London in New York

In the race for Manhattan District Attorney, while the choice for me is clear, the choice for most serious minded New Yorkers should also come down to one between Retired Judge Leslie Crocker Synder and Richard Aborn. While Cy Vance, Jr. has an interesting professional pedigree, strong academic credentials and political connections, after working in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in the 1980’s working under Robert Morgenthau, he left New York City and spent the majority of his professional career working as a defense attorney in Seattle, Washington. As stated by Leslie Crocker Snyder in the final debate last night at John Jay College of Criminal Justice:

The choice in the race, Ms. Snyder said, is “between someone who stayed in New York during the terrible times of the ’80s and ’90s and someone who left. Cy Vance decided to move as far away as he could.”

I would have to concur with the statement above. The late 1980’s, early 1990’s were very much a transitional time period for New York City, crime was high and many New Yorkers, including myself sadly left, albeit briefly to work at Bingham Dana in Boston, while folks like Leslie Crocker Snyder and yes, Rudy Giuliani, not a name most progressives want to give credit and Curtis Sliwa stayed here and helped do the work to make the city safe and habitable again and otherwise turn around a metropolis in decline. So then the next question for me and many New Yorkers is rather simple, as stated by a trusted friend, “if you have achieved such professional stature in Seattle, why not run for political office in Seattle rather than New York City?.” Given his connections and the Morgenthau clan’s interest in selecting his replacement, the timely return of Cy Vance, Jr. to New York City strikes me as one based purely on political opportunism. Seattle Cy’s run for Manhattan District Attorney seems to be a launching pad for greater political ambition. Hence, my recommendation for Seattle Cy Vance, Jr. is that he should run for District Attorney, Governor, Congress or the Senate in Seattle, Washington where he built his professional reputation. It would have been more appropriate for Cy Vance, Jr. to launch his rocketing political aspirations with a speech at the Space Needle in Seattle then here in New York City.

In these times, as a New Yorker, first and foremost I want someone who has spent the majority of their legal and professional career working in New York City, developing an intutive understanding of our criminal justice system, the streets of New York and the concerns of every day New Yorker’s. I am reticient to support for such a hands on position someone who has returned to cash in on his name, old boy network connections to use the office of the Manhattan District Attorney as launching pad for a political career. New Yorkers can choose between two visionary and capable lawyers, former prosecutors in Leslie Crocker Synder and Richard Aborn. Judge Snyder’s time behind the bench as a judge further distinguishes her from her well credentialed competitors. Her experience is deep, diverse and her performance in the debates against distinguished colleaques illustrates that she can more than hold her own, she is clearly the more skilled and knowledgeable. All the candidates have a strong slate of endorsements, but I simply want someone who has spent the last 25-30 years in New York City, working as a prosecutor, a judge and a private practice attorney, not an aristocrat with old boy network connections who has returned to use New York City as a launching pad for greater political ambition. The entrenched New York establishment is largely behind Seattle Cy Vance, Jr. While he is an impressive guy with some strong political connections, I am here to say NO DICE FOR SEATTLE CY– On Tuesday, September 15, 2009 in the Democratic Primary, as tempted as I might be by Richard Aborn’s unique vision, Seattle Cy’s powerful connections, I AM VOTING FOR A NEW YORKER NOT AN ARISTOCRAT who has returned to claim Morgenthau’s mantle, and that New Yorker in every sense of the word is Leslie Crocker Snyder. As the Editor in Chief of ManhattanSociety.com, we endorse Leslie Crocker Snyder for Manhattan D.A. to replace the retiring Robert Morgenthau in Tuesday’s Democratic Primary and recommend that you vote for her as well.

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