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January 8, 2008

Marty: Will He or Won’t He?

An article in today’s Daily News examines whether Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz is going to run for mayor and, if he does throw his hat in the ring, how he might fare in the race. Markowitz has raised around $750,000 and is going to start meeting with Brooklyn politicians about the possible run over the next few weeks, according to the article. Some critics say that Marty would have a tough time campaigning for citywide office since he’s so closely linked to Brooklyn and that the borough president’s rep as “Brooklyn’s cheerleader” will turn off voters looking for a candidate with more gravitas. "I am somewhat comical. That's who I am,” says Marty in response to charges that his persona isn’t serious enough. “I'm not going to deny that and I'm not going to change if I seek this office. " Political strategist Norman Adler says that if Markowitz does decide to run, it won’t “be a shot in the dark for him. He's been around too long for that." Think he'll go for it?
Markowitz Mayoral Bid Could be Tough [NY Daily News]
Photo by threecee.

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Comments

lets hope he doesn't do it. It would be embarassing for Marty.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 9:24 AM

Marty is a great guy and a good Borough President(Whatever that is Worth). this guy is not a mayor though and will have 0 support from other parts of the city. There are especially alot of Brooklyn Haters in Manhattan and Queens.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 9:32 AM

Has anyone ever heard this guy make a speech? He's a total Asshat who was a big booster of Atlantic Yards. I'd sooner vote for the What before I voted for Marty.

Posted by: Brooklynnative at January 8, 2008 9:36 AM

The man is the midwife to chaos and the destruction of Brooklyn. Wheh he was elected in 2001, everyone thought that he would be essentially harmless and a bouncing rodeo clown to watch for 8 years (as he had done absolutely nothing of merit in Albany or Brooklyn for the previous 22 - but could always be counted on to show up to the opening of an envelop, so everyone knew him. Besides, Ken Fisher's run was lackluster to say the least and Jeanette Gadson was an also-ran.) In the past 7 years, we've seen a complete and utter failure of land-use planning in this borough - from Williamsburg-Greenpoint rezoning, the Fourth Avenue upzoning, the Downtown Brooklyn plan, and Brooklyn Bridge Park - to say nothing of Atlantic Yards. In each of these cases - regardless if you agree that they are good ideas or not - Marty has been entirely ineffectual as a leader who has some nominal power over land-use decisions. The man is an incompetent heel.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 9:57 AM

Couldn't stop laughing after seeing this post. Should be entertaining if nothing else.

Posted by: crouchback 2 at January 8, 2008 10:25 AM

See 9:24 a.m.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 10:29 AM

Borough president is a figurehead and nothing more - Yet another example of NYC Bureaucracy creating positions and line itmes in a budget that are wholly unnecessary and wasteful.

Posted by: newsouthsloper at January 8, 2008 10:31 AM

I remember when he was first running for borough president and they asked him if he wanted to be mayor. His answer?

"Yech. No way. I'd have to deal with Staten Island!"

there's bound to be tape of that quip somewhere. he definitely wouldnt carry that borough.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 10:40 AM

9:57 AM,

You say he’s ineffective, yet you ramble off five major projects he’s spearheaded. Can you say cogitative dissonance? You didn’t even mention the Red Hook Cruise ship terminal, Gateway Estate II, the Coney Island Master Plan, Fulton Mall fix-up and the Newtown Creek clean-up etc. You might not like the guy, but you can’t say that adding well over 100,000 new dwelling units – many of them affordable – and thousands of jobs in all sectors of the Brooklyn economic is unproductive. Also, your critique – so typical of a privileged, whiny white inhabitants of the brownstone belt - just bolsters his supports among new immigrants, the unions, seniors, communities of color and the almighty Jewish vote. Remember, it takes coalition to make it to Gracie Mansion.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 10:59 AM

As much as I love Marty and respect his support for Atlantic Yards, I don't think he's cut out to be the mayor. He should end his BB presidency and step down. This is one case where I wish there were no term limits.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 10:59 AM

10:59=Marty's PR team

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 11:20 AM

10:59, I disagree with your scorecard. Marty did not "spearhead" any of the five projects listed by 9:57 that you credit him with. The Williamsburg-Greenpoint rezoning grew out of the community-based 197-a plans. (Let's disregard how City Planning bastardized them for now.) The Fourth Avenue upzoning was the Department of City Planning's quid pro quo for Park Slope's request for a downzoning up the hill. The Downtown Brooklyn plan builds on work by the Regional Plan Association well before Marty's election and was realized by the Economic Development Corporation. Brooklyn Bridge Park is more than twenty years in coming and the first chair of the local development corporation was Howard Golden, Marty's predecessor.

