spending, we must also generate sufficient revenues.

We have fought two wars for a decade while cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans and that has created the fiscal mess we are in.  In the past, the wealthiest Americans reached deeper into their pockets to pay for the nation’s security because they have the most to gain as well as lose.  At a time when we need more investment in human capital in order to compete globally—as President Obama stated so eloquently in his recent State of the Union address—we should not be cutting resources that are needed to educate and support a healthy support a healthy and strong citizenry.

Glory Daze - The Mysteries of Nydia Velázquez and Her Powerless Ascension by Laura Nahmias - City Hall News

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Over the course of nine terms, Nydia Velazquez has quietly consolidated her power in New York City politics, both as a significant voice in the Latino community and as a counterweight and opponent to Brooklyn Democratic Party leader Vito Lopez.

When most politicians have the kind of year that she did, between her position with Andrew Cuomo's campaign and her role with a few key local reformer victories, people start chattering about what they want, and where they might be headed. With Velazquez, there are still a lot of people who are not even sure who she is.


In a world where politics is often about press hits and relationships, her underthe-radar maneuvering, in Congress and back in Brooklyn, may have clipped her effectiveness.


But her supporters say her role in the Brooklyn reform movement, which seeks to undermine Lopez's grip on the borough's political machine, cannot be underestimated.


"It's important to think about the landscape in north Brooklyn. Most of the other elected officials are linked intimately to Vito Lopez," said Lincoln Restler, an anti-Lopez state committee member whom Velazquez helped get elected this year. "She is one of a couple of independent leaders."


But because Velazquez makes few waves, others were less certain about her efficacy as a politician. 
Many elected throughout Brooklyn declined comment when asked for their thoughts on the congresswoman, each citing a lack of a working relationship with her.


Much of Velazquez's clout in the reform movement stems from her seniority in Washington and the respect she commands among the state's political leadership as the senior Latina official in New York. This year, Velazquez pushed for passage of the DREAM Act, legislation she sponsored to provide conditional legal status to undocumented students. She took quiet control of the House Committee on Small Businesses, passing the Small Business Lending Act, while earning a reputation for bipartisanship. And along with former city Comptroller Bill Thompson, she was a co-chair of Andrew Cuomo's campaign, taking a more active role than expected for someone in that ceremonial job and then as co-chair of Cuomo's transition team.


When she arrives back in Washington in January, though, her status in Congress will be much diminished, along with the rest of her Democratic colleagues. And as for building up more power in Brooklyn, Velazquez's is never among the names floating as potential successors if and when Lopez's troubles force him from the county leadership.


She wouldn't want the job, said one Brooklyn Democratic operative. "It's too much politics."


Because while most people in local politics know her as an icon for Latinos, few seem to actually know her, even though she has represented a district that is now split between slivers of Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens, as long or longer than nearly everyone else in the city's congressional delegation.


"I honestly have no idea about her style as a politician," said Lew Fidler, a one-time Lopez loyalist who has since broken off from the county chair. "You couldn't get farther away from my world."
Luis Garden Acosta, founder of El Puente, a community group within


Velazquez's district, said she is not a selfpromoting legislator like Anthony Weiner or Peter King.
"There aren't a lot of press releases from Nydia Velzquez," said Garden Acosta, who has known Velazquez since before her time on the City Council, when she worked for Rep. Edolphus Towns. "Frankly, [she's] too busy, too focused on the campaign at hand, to be putting much time into even publicizing the fact that she's doing it."


"I am physically and emotionally drained," she says, drawing out each syllable of the words. "You don't know what it took Oh my god, you don't know what it took."


Acosta described her passion about issues relating to reform and social justice, but not necessarily harboring any desire to be in charge.


"She's got one speed: intense," he said. "She's absolutely rare, an activist that just happens to be a politician."


That passion comes across the day after the passage of the DREAM Act, as she takes a moment before boarding a plane back to New York to discuss her career.


"I am physically and emotionally drained," she says, drawing out each syllable of the words. "You don't know what it took Oh my god, you don't know what it took."


Her genuine sense of relief, of exhaustion, of dire feeling, allows her to create relationships in Washington, she said. But in a few weeks, she will see much of her leverage disappear: her chairmanship of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, as her two-year term expires, and her chairmanship of the Small Business Committee.


Her new responsibilities are within the stateas an advisor to Cuomo's transition team, and mentor to a new slate of reform candidates in Brooklyn politics. Her ideas for Cuomo's administration are not small-bore.


"He has to open the doors, and make government an institution that not only serves the different communities, but also that is willing to recognize that among other ethnic groups like Asian and Latino groups, that there is so much talent, and new blood, that can help him and serve him well," she said. 


