The New York City Council has come out in support of Councilmember Tiffany Cabán, pictured, after the progressive legislator received a barrage of threats for her unwavering stance on policing and public safety (Photo: Twitter via @CabanD22)
Oct. 7, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
The New York City Council has come out in support of Councilmember Tiffany Cabán after the progressive legislator received a barrage of threats for her unwavering stance on policing and public safety.
The City Council issued a statement Thursday condemning the alleged threats that were called in to Cabán’s office last weekend — days after she had advised local businesses to refrain from dialing 911 in conflict situations and saying that the media was overstating subway violence.
The alleged threats also followed the fatal stabbing of an EMS lieutenant in Cabán’s 22nd Council district last week.
The callers, according to New York Post sources, spewed vile threats including telling Cabán they hoped she got “beaten up on the subway” and that her “eyes fall out.” “I hope you get your a– kicked,” one of the callers said.
The City Council condemned the intimidating rhetoric that was being directed at Cabán.
“Violent threats against elected officials, their offices, or any resident is unacceptable, and has no place in New York City,” the statement reads.
“The overheated rhetoric needs to be immediately dialed down and de-escalated. The public servants who dedicate themselves to serving our city deserve respect and safety, regardless of whether you may disagree with them.”
Cabán, an advocate for defunding the NYPD, has faced an avalanche of criticism over the last few weeks for several public statements she has made on public safety in the wake of a series of major crimes in the borough.
Early last week she encouraged local business owners to get trained in de-escalation tactics as means to address conflict. She tweeted a poster online that advised workers to use words like “no, “stop,” or “this is not okay” rather than calling the cops.
Two days later EMS worker Alison Russo-Elling was savagely stabbed to death in the Ditmars section of Cabán’s district.
Last month — and days after a woman was violently assaulted at the Howard Beach/JFK Airport station — she took to Twitter to say that subway violence is a “one-in-a-million event” and to not let “fear-mongering politicians and corporate media outlets scare us into thinking we have a dangerous, scary public transit system.”
Subway violence is a one-in-a-million event.
As a believer in a violence-free NYC, I still think that’s one too many, but let’s not let fear-mongering politicians and corporate media outlets scare us into thinking we have a dangerous, scary public transit system. pic.twitter.com/NEzvDLCH19
— Council Member Tiffany Cabán (D22) (@CabanD22) September 26, 2022
The victim of that attack criticized Cabán’s response and said the lawmaker was out of touch, insisting the subway is dangerous.
Last week, she also doubled down on her position to abolish the NYPD’s gang database saying that it is a dragnet to surveil and criminalize Black and brown New Yorkers, especially youth.
Cabán’s positions have been slammed by many on the right, including former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, the New York Post Editorial Board and Fox News.
The Fox News late-night show “Gutfeld” had a segment dedicated to Cabán Thursday night where contributors attacked her public safety positions given the rising crime in the city.
Much of the discussion centered around a New York Post report that Cabán’s office had called the police about the alleged threats – leading to the media figures calling her hypocritical.
However, a spokesperson for Cabán said that her office didn’t call the police but instead reported the alleged threats to officials with City Council security. It was council security that reported the calls to police.
“Our office reported the large volume of hostile, violent, and threatening voicemails and emails to Council security, who, given the intensity of the harassment campaign, determined that the situation warranted law enforcement involvement,” the spokesperson told the Queens Post in a statement.
“As an office, we take our cues on security protocols from Council security. We will be offering no further comment.”
The Council also said that its security had taken steps to “support” Cabán although it did not provide any further details as to what that involves.
The Council’s support of Cabán led to one lawmaker to ask whether there is a double standard when it comes to threats against certain elected officials.
Councilmember Vickie Paladino, a Republican, took to Twitter Friday to ask why the Council had not publicly backed her with a supportive statement in June when she faced threats after criticizing Drag Queen Story Hour in schools.
Paladino had said that tax dollars should not be used to fund the program, labeling it as a form of “grooming.”
“Hey @NYCCouncil, I had violent threats made against myself and my staff too — the NYPD spent ten days in front of my office because of it,” Paladino wrote. “Why didn’t Council tweet in support of us at that time?
The Queens Post asked the City Council why it issued a statement for Cabán and not for Paladino but has yet to receive a response.
Hey @NYCCouncil I had violent threats made against myself and my staff too — the NYPD spent ten days in front of my office because of it. Why didn’t Council tweet in support of us at that time? https://t.co/eNjnTqColM pic.twitter.com/zxb3Ny8Bf6
— Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (@VickieforNYC) October 7, 2022
Featured Events
4 Comments
Don’t call the police, business owners. Instead, report confrontation to your security team and they call the police. Pretty slick, councilwoman.
