David Greenfield The "Progressive"

It seems as though a certain new Mayor has been playing Santa Claus in order to get his preferred City Council Speaker.

According to sources close to the situation, Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has promised a number of committee leadership posts to City Council members in order to guarantee that Melissa Mark-Viverito is named Speaker come Jan. 8.

Mayor-elect has been playing a game of power politics, and with his victory in November, he is seeking to reap the spoils by getting his choice for the Council’s top position.

While members of the Progressive Caucus and Mark-Viverito herself have declared victory, our sources say that the decision is far from final, and there could be some backlash against the tactics the caucus has been using.

Both the Mayor and the leaders of the Progressive Caucus have been pressuring Council  members to join them, threatening to take away prized committee assignments if they don’t comply.

Sources say the Progressive Caucus was originally split, 12-9, between Mark-Viverito and Dan Garodnick, with Garodnick getting the support of County Leadership.

That’s when the calls started, with the Progressive Caucus telling Council members that they had the votes, and that if a Council member pushed back, those committees would be gone.

“If you’re not with them, you’re not getting a committee,” QConf was told.

Among the promises made to the Queens delegation, Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst) would be named Majority Leader. Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Woodside) would head up the Finance Committee and Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) would get the Education Committee.

Daneek Miller and Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton) were also reportedly promised committee slots, although specifics were unknown as of press time. “The other three we know, because they were openly talking about it,” a source said.

Republican Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) was also reportedly promised a committee chairmanship in exchange for his support of Mark-Viverito.

Sources within the real estate industry, who supported Ulrich in his most recent election battle, have expressed disappointment with Ulrich. The sources say that they feel betrayed, since Ulrich promised he would stand against the Progressive Caucus, but instead went back on his word for a promised chairmanship.

QConf was also told that David Greenfield (D-Brooklyn) was offered the Land Use Committee as a means of swaying Brooklyn To support the "progressive" candidate.

While many expect Mark-Viverito to win the Speaker seat on Jan. 8, it’s possible the Progressive Caucus could experience some backlash. Not all the 21 members of the caucus seemed pleased with the way business was being done.

Sources say that Mark-Viverito’s supporters have been double- and triple-counting votes, intimating that the self-appointed Speaker-elect may not have the votes she says she does.

There’s still two weeks before the City Council sits down to officially choose a new Speaker. The next few days could be an interesting one within the City’s political sphere.
(queenstribune) highlighted addition for clarification

All Major Mayor Candidates Are In Favor Giving Birth Control To Minors WITHOUT Their Parent's Consent

notice how Borough Park (where as of now doesn't give out condoms in Yeshivas) has one of (if not the) lowest pregnancy rates

Would you continue to distribute birth control pills and the morning-after pill in city schools? 


Bill de Blasio Public Advocate Democrat 
On the issue of whether to offer contraception in the schools, Mr. de Blasio was unequivocal, giving a simple “Yes,” without elaboration. He did not address the issue of parental consent, which is not now directly required.
 John C. Liu Comptroller Democrat 
Mr. Liu is supportive of the Bloomberg administration’s decision to distribute contraception in some city schools. Asked if he would continue it, he said “Yes,” without hedging or elaboration.
Christine C. Quinn City Council Speaker Democrat 
Ms. Quinn has made access to abortion and emergency contraception for women a signature issue, saying she wanted to make New York “as pro-choice and pro-women” as possible. In answer to this question, she said she would continue the current policy, but did not elaborate.
William C. Thompson Jr. Former Comptroller Democrat
In the debates over distributing condoms in the schools in the 1990s, Mr. Thompson, then a Brooklyn appointee to the Board of Education, was on the liberal side. He still says he has no objections to distributing birth control in schools.
Anthony D. Weiner Former Congressman Democrat
On birth control, Mr. Weiner proposed to tweak the current policy, perhaps influenced by his experience representing Queens. In the 1990s, parents of schoolchildren in that borough had been among the most vocal in the city in objecting to condom distribution, which is now the norm. He said that he would continue the policy, but that he would do a better job of informing parents that they could opt out.
John A. Catsimatidis C.E.O., Red Apple Group Republican 
Mr. Catsimatidis said he favored contraception in the schools, as long as it included a provision for “parental notification and consent.” He stayed away from the question of exactly what he meant by consent, a concept which different people interpret in different ways, and which the city and the courts have argued is fulfilled by the existing opt-out provision.
Joseph J. Lhota Former Chairman, M.T.A. Republican
Mr. Lhota said he believed parents should have a stronger hand in deciding whether their children were able to get birth control — like “any form of medication” — at school. He said birth control should not be distributed without parental “knowledge.” But he did not say he would ban it, and did not suggest changes to the policy that would ensure parents knew when their children were prescribed contraceptives.
(New York Times)