Reverend Billy: Watch out, Mike, I'm coming for your job

3/1/09
reverend billy talen
By Ryan Chatelain

Reverend Billy: Watch out, Mike, I'm coming for your job

Photo credit: Urbanite

"Reverend Billy" Talen appears at a public hearing in Coney Island in July. (Photo by Getty)

By Ryan Chatelain

Critics may argue that politics is already full of showmen. “Reverend Billy” Talen is OK with that label.

Dressed in a royal blue suit and clerical collar, Talen, known for combining community activism and theater, colorfully jumped into the mayoral race yesterday as the Green Party candidate. At a Union Square rally, dozens listened as he denounced Mayor Michael Bloomberg as an executive who is running the city as a corporation that is too focused on tourism, Wall Street and real estate.

“The trouble is, Mike, those are all bubble economies that are extremely down at this point,” Talen said. “They have been attacking our neighborhoods. However, the neighborhoods that stayed away from Mike’s bubble economies are strong.”An e-mail yesterday to Howard Wolfson, Bloomberg’s campaign spokesman, received no response by press time.

Talen, 56, earned his reputation over the past two decades as a community activist who has taken on consumerism, most namely the Times Square Disney Store and Wal-Mart. He was featured in the 2007 Morgan Spurlock documentary “What Would Jesus Buy?” — about the commercialism of Christmas.

Reverend Billy is the leader of an activist performance group named the Church of Life After Shopping, which has been known to perform exorcisms at Starbucks stores.

Voters will likely question how seriously they can take a mayoral candidate who has a stage name and a costume. Nevertheless, Talen earned the endorsement of city Green Party leaders.

“We agree there’s a tradition of folk heroes running for office — Norman Mailer, Jimmy Breslin — and that’s how we look at Reverend Billy Talen,” said Gloria Mattera, Green Party spokeswoman. “His work, his commitment is completely in sync with the Green Party’s platform.”

Before he appears on the ballot, Talen must raise $250,000 in matching campaign finance funds and collect 7,500 signatures from registered voters.
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reverend billy talen

Reverend Billy: Watch out, Mike, I'm coming for your job

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