N E W S APRIL 14 L E H A V R E POLITICS FOLLOW THE MONEY Liu launches mayoral bid Candidates fi led the following net contributions, which were collected from January 12 to March 11. Disclosures were due to the city’s Campaign Finance Board by March 15. Mayor Joseph Lhota: $731,601 Christine Quinn: $487,480 William Thompson, Jr.: $322,482 Bill de Blasio: $229,108 Erick Salgado: $149,338 John Liu: $105,775 Sal Albanese: $51,264 Adolfo Carrion, Jr.: $45,822 John Catsimatidis: $15,950 Tom Allon: $12,385 George McDonald: $11,288 Anthony Weiner: $6,284 Scott Stringer: $2,550 Hilda Broady-Fernandez: $525 Philip Marks: $100 Ceceilia Berkowitz: $0 He G Lee: $0 Kevin Coenen: $0 Borough President Jose Peralta: $110,106 Melinda Katz: $106,288 Barry Grodenchik: $48,721 Tony Avella: $34,216 Peter Vallone Jr.: $22,025 Leroy Comrie: $13,922 City Council District 19 Austin Shafran: $58,802 Dan Halloran: $16,755 John Duane: $9,190 Paul Graziano: $8,760 Paul Vallone: $4,605 Matthew Silverstein: $703 District 20 Peter Koo: $30,130 District 21 Julissa Ferreras: $8,100 District 22 Antonio Meloni: $16,464 Daniel Peterson: $385 District 23 Mark Weprin: $3,925 District 24 Rory Lancman: $16,099 Andrea Veras: $2,710 Isaac Sasson: $0 District 25 Daniel Dromm: $23,580 District 26 Jimmy Van Bramer: $20,305 District 27 Ira Miller: $41,510 Joan Flowers: $8,423 Sondra Peeden: $2,459 Joseph Marthone: $75 Bryan Block: $0 District 28 David Kayode: $760 Ruben Wills: $725 Christina Winslow: $642 District 29 Karen Koslowitz: $11,680 District 30 Elizabeth Crowley: $13,060 District 32 Eric Ulrich: unavailable Shulman to be ‘Wise Guy’ MEEKS IN VENEZUELA FOR CHAVEZ FUNERAL A political news segment made famous by late former mayor Ed Koch, NY1’s “Wise Guys” is going to get a new featured politician, former Borough President Claire Shulman. Airing Tuesdays at 7 and 10 p.m., the segment appears on the cable channel’s hour-long political news and opinion program “Road to City Hall,” hosted by Errol Louis. Shulman, who served as borough president from 1986 until 2002 and was the fi rst woman elected to the position, will discuss the week’s political issues along with former U.S. Senator Alfonse D’Amato and former State Assemblymember Roberto Ramirez. Ed Koch, who personally knew Shulman and was mayor when she became borough president, regularly appeared as one of NY1’s “Wise Guys.” The show honored him on his 88th birthday in December just a couple of months before his death. 14 LEHAVRE COURIER | APRIL 2013 | WWW.QUEENSCOURIER.COM BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA Comptroller and former Queens councilmember John Liu has formally kicked off his campaign for mayor of New York City. “This can’t be the city of the rich and poor, of them and us. New York City needs to be one city. One city where everyone gets a fair wage and a fair shot,” Liu said at the announcement on the steps of City Hall the afternoon of Sunday, March 17. Earlier in the day, Liu went on a fi veborough tour to meet voters. “With your help, I’ll be a mayor who fi ghts not only for every borough—but for every block in every neighborhood,” he also said during his announcement. Liu is entering an already crowded Democratic primary that includes Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who launched her campaign last weekend, and Bill Thompson, who served as comptroller before Liu. If Liu wins the primary, his possible Republican rival could be Joe Lhota, the former head of the MTA, supermarket billionaire John Catsimatidis and founder of the Doe Fund George McDonald. Another Republican candidate, newspaper publisher Tom Allon, dropped out of the race on Monday, after acquiring City and State Media, which exclusively covers New York government and politics. Former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion is also running as a third-party candidate. The fi rst Asian-American to be elected to a citywide offi ce in New York, Liu has served as comptroller since 2010 and represented Council District 20 from 2002 to 2009. After immigrating to the U.S. from Taiwan as a young child, Liu attended P.S. 20 in Queens, later graduating from the Bronx High School of Science. He currently lives in Flushing with his wife and son. Liu mentioned his immigrant roots in his speech Sunday. “My parents truly believed in that promise, that an immigrant family named Liu could work their way up to become like a family named Kennedy. That’s why they named me John—and if you don’t believe me—feel free to ask my brothers Robert and Edward,” he said. Though a recent Quinnipiac University poll found that 15 percent of city voters are enthusiastic and 72 percent are comfortable with an Asian candidate, it also found that in a Democratic mayoral primary against Quinn, Thompson and de Blasio, Liu would come in last. Even before officially entering the race, Liu’s candidacy has faced issues over the arrest of two of his campaign aides last year in connection to illegal contributions towards his mayoral bid. Liu has not been accused of any wrongdoing. BY MAGGIE HAYES The death of Hugo Chavez could breathe new life into the United States’ relationship with Latin America. Congressmember Gregory Meeks attended the former Venezuelan president’s funeral to mourn with a nation -- and also work with leaders from around the world. “I hope that we got the door open for better communication,” said Meeks, who said he hopes to improve trade relations. “It was an honor to represent the U.S..” The representative also hopes that the U.S. can secure Latin American cooperation with drug enforcement, airport security and trading for oil, among other things, and he knows that Venezuela represents a powerful sector of Latin America. While in Venezuela, Meeks met with leaders from the Caribbean, South America and Central America, as well as other delegations from around the world. He also spoke with opposition parties, and with the then-Vice President Nicolas Maduro. “We had a chance to converse, and hopefully improve our relations,” he said. Maduro thanked President Barack Obama for sending Meeks on behalf of the U.S., and recognized the fact that he went with intentions to strengthen international relations. “All in all it was a successful trip, in which we know that Chavez was controversial, but I think the message was relayed and we hope to move forward,” Meeks said.
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