Updated 10/21/2008 09:20 PM
Brooklyn’s Yassky, Gonzalez Still Undecided On Term Limits
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
With the city council planning to voting on the mayor's term limits bill this Thursday, 13 council members said Tuesday morning that they still have not made up their minds. NY1's Anthony Pascale visited the districts of then-undecided Brooklyn council members David Yassky and Sarah Gonzalez.For Brooklyn Councilman David Yassky, the clock is ticking. On Tuesday, he said he is still undecided as to whether he will vote for or against Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to extend term limits. He said he's waiting to hear more from his constituents.
Outside his Brooklyn Heights office, some of his constituents shared their thoughts with NY1.
"My thought is if Michael Bloomberg wants to continue being mayor of our city in a very different economic environment that’s coming, I'm all for it," said a voter.
“I just think that it’s personally ridiculous that he thinks he has the right to change it to a third term and after he completes that third term he’ll change the rules back,” said another. “I think it makes no sense, and if he does it that way I think it would be correct in assuming that anyone who follows him would have the same liberties.”
Yassky represents Brooklyn Heights, Greenpoint and parts of Williamsburg, Park Slope and Boerum Hill. Under current two-term limits, he cannot run again for his council seat in 2009. He has already announced his candidacy for city comptroller.
Yassky declined NY1’s invitation for an interview this week but told his constituents in a letter that he supports extending the limit to three terms. He also believes it should be up to the voters to change the current law.
As of Tuesday morning, Councilwoman Sarah Gonzalez, who represents parts of Brooklyn that include Sunset Park and Red Hook as well as parts of Park Slope and Boerum Hill, was also undecided. She is not term limited in 2009.
She too declined NY1’s request for an interview but her spokesperson gave some insight into the decision-making process.
”The issue with her is what do her constituents, what do all these folks think,” said Gonzalez’s spokesman Mike Schweinsburg.
"It's really the people of New York City that should vote on this,” said a voter. “Why should he get a third term if all the other mayors in this city got only two terms [sic]? It’s not really fair."
“I think he deserves to be mayor for a third term,” said another. “He's doing a great job for New York.”
"It should be up to the people, the power of the people,” said a third. Not just a cabinet that you can manipulate or you think your billions can buy everything.”
By Tuesday night, Gonzalez said that she would support the term limits extension.
As of Tuesday night, 12 undecided council members were facing less than 48 hours to make up their minds before the vote.