New York City Council Progressive Caucus

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The New York City Council Progressive Caucus was formed early in 2010 to fight for progressive values and combat Bloomberg, a mayor who has often, in the words of caucus co-chair Brad Lander, "undermined grassroots democracy." By June 2010, 12 of the city's 51 council members had joined the caucus.^[1]

The new group, is starting with a membership of 12, who are all Democrats, or almost one-quarter of the 51-member body.

The creation of the group, which includes seven members just elected in November, is meant to send a message to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, its organizers said.

The caucus will be the first in recent memory to coalesce around ideology rather than racial or sexual identity, according to Council members. And by voting yes or no as a bloc, the caucus could establish a liberal litmus test for all Council members that could be easily tracked by future Democratic primary voters, who tend to skew left.

The group also demonstrates the clout of the labor-backed Working Families Party, which supported most of the members.

Ms. Quinn, , said in an interview that she did not view the caucus “as a threat.” By contrast, she said she anticipated agreeing with caucus members a vast majority of the time.

“I am a progressive,” Ms. Quinn said, “and I have an incredibly long record as a progressive I am extremely proud of.”

She later added: “I support any and all efforts or movements to help members become more effective, and get more done. That’s not a challenge to me; that’s exciting to me.^[2]

Members

• Brad Lander, caucus co-chair.
• Melissa Mark-Viverito, a council member who represents East Harlem and who is the caucus's other co-chair.^[3]
• Annabel Palma, from the Bronx
• Letitia James, from Brooklyn
• Jumaane D. Williams, from Brooklyn
• Margaret Chin, from Manhattan
• Rosie Mendez, from Manhattan
• Ydanis Rodriguez, from Manhattan;
• Daniel Dromm, from Queens
• Julissa Ferreras, from Queens
• James G. Van Bramer, from Queens
• Deborah Rose, from Staten Island.

Favors tax hikes

The Progressive Caucus has closing loopholes for hedge funds and private equity managers, which would raise up to $200 million; removing insurance companies' tax exemptions, raising up to $250 million; and eliminating tax breaks for vacant residential lots, raising nearly $80 million.

The biggest revenue generator that they have proposed, and one "supported by more than half of New Yorkers", is a $0.007 per share tax on stock trades, which would bring in about $2 billon.^[4]

Trayvon Martin case

A majority of New York City Council members, dressed in hoodies and holding Skittles candies and bottles of iced tea, held a press conference in front of City Hall March 29, 2012, to express their solidarity with the family of Trayvon Martin and to express their outrage at the fact that his murderer, George Zimmerman, has still not been arrested.

A resolution expressing the council's outrage was initiated by council members Letitia James, D-Brooklyn, and Melissa Mark-Viverito, D-Manhattan.

Council Speaker Christine Quinn, D-Manhattan, announced that she would be introducing the resolution with Mark-Viverito and James, and that it "will condemn the killing, the weaknesses in its investigation and the lack of an arrest."

"Our resolution," said Quinn, "Will also call for an examination of 'Stand Your Ground' laws nationwide, including their impact on increasing the flow of illegal guns to New York City."

Quinn continued, "Trayvon Martin was killed for his gender and his race. By releasing George Zimmerman, the Sanford police was saying it doesn't matter."

Councilwoman James declared, "The demonization of black men has got to stop."

Robert Jackson, a member of the City Council from Washington Heights in Manhattan, said, "We have a quorum," and called for a symbolic voice vote right on the spot. All present said, "Yea."

Debi Rose, a council member from Staten Island and head of the Council's civil rights committee, said, "Wearing a hoodie should not be a death sentence." Jumaane D. Williams, a council member from Brooklyn pointed out that the same problem exists in New York: "We have had an increase in local people murdered too," he said.

He reminded the crowd of the case of Amari Grahram, who was recently murdered in his own bathroom by the NYPD. Rose also pointed out that Republicans upstate had introduced a "Stand Your Ground" law into the State Senate. She declared, "We will not let it pass!"

Earlier, in what turned out to be a day of unity at City Hall, a predominantly Latino crowd of community, labor, youth and student leaders attended a press conference entitled "One voice-One Vote", "One Hundred Organizations United to get out the Vote."

The press conference announced a massive campaign to register New York City voters. Washington Heights Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez spoke at the event.[^[5]

Facebook page administrators

As of April 2011;^[6]

• Laura Banish (Santa Fe, NM)
• Michael Freedman-Schnapp (New York, NY)
• Rachel Goodman
• Joe Taranto (New York City Council) (creator)

References