New York Post

admin — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 12:56:32 +0000

Editorial Board

New York Post

5th District (Upper East Side): Opponent Ben Kallos, a young community board member and former Assembly staffer ... has thumped for genuine legislative transparency. We prefer him to Kellner.

The next City Council

September 5, 2013

When it comes to irresponsibility, few institutions rival New York’s City Council. Unfortunately, all signs suggest it’s going to get even worse. With at least 20 of the council’s 51 seats changing hands in November’s elections, there is a lot of bad to choose from. So we’ve singled out three primary races featuring candidates with particularly unsavory records — as well as one that offers some hope for the future.

5th District (Upper East Side): Assemblyman Micah Kellner was favored to win this open seat until it came out that Speaker Sheldon Silver had kept sexual harassment complaints against him secret. Since then, he’s lost many key endorsements, and rightly so.

Opponent Ben Kallos, a young community board member and former Assembly staffer, is a conventional liberal but has thumped for genuine legislative transparency. We prefer him to Kellner.

New York Times

admin — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 03:35:52 +0000

Editorial Board

New York Times

For New York City Council

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Published: August 30, 2013

MANHATTAN’S DISTRICT 5 (Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island): A few months ago, this race looked as if it would be an easy win for Assemblyman Micah Kellner. Then came the accusations against him of sexual harassment — charges now being investigated by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics in Albany. Fortunately, there is a better candidate in this race: Ben Kallos, a lawyer and activist. Mr. Kallos has government experience as a legislative aide in Albany, where he worked to begin putting voting records online. He has impressive proposals to help students who attend the City University of New York by forgiving college loans to those who work and stay in the city, and to require developers to build more affordable apartments to get tax abatements. He wants to expand broadband service and revisit congestion pricing. Ben Kallos brings fresh ideas and merits this seat.

For New York City Council

EDITORIAL
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Published: August 30, 2013

New York City’s 51-member City Council ideally gives each neighborhood a voice in the complicated politics of City Hall. Most candidates promise to get more resources for their districts, more affordable housing, schools and public amenities. And they vow to listen to citizen complaints. The differences among candidates are often a matter of temperament, experience and political skills. Here are our choices in six contested races in the Democratic primary on Sept. 10:

MANHATTAN’S DISTRICT 5 (Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island): A few months ago, this race looked as if it would be an easy win for Assemblyman Micah Kellner. Then came the accusations against him of sexual harassment — charges now being investigated by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics in Albany. Fortunately, there is a better candidate in this race: Ben Kallos, a lawyer and activist. Mr. Kallos has government experience as a legislative aide in Albany, where he worked to begin putting voting records online. He has impressive proposals to help students who attend the City University of New York by forgiving college loans to those who work and stay in the city, and to require developers to build more affordable apartments to get tax abatements. He wants to expand broadband service and revisit congestion pricing. Ben Kallos brings fresh ideas and merits this seat.

Ben Kallos, Re-Elect to New York City Council in 2017 - Editorial Board

New York Post

The next City Council

New York Times