Viverito Declares Victory In Council Speaker’s Race!

As reported by Erin Durkin In the NY Daily news Melissa Mark-Viverito Declares Victory In Council Speaker’s Race!

Bronx Chronicle commentary

Even though the actual vote for speaker will take place on January 8, Melissa Mark- Viverito has claimed victory in her quest to become the next Speaker of the NYC Council. With the support of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio and 51 members of the city council, she claims more then enough support to declare victory.

The untold story here is of the lone Bronx Councilman-Elect who as a progressive is supporting Councilwoman Viverito. A progressive supporting another progressive, maybe this is the beginning in New York City of a return to a government for the people by the people, and an abandonment of  the false notion that government works best when it is managed as a business.

Hopefully one of the first actions to be taken by the new administration will be bringing back the sense of responsibility which we should all share for each other.

Does this mean a reign of hand outs, no not at all! That would never work. But it does mean to make the first priority of the administration: a return to placing, the providing of services to all as the mission of Mayor-Elect de Blasio’s  Administration.

For too many years now we have watched, while forces in Washington, Albany and New York City dismantled the organs of government  charged with serving the poor and the middle class. For to many, food has become an extravagance, decent housing a fantasy, and a hunt for a meaningful job or career: a utopian quest.

We wish Councilwoman Viverito  and Mayor-Elect de Blasio the very best as they tackle these entrenched problems. No matter who emerges as the next City Council Speaker. The work to be done, the aspirations of our young, and the needs of our seniors or our disabled remain the same. They are nothing less than a call to duty. For to long these needs have been justly waiting to be met.

To truly grow this city the needs and aspirations of all our citizens must be taken into account. In the past this has been done and the city had functioned well. When we proceed to underfund a service or a department and the services that are expected to be provided are the same or greater, well, we have not truly balanced a budget. What we have done is restructured government without a proper vetting and debate on the issues to be impacted. This is nothing more than using the budget in a way that it was never intended to be used as. And that is, as a back door hatch job.

 

 

 

 

 

BY ERIN DURKIN

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