So she doesn’t want citizens and small business owners to call the police in dangerous and threatening situations. She would prefer that a mental health worker or a social worker respond to such calls, or better yet, ask residents and business owners to defuse the situation by saying, “Please stop–this is not okay.” I am against any threats to anyone for their opinion, but NYPD protecting her office seems in contrast to what this council member stands for. She stands for defunding NYPD in the midst of one of the biggest violent crime sprees in NYC. Is this what she and the other council members of Queens, mine included, unfortunately, want? Julie Won voted for this as well. How can you want fewer officers on the subways and the streets when there are so many hate crimes against Asians, newcomers, and just random acts of violence–we are all in danger today. Is this why they wanted to run for office–to make us less safe? She should follow her own advice, no? She didn’t call the police, she stated. So let the officers protect the residents and small businesses of her community. Post officers on our streets and on our subways. Caban wants to take tools away from the police to stop gang and gun violence that are particularly impacting black and brown youth. Caban’s primary thoughts are with the rights of the criminals, not of law-abiding citizens. Is that correct Council Member Caban?
Military Intelligence vs Diplomacy and Common Sense
We are told the Russo-Ukranian War is going badly for Russia. While Russia annexed four boarder regions last week, their armed forces seem to be not up to par with western opinions regarding their war like capabilities. Russian troops are surrendering individually and in mass, leaving their armored vehicles and tanks to be used by Ukranian Forces. Bombing continues strategically taking out targets of military and psychological importance. While Russia attempts to destroy the Ukranian Peoples moral, and the western democracies continue to arm their ally Ukraine, the war continues towards an uncertain end. End to the war, or perhaps too many of us. Russia has many atomic bombs, in permanent installations. mobile platforms, in the air and on the seas, and they can be launched rather quickly.
There was a fear many had during the WW2 era that Germanys leader had atomic bombs. If Hitler had those weapons they may have been used, and in the process changing world history. President Putin is in a similar situation, where his nation is well armed with all sorts of futuristic weapons, and while threatening the west with nuclear war, has not done so yet. Putin is probably carrying our many operations cleansing his forces and administration of opponents. If Putin finds himself militarily and politically in a pickle, will he willingly use nuclear weapons? Should he use limited range low ton nuclear weapons on the Ukranian Forces, it may well get a response from the west where their use of nuclear weapons must be used.
And the Domesday Clock continues to move towards possible world annihilation. I wonder if western leaders have considered the wholly destructive process, they have become a part of? There is a war, and they picked sides. What to do they thought? Get the CIA to make educated assumptions with intelligence, and then encourage the west and their ready to serve military complex to arm, train and encourage Ukranian Forces to attack and hopefully stop Russian Forces. A process that has happened many times in our past, sometimes coming back to bite the West in the ass. A historic recycling of what happened in the past, is presently happening and what probably will happen in the future. Human beings apply their efforts into something proven, a process with good odds of achieving success. Humans seem to not think about how they can change something in a uniquely creative way. At least not if you work for the government, military or intelligence service, where “military intelligence” rules the day. Can military intelligence trump diplomacy? Oh yah. It does.
This war and the wests responses, exist for a few reasons:
1. Russian Energy expansion needed Ukranian territory or full compliance.
2. Authoritarian Regimes exist only if they have their populations compliance. Through elements of nationalism/pride, prejudice of the other, national enrichment.
3. Russia’s Oligarchs self- enrichment can never slow down.
4. Ukranian natural resources could quench Russia’s appetites
5. The west see’s this conflict as controllable, through State- to -State pressures, diplomacy and manipulations.
6. Western Weapon Manufacturer’s influencers see and encourage the conflict as an opportunity to profit. West has sold, lent or given 3 billion dollars of weapons to Ukraine. Weapons lobbyists in Ottawa, Washington, Paris, London and else- where, push their death trinkets to our politicians merely for profits.
7. Those leaders presently in power realize that a armed conflict can be manipulated into a certain win in their political schemes and ambitions. American Presidents running for office during a conflict usually win.
8. A weakened Russia allows the west to concentrate upon their other economic and political rival, China.
9. The West needs World Energy Sources to be contained and controlled. Russia has been a pariah of confusion and chaos for decades. The worlds remaining energy sources make these conflicts inevitable.
What could the west have done to make sure this war could never start? The EU could have allowed Ukraine entrance into its membership long ago. Membership to N.A.T.O. would have made a great deal of sense long ago. The west claims to understand Russia’s yet their actions show the opposite. The west has no real understanding of either Russian or Chinese national thoughts, the way they think, and why they think in a particular way. Russia remains insular in thought, forever defensive, and looking for enemies in place they are not. China is the New America, combining socialism and capitalism theory, while globetrotting, while buying up all the worlds natural resources they can get their hands onto. China has learnt how Super -Powers play in 2022, while Russia is not even a limited participant in the game.
Russia has “real weapons of mass destruction”, unlike Iraq, and they can and will use them upon the innocents of the world. Putin, like other historical leaders, when placed in the corner, will come out fighting in order to save themselves and their legacy. Biden, Trudeau, Truss, Macron and others face decision making that can destroy our civilization or bring peace. What are they going to do?
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
skaszab@yahoo.ca
Socialist are ruining this country and thanks to them we are full of crime in every city. They hide under the “progressives “ umbrella but their actions let you know their communist tendencies