And They’re Off: Councilman Recchia Enters 2014 Congressional Race Versus Grimm

By on February 18, 2013  Politics
Feb 182013
 
Domenic Recchia (second from left) with other City Councilmembers at the Masbia soup kitchen in 2011. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Domenic Recchia)

Domenic Recchia (second from right) with other City Councilmembers at the Masbia soup kitchen in 2011. (Photo courtesy of the Office of Domenic Recchia)

“When you play the game of thrones, you win, or you die.” Fans of the HBO television program or the Song Of Ice And Fire book series know well Cersei Lannister’s forecast for good guy/hero Ned Stark.

If the Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms were living in our world, she might point out that in the game of American politics, you play all the freakin’ time… and then you play some more. And keep playing. Win, lose, die, somebody is always running in the next election before the votes from the last one are counted.

And so it surprises no one that Congressman Michael Grimm (R-Staten Island/Bay Ridge) has drawn his first challenge to a third term, just three months after winning his second: City Councilmember Domenic Recchia announced his candidicy for Congress on Saturday through Tom Wrobleski of the Staten Island Advance.

Recchia, a Democrat, is a three-term Councilmember with a district centered primarily on Coney Island and Gravesend. He has serves as the Chairman of the Council’s Finance Committee since 2010. He is term-limited and not able to run for reelection to the City Council this November. Continue reading »

Bloomberg’s Last Tango: City’s annual “Budget Dance” ends on a good note for Bay Ridge

By on June 27, 2012  Featured story, Politics
Jun 272012
 

Image source: digitizedchaos via Flickr.

What has been referred to by a skeptical New York media as the annual “budget dance,”  a choreographed clash which begins every year with Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s threats of austerity – cutting jobs, closing firehouses, the discontinuation of after-school programs, followed by posturing from city council members and program directors, with all roads leading to an inevitable happy ending – ended this week.

As Mayor Bloomberg’s last year in office passes its halfway point, many – in both the press and in politics – are weighing the pros and cons of this yearly ritual. Continue reading »

Local Council Members At Masbia Soup Kitchen

By on November 22, 2011  News
Nov 222011
 
Photo courtesy Office of Domenic Recchia

Photo courtesy Office of Domenic Recchia

The City Council paid a visit to the Masbia soup kitchen on Coney Island Avenue in Flatbush yesterday, including local Council members Mike Nelson (right), Domenic Recchia (second from right), and David Greenfield (second from left). They are joined in this photo by Jumaane Williams (third from… either direction I guess) and Speaker Christine Quinn (left).

As a brief aside: I don’t really put myself in positions where I’m going to meet a lot of politicians, yet I’ve met three of the people in this picture – Recchia, Greenfield, and Quinn. As you can probably tell from the picture, Recchia is kinda a tall dude. But Greenfield? Also pretty tall. And it doesn’t strike me as obvious in this picture. I think he must be standing in some sort of depression in the floor. But, I digress.

I haven’t checked with Masbia to see if the info is still current, but they have a call for volunteers posted on their web site. The dates are this Wednesday and Thursday. For more info, click here.

Anyone have plans to volunteer anywhere in South Brooklyn this Thanksgiving?