PARKER SLAMS SHARPE State Senator Kevin Parker believes one of his Democratic primary challengers, Wellington Sharpe, was planted in the race by the other, Noach Dear. "Noach is putting up Wellington. You and I both know that. Noach is up to his own tricks," Parker told us. "He needs someone to take black votes away from me. He's hired Wellington Sharpe to do that." "It is a complete lie," Sharpe shot back. "I have never spoken to [Dear] about my race."

The smoking gun, according to Parker, is Sharpe's campaign manager James Archibald of Canarsie, a "community activist" (according to Dear) who endorsed Dear for State Senate in 2002 and was later paid $1,100 in consulting fees by Dear's campaign. Parker said Archibald supported Dear then because "he figured Dear would make a better candidate than Kevin in 2002." Longtime central Brooklyn political operative Rock Hackshaw, who's advising Sharpe, called Parker's accusation "total BS." Hackshaw described Sharpe as a principled man and a veteran of insurgent politics in Brooklyn.

We asked if Hackshaw were connected to two employees named Hackshaw on Dear's 2002 campaign. "Those are other Hackshaws," he said. Small world, eh? (One of the Dear workers was Rock Hackshaw's brother, but Hackshaw said he would not be on Sharpe's team if it were connected to Dear.) But while Sharpe's presence on the ballot gives Dear a viable shot to win, it seems unlikely that Sharpe was planted in the race by Dear.

As a successful businessman in the child-care industry, Sharpe isn't hurting for money. No small amount of cash would turn him into Dear's political prostitute. We're not sure how much money Dear has outside of his campaign fund anyway, since he doesn't seem to have had a job since leaving the City Council in 2001. Moreover, before deciding to run against Parker, Sharpe considered challenging Assemblyman Nick Perry, but many political folks told him they wouldn't support him if he did. When he mentioned Parker, he found much less resistance, perhaps because Parker has made more enemies. "He tries to pick fights with everyone who disagrees with him," Sharpe charged.

Sharpe also doesn't talk like a guy trying to help Dear. "The people rejected Dear once and will reject him again," Sharpe said. Of course, they've also rejected Sharpe-when he ran for school board in 1999, State Senate in 2000 (Marty Markowitz knocked him off the ballot), City Council in 2002 (Yvette Clarke won), and State Senate in 2002 (Carl Andrews). Nonetheless, these races show it could be personal ambition, not a suitcase full of cash, that inspired him to run against Parker.

But Parker said, "I guess he's gotten desperate. Look at his record. He's lost three times." Sharpe, outraged at the claim that he'd been bought, said Parker is trying to win "by any means necessary."

HORT'S RETORT In a letter to this paper, congressional candidate Peter Hort wrote, "Unfortunately, Mr. Engquist missed the point in his June 7th Brooklyn Politics column. I stand by my statement, 'We can't afford to let our city to be taken over by the well-connected.' Mr. Engquist validates my point." We're confused. Did we miss Hort's point or validate it? While we ponder that, we'll try to explain Hort's argument.

Hort had tried to tarnish the name of his opponent, Rep. Jerry Nadler, by noting that Nadler has received campaign contributions from Red Hook businessman Sal Catucci, who was linked to mobsters by an unaccountable federal prosecutor. We had asked, somewhat rhetorically, if the same logic would apply to George Bush, George Pataki, and the Conservative Party, who'd also received money from Catucci.

Surprisingly, Hort's people said yes, though Hort is himself a Republican. "If [Catucci] is donating to Jerry Nadler and the Conservative Party, why is he donating to both of those?" asked Hort spokesman Matthew Holt. "To influence government operations." Nadler has been trying to get the Port Authority to extend Catucci's lease at the Red Hook piers, where Catucci runs a shipping operation. The Hort campaign considers this big money controlling government.

By contrast, said Holt, "We're fighting for the little guy." Nadler shot back, "I'm championing about 600 little guys who are employed there (at Catucci's business). I want to keep them employed there. I've been supporting the container operation in Brooklyn for about 25 years, long before I got campaign contributions."

G.O.P. REJECTS WHITE MEAT Brooklyn's Republican County Committee resolved to support banning lawsuits against the fast-food industry. But what makes that industry so wonderful that it deserves such an exemption? Undoubtedly, the resolution stemmed from party members' contempt for the lawsuit filed by two obese Bronx girls against McDonald's.

