Levin Demands Removal Of Former NY Governor Portrait From City Hall
City Council member Stephen Levin (D-Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Williamsburg, Boerum Hill) is demanding that the portrait of former New York Governor Horatio Seymour be removed from City Hall.
In an open letter to the President of the New York City Public Design Commission, Signe Nielsen, sent on August 18, Levin cites the recent effort to remove Confederate monuments around the country in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia as the basis for his proposal. Levin goes on to denounce Seymour’s portrait as a “celebrat[ory] figure, who promoted racial enmity,” citing his lack of support for the Emancipation Proclamation and a campaign slogan that touted white supremacy, “Our ticket, Our Motto: This is a White Man’s Country; Let White Men Rule,” as prominent reasons for removal from City Hall.
Seymour was Governor of New York from 1853-1854 and then again from 1863-1864.
“Cities across the country, many in former confederate states, are rising to the challenge of building a future without hate,” said Levin. “It was in this spirit that Charlottesville decided to remove a statue of Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee. We find ourselves in the midst of a struggle to define the future of our nation. This debate is not limited to former confederate states. Racism and hate were not exclusive traits of the Antebellum south. Many in the north shared the beliefs of white supremacy, and an example of this is former New York governor Horatio Seymour. In 1868, Governor Seymour was the Democratic candidate for President against General Ulysses S. Grant. The Seymour/Blair ticket ran perhaps the most racist presidential campaign our country has ever seen.
“The campaign was marked by open appeals to racism, vigorous opposition to Reconstruction, and intimidation and terrorism in the south by the newly formed Ku Klux Klan. In addition, prior to his 1868 campaign, while governor of New York, Seymour denounced the Emancipation Proclamation in horrifying terms, opposed the enlistment of African Americans as Union soldiers, vehemently opposed the draft and is widely seen as having enabled the 1863 New York City Draft Riots, during which the Colored Orphan Asylum was burned to the ground by rioters, and over 100 people were killed, including 11 African American men who were lynched.
“I believe that some other portrait in the Collection, of a figure with a more constructive legacy to our city and country, would be more appropriate in this location,” said Levin.
Espinal Pushes For Passage Of Food and Night Life Bills
City Council member Rafael Espinal (D-Bushwick, East New York) will push for the passage of two pieces of legislation, Intro No. 1514-A and T2017-6525, at a press conference before the City Council stated meeting today.
Intro No. 1514, would create and maintain a web portal that will allow prospective food donors and recipients to post notifications concerning the availability of food, including food that would otherwise go to waste, and to arrange for the transportation or retrieval of such food.
This legislation would be an joint effort between the Department of Sanitation and the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.
T2017-6525 would establish an Office of Nightlife and Nightlife Advisory Board to grow the city’s nightlife economy, improve safety at nightlife venues and address quality of life concerns for NYC residents.
The Office of Nightlife will conduct outreach, review information on complaints and violations, and serve as a liaison between nightlife establishments, residents, and government. The Advisory Board will evaluate New York City laws, rules, regulations and policies on an ongoing basis to make findings and recommendations that address common issues and trends in the nightlife industry.
The event is slated for 12:30 p.m., today, August 24, at City Hall in the Red Room in Lower Manhattan.
Golden Denounces Panel To Remove NYC Statues & Monuments
State Senator Martin J. Golden (R-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach) is denouncing Mayor Bill de Blasio and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito’s plan to create a panel tasked with exploring the removal of some of the city’s historical statues and monuments.
Last Wednesday, Mayor de Blasio, in the wake of the Charlottesville violence, which took the life of 32-year-old Heather Heyer, issued a “90 day review on all symbols of hate on city property.” The Mayor went on to specifically cite the monument in Lower Manhattan’s Canyon of Heroes dedicated to French Vichy Henri Philipe Petain “as one of the first we remove.”
“America is a great nation built upon a foundation created by many “larger than life figures” throughout our history. Often it is difficult to judge their contributions in a current context. Regardless, they have contributed to the greatness of our nation and are an important part of our past. The Mayor’s panel may be tempted to base its decision to remove statues based upon current politics rather than historical significance. This methodology has the potential of being divisive and counterproductive,” said Golden.
“I disagree with the creation of this panel and our city must proceed with caution. Instead of focusing on the removal of statues, let us engage in honest and open discussions, listen quietly and intently to opposing views, and finally, respect and acknowledge what unites us as Americans. In the immortal words of Maya Angelou “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again,” added Golden.
Fed BK Lawmakers Urge Sec. of State To Intervene In Deporting Former Nazi Guard
Congressmen Jerrod Nadler (D-Borough Park, Kensington, and parts of Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, Red Hook, Sunset Park, Midwood) and Dan Donovan (R-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) urged Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, to personally seek the deportation of a former Nazi prison guard living in Queens.
In a letter, alongside Congressman Joe Crowley (D-NY), the lawmakers asked Tillerson to use his influence to ensure that Jakiw Palij—a convicted Nazi guard—is deported, so New Yorkers and Americans are not forced to live beside “a painful reminder for Americans who fought against the Nazis or lost loved ones in the Holocaust.”
Mr. Jakiw Palij supported the Nazi regime during the Holocaust and served as a guard at the Trawniki camp in Poland. Mr. Palij’s American citizenship has been revoked, but he continues to live in New York City. The U.S. government has, to date, unsuccessfully appealed to the German, Ukraine, and Polish governments to accept Mr. Palij.
“The facts on Jakiw Palij speak for themselves. As a guard at the infamous SS camp in Trawniki, Poland, Mr. Palij was a part of the Nazi genocide machine that killed millions of innocent Jewish men, women and children during the Holocaust. Having escaped authorities after the war, Mr. Palij lied about his Nazi history when he entered the United States. When Justice Department officials uncovered Mr. Palij’s dark past and finally caught-up with him, his American citizenship was revoked. Yet he continues to live right here in New York City. I hope Secretary Tillerson will treat this case with the urgency it requires so that we can finally make sure Mr. Palij is deported and forced to answer for his crimes,” said Nadler.
“Jakiw Palij has yet to face justice, and it’s a dishonor to the Jewish people and millions of Holocaust victims that he continues to live freely in New York City. Those complicit in the Holocaust’s atrocities don’t deserve to enjoy the rights they took from others. I hope that Mr. Palij is swiftly deported,” said Donovan.
