Memo To My Brooklyn Neighbors: Please Support Josh Skaller For City Council

In 2006, I was disappointed when liberal Chris Owens lost in his bid to be the Democratic Party nominee for the 11th Congressional District here in Brooklyn. Owens has been a steadfast advocate for renter interests against predatory developers. Longtime readers of the Intrepid Liberal Journal may recall that as a congressional candidate, Owens was my first podcast interview!

Well, I'm happy to report that Chris Owens remains a force in local politics and is currently Josh Skaller's campaign manager for City Council. As far as I'm concerned, Skaller could not have a better character reference then Chris Owens. Indeed, Skaller is a liberal very much in the Chris Owens mode with respect to developers. As Skaller puts it on his website:

"I love Brooklyn—our neighborhoods and our people, the incredible warmth I feel walking around our vibrant and diverse communities. Like you, I know that Brooklyn is a terrific place to live and raise our families. But everywhere we look these days, the things that make our borough great are under assault. Developers and out of touch politicians seem determined to transform our community into an endless series of high-rise condos and strip malls. I believe that unchecked development threatens the beauty and integrity of our neighborhoods, overtaxes public services, and places an incalculable burden on our fragile ecology. I’m willing to stand up to the developers, and I hope you’ll stand with me."

I realize many of us are focused on the incoming Obama administration as well as how Governor David Paterson and the new Democratic majority in the state senate grapple with high stakes issues in Albany. We should not neglect local politics however during these perilous times as New York City is forced to prioritize over a shrinking pie. Mayor Mike Bloomberg has repeatedly demonstrated that he is not on the side of our local community interests. Hence, we need representatives such as Josh Skaller in the city council to serve as a check. This is especially true should Bloomberg be re-elected.

From upgrading our mass transit, to addressing New York City's under-served public school system, affordable housing and accountability in city government, Skaller is in sync with the reformist values of New York City's progressive netroots community. He's been an effective force in local politics on behalf of the community as President of Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats for the past two years, as well as an executive member of Democracy for New York City.

As you might expect, Skaller is not accepting contributions from developers and is therefore relying on grassroots fund-raising to be competitive. I therefore urge my Brooklyn neighbors to click here and contribute to Skaller's campaign. He's the real deal and we need him.