Friday, March 29, 2024
A Federalist 57 Website
D. R. ZUKERMAN, proprietor
Bill O'Reilly, What Say You ...

October 13, 2009 --

... to these qualifications in my serious write-in quest to be the next Public Advocate for New York City.

For many years,served pro bono as arbitrator in Small Claims Court, Bronx County, handing down decisions where parties could not agree to settle.

Also for many years, have taken public advocacy positions in writing, vis-a-vis
overbearing sources in the private and public sector. The writings are in letters to editors, submissions to The Voice (Winsted, CT -- publication ceased April 2003) and on Lonely Pamphleteer Review.

Am well-experienced (alas) in dealing, personally, with heavy-handed officials in the public and private sectors.

Dedicated to our nation's founding spirit of liberty serving the common good, as indicated in the great movies of Frank Capra.

Not only do I believe we can fight City Hall -- to be faithful to our founding spirit, when circumstances warrant -- we must fight City Hall. Consider the opening scene of "It's a Wonderful Life." Angel Second Class Clarence Oddbody asks his supervisor if George Bailey is ill. Worse, comes the answer, he is "discouraged."

Discouragement is parent to depression of the political, ,economic and individual spirit. Adversity is not overcome by discouragement.

Nancy Gibbs writing on-line, October 9, described the nation's capital as
"part-travesty, part tragedy ,wasteful, blind, petty...." Well, that's what this
write-in candidcay, for NYC Public Advocate, aims at fixing -- in New York City.

Ms. Gibbs apparently believes "many Americans" prefer a leader who is "more bully, less pulpit." My sense is that Americans prefer leaders devoted to the common good, not personal ambition. Bullies need not apply.

Seventeen years ao, I wrote a letter to a weekly paper in the Bronx, proposing a
new political party that would field candidates running on a shoestring, but committed to serving the people. A name of such a party now comes to mind:
the Shoestring party.

Ms. Gibbs concluded her article with this observation: "Sometimes the words come first. Sometimes, it's better to let actions speak for themselves." For so many years, we have had so many words about the need for campaign finance reform.

My candidacy, in part, represents the challenge that all we need for constructive reform of our politics is constructive action.


Bill O'Reilly, outside Yankee Stadium, five Octobers ago