“I’ve taken all the almonds out of the can,” she said jokingly, while still eyeing the remaining nuts in a Planter’s container. “I don’t think there are any left.”
by Alex Davidson
Very few people know that Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum loves almonds.
“I’ve taken all the almonds out of the can,” she said jokingly, while still eyeing the remaining nuts in a Planter’s container. “I don’t think there are any left.”
And since being elected last year, very few people know what Gotbaum does as public advocate. Gotbaum has kept a low profile, working on issues such as new school construction and public housing, but has done so in a behind-the-scenes style that has made many people, including the mayor, wonder why the office exists.
So Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg is sponsoring a November ballot measure to revise the city charter and remove the public advocate from the line of mayoral succession by eliminating her ability to preside over the City Council. Gotbaum is a Democrat.
The mayor’s move to consolidate the city government’s line of succession is consistent with his education policy, where he took powers away from the local school boards and put them under his control.
