Chris Bragg over at the City Hall blog reports that Clifford Stanton has emerged as a candidate for the 11th Council district currently held by the term-limited Oliver Koppell. Stanton is a small business owner and a parent leader at two local schools. He is also a leader in the year long boycott of the Riverdale Review and its editor Andy Wolf.
Ahh...so NOW we know why he wants to kill a newspaper!
ReplyDeleteAhh...so NOW we know why Andy Wolf wants to kill all oppostion to his lords and masters at the Ben Franklin Club. Just follow the money to the secret deal that the politicians made to help finance Wolf's purchase of the Riverdale Review all those years ago. Wolf is just a paid lap dog and has no credibility.
DeleteAnd thank you Cliff Stanton and your fellow boycotters for having the bravery and decency to stand up in public week after week for the past year to battle this enemy of our community. Cliff Stanton is fighting the good fight for all of us.
So the point you are trying to make is Mr Stanton wants to kill the newspaper because the newspaper is a front for his political opposition? Well at least you acknowledge the Review is nothing more than a political newsletter for the Ben Franklin Club.
Deletedude you're crazy lol
DeleteNot familiar with him but I like the boycott. Nice start.
ReplyDeleteCliff Stanton is showing us true leadership.
DeleteEither way, our area could really use some new faces among its elected officials.
DeleteWe need some fresh blood in local politics.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit early and I don't know who else is running but I would certainly consider voting for this man.
I just read about his background in the Riverdale Press. I like Stanton's energy and independemce. His devotion to the neighborhood is a big plus. Although he could use more political seasoning, he shows considerable promise.
DeleteRight now, all I know about Cliff Stanton is that he was a particularly dyamic president of the local school board. That alone would put him heads above the inarticulate buffoons who typically serve on the NY City Council.
Deletegreat news
ReplyDeleteWhy is this great news? We don't know a damn thing about Cliff Stanton or what he stands for. Other than a dubious boycott, what has he done for the community?
ReplyDeleteCliff Stanton is standing up for our community against a paid bully who is maligning our schools and attacking our civic leaders. I admire Mr. Stanton's community involvement, his volunteerism, his public stances and his brave actions.
DeleteI know Cliff from the Conservative Synagogue. I think he is a wonderful and motivated person who is dedicated to the community and has so much to offer. He would make a truly special public official.
DeleteThere's no need to bring religion into this.
DeleteWhy not?
Deletewhy NOT bring religion into this? Hmmm. Lets see.
Deletethe only people who care about religion are the people who want to keep things in the family. thats how we got the other three. they all go to synagogue as well.
we need an atheist to run for office. enough with using "God" to push your own agenda please. most of these pols who are conservative or liberal God fearing folks are douchebags of the highest order.
Stanton seems like a nice enough chap. Well spoken. Though I wouldnt be surprised if he was in cohoots with the very people everyone claims he is pitted against.
I can think of quite a few people who would do a great job on the City Council for this district. And none of them live in Riverdale, NY. They all live in the Bronx, NY. : )
Time will tell if Stanton is a stand-up guy.
Cliff Stanton may be an amateur at this political business but he's harvested a lot of publicity for that boycott. He also strikes a sympathetic cord with parents and comes across as someone who cares deeply about the welfare of the community.
ReplyDeleteHis appeal is that he's an energetic community activist who could be an important legislative voice when it comes to pressing for educational improvements.
DeleteI know Cliff as a dynamic parent leader and a strong advocate for local education. But I also think that he has the kind of civic-mindedness that the City Council so desperately needs.
DeleteAnonymous @ Jan 26, 2012 11:25 AM is obviously an obsequious weenie.
DeleteWell, from a community standpoint, Stanton seems to have a gold-plated résumé. I'm really excited to have him as one of the choices on primary day.
DeleteWhy is this man even in the news? What does he do??
DeleteThe only reason he is "in the news" at all is because he is media savvy and is using his connections to get attention . . . that's the real story.
DeleteBut I ask again, what has he actually done for the neighborhood? I don't support or not support him. He is an unknown entity and as far as I can tell has not garnered any publicity for doing anything.
ReplyDeleteAt this time, we need visionary leaders, not someone who feels that because they led a boycott that that makes them eligible for office. I agree that Dinowitz, Engel and Koppell are dinosaurs and need to get real jobs, but let's not make the same mistake and put an equally useless person in there to replace him.
Please convince me as to why Stanton is a good choice. That's all I'm asking. His boycott turns me off, even though the Review is garbage. And quite frankly, I'm not impressed by a parent leader at some public school either. Too narrow a focus.
It doesn’t matter who else runs. He’s a civic activist who’s making Andy Wolf squeal like a pig, so he’s got my vote!
DeleteYes, although he is articulate and focused and principled and enthusiastic, and I do enjoy seeing him at meetings, it's the boycott that makes Cliff Stanton simply irresistible!
Deletenice boycott but i'll pass on the rest
DeleteHow much does anyone really need to know about a candidate for New York's City Council beyond the fact that they are earnest, hardworking, and seem eager to do a good job? Intellectual ability and clear self expression are obviously not job requirements in that chamber.