"He needs to put together a government and administration that reflects New York."
Velazquez worked with Cuomo when she was on the housing subcommittee in Congress and he was the head of HUD. Her push against Lopez could benefit from a strong relationship with Cuomo, who has his own complicated relationship with the Brooklyn boss.


Meanwhile, Velazquez has also become the highest-ranking mentor of the anti-Lopez reform candidates trying to slowly seep into Brooklyn county politics. Velazquez took Lincoln Restler as her guest to a state dinner, and provides vocal support to Council Member Diana Reyna, another Lopez opponent.


"I think the burden for me is to know that a lot of people who didn't feel they have a voice, that they look up to me," she said. "That I have a role to play in people connecting the dots, that it is important to be engaged, important to believe that we cannot allow for cynicism and disillusion in the political process to take hold."


This is an important mission for her.


She was reportedly offered Hillary Clinton's Senate seat in 2008, but declined largely in order to prevent Lopez from installing a loyalist in her Congressional seat and to continue acting as a foil to Lopez's political machine.


When asked whether that was the case, the congresswoman laughed.


"I do not want to spend my time discussing Vito Lopez," she said. "I do want to use my time and my energy to address the dire needs of my community.

NY Delegation Backs Maloney by Mike McAuliff - New York Daily News

You've got to say one thing for Rep. Carolyn Maloney and her bid to be the next top Democrat on the Oversight Committee: She went from zero to 60 in about 4.5 seconds.

Last evening Maloney was an Ed Towns supporter, expecting to back him in today's Steering Committee meeting.

But Towns unexpectedly dropped out under pressure from leadership and the White House -- and Maloney was not about to overlook her own seniority on the committee in favor of Rep. Elijah Cummings, of Maryland, even if she likes the guy.

Maloney quickly put together a push, winning the backing of Towns late last night, and the Steering Committee put off the vote until Thursday.

Then we had [NOW coming out for Maloney](http://bit.ly/etd1HT), who would be the first woman ranking member of the Oversight Committee.

And late tonight, we have the below letter touting Maloney, signed by the New York delegation -- and it's not easy to get that bunch to sign anything quickly.

It will be interesting to see if her colleagues are impressed, or if they choose the White House favorite. (The White House ignored request for comment yesterday.

MaloneySupportletter

Rep Ed Towns and Assembly Member Darryl Towns Christmas Party Held at Brooklyn Job Corps Center on December 16th...

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NY Delegation Split On Tax Cut Vote by Liz Benjamin - Capital Tonight

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Members of the New York delegation were sharply divided on last night’s 277-148 vote to pass the tax cut deal President Obama brokered with the Republicans, with the more liberal members making good on pledges to oppose the measure.

Not surprisingly, the three lone Republicans – Chris Lee, Pete King and the newest House member, Tom Reed – voted “yes.” (They’ll soon be joined by five GOP freshmen, a number of whom have said they would have voted in the affirmative had they been given the chance).

All of the outgoing Democrats also voted “yes,” even if they lean toward the left, which I found interesting.

Here’s how the NY vote broke down:

YES: Arcuri, Bishop, Crowley, Hall, Higgins, Israel, King, Lee, Lowey, Maffei, Maloney, McMahon, Meeks, Murphy, Owens.

NO: Ackerman, Clarke, Engel, Hinchey, Nadler, Rangel, Serrano, Slaughter, Tonko, Towns, Velazquez, Weiner.

Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, a Long Island Democrat, was one of eight House members who didn’t vote.

NY Delegation Rallies in Support of Ed Towns by David Freelander - The New York Observer

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New York's congressional delegation are lobbying their fellow Democrats to keep Brooklyn congressman Ed Towns in place as the ranking member of the House committee on Oversight and Government Reform.


"He has always been an advocate for improved efficiency in the government's delivery of services, equal opportunity in access to government programs and contracts, and strong internal and external oversight," the Democratic delegation writes in a letter to their colleagues. "During the coming Congress, we will need determined and tenacious leadership to battle any partisan attacks on the Administration that Republicans may launch."


Towns led the committee during the last Congress, but he is receiving a fight for the title of ranking member from Dennis Kucinich, who has argued that Towns is no longer up for the job. 


In his own letter to colleagues, Kucinich wrote, "We cannot simply stand by idly and hope that such a reckless approach to the use of the power of the chair will not happen, especially since it is not only being promised, but demonstrated by the person who will hold the gavel."


The letter was first obtained by Politico.


California Republican congressman Darrell Issa will take over the leadership of the committee from Towns, and he has been promising an onslaught of investigations into the Obama administration.


Towns has submitted his own letter in which he writes, "I will also work closely with my fellow committee Democrats to form a bulwark against any politically motivated investigations. Any attempt to use this Committee as a political weapon to tear down this Administration is intolerable and I will use every tool at my disposal to ensure this does not occur."

