Brooklyn Focus: NYC 40th City Council Race: Trust in the Rock

One of the best, if rather long-shot, candidates this year is a fellow blogger, Rock Hackshaw. I have followed Rock's blogging pretty much since I started paying attention to NYC politics and was always amazed by his intelligence and an encyclopedic knowledge of Brooklyn politics. I have also been amazed by his honesty and integrity, two features that are very rare in NYC politics and features that are central to the candidates I am most strongly supporting this year like Norman Siegel, Josh Skaller and Jo Anne Simon. Rock combines this honesty, integrity, intelligence and knowledge with a rock-solid (pun intended and quite apt) determination and stubborness when it comes to fighting the good fight.

I read Rock's excellent and detailed blogs long before I met him. But the first time I met him I was even more impressed. I first met Rock in person when Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes had a blogger event to showcase all his good works. Rock was there and, in typical Rock fashion, bluntly challenged the DA on political corruption in Brooklyn, refusing to let Hynes duck the question. Watching Rock and Hynes go at it was quite entertaining since both were formidable personalities. I have since seen Rock challenge other equally formidable personalities such as Andrew Weiner who came all the way from Washington, DC to speak to a CBID meeting to tell everyone he didn't have time in his busy Washington schedule to make a final decision about running for mayor. Rock raised his hand, said how much he wanted to see Weiner run, then bluntly called bullshit on Weiner's excuse by asking what he was doing at the CBID meeting if he was too busy in Washington to make a decision about running for mayor. Andrew, for once, seemed to realize he was caught. I noticed Weiner disappeared from the local political scene for awhile after that.

Rock is not afraid to call bullshit on anyone, and with the City Council so full of bullshit we desperately need someone with integrity and intelligence in there calling people out for their bullshit. Rock is the person to do that. By contrast, the incumbent, Mathieu Eugene is definitely part of the city council bullshit. Eugene routinely refers to himself as Dr. Eugene but refused to provide any proof whatsoever, or even a consistent story, showing he is really a doctor. The difference between Eugene and Hackshaw is night and day. Rock has even put together a comprehensive and detailed platform that he is running on. I do not agree with every detail of his platform, but I am amazed at the amount of thought and consideration that went into it and I think it shows how serious and dedicated Rock is to his community. He also offers a detailed biography and even resume for voters to consider. Rock is one of those people I feel comfortable disagreeing with because I know he will ALWAYS listen to the other side and consider it carefully. Rock is willing to change his mind if a reasonable arguement is presented to him. Of all the candidates running for City Council this year, I think he would represent the greatest challenge to the current corrupt status quo.