DeleteTo put things into perspective, have any of you ever seen the embarrassing and sloppy collection of politicos who now sit in the the City Council? Most of them are either dozing off or playing with their smartphones, and a good number of them cannot string together two grammatical sentences in a row. And I cringe each time a meeting is punctuated by an amusing malapropism or a ridiculous gaffe.
A better way to look it is that we shouldn't go overboard when assessing local candidates. It's City Council, not the Presidency.
DeleteCouncil Member can be a meaningful job, but it's not like serving as the commander-in-chief. Being a Council Member is only a part-time, term-limited, entry-level position.
I appreciate and applaud Mr. Stanton's decision to run for City Council. I am very eager to give him the chance to show us what he can do with the position.
Glad to hear Cliff Stanton has announced so early.
ReplyDeleteI like what I've seen so far. The front-page article in The Riverdale Press paints an interesting portrait. He seems to be an idealistic young man who combines a deep knowledge of community issues with the promise of energetic representation. And it's about time, since I'm finally done with the old guard.
The Riverdale Press article says that Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz could decide to run against Cliff Stanton for City Council. So in that case, either of two things might happen: (1) Stanton wins; or (2) Dinowitz wins.
ReplyDeleteIf Staton wins, he becomes our next Councilman. But if Dinowitz wins, he gives up his Assembly seat to become a term-limited Councilman. But then Stanton could run in the special election to fill Dinowitz’s vacant State Assembly seat, which has no term limits.
My conclusion: Dinowitz stays where he is and hopes that Stanton’s eventual opponent wins the Council race.
Jeff Dinowitz could NEVER tolerate a young, independent-minded councilman who vigorously represents the 11th Council District. Why? Because it would show him up.
DeleteDinowitz's whole schtick is constituent services (which is the easy path for someone who has never made a real mark in the Assembly). If a dynamo like Cliff Stanton became our councilman, he would step all over Jeff Dinowitz's toes.
I love iT! Basically, if Dinowitz goes for Council, Stanton takes his Assembly seat.
DeleteI certainly don't like any of our incumbent local politicians. And while I'm all for boycotting the Riverdale Review until it's dead, dead, dead, that does not mean I automatically support everything the boycott leader does.
ReplyDeleteLet's see the full field of candidates before deciding who's best. It may be Stanton, but I need to see who else is running before I can decide who would be the strongest and most forceful representative of our district.
The incumbents are not very good role models.
DeleteActually, the local incumbents are role models of mediocrity.
DeleteMediocre AND unethical (by Addy Wolf's own admission of their secret deal to help him purchase the Riverdale Review 18 years ago).
DeleteI agree with the post. While I am not anti Stanton, the fact remains that he is an unknown entity. Why the hell is everyone getting so excited? Didn't anybody learn their lesson with Obama and what ended up to be his litany of lies? Look at the record, of which Stanton doesn't really have. He may have his heart in the right place, but I'd like to see his position on issues before I make a judgement.
DeleteHaving said that, it will be nice when the dinosaurs like Koppell, Engel and Dinowitz return to the anonymity they so richly deserve. I just hope we don't get another "clubby" person in their place.
Think, people. Think!
There's no doubt in my mind that Cliff Stanton is the man to elect as our next councilman from the northwest Bronx.
DeleteI say this because of his particular qualities of character, leadership and moral force. Cliff Stanton is a hard worker, intelligent and conscientious, and is backed by the courage, forthrightness, energy and drive to make an excellent elected official.
Well, that news about Cliff Stanton helped brighten up a dreary Sunday morning....... I think I need to visit this blog more than just once a week!
ReplyDeleteAs a resident of Bedford Park, I am, quite frankly, tired that our area is constantly ignored by both the Council and Assembly. Our Council district, demographically, is mostly Hispanic yet the only candidates being considered for these seats are white and from Riverdale/Van Cortlandt. I'm hoping that we see a more diverse set of candidates going forward.
ReplyDeleteTired that Bedford Park is constantly ignored?
DeleteWell if the good people of Bedford Park would turn up at the polls in far more significant numbers, nobody in city politics would ignore them.
It's called the Power of the Ballot Box my friend. And if your neighborhood uses it, the elected officials will be try to court your favor in the most flattering manner.
So you can whine about Riverdale and Kingsbridge all you like, but if you and your neighbors don't vote in large numbers then you don't really matter much in electoral politics.
As a Riverdale voter, I am happy to take the power that Bedord Park so foolishly forsakes. The fact that they don't vote increases the impact of my vote.
DeleteKeep on sleeping Bedford Park!!!!
Nobody is stopping the residents of Bedford Park from having an elected representative of their choosing EXCEPT THEMSELVES.
DeleteTypical Riverdale attitude -- "oh you lazy, unmotivated people from the rest of the Bronx. Just get up and vote."
