After Re-Election As Speaker, Quinn Demotes Her Rival

Just weeks after trouncing Councilman Charles Barron (D-East New York) to be re-elected as Council Speaker, Councilwoman Christine Quinn (D-Chelsea) stripped Barron of his position chairing the Higher Education Committee. In a near repeat of the 48-1 vote in the Speaker race, the Council voted 47-1 to demote Barron. In both instances, Barron cast the only vote in his favor.

Barron told the Daily News that Quinn's move to demote him was "racist" and said "[t]his shows that she is vindictive; she is punitive; she's a dictator," according to the Post. In his campaign against the Speaker, Barron — who had lead the Higher Education Committee since he was elected in 2002 — argued that because minorities now constitute the majority in the Council, the Speaker should be a minority. He gained no support from his Council peers, though his backers heckled politicians who voted against him with chants of "Uncle Tom" and "sell-out."

The Daily News editorializes in support of Quinn's decision to strip Barron of his position as committee chair, calling the politician "a one-time Black Panther who is given to racial views and to a nonsensically divisive confrontational style." Quinn also demoted Councilman Vincent Gentile (D-Bay Ridge) from the finance committee after he opposed her on term limits and congestion pricing. She hasn't said much about the issue, noting only: "I believe it's important to have committee chairs who are unifying forces." The Observer reports that the Higher Education Committee will now be chaired by Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Washington Heights).

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By Ben Muessig in News on January 22, 2010 1:05 PM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

Too Zulu for a lulu.

S.K.

Barron loses a title.

Wza

I can't stand pretty much all the folks on the city council.

commonman

what the hell is going on in american politics right now? has everyone gone crazy?

seven

Charles Barron, you so crazy!

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

6500 who voted for her are not 52% of her constituents. Math failed

thefacts

If people don't vote, people shouldn't complain. 75% of the people who take part in a small (unscientific?) poll likely represent 0% of her constituents.

The voters in her district voted her in. That's what counts. Not opinions of outsiders. Ain't democracy a bitch?

So, what candidates do you vote for that are the uncorrupted few?

Still waiting for that question to be addressed. Or do you also vote for crooks? Or do you not vote? Just curious.

just saying

Christine Quinn? Charles Barron? "A pox on both their houses."

JenChungsBaby

What the hell was he doing chairing any committee to do with education in the first place?

just saying

LOL Well, it did take many, many years for him to get that BA in Sociology from Hunter College. So perhaps Barron used that to claim that he had more exposure than most people to the NYC educational system.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Less than 6,500 voted for her 3rd term reelection. This crook doles out our money to buy support. NY1 poll results - over 75% don't want Quinn in the city council. She put inez dickens in charge again of the ethics committee. Inez dickens won't know ethics if it bit her on her fat ass. Shame how informed people

thefacts

Felix, assuming the poll is correct, then why did 52% of her CONSTITUENTS vote in a 3-way race to re-elect her? They are very knowledgeable and informed, just as much as you are, but still made the decision to vote for her.

You know, there is an old saying, "Everyone thinks politicians are corrupt, except the ones they vote for."

So, seriously, whom did you vote for the council; please name that person? Because we want to know the one non-corrupt person in the council?

The same applies to the Legislature. Please let us know who the incorruptibles are. Thanks.

jgonzz

Barron got one vote more than me and I didn't even run..!

ANGRYGOD11

Charles Barron thought he could take her down, but couldn't get one single person out of 51 to back him up?

Wile E. Coyote, Supergenius.

Billiamsburg

I wish i was a black so whenever there was something i didn't like I could just cry 'racism' and never have to take responsibility for myself.

Ishtar

Racist? Eh, not so sure about that. I do believe she is a vindictive and punitive dictator. Barron would have been fine had he left it at that, but he's a nut job and I don't expect anything less than bat sh!t crazy from him.