The New York Daily News endorses PJ Kim in tomorrow's District 1 City Council Primary:
P.J. Kim is a Princeton-educated Korean immigrant with a Harvard M.B.A.
An activist who has run nonprofit groups, he directed the nation's
largest free tax preparation campaign, gaining 43,000 low-income New
Yorkers more than $80 million in refunds. He's the choice over
incumbent Alan Gerson.
He's also won the support of Chinatown activist, lawyer and former City Council candidate Rocky Chin:
I think PJ Kim stands out and offers us the promise of fresh, new, effective leadership. Yes – he's young – but so is Dan Squadron – another excellent candidate who many of us helped elect.. and Dan is already making progressive reform waves in Albany! In my opinion, Alan and Margaret come to this race unfortunately with just a bit too much "baggage"….and that will make it difficult for them to be forceful, effective and constructive in the council – and make it difficult for them to contribute and lead where and when they will be really needed. Alan has made postive contributions in the District over these 8 years, but his vote to extend terms limits was a disappointment and his continuing problems with constituency services and a mediocre council attendance record cannot be ignored. Margaret paints herself as a champion of Chinatown. While she surely is a housing and immigrant rights activist and advocate, she has been unsuccessful in promoting unity, consensus or effective coalition building in Chinatown. She continues to have many detractors among Chinatown's civic leaders. I also wish she would take some resppnsibility for her own history in the community and in the progressive movement. In my mind, this history – hers and that of AAFE's – has some chapters that are so profoundly troubling that it remains a major part of her present-day baggage unless she can fully and truthfully disclose her role and be accountable… The new councilmember will need to figure out how to bring our diverse communities within District 1 together – and needless to say, we need our councilmember to pay more attention to Chinatown and the LES part of the district.
