City Council Debates -- Now With More Racism!

By Roy Edroso Thu., Sep. 3 2009 at 10:17 AM

Categories: Democracy, Featured, Politics

Outside the big top, smaller city races are starting to get hot. Recently there was debate among candidates to succeed Comptroller candidate John Liu in the city council, and the two white guys mixed it up, with Queens College student Constantine Kavadas claiming that retired medical researcher Isaac Sasson told him "if I'm on the ballot I'm going to cost him the election because I'm a white candidate." Sasson pointed out that Kavadas had been knocked off the ballot for petition fraud -- under a challenge from Sasson. Kavadas is appealing and has claimed that "there's not going to be a District 20 primary on September 15" if he doesn't get on because "I'll have my attorneys impound the voting machines for the election if I have to"...

Sasson also attacked John Choe, Liu's former chief of staff, for "anti-American views" and for calling the U.S. "an imperialist nation," while Choe accused contender Yen Chou of putting out flyers warning voters that if they didn't vote for her they'd inadvertently elect a "Jewish candidate" (presumably Sasson), which Chou denied.

Less racist was a debate for Comptoller candidate David Wepin's council seat, though YourNabe says contender Swaranjit Singh, a Sikh immigrant, has had his posters vandalized. "It's amazing how well we get along in Queens considering how diverse we are," said assemblyman Mark Weprin, the incumbent's brother. The third candidate, Bob Friedrich, has already been endorsed by one party -- the Republicans. "My campaign has been about transcending party labels," he says.

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