The suit was thrown out, but not before McDonald's had to reveal that Chicken McNuggets had more than 50 ingredients, none of which was white meat. Subsequently, the company began offering all-white-meat McNuggets in New York. That's a positive development that wouldn't have happened if the industry were exempt from lawsuits.

BAY RIDGE BUMBLING Democrats in Bay Ridge, hamstrung by past squabbling, haven't found a candidate to challenge local Republican state legislators this year. "No one is running against State Senator Marty Golden. No one is running against Assemblyman Matthew Mirones," said Democratic district leader Joanne Seminara at a meeting last week. "That's a sad state of affairs for the Democratic Party."

Seminara didn't take any blame, though. Part of her job as district leader is to recruit and support Democratic candidates. That's been complicated by the cold war between her and co-leader Ralph Perfetto, who is focusing his energies on defeating Seminara rather than Golden and Mirones. Perfetto is backing elementary school teacher Gail Asfazadour against Seminara. Seminara is not running a male candidate against Perfetto. "I don't want to continue what he thinks is a feud between us," she said.

Seminara, a lawyer who has run for City Council three times, told us she made a concerted effort to find an opponent for Mirones and thought she had one, but he pulled out. "I'm trying to build a party and hopefully we can do that with other clubs in this neighborhood and in Brooklyn," she said, apparently referring to Perfetto's club.

Seminara said she invited Perfetto to appear before her fledgling club, Brooklyn Democrats for Change, but he didn't respond. Perfetto said he wrote to Seminara to lay the groundwork for a truce, but she didn't respond. Perfetto insisted that any meeting include witnesses from both sides because he doesn't trust Seminara to keep her word. "Joanne is an intelligent woman," said Perfetto. "The problem is that party politics is team politics, and [Seminara's people] do not know how to be team players…Each time we have extended our hand to them, they have slapped our hand."

RACES FOR ANNETTE, CLARENCE, RHODA Petitioning for ballot access began June 8 and ends July 15. Only then will we know for certain who's running. But insiders tell us Assemblywoman Annette Robinson will get a challenge from Richard Taylor, who's run before, and that Ed Roberts will take on Clarence Norman for Assembly and Democratic district leader. Roberts might substitute someone in one of those races, sources said. He's running with a female leader candidate.

Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs, always a target because she's a white woman representing a district that's 65 percent black and 14 percent Latino, may have two Democratic opponents, Haitian-Americans Zachary LaReche and Michele Adolphe.

As many as four men are reportedly seeking to succeed Councilman Kendall Stewart as male Democratic leader in the 58th Assembly District: Asquith Reid, Weyman Carey, Omar Boucher, and Abu A.Q. Abu. The job is unpaid, but whoever gets it will be well positioned to succeed Nick Perry if he ever decides to leave the Assembly.

At least four insurgents are said to be running for female Democratic district leader: Denise Gordon and former City Council candidate Erlene King in the 58th A.D., Leolin Schliffer in the 42nd A.D., and Haitian activist Lola Poisson in the 43rd A.D. Rock Hackshaw might run for male leader in the 42nd. Gordon and Carey are on a slate backed by Assemblyman Perry and State Senator Kevin Parker. Reid is running with incumbent Gail Reed-Barnett, supported by Councilman Stewart. It's obvious the rift between former allies Perry and Stewart is widening.

LEGAL AID'S CASH CRUNCH Amidst a cash crunch, layoffs, and other financial turmoil at Legal Aid, the society's chief attorney, Daniel Greenberg of Park Slope, quit on June 9. The Daily News then reminded us that just two years ago, Legal Aid had sold Greenberg a duplex on Montgomery Place, one of the priciest blocks in the borough, for $420,000. Our guess is that today, the 1,850-square-foot, four-bedroom apartment would fetch at least twice that. Legal Aid could certainly use that money to help close its $21 million deficit. But then, real estate speculation is not the organization's strength.