However, Marty did have a major role in a couple of the projects listed in your post; the Red Hook cruise ship terminal and the Coney Island Master Plan. I know his staff worked on some of the lawsuits related to the Newtown Creek clean-up but don't know how significant that was. But Gateway Estate II is a developer-driven project that may pre-date Marty's election. And the Fulton Mall fix-up should be credited to the business improvement district association.

Gabby closes with the question, "Think he'll go for it?" No, as a matter of fact, I do not.

Posted by: g man at January 8, 2008 11:23 AM

Exactly. Thank you, Marty's campaign manager at 10:59! Nice way to spin it.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 11:24 AM

If this shill ends up mayor, I am moving to LA.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 11:54 AM

Last year my block sought the assistance of Markowitz' office fighting a large landowner in our neighborhood that had failed to maintain a property to the detriment of the entire area for many years, encouraging drug sales on the property, hanging out, etc. The response from Markowitz' office? It sided with the property owner and parroted its position (that it couldn't afford to do anything about the situation). Then we contacted Letitia James' office and got immediate assistance and ongoing representation in the matter, with excellent results to date. Next time, we won't waste our time asking Markowitz' office for help.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 12:14 PM

Marty is toast. the only way he wins in mayoral election is if it's an eating contest. the guy is full of bologna!

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 12:15 PM

"However, Marty did have a major role in a couple of the projects listed in your post; the Red Hook cruise ship terminal"

No, that's not true,either. Marty certainly cheered on the project, but he had little to do with it happening in Brooklyn, or at all. The deal to create the Brooklyn facility, which had been discussed for years, was made between the largest cruise lines and the city's Economic Development Corp. The project was rushed forward by NYC after New Jersey teamed up with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to develop the Cape Liberty cruise facility in Bayonne, right in NYC's back yard.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 12:18 PM

I'll meet you half-way, 12:18. What you say is largely true, but Marty did much more than wave his pom-poms.

Posted by: g man at January 8, 2008 12:40 PM

"I'll meet you half-way, 12:18. What you say is largely true, but Marty did much more than wave his pom-poms."

Such as?

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 12:41 PM

I used to think Marty was a harmless comical mascot/figurehead until AY. Fortunately, he's not a viable candidate.

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at January 8, 2008 12:41 PM

"Borough president is a figurehead and nothing more - Yet another example of NYC Bureaucracy creating positions and line items in a budget that are wholly unnecessary and wasteful."

The borough presidents used to have quite a bit of power, but they lost it when the Board of Estimate was abolished in 1989. While it might have streamlined things to eliminate the borough presidents then (and the City Council President who was converted to Public Advocate), they can still be useful for handling community issues, advocating for the borough, etc. (Whether you feel Marty has done a good job at this or not is up to you.)

And borough presidents running for mayor is nothing new. Manhattan BEEP Ruth Messinger ran against Rudy in '97, Bronx BEEP Fernando Ferrer in '01 (and again in '05, though not as an incumbent) and Messigner's successor, Virgina Fields, sought the nomination in '05.

As for the original question: Yes, I think Marty will run, but I don't think he'll win.

Posted by: jlansner at January 8, 2008 12:48 PM

jlansner, besides David Dinkins, can you name a sitting borough president who ran for and was elected to City Hall?

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 1:14 PM

after string of mayors who live in Manhattan (Koch, Dinkins, Giuliani, Bloomberg) I very ready to support Marty or anyone else not manhattan-centric against Quinn who is obviously is gunning for the position.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 1:40 PM

Puhleeze DON'T!

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 1:42 PM

1:40, I don't know where he lives now, but Billy Thompson is a Brooklyn boy.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 2:02 PM

Robert Wagner was Manhattan BP from 1950 to 1953, then Mayor from 1954 to 1965.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 2:15 PM

Marty is a knucklehead schlub--nothing more. As a resident of a borough other than Brooklyn, I'd NEVER ever ever ever vote for him for Mayor.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 2:27 PM

Following up on jlansner's comments: The Board of Estimate was abolished because it violated the doctrine of one-man-one-vote. One solution was to give the borough presidents a proportional vote based on the population of each borough. Imagine what it would be like to be Brooklyn Borough President if you had the single largest vote on a revamped Board of Estimate!

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 2:35 PM

Marty lost me with his support of Atlantic Yards project. Time to get off the government payroll and work for Ratner.
Marion

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 5:57 PM

"I remember when he was first running for borough president and they asked him if he wanted to be mayor. His answer?

"Yech. No way. I'd have to deal with Staten Island!" "

Really? Wow. Definite mayor material right there--what a chubby schlub.

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 6:49 PM