Perkins News
The Daily Politic
May 22, 2006
This time last year, for a fleeting moment, Manhattan Borough President Virginia Fields looked like she had a chance to be the next mayor. But her campaign foundered, in part because her main qualification seemed to be having spent more time in city government - 16 years - than any other candidate. Now, Fields is seeking to extend her tenure in public office, running for the state Senate sea ... (more)
Harlem grandmas hit the warpath over Iraq
Apr 18, 2006
Fed up with a war they call "unjust," grandmothers in the city are taking to the streets. Armed with canes and loudspeakers, a crowd of more than 40 grandmothers, great-grandmothers and even a few grandfathers gathered outside an Army recruiting station in Harlem yesterday to protest the war in Iraq. The Harlem Grandmothers Against the War in Iraq chose tax day specifically to protest, citin ... (more)
LOCAL 1199 FOR PERKINS
Apr 17, 2006
The powerful health-care union Local 1199 is endorsing former City Councilman Bill Perkins against C. Virginia Fields in the race for a Harlem state Senate seat. It's a boost for Perkins, since the union is known for an effective get-out-the-vote operation. "We're getting involved in this race early, and we're going to invest our energy heavily, because it's important to have leaders in Alba ... (more)
Manhattan: Endorsements Made
Mar 20, 2006
Bill Perkins, a former City Council member who is running for an open seat in the State Senate, announced yesterday that he had been endorsed by three Democratic council members who represent parts of the Senate district, Robert Jackson, Miguel Martinez and Melissa Mark-Viverito. The incumbent senator, David A. Paterson, is not seeking re-election because he is running for lieutenant governor. C. ... (more)
Perkins to run for Paterson's Albany seat
Feb 21, 2006
Bill Perkins, the former city councilman from Harlem, is now setting his sights on the state Senate. The Democrat, 56, is seeking to replace David Paterson, who is stepping down from the Senate to run for lieutenant governor with Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. "It is a natural progression," Perkins said. Perkins was forced out of the council this year due to term limits and ran unsuccess ... (more)
How a ‘Street Politician’ Found Success
Jan 05, 2006
Bill Perkins has never forgotten where he came from. The two-term City Council member grew up in East Harlem with two brothers, a cousin and a mother who was on public assistance. He won scholarships to attend the prestigious Collegiate School on the Upper West Side and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he majored in political science. But rather than go elsewhere, Perkin ... (more)
Perkins Joins Family and Neighbors to Welcome Home Harlem Hero Lt. Colonel Jacob Kelly
Jul 30, 2005
Citing his heroism and service to the country and community, Councilmember Bill Perkins welcomed home Harlem resident Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Kelly after a nine-month service in Iraq. Perkins presented Kelly with a City Council proclamation to honor the lieutenant colonel's service overseas. "I'm overwhelmed with the outpouring of support," said Kelly. "It's a humbling experience. I'm really ... (more)
Perkins Blasts Landmarks Commission Refusal to Hold Hearings Concerning 2 Columbus Circle
Jul 14, 2005
Criticizing the Landmarks Preservation Commission for failing to even hold hearings on the preservation of 2 Columbus Circle, Deputy Majority Leader Bill Perkins chaired the “People’s Hearing” on pioneer modernist architect Edward Durell Stone’s nationally recognized building. “The refusal of the Landmarks Preservation Commission to hold hearings on the future of 2 Columbus Circle demonstrates ... (more)
"The Nation" Magazine Recognizes Bill Perkins as Progressive Star
Jun 20, 2005
Citing his strong record fighting for civil liberties, children's health and exterminating rats, "The Nation" Magazine recognized New York City Councilmember Bill Perkins as one of eight "Progressive City Leaders" for their effectiveness addressing local and national issues. Los Angeles Mayor-elect Antonio Villaraigosa and six other local officials were also spotlighted in the June 20, 2005 issue. ... (more)
Perkins Leads National Effort to Empower Local Communities to Change Politics
Jun 01, 2005
Kicking off the annual “Take Back America” conference in Washington DC, New York City Councilmember Bill Perkins joined with Councilmembers from Boston, Chicago and Tacoma Park, MD to launch “Cities for Progress” -- a new nationwide network of locally-elected officials and community-based activists working toward social and economic change in America's urban centers. “Cities for Progress” is ... (more)