Legal Aid spokeswoman Pat Bath told us the sale price was based on an appraisal by William B. May Company, which had no incentive to come up with a low-ball number. She noted that prices fell by nearly 10 percent in the last quarter of 2001, following 9/11. It proved to be an excellent deal for Greenberg, who had been paying his employer $1,100 per month to rent the duplex prior to buying it. The housing arrangement was included in the package that lured Greenberg to Legal Aid. His job is being filled temporarily by Windsor Terrace resident Steve Banks, who finished second to Bill de Blasio in the 2001 City Council race. Banks, a 23-year Legal Aid veteran, said he's too focused on securing the revenue to save Legal Aid to think about whether he'll be a candidate for the position on a permanent basis.

TIDBITS The Working Families Party endorsed former Assemblyman Frank Barbaro against Rep. Vito Fossella and will make the race its top priority, the Staten Island Advance reported. The party also chose Diane Savino in the contest to succeed retiring State Senator Seymour Lachman. Savino faces Kelvin Alexander in the Democratic primary and, if she wins, Republican Al Curtis in the general election, where the WFP line figures to add some votes to her total. Alexander, incidentally, didn't interview with the WFP, an indication of a disorganized campaign…

Ballpoint pens being given away by Noach Dear's campaign don't say "DEAR for State Senate" but rather "DEAR State Senator." To attain that title, he'll have to beat incumbent Kevin Parker and perhaps Wellington Sharpe. Parker contends Dear is trying to fool people into thinking Dear is the incumbent…

Attorney Gerry Dunbar's campaign for Civil Court judge has hit a snag. An enemy of his is spreading the word that Dunbar pleaded guilty to fourth-degree sale of marijuana in 1979. Dunbar, a young attorney with a clean record at the time, was initially sentenced to four months but got it reduced to an unconditional discharge on appeal. "It was more than a quarter of a century ago," said Dunbar, a Democrat who today has a successful Court Street law practice and is known for representing candidates against the Democratic machine. "Times change, attitudes change. I've certainly changed." He added, "I don't think it's relevant. I assume the voters would agree." Of course, if every Brooklynite who'd ever smoked pot voted for Dunbar, he'd win by a landslide…

Two years ago, Francis Byrd withdrew from the 57th Assembly District Democratic state committeeman race purportedly to give Bill Saunders a better chance to defeat James Davis (which he didn't). Apparently Saunders isn't particularly thankful to Byrd, who got the job after Davis was killed. Saunders is running against Byrd, sources said…

Robin Brown has not changed her mind about running in the 57th Assembly District despite the resignation of Assemblyman Roger Green, who expects to be on the Democratic primary ballot. Brown says she'll only run if Green doesn't. But Eric Blackwell has been mentioned as a possible candidate…

Sharon Toomer has mysteriously disappeared from the staff of Borough President Marty Markowitz just a few months after being named his director of communications. The beep's interim (yet again) communications director, Michael Kadish, said Toomer enjoyed working at Borough Hall but left on May 28 to pursue other opportunities. We suspect there's more to it, because no one likes to have a three-month stint on a résumé. Toomer is the second communications director to leave shortly after assuming the position; Glen von Nostitz was the first. Andy Ross didn't last too long either. Nor did deputy director Terri Edwards, who vanished almost as soon as she appeared…

The most laughable rumor of the week was that potential Assembly candidate Eric Adams had been promised a job as head of security for the Nets arena by Bruce Ratner, presumably to keep him out of the race against arena supporter Roger Green. The rumor mongerers will have to do better than that. Right now, there is no arena and there won't be for several years at least. There's nothing to secure… Correction: We recently identified Tony Herbert's 2003 City Council campaign attorney as Victor Best. It's actually Victor Bernace. The source of the error? Herbert's own disclosure forms…

Councilwoman Tish James went to court after the Campaign Finance Board ruled her 2001 City Council campaign violated spending limits, but a judge just threw out her case…

At a same-sex marriage forum at Brooklyn Borough Hall, where Borough President Marty Markowitz delivered opening remarks, an audience member asked at the end of the night whether some politicians were using the gay community to promote themselves. "I'm grateful to Marty Markowitz," the woman said, "but isn't he using us-since he only favors civil unions and not gay marriage?" Unfortunately, Markowitz had already left the event.

Contact Brooklyn Politics at (718) 399-3693.

Borough Politics Archive

2004
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2003
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2002
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2001
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2000
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1999
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