DeleteHow about we look at reality --the freaking district lines are drawn to favor Riverdale. Bedford Park is sliced in half. Also Bedford Park is a tiny neighborhood in comparison to Riverdale. If they drew a district that combined Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights, Kinsbridge and Van Cortlandt that sliced into a portion of Riverdale, the way these naturally connected neighborhoods get sliced and diced -- then the power balance would shift.
Typical Riverdale attitude -- born on third base and you think you hit a triple.
BronxVoter is playing the role of a victim and has a pretty shaky grasp of population and geography as they relate to politics. With a population of say 25,000 cut in half, even assuming moderate voter participation, it would be enough to turn a local election. But the problem is that Bedford Park just doesn't show up to the polls in impressively meaningful numbers .... You can't legitimately complain if you don't even care to VOTE!
DeleteAs a Riverdalian, I can assure you that I've got lots of pretty lazy neighbors when it comes to voting. If the people of Bedford Park just get their act together, they could give the mostly elderly but determined voters of Riverdale a run for the money.
DeleteIf the residents of Bedford Park or any other community don't care enough about democracy to particpate in it, they deserve to lose it; and lose it they will.
DeleteOnce the habit of NOT VOTING is ingrained (as it is in Bedford Park, and to a much lesser extent in Riverdale), it’s incredibly difficult for candidates, community organizers and labor unions to change that habit.
DeleteHey Bedford Park .. try this: P-A-R-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-N
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've seen of Stanton, he has strong community credentials and should be an informed and solid candidate who would doubtless serve the district with ability.
ReplyDeleteWhy all the attention for this candidate when we don't even know who his opponent is yet?
DeleteIt rankles me that so many folks are treating him like a local star before he has gone through the rigors of the campaign process.
Cliff Stanton could be a flash in the sky like Hoffnung's Comet (which only appears every four years).
DeleteC'mon, don't believe the hype. Cliff Stanton's years of blatantly political image-building should make all of us shudder. He is NOT an elected official and he must stop acting like one!
DeleteWhy the disparaging remarks about Cliff? Just because he has decided to run for office? That man has done lots of good work to help our schools and our neighborhood. We should be thankful that people like him want to run for office.
DeleteI can't believe Cliff has posted about himself 40 times on here! And all in the third person, too! I guess he's not as active in the community as we thought, unless going to the local library to do all these posts counts as active!
ReplyDeleteVive la révolution!
DeleteVive le boycott!
DeleteNever heard of the guy but now he's the instant candidate. Just add water and mix!
ReplyDeleteYES!!! All evidence is that he's just a run-of-the-mill candidate!
DeleteTo the Naysayers, I think that anyone who wants to run for public office should be encouraged to do so. Our system of government is supposed to prize the idea of citizen legislators. I do not think that we need a separate class of professional politicians dominating our public offices.
DeleteIf Cliff Stanton, or any other public-spirited citizen, can gather enough signatures to get on the ballot, it gives the voters more choices, and that's a good thing (especially since the current representatives we have are nothing special to write home about).
How about Joe the Plumber??
DeleteI saw Cliff Stanton speak last night at the meeting of the Community Planning Board. He presents himself well, but I need to hear more from him before I decide whether to actively support his candidacy.
ReplyDeleteHey there Geezer . . . It's called a COMMUNITY BOARD these days.
DeleteNo offese Mr. Cassino, but if it's Board 8, it should be renamed BORED 8 because NOTHING gets done there!
DeleteYes, nothing gets done there because CB8's heyday ended a few years ago.
DeleteFINALLY!
ReplyDeleteEnough with the Cliff Stanton hero worship!
ReplyDeleteIf it doesn't happen here, there is no other venue!
DeleteActually, the Riverdale Press seems to be a fan.
DeleteIf not Cliff Stanton, who? And if not now, when?
ReplyDeleteI get the attraction. He he makes you feel like the only person in the room.
DeleteThanks for sharing ... nice post ... I really happy to read this
DeleteI hope that Cliff Stanton can use his talent & will to steer local politics in a new direction. That's why I'm supporting him.
ReplyDeleteWhat talent and will are you talking about? Can you truly say that he has any qualities that make him suitable to hold a public office?? If you can't, then please just sit down!
DeleteI love the way he doesn't back off.
ReplyDeleteand he's ambitious (it's about time we had someone like that)
DeleteI think he's a big improvement over the cadaver-like incumbent.
ReplyDeleteNot so fast Mr. Stanton. It's takes a long time to achieve overnight success.
ReplyDeleteStanton is more than qualified to serve in the City Council
DeleteBecause he just pops out of the general population as an instant candidate with no club affiliations, I look at Cliff Stanton with the deepest possible suspicion.
ReplyDeleteHey dummy, since when does the "general population" not have the right to run for office? And what's so special about "club affiliations"?
DeleteAnd why be so suspicious of him just becuse Cliff Stanton is not a career politician or a clubhouse fixture?
Actually, you should be suspicious of the candidates WITH club affiliations.
DeleteCharter schools around the country have failed,are involved in corruption and pay outrageous salaries to the people who run them,that money taken from taxpayers and the public schools
ReplyDelete