By Helen Klein
In what may the first move in an intricate political chess game, Democrat Wellington Sharpe has announced his candidacy for the seat representing the 58th Assembly District, which covers portions of Flatbush and Canarsie. That announcement, Sharpe said, was predicated upon the belief that the current Assemblymember, Nick Perry, would give up his seat to run for the congressional seat in the 11th C.D. currently held by Representative Major Owens, who has announced that he will step down after his present term concludes. Sharpe made his announcement during a holiday party he hosted with James Conolly at his East Flatbush home. “One of the reasons I’m running is that it’s going to be an open seat,” explained Sharpe, who challenged incumbent State Senator Kevin Parker in his bid for re-election in 2004, and who one of numerous candidates who ran in 2001 for the City Council seat now held by Yvette Clarke. “The present assemblyman has announced that he has decided he is running for Congress, so I am running to fill the vacancy,” Sharpe went on. “If he doesn’t run for Congress, at that point I will make a decision, but all indications are that he’s preparing to run, and I’m also preparing to run. I don’t want to wait till the last minute, and have only two months to run.” Still Deciding Nonetheless, Perry, contacted after the event, said that, while he was considering a run for Congress, “I haven’t made a final decision. I think it would be somewhat premature for me to do that,” he went on, “because I’m still raising money to meet the target I’ve set, one of the conditions I’ve made for going down the road of no return. “There are some other reality considerations, as far as the number of people in the congressional race,” Perry added, ticking off four potential opponents for the seat – City Councilmember Yvette Clarke, Chris Owens (the son of the current representative), State Senator Carl Andrews and City Councilmember David Yassky, the only Caucasian in the group. “I’m doing polling to see exactly what looks possible and likely with the current situation,” Perry explained, stressing, “I think it would be a disaster for the African American community across the United States to lose a seat that is within the delegation of the Congressional Black Caucus. That would occur if Yassky is elected to the seat, if four African American candidates lined up and got stubborn about their chances. I have to be mindful of that. “I certainly think Yassky has a right to run,” Perry continued. “This is America, and he is entitled to take his chances. The challenge to everybody else in the race is that individuals have to deal with the consequences of their candidacy. Only one person can win and there’s a big common interest we must subordinate to our individual ambitions.” Need for Leadership It is the bigger picture that Sharpe also pointed to when discussing his motivation in seeking elective office – specifically, the current political culture in the borough. “We have a problem in leadership in Brooklyn,” Sharpe contended. “It’s time to step up and try to do something to bring back the good name of politics in Brooklyn. I’m not saying that everything that’s being said is correct. I’m saying that we need some true leadership, and I want to join true leaders like Kendall Stewart and Yvette Clarke on the cutting edge. They need support. They can’t do it alone.” Sharpe also said there were major issues confronting residents of the borough and the city. “Fifty one percent of black males are unemployed,” he pronounced. “That’s horrible. Even blacks who have a job make 28 percent less than their white counterparts. So, I am concerned about the uneven distribution of goods and services. “Why do we go and fight a war in a foreign country?” Sharpe demanded. “We have enough inequity in our own backyard. You can’t fight that with guns and bullets. You have to fight it with policies and corrective measures. It bothers me that as a country we can go to war trying to control how we think other people should live when we have so much inequity right here on our doorstep and we’re not willing to address these problems.” Issues of Inequity The theme of inequity was echoed by other speakers who took the floor in Sharpe’s crowded living room during the party. Stewart, for his part, trumpeted the recent passage in the City Council of legislation that is meant to address inequities in the awarding of city contracts, to provide easier access to such contracts for women and minority-owned businesses. The legislation, he said, was vastly preferable to providing such access through executive order. That, Stewart recalled, had been done by former Mayor David Dinkins, and been subsequently undone by his successor, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Dinkins, added political consultant Rock Hackshaw, had made a startling discovery when he became mayor. “He looked at the top jobs in city government,” recalled Hackshaw. “What he found was that over 80 percent of them were in the hands of white males. So he hired a guy named Mr. White to do an aggressive affirmative action policy, so with every hire, they would bring in women and minorities. “After a while,” Hackshaw recounted, “what happened was that it was down from 80-something percent whites to about 60-something percent white males. So, there were more minorities, more women, more Hispanics, more blacks and what not. And the first person that Giuliani fired was White. Really and truly, there are serious issues to be addressed.” All Together Now Another theme of the evening was inclusiveness. Noted Yassky, who attended the event, “We came on different ships but we are all in the same boat. If we are going to do anything in the city, we are going to do it together. When you raise the issue that 51 percent of African American men in the city don’t have jobs, that’s an issue for everybody.” Attorney Alan Rocoff recalled past campaigns had proven that ethnic communities could successfully unite to their advantage. “Communities can come together very strongly, particularly the Caribbean and Jewish communities,” he told the crowd. “Everyone can if they work on it. The point is bringing people together.” The community requires leaders who are in touch with its needs, contended Albert Payne, the former chairperson of Community Board 17. “This community does not need a czar, someone who’s so important that he doesn’t understand what our needs are,” Payne told his listeners, contending, “The things which should be taken care of in our community have not been taken adequately. “When I say adequately, it takes more than one person,” Payne emphasized. “The City Council cannot do it alone. There is absolutely no leadership from Albany. We need someone like Mr. Sharpe who can win and must win.” Nonetheless, while specifically noting, “I personally don’t publicly endorse any candidate,” Payne told Sharpe, “I will work as anyone else to make sure you win.” “Power Dinner” The crowd attending the party was large and represented many power bases within the community, noted Roy Hastick, the president of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce & Industry. “When I walked in and saw the room, I said to myself, this is a power dinner,” said Hastick, who said, “We have decided to work together in unity to bring our people together. We have a lot to celebrate as Caribbean Americans who came into this country. We must thank the people who paved to way for us — many Jews, many Hispanics, many African Americans, and Caribbean Americans.” Yet, Hastick added, a lot remains to be accomplished, “Especially for our children and grandchildren. That needs nurturing. That needs hand-holding. I think that’s what Wellington Sharpe stands for. He’s a visionary. He understands entrepreneurship. The three things I stand for are education, home ownership and business development, and he has all three qualities.” While Sharpe declined to say whether he would run for Perry’s seat if Perry does not seek a Congressional position, Perry, acknowledging the uneasy relations between himself and Stewart, said, “Should I not run for Congress, I would expect to be challenged by either Mr. Sharpe or someone else with the support of the councilman. But, honestly,” he added, “I am much more likely to be running for Congress, though I have not made a final decision. The way I was brought up, no pain, no gain. The things you want never come easy, but I believe if I raise the money, I can get a positive message that will prevail in the Congressional race.”
