Assemblymember Sheldon Silver, center, marching in Chinatown’s Lunar New Year parade Feb. 22. At far left is Councilmember Margaret Chin and at far right is State Sen. Daniel Squadron. Leaning in: Assemblymember David Weprin, and at back left: Public Advocate Letitia James.
BY JOSH ROGERS | Assemblymember Sheldon Silver has been mostly quiet since he was arrested last month for illegally raking in $4 million according to the U.S. Attorney, but he continues to send one message to the people of Lower Manhattan: I still represent you.
That’s essentially what he said in two prepared statements to this paper, the first two weeks ago, and then again Monday.
The second one was a response that came only about an hour after Downtown Express posted an article about his appearance at Chinatown’s Lunar New Year parade Sunday.
Right after he lost his speaker’s position four weeks ago, it was unclear how he would continue to represent the district. He did not send a representative to Community Board 1’s meeting Feb. 5, but soon after he began making it clear that he planned to continue his work.
A week later, he said his Lower Manhattan School Overcrowding Task Force would keep going.
“School overcrowding and ensuring children are able to thrive in our schools remains a top priority, and the Task Force will continue its work under my leadership,” Silver, said in a Feb. 12 statement. “I and my staff will continue to serve our community, providing high level constituent services and making sure we have the resources we need in order for our neighborhoods to remain vibrant.”
Silver’s task force, which includes principals and Downtown school advocates generated citywide headlines four years ago as the setting of Schools Chancellor Cathie Black’s infamous joke about birth control, which led to her resignation soon after her hiring, but it is better known to Downtown school advocates and parents as the place to get timely information about kindergarten waiting lists and to press the case to the Dept. of Education to build more schools.
The advocates and Silver played a leading role in finding the sites for the three Lower Manhattan elementary schools that have opened in the last six years — P.S./I.S. 276, Spruce Street and Peck Slip schools — and got the D.O.E. to open them early in “incubator” space in its Tweed headquarters.
So at least by appearances, not a lot has changed yet in Lower Manhattan, but in Albany, where Silver was one of the powerful “three men in a room” for two decades, the difference has apparently been more obvious.
“Silver is now relegated to a desk in the back of the Assembly chambers, like a freshman Democrat in a new class of lawmakers,” Bob Hardt, NY1’s political director, wrote in a post calling for Silver to resign. He “remains a living object lesson to his colleagues about flying too close to a sun – if the sun was made of a big ball of money.”
For his part, Silver’s district office director, Paul Goldstein, stayed on message Tuesday night, telling C.B. 1 members, “he is still your Assemblyman…
“Our office is open and operational — and anyone who has any issues, anyone who has any personal concerns, do not hesitate to contact me, to contact our office.”
At the New Year parade Sunday, Silver said, “I’m thrilled to be here with you here today to celebrate this occasion,” according to The Lo-Down, a Lower East Side blog. “I am honored to continue to represent this Chinatown community.”
Two parade attendees told Downtown Express that they did not hear any heckles or criticism directed at Silver. One said he heard a few calls of “good luck.”
The former speaker walked with other politicians waving to the crowd, as he does most years for Chinatown’s biggest event.
This year, the list marching with him included Letitia James, the city’s public advocate, as well as two Downtown pols — State Sen. Daniel Squadron and Councilmember Margaret Chin.
Silver, who was indicted last week and pleaded not guilty this, maintains he will be vindicated.
One staff member has left, but there appear to be no other departures so far.
Jason Fink, who was Silver’s communications coordinator, started a new job as deputy press secretary with the city’s Dept. of Education this week.
Fink will focus on some of the same education issues he had been handling under Silver.
One source said the assumption is that Silver will be asked to downsize his office and move, but it’s not clear when that will be. Another source not connected to Silver said not surprisingly, at least a few other Silver staffers are looking for new jobs.
The parade was Silver’s second public event in his Lower Manhattan district since he lost his leadership post. The first was last Thursday to celebrate the actual start of the Lunar New Year with the Chinese Consolidate Benevolent Association on Mott St.
—With reporting by
Dusica Sue Malesevic