Comedy in the Community - Walt Whitman Theater @ Bklyn College on September 9th...

Click on image to enlarge

What: Legislative Comedy Show

Who: 

• Congressman Ed Towns
• NYS Senate Majority Leader John Sampson
• NYS Senator Eric Adams
• NYS Senator Kevin Parker
• NYC Council Member Letitia James

When: September 9th - 7pm - 9pm

Where: Walt Whitman Theater

2900 Bedford Avenue @ Hillel Place

Cost: Free

Congressional Hopeful Kevin Powell Says Being Deep In Debt Doesn't "Make You A Bad Person" by Celeste Katz - NY Daiily News

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And that's lucky, because according to the research of our DC bureau's Mike McAuliff, if being deep in debt DID make you a bad person, Kevin Powell would be way up there in the bad-guy pantheon.

Powell, the former "Real World" star who's taking his second swing at challenging incumbent Brooklyn Rep. Edolphus Towns, owes the IRS somewhere between $615,000 and $1.3 million.

Today, he's explaining his situation in a lengthy essay sent out to the press which also appears on HuffPo. (Powell was supposed to be holding an actual news conference, but it was cancelled.)

The candidate writes of his impoverished childhood, getting kicked out of college with no diploma but heavy debt, ending up on MTV and writing for Vibe magazine before things took a serious turn for the worse. His speaking engagements dried up due to the economy. He got his mom to buy a friend's Brooklyn condo (no money down) on the condition that he'd handle the mortgage payments, but couldn't keep up.

Overall, Powell paints a picture of a man who "gone from the poor ghetto child who had been tossed from college to a 20something and very well-known writer for America's fastest growing publication" -- and screwed up badly along the way.

He claims his situation mirrors that of many struggling Americans.

A few excerpts from Powell's statement:

* "One of my most vivid memories of my childhood is my mother and I going to the local deli and getting baloney, with my mother always nudging the butcher 'to slice it a little thicker, please.' It was her way of saying, 'We do not have any money, and I need this baloney to last as long as possible.'"

* "...having debt, struggling to pay one's mortgage or rent, or owing taxes does not make you a bad person. It makes you a regular person, one of millions and millions of Americans who are in similar situations regardless of race, class, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or geography. This, in fact, is one of the reasons why I decided to run for Congress again in 2010, after my first real bid in 2008.

* "...once my relationship with Vibe soured in 1996, I plunged into an alcoholic-fueled depression for the remainder of the 1990s, not paying much attention to my finances, and allowing a hack accountant to know more about my financial life than I did."

* "...my accountant and I purposely estimated high on my campaign's recent financial disclosure statement, as we are still talking with the IRS about what the actual amount is. It is definitely not what is on the financial disclosure statement. This is a process, but one that is happening, because I am a man and a leader who takes responsibility for all my actions, always. And only with this second accountant, and a great attorney, over these past few years, have I been able to correct a lot of previous mistakes made, including bad contracts I unwittingly signed for various business deals that went south."

And here's the slam from Towns spox Hank Sheinkopf:

"While Representative Towns was fighting insurance and banking special interests, Kevin Powell was leading a celebrity life and running up a tax bill approaching one millon dollars. In Brooklyn, planet Earth, regular people don't owe up to a million bucks in taxes. What planet is Powell on? He doesn't pay his taxes, appears to be unable to follow the election law, doesn't file federally mandated financial disclosure forms on time. Powell: Uniquely unqualified for public life."

'Real World' Alum in House Race Owes IRS Up to $1.3 Million by Michael McAuliff - Mouth of the Potomac - NY Daily News

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“Real World” alum Kevin Powell may be climbing a big hill in his bid for Congress, but he’s got a bigger mountain with the IRS — a mountain of debt.

According to Powell’s belatedly filed financial disclosure forms, he owes the tax man at least $615,000, and could owe up to $1.3 million.

Powell, who made a splash in the inaugural season of MTV’s “Real World,” is taking on veteran Rep. Ed Towns (D-Brooklyn), but he failed entirely to file financial disclosure forms required of candidates with House ethics officials in his first run in 2008. This year, his forms were received at 11:09 a.m. Wednesday, the day after the Daily News asked why Powell had not filed. He insisted he filed weeks ago.

Powell said his tax problems were not the result of trying to beat the IRS or city tax collectors (the city is owed at least $115,000 of the total pot), but as the result long-running financial illiteracy, bad advice, bad luck, generous habits, and an expensive sub-prime mortgage.

“Kevin Powell has not had a job since 1996,” said Powell, who earns his living by writing and giving speeches. “The situation is I had an accountant back in the day, and I trusted that person to handle my situation, and it wasn’t done properly.”

According to his financial disclosure, Powell has earned just over $300,000 over the last year and a half. That did not make him wealthy, he said.

