I am starting a new column….

Last month I wrote about how this paper was starting on a new project, lets call it “going digital.”
In case you have signed up for our free email-newsletters (hint hint we need more subscribers, see below), I’ve been enjoying writing between issues. It’s opened me up to consider writing something I’ve always wanted, a political column.

I am probably the least likely person to write such a column. What it means is that I’ll have to start hanging out at the local political clubs with my ears open.
To give you an idea of the kind of gossipy column I’m thinking of, this is from the place that I learned much of my newspapering – the Brownstone Brooklyn weekly paper The Phoenix. This was written in 1976 by publisher Michael A. Armstrong, who lived and breathed local politics.

“A CERTAIN RACE: State Senator Carol Bellamy, who defied everybody’s assessment, pulled a win out of the hat in the 1974 primary that everyone agreed should guarantee hera safe seat forever. But never-say-die cohorts of Paul Bookson, whom she defeated that year, are going against her again, w ith Stanley Silver a club-house retainer from the LowerEast Side.

THE PRESSURE’S ON — The 23rd Senate District is regarded as a ripe-for-picking seat these days, with State Senator Vander Beatty under the gun and on the run. Last week we talked about pressure on Beatty’s home 53rd A .D . and the race, now being investigated by the Brooklyn DA which had possibly “ hundreds” of fradulent votes cast. His victorious foes who wrested the Democratic party leadership from him there, are already laying pians to do the same for his State Senate seat, and expect to get plenty of help from a hostile county organization, which is committed to toppling Beatty. Rev. Clarence Norman, who threatened, then pulled out of a race against the Senator in 1974, is vowing to go all the way this time. So is Guillermo Philpotts, who announced this week. Some observers believe that the end result of such a three-way split of the black vote will allow someone else — like a white or Hispanic — to sneak in a win.”

So here’s my first item:
JoAnne Simon has been making a name for herself around here for her astute knowledge and straight talk about the recent Brooklyn Marine Terminal and the Task Force that she was part of. From her beginnings as president of the Boerum Hill Association, she has watched powerful real estate interests operating in conjunction with government, transform neighborhoods in ways that offend much of her constituency.

So it’s a surprise to some that a challenger to her re-election to the State Assembly has arisen.

Her challenger is Park Slope District Leader Lydia Green, who has DSA allegiances.

I originally thought that the challenge came fromShahana Hanif because of their opposing positions on the BMT Taskforce, but it seems that it’s a DSA challenge, as rumor is that Hanif’s husband is a powerful behind-the scenes DSA operative and, although I could not confirm this online, running Green’s campaign. It turns out that Hanif took umbrage at rumors that Simon helped Hanif’s recent challenger, Maya Kornberg.

It seems that is an untrue rumor which Simon denies, but it shows the split that DSA has caused in Brooklyn Democratic politics.

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