Perkins Calls for End of Unjust Prolonged Detentions Without Arraignment
May 24, 2005
Joined by the New York Civil Liberties Union, the Legal Aid Society and a coalition of First Amendment and Civil Rights advocates, Councilmember Bill Perkins announced that he will introduce the “Charge or Release” bill to fix the problem of prolonged police detentions. Each day in New York City, hundreds of New Yorkers, primarily from communities of color, lose wages or even jobs because they’re ... (more)
Bill Perkins Warns of Impending Disaster From State Not Complying With Election Reform
May 10, 2005
Reacting to the latest non-action by Albany to comply with the Federal “Help America Vote Act” (HAVA), Council Member Bill Perkins warned that New York State could be heading toward forfeiting $220 million in federal aid for election reform, drawing a federal lawsuit, or bringing a "Florida-like disaster" in 2006, with mass confusion at the polls. “New York State is shamefully the only State w ... (more)
Councilmember Perkins and City Council Launch $10 million Jobs Program
May 10, 2005
Responding to the critical need for new jobs and greater opportunity for chronically unemployed New Yorkers, Deputy Majority Leader Bill Perkins joined with City Council colleagues to launch the new $10 million NYC Works program. The program was originally pushed by Perkins to address the 50% unemployment rate among African-American men. “We need to create opportunities for all New Yorkers,” s ... (more)
Bill Perkins Applauds Final Court Ruling Upholding The Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act
Apr 28, 2005
Reacting to New York State Court of Appeals ruling rejecting a challenge brought by landlords to New York City’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act (Local Law 1 of 2004) that protects children from lead poisoning, Deputy Majority Leader Bill Perkins called it a great victory for New York’s children. Councilmember Bill Perkins, the prime sponsor of the law, said “This is a great victory f ... (more)
Council Member Perkins and Former Mayor Dinkins Promote Human Rights Bill
Apr 07, 2005
Declaring the importance of being pro-active in advancing human rights and opportunity, Council Member Bill Perkins joined with former Mayor David Dinkins and a coalition of more than 65 community based organizations, labor unions and educators to support Intro 512, the Human Rights in Government Operations Audit Law (Human Rights GOAL). Sponsored by Council Member Perkins, the bill helps the cit ... (more)
City Is Losing Battle in the War on Rats
Sep 24, 2004
New York City is losing the war on rats. This pestilence has resilience. The rats seem more adaptable than the bureaucrats. Despite increased funding and exterminations, the city’s rat population is still growing. Citizen complaints about these rodents are up by 40 percent since 2002. In 2003, there were 20,900 citizen complaints, up from 16,000 in 2002. In 2003 there were 170 ... (more)
Kudos for Jobs Well Done
Jul 13, 2004
It is easy to muckrake the miscreants in power, but it is also essential to be positive and acknowledge decisions that do get made on the merits, and some office holders who are motivated by public interest. So, today I want to praise some of the good decisions government makes — and thank some of the honest, capable people in local government… Council Member Bill Perkins of Ha ... (more)
MARATHON MAN'S RACE TO SAVE KIDS
Dec 16, 2003
No one will ever know exactly how many New York City children suffered over the decades from brain damage or stunted development or behavioral problems because of lead-poisoned paint. Whatever the number, childhood lead poisoning ranks as one of this city's worst and most persistent public health scandals. As recently as 1995, 21,575 new cases of childhood lead poisoning were reported in thi ... (more)
The Artist of Politics
Mar 01, 2003
Very early on most mornings you can find Bill Perkins ’72 running on the footpaths of Central Park. Perkins, a member of New York’s City Council, usually runs about six miles. He is serious enough to take on the occasional marathon—his best time is two hours, twenty-seven minutes, and eighteen seconds—but he runs mostly to clear his head for the coming day. “There’s a certain spirituality,” he say ... (more)
BILL PERKINS, WELFARE CHILD, COLLEGIATE SCHOOL GRAD — AND RANGEL SUCCESSOR?
Jun 13, 2002
William “Bill” Perkins , a member of the City Council from Harlem, likes to show off a faded red paperback that he keeps on the shelf in his office. The title: “The Communist Councilman From Harlem.” It’s the jailhouse memoir of Benjamin Davis, Mr. Perkins’s Harvard-educated predecessor who was imprisoned with other Communist leaders in 1949 for conspiring to overthrow the United States governme ... (more)
