Jeff Klein is hanging tough, sitting pretty, and apparently intends to stay that way as co-leader of the Senate with Republicans.
While Gov. Cuomo now says there might be a reunited Democratic senate with the return of Jeff’s five-member Independent Democratic Conference after the November elections, others have been pleading with/threatening Klein, including the Working Families Party, which is backing former Attorney General Oliver Koppell against him in the primary.
But Jeff told us he can still do more remaining right where he is, thank you very much, including delivering for the Bronx.
When we asked if he’s thought about floating his IDC’s vote back and forth across the aisle, depending on the issue, he responded “We do that every day.”
“If I turned around and went back tomorrow, the progressive agenda would fail – because there’s not enough Democratic votes,” he told us.. “Nobody counts the numbers.
“The Dream Act failed because of two Democrats. Campaign finance? Reverend Diaz adamantly opposed it. He’s the 32nd member that could pass it. He won’t vote for it.”
Klein has no love for the Working Families Party, “once again, trying to take someone out of power that benefits the Bronx – just how they created a City Council Speaker and somehow the Bronx got left out of the mix.”
“When you make believe that it’s about a progressive agenda, you believe you’re on the side of the angels,” he said. “So you can screw anybody. You don’t have to keep your word – or keep a deal.”
JLOW
Excuse us if we’re jaded over J.Lo. Maybe the Bronx is too, despite the aging pop tart’s long-time-coming efforts to pay back the borough she shrewdly used to give the middle-class, Preston High School grad “street cred.”
Turns out that highly publicized concert at Orchard Beach, with 25,000 free tickets given away, was a bit of a bust. A highly placed source tells us the official clicker count at the gate shows only 9,600 folks actually showed up for show, with Daily News rock critic Jim Farber’s review noting that Lopez “falls far from the rank of great, or even good, singers.”
“She’s played out. She’s old,” sayeth one former fan. “People have moved on.”
NUMBERS GAME
Jerry Skurnik, the political numbers wizard at Prime New York, notes that the two Bronx assembly districts in the hot 13th Congressional District race between Charlie Rangel and Adriano Espaillat could be key in the Tuesday, June 24 primary.
We’d call Harlem minister Michael Walrond a potential spoiler in this one, since Charlie beat Espaillat in the 2012 primary by only a thousand or so votes.
Skurnik noted that the Bronx turnout of 7,354 voters in that 2012 contest was telling for lack of interest in the congressional race.
While there was a large vote for mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio, only 33% of the voters who showed up in the largely white 81st A.D. covering Riverdale/Kingsbridge voted in the congressional primary. About 36% voted in that contest in the heavily Hispanic 78th A.D. covering Fordham, Kingsbridge Heights, Bedford Park, and Belmont.
“If I were either candidate, I’d be working those districts verrry hard,” sayeth Jerry. “The trick is delivering a different message in each district.”
IN THE GAME
Kenny Agosto, redistricted out of his current district leader’s job in the 80th AD in Morris Park, tells us he’s running for state committeeman in the 78th A.D. and supporting local venerable Assemblyman Jose Rivera for reelection.
CONGRATS
To Annie Boller, finally appointed to Bronx Community Board 10 after being involved with community organizations all over the place for years.
COP CORNER
Happy anniversary. To the 41st Precinct stationhouse on Simpson St., opened 100 years ago, weathering the Fort Apache ‘Bronx is Burning’ years, and now home of Bronx Detective Command. And to the Fort Apache crowd who held their reunion last week, great seeing you guys!
Congrats. To Bronx Borough command’s anti-crime unit, the guys and gals that work to get guns off the borough’s streets, awarded a unit citation at NYPD Medal Day ceremonies at 1 Police Plaza on Tuesday, June 10.
BRONX BIRTHDAYS
June 14 -Life photographer Margaret Bourke-White (1904–1971)
June 16 – J.C. Polanco, former Bronx Republican commissioner and head of the City Board of Elections.
June 17 – Marricka Scott-McFadden, deputy chief clerk of the Bronx Board of Elections.
