Yet again with the politics. Admittedly, the poster is the draw here, but one visit to the website finished the sale. Andrew Rasiej, candidate for Public Advocate, has a fantastic, non-politico, background with a range from education to the New York Nightlife Association. He has championed the use of technology in problem-solving and promises to continue to do so.
The amorphous Public Advocate position relies on the office-holder to make it their own. It requires vision and perserverance; otherwise, the Public Advocate becomes a ping-pong ball on the table of local politics. The current PA, Betsy Gotbaum, has worked on basic issues but has largely been the Invisible Woman for the past four years. Her website touts some rather strong administrative accomplishments, but lacks any greater vision. (And having a subheader "Betsy on Food Stamps" makes a mockery of whatever text may follow it.)
Rasiej calls out bigger issues, calling for city-wide wi-fi and (yes, it is a litmus test here) gay marriage. With his connections to the Nightlife Association, again, it should be a great inaugaration party (to which we kindly accept our invitation if we're not busy with Brian Ellner's even more fabