The march that Sharpton called was clearly in response to what happened in Staten Island and that's why it was held there. It was called even before the events in Missouri. Why were none of these marches called by Sharpton and his cronies during the Bloomberg era - especially with all of the stuff going on with stop and frisk? The person who calls for a march or demo is always an important question in the decision of whether to support it or not. Judging an organization's commitment to social justice on the basis of how they stand on a demo called by one of the most dishonest people on the face of the earth is absurd. Much of the opposition to the march did not center on the issue of police brutality but on the fact that the central player was Sharpton.... an ICE member
$110K grant kept Rev. Al Sharpton quiet about Mayor Bloomberg changing term limits
Sunday, August 15, 2010, 4:00 AM
Watson/Getty The Rev. Al Sharpton has long opposed nonpartisan elections, but stayed quiet when Mayor Bloomberg rammed through a law to extend term limits. The most prominent African-American voice in New York has a warm and productive relationship with its richest and most powerful white man. They don't always agree, but they always get along.
On Aug. 7, Sharpton said he would fight any push to make city elections nonpartisan - which Bloomberg hoped to do this fall.
His public stand helped kill the idea. Barely 48 hours later, Bloomberg pulled the plug.
Two years earlier, though, Sharpton stayed mum while Bloomberg rammed through a law to extend term limits so he could run again.
Why?
Perhaps because, as the city was convulsed over term limits, Sharpton's National Action Network got a $110,000 grant from a brand-new nonprofit funded by Bloomberg.
In fact, on the very day Bloomberg announced he wanted to run again, the first $50,000 of the grant was transferred to the National Action Network.
The details are buried in filings from the Education Equality Project, a group started two months earlier by Sharpton and Bloomberg's school chancellor, Joel Klein, to close the gap between white and minority students.
The project reported only two cash donations in 2008, gifts of $250,000 each from two anonymous donors.
Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser would not discuss specifics, but said the mayor gave money to the education project in 2008 - which means Bloomberg was one of those two donors.
The National Action Network got $50,000 on Oct. 2, 2008, and the remaining $60,000 on Oct. 17, 2008. The Education Equality Project's tax filing claims there was no conflict of interest in giving money to a group run by one of its own founders: "There is no relationship between the Organization and NAN."
Sharpton told the Daily News last week the National Action Network never got any of Bloomberg's money - "not that I know of."
He insisted he spoke out against Bloomberg changing term limits, though it doesn't show up in any news clips from the time.
"When the mayor changed term limits, I've been on the record against it all along," Sharpton insisted. "The mayor has no financial arrangements, before or after, with us."
More to the point, he said the education project's cash didn't buy Bloomberg any favors from him - and he ended up quitting the group because he opposed Bloomberg's successful effort to renew mayoral control of city schools.
Sharpton endorsed the African-American William Thompson against Bloomberg last year but was barely visible. Sharpton denounces the NYPD's stop-and-frisk program at his Saturday rallies, but not on the steps of City Hall.
Allies of Sharpton say he opposed nonpartisan elections on the merits, fearing it would hurt minority voters and candidates.
Rejecting nonpartisan elections showed Bloomberg that Sharpton can't be bought.
But taking a dive on term limits showed Bloomberg that Sharpton might be able to be rented.
alisberg@nydailynews.com
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/110k-grant-rev-al-sharpton-quiet-mayor-bloomberg-changing-term-limits-article-1.204085#ixzz3Ca3A7Vf1
1 comment:
I was able to forgive Al Sharpton for the Tawana Brawly fiasco but I will never forgive him for selling himself to BloomKlein. Mulgrew should be ashamed of himself for aligning with this man who sold out his own people and anyone else who truly cared about the plight of poverty stricken children in the business-world of education. But then again, it's just another reason to dislike Mulgrew----plenty more on my list-- which will surely get longer this school year. We can all argue over the Eric Garner case but who can argue that Al Sharpton should be supported by those of us who were actively fighting against BloomKlein while he took the money and hid like the greedy, sell-out coward he truly is.
Roseanne McCosh, PS8
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