Mayor Marty Markowitz Does Have a Nice Ring to It

Take a good, long look New York: You could be staring into the squinty eyes of your future mayor. (Yes, the white dude on the right.) Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who describes himself as “somewhat comical” [emphasis added] is on the verge of announcing his candidacy for mayor. Fuhgeddaboutit?

The Crown Heights native, who earned a B.A. at Brooklyn College after nine years of night school, has loudly occupied the largely ceremonial position of borough president since 2001, winning office in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks. Now he wants a real job, or so his wife thinks; she told the Daily News that he sounds like he’s going to run. Markowitz is still noncommittal, but he has been raising money off and on since 2006, despite a heart attack in June of that year. His website’s going to need some work, too.

Markowitz’s greatest liability here may be the very attribute that’s made him successful in local politics: an exaggerated, gregarious personality that’s enabled him to get voters’ attention with an endless array of publicity stunts. The question is whether anyone will really take him seriously on city-wide issues. After all, Markowitz himself told the Voice in 2001 that he had no ambition to run for mayor, because “then I'd have to deal with Staten Island. No way."

And while he’s done a lot to raise Brooklyn’s profile in the media, Markowitz has his share of critics who object to his support for developer Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic Yards project. He got into hot water for dismissing five members of Brooklyn's Community Board 6 who opposed the project, and appointed as the borough’s City Planning Commissioner a woman who had invested in Ratner’s move to buy the Nets.

Markowitz’s wife expects him to announce a decision within a month; current candidates include Representative Anthony Weiner, City Comptroller Bill Thompson and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. And we’ve got a long way to go; the primary isn’t until September 9th, 2009. Oy vey! (Sorry.)

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By John Del Signore in News on January 11, 2008 11:15 AM

Comments [rss]

HughGass

another short, whinny jewish guy?

Kevin Bracken

Oh God, not Quinn.

If she were mayor, she would start cracking down on things that are legal. Oh wait, she already has!

Tim N.

First the fascist, then the droid, now the clown. God save us.

PS to Freddy: No.

EastRiver

Marty is no more than a cheerleader for Brooklyn.

Isn't that the only job function of a borough President anyway?

Toby von Meistersinger

God no.

He is in the pocket of Ratner and seems to have never recovered from the Dodgers leaving.

emilydickinson

@Famdoc: Very true. Marty is a really nice man, and the right kind of person to represent Brooklyn in a social capacity. I'd be a little nervous to have him making policy because I'm not certain he has the background to do so.

He is the one who has placed those brilliant sign :'Leaving Brooklyn? Fugghedaboutit' on the BQE, which I adore.

famdoc

Marty is no more than a cheerleader for Brooklyn.

As such, he is a hell of a nice guy, making his way around the borough tirelessly, shaking hands ("tummeling," as my grandfather might have said) at galas, receptions and just about every block party each spring.

His web site proclaims that his life's dream was always to be Brooklyn Beep. Now that he's achieved that, he should rest on his laurels. As for the question of whether he's smarter than he looks, I would point to his statements on Ratner/Atlantic Yards/Eminent Domain/Uncontrolled Development as evidence of his danger when he crosses the line from emcee of the party that is Brooklyn to policy advocate. Koch was a practicing attorney and, despite his demeanor, actually a very intelligent and articulate man.

Not that there's anything wrong with a night-school degree from Brooklyn College, I just don't see him as mayoral material.

freddyhere

Any chance he's smarter than he looks....?

JenChungsBaby

I've met Marty many times and like him as a person and as Borough President of my native Brooklyn. But I just simply can't see him as mayor. It's kind of like imagining Mike Huckabee as president -- yikes!

Leon Freilich

DREAM TEAM

Co-Mayor Marty--

Hello, hello!

Along with sidekick

Lou Costello.

Reality Czech

There is no way MM is winning any mayoral contest. I agree, the guy is an idiot. Someone wipe that shit-eating grin off his face.

Gringcorp

No it doesn't. The man's an idiot. As soon as he's asked to form a coherent policy idea rather than act as an unpaid pitchman for Junior's, he's toast.

Dave Hogarty

Markowitz strikes me as a potentially Koch-like Mayor, wandering conspicuously around the city asking "How am I doing?" and overcoming criticisms through a sheer force of personality.