“I do OK with the speeches, but I’ve also had a lot of bills to pay over the years,” he said. “It’s all relative when you have to also make sure you take care of yourself, your family, a lot of people.

“I’m a regular guy,” he insisted, suggesting his tax troubles actually make him a better candidate. “I’m like a lot of people in my community. We get in financial trouble. Just because someone is smart in one area, it doesn’t mean they are financially literate.

“I can say that now,” he said. “I’m a person who lives very much within my means. But I wasn’t always that way.”

“We live in a country were a lot of people make these kind of mistakes,” he added.” I’m just like a lot of Americans.”

He also said that he is working with the IRS to pay down the huge debts, which he says have been set too high, and which he expects to be reduced.

“Only in the last couple of years have I gotten with a great accountant,” he said. “I spent all this time the last decade working as a community organizer.”

Powell is fighting to get on the ballot against Towns in the Sept. 14 Democratic primary in Brooklyn. And while he has been criticizing Towns and Harlem Rep. Charlie Rangel for being unethical, Powell argued there was no comparison to him, even though one of Rangel’s alleged lapses was failing to pay $10,000 in taxes.

“The difference between myself, and Mr. Towns and Mr. Rangel is they’re actually in a financial position to pay taxes, no matter what they were,” Powell said. “I wasn’t for years.”

Towns has not been accused of ethics violations, although Powell cited Daily News reports about $5 million in federal cash Towns allegedly tried to help funnel to a organization run from a vacant address.

Hank Sheinkopf, a spokesman for Towns, was not impressed by Powell’s arguments, or his position.

“After he loses, it’s obvious that Powell won’t be talking about personal money management as part of his speaking around the country.

House Hopeful and Former 'Real World' Reality Star Kevin Powell Hasn't Disclosed Personal Finances by Michael Mcauliff - NY Daily News

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House hopeful Kevin Powell, a former 'Real World' star, did not know he had to file personal finance disclosure forms in 2008. Maisel/News

Welcome to the Real World, Kevin Powell.

Powell, a former star of the MTV reality show and a second-time primary challenger to Rep. Ed Towns (D-Brooklyn), has taken more than three years to figure out House rules require him to file personal financial disclosures.

A review of House records found no disclosures from Powell in 2008 or 2010. This year's deadline was May 15.

Powell, who has cast himself as a new breed of politician who would clean up the messes of people like embattled Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel, told the Daily News Tuesday he did not know he had to file such forms in 2008.

He said this year he sought an extension, and mailed the forms at least three weeks ago; however, a fresh search of records Wednesday still revealed no disclosures.

And he also was not included on the list of candidates who sought extensions.

"My treasurer reached out to them after we talked yesterday [Tuesday], and what they said is that it takes a few days to a few weeks to process," Powell said yesterday.

"We did our due diligence," he added, though he admitted to blowing the deadline.

As far as never filing in the 2008 contest, Powell blamed his handlers. "We had a big-time consulting firm charging us a lot of money, and they missed a lot of things," he said.

Powell has been highly critical recently of the ethics-challenged Rangel, arguing he and Towns are cut from the same cloth. Towns was not impressed by Powell's arguments on disclosure.

"This guy has sort of stepped out of bounds on the law all along," Towns charged. "There's a lot of questions about him."

Towns' campaign is trying to block Powell from the September primary ballot, claiming his petition signatures are fraudulent.

mmcauliff@nydailynews.com

Brace Yourselves: The Petition Brawls Are Underway - Celeste Katz - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

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The sun is shining, the birds are singing and lawyers and candidates are slapping each other silly trying to get their rivals knocked off the ballot.

Another election-year summer, another petition objection season here in good old New York.

Here in the city, Congressional hopeful Kevin Powell spent much of his day in Brooklyn court, battling an effort to knock down the primary petitions he filed in his bid to unseat incumbent Democratic Rep. Ed Towns.

Powell (who has an entire piece of his own here on HuffPo) says he's learned a lot since his last run in 2008 and is running a smart, frugal campaign, but still feels Towns' challenge to his signatures is spurious and undemocratic. He even says his supporters are being bullied and questioned in the middle of the night.

Powell said his case was moved over to the Board of Elections, where they're going through the paperwork line by line (he's personally out campaigning now), and they'll be back in court tomorrow.

"It's very obvious that we have [more] than enough signatures," Powell said.
"It's very obvious to us that they're afraid."

That brought quite a stinging response from Towns spokesman Hank Sheinkopf:

"Unfortunately for him, Mr. Powell is not as good at filing petitions as he is at mistreating women and losing elections. There were so many serious problems with his petitions that our campaign believed we needed to protect the voters from being victims of this possible fraud. If indeed Mr. Powell followed the law, than he has nothing to worry about and will be free to lose again.