Assemblymember Sheldon Silver at his School Overcrowding Task Force meeting April 15. Behind him is his chief of staff, Judy Rapfogel.
BY JOSH ROGERS | Speak softly and carry a big stick, Theodore Roosevelt’s famous foreign policy philosophy, might just as well have been Sheldon Silver’s mantra during his two decades as Assembly speaker. The Albany power broker was often inaudible at public events, but his influence was unmistakable as he delivered schools and other much-needed items to his Lower Manhattan district.
So it was surprising to hear how loudly — for him — he spoke at last week’s meeting of his Lower Manhattan School Overcrowding Task Force — almost three months after he was forced to give up his leadership post in the face of federal allegations that he used his office to rake in $4 million.
He was clearly running the meeting April 15, whereas prior to his indictment, a stranger walking into the room might have mistaken his relative silence for a lack of power.
Many of the few dozen attendees applauded as he entered the smaller, cramped room.
“It’s certainly a pleasure to have you back here today,” he said. “First let me assure you that I hope to continue to lead this School Overcrowding Task Force, and to continue the work with you that we have done ‘til now…I look forward to being more productive as we go forward.”
The signs that things had changed were unmistakable. Silver has moved one floor down at 250 Broadway to the 22nd floor, but the real distance is much further. Attendees had to squirm to get to their seats and there weren’t even enough for Judy Rapfogel, his longtime chief of staff, and other aides, who stood for about an hour.
Many who showed up early because the meeting had been pushed back 30 minutes had to wait outside because Silver no longer has the sprawling speaker’s office on 23 with large waiting areas and conference rooms.
Perhaps the main reason the task force survives is City Hall. Silver was Mayor Bill de Blasio’s most reliable ally in Albany the administration’s first year, and among New York’s political leaders, the mayor was the most supportive of Silver after the accusations surfaced in January.
The task force, which formed in 2008, is made up of local principals and school advocates, who typically press city Dept. of Education officials — who always attend — to build more schools. Silver and the advocates played a leading role in the construction of Spruce Street School, P.S./I.S. 276 and Peck Slip School, which all opened in the D.O.E.’s headquarters prior to their buildings’ construction. The rapid school expansion is far from pork, the advocates argue, pointing out the fact that from 2000–2010, population within Lower Manhattan’s Community Board 1, grew four times faster or more than every other part of the city.
Education officials last week continued to listen closely to Silver and task force members, at least by appearances. It’s hard to imagine the same would have been true had Silver been indicted when Mayor Bloomberg was in power, since the pair had some high-profile battles.
For his part, Silver took the warm greeting in stride when he spoke briefly to reporters after the meeting.
“They know what is proceeding,” he said of his supporters, “and they know that I am moving to do what I can to represent this district in the best way possible.”
