Chairman Simcha Felder
My name is David M. Quintana and I'm a lifelong citizen of New York City hailing from Ozone Park in Queens...
I was watching these hearings at home on NY1 and felt so strongly about this power grab that I took the A train here from Queens to testify...
City Hall
I believe Intro 845 and 845A is a bad law which serves the self-interest of our billionaire Mayor and council-members...
I could not believe the sheer arrogance displayed by the City's Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo and the Counsel to the Mayor Anthony Crowell when they stated that a vote by the Council is more representative than a special election for the general electorate...
NYC Council Chamber
This proposal by the Mayor shows that he doesn't believe in a representative democratic government with the voice of the people being heard...it shows a lack of respect for the people of NYC...
The Mayor tells us that he has met with business leaders, newspapers editors and Wall street lawyers...
Are these rich and influential people a representative body of New Yorkers, I think NOT...
In my opinion, I believe that contrary to what you read in the toady city newspapers this Mayor has not been a good mayor...
He picks and choses which laws he will obey and which ones he will ignore, take for example the issue of cell phones in the schools which was passed by the city council, vetoed by the mayor and then his veto was overwhelmingly overturned in the council, the Mayor ignores this law. He also allows the Chancellor of schools to disregard the city's recycling laws...
Which other laws of the people is he choosing not to obey..?
I think the Mayor very often is a bully, as many rich men are wont to be..
This Mayor with the real estate interest have adversely changed the fabric of our neighborhoods with over-development...this is not a man of the people but a man of special interest well heeled groups....
I have attended many hearings on the state of our school system under mayoral control of schools and across the city it is almost the universal view of parents around the city that this mayor has shut out major stakeholders such as parents and teachers...
I feel despite these hearings that term limits will pass as it seems apparent that this is a power play between one end of city hall, the mayor, and the other end, Speaker Quinn...most New Yorkers I speak to feel that the fix is in...
Peter Vallone, Jr.
Let's remember that this is a lame duck mayor who is drunk with power and his ego won't allow him to relinquish his office...
Bill DeBlasio
That the Mayor is indispensable – what a joke...No mayor is indispensable..!
I agree with Councilman Liu that this is a 3 card monty being perpetrated by the Mayor and the Speaker, it's a sleight of hand...
The notion offered by one of the gentlemen who spoke on behalf of the Mayor that the voters would be confused, if an election were held in 2009..??? ...It's laughable that the Mayor feels he is the only one smart enough to run this city and shows his utter arrogance to the will of the people...
Dave Kerpen (Man in the middle)
I implore the City Council to please remind the Mayor that this city's government is a democracy and not a plutocracy with a “NO” vote on Intro 845 and 845a...If this matter must be addressed at this time, I feel that it must brought before the people in a public referendum...
Letitia James - What a beautiful smile..!
I guarantee that myself and many others will vow to vote out any council members who vote yes on this proposal...
