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Quinn "Optimistic" She'll Survive Speaker Challenge From Barron
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 8, 2009
Modified Dec 8, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 8, 2009
Modified Dec 8, 2009
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City Council Speaker Christine Quinn isn't sweating Councilman Charles Barron's announcement that he's running against her for Council Speaker. The Daily News reports that Quinn said, "I take all races seriously, but I am very, very optimistic that I will be reelected in January as speaker of the City Council."
She insisted, "We have now a much more participatory process than we have ever had before," and even joked about Barron's claims she ruled by fear, "A nice Irish girl like me ruling by fear? That seems impossible."
However, Barron's Sunday announcement marked what he thought was wrong: "The City Council passes the budget not the mayor. The City Council changed term limits, not the mayor. The City Council passes laws. The City Council decides what is rezoned. This is why were running for speaker, and this is why we need reform." He also noted, The mayor’s white, the speaker’s white, the public advocate is white. The controller is Asian and yet 62% of the city is people of color, 55% is black and Latino and we don’t even have one person. No representation. That is unacceptable.”
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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