There is something about attending a function at the United Progressive Democrats Club, 29 Bay 25th Street in Bath Beach, that makes one feel like they are participating in old-school American Democracy, Brooklyn style.
Perhaps it’s the inexpensive eighth-inch plywood wall paneling and the old campaign posters tacked to them. Or the long folding tables and chairs where everybody sits together at meetings and events. Or the way campaign literature, old newspaper clippings, election maps and American flags decorate and are scattered here and there in the long narrow room.
Even the food. It’s pot luck all the way. Chinese rice noodles with shrimp, sliced and sautéed Italian sausage with peppers and onions, an American style roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, Italian cookies, sliced chocolate pound cake, . All served on paper plates, and washed down with ninety-nine cent two-liter soda served in plastic cups.
It’s a far cry from the political operations one sees in the movies where the walls for the most part are bare and painted white. Life-sized cardboard cutouts of candidates replace campiagn posters and the tables are gone. In their stead are heavy single-person desks with large computers sitting on them.
The club for the most part is the purview of longtime 47th th District Assemblymember Bill Colton, the two 47th Assembly District Democratic leaders – Charlie Ragusa and Nancy Tong and City Councilmember Mark Treyger.
And this week, yours truly attended a Ragusa fundraiser as a guest member of the media.
Colton introduced Ragusa as a man he has known and worked with in politics for over 40 years. Somebody who is often more behind the scenes than out front.
Colton explained that although the position is unpaid, it is still an elective title and he is up for re-election again in the 2018 Democratic State primary.
Charlie normally doesn’t have an opponent, but in the last election he did and it cost about $50,000 to win that election, Colton said, adding that the reality of politics is that it often takes more money to run and win an election than local elected officials like Ragusa have on hand.
Both Colton and Ragusa said while no challenger has come forward as of yet, they have to be ready for one.
As fate would have it, Ragusa had a opponent in 2016 and KCP covered it. He ran against Billy Thai, whose mentor was a man named Warren Chan. These two are surrogates of a kind to another local club, the Bay Ridge Democrats. The two clubs are rivals in South Brooklyn.
City Councilmemeber Vincent Gentile is a member of this club, and his successor, Councilmember-elect Justin Brannan, is one of the main powers behind it. Brannan put Chan on his 36-member transition team.
He also axed Chan today for posting a racist Tweet on Twitter. Brannan rightly said he will not tolerate or make any room for bigoted and racist remarks from anybody associated with him
Yours truly has also been to Bay Ridge Democratic functions as a member of the media. They are usually at a bar, which is always a good and fun time with great conversation. The club membership is younger, and consists generally of a more urban type of blue-collar Democrat. For the Park Slope and Brownstone progressives are few and far between in this part of Brooklyn.
It is very likely that this club and/or some of its associates will put up a candidate against Ragusa.
KCP has no dog in this possible upcoming battle and as a rule does not donate money to any campaigns. What it does for one club, it will gladly do for the other. When Thai ran against Ragusa, it gave him equal, and some thought better, coverage.
That said, for those that want to donate to Ragusa’s campaign they can send a check to 10 Ave P, Apartment 5L, Brooklyn Ny 11204. Checks are payable to friends of Charles Ragusa. Non-profits cannot make any political contributions.If anyone has a question regarding donations, please contact Susan Zhuang at wenyi.guan@yahoo.com.
Should somebody run against Ragusa, it will offer the same donation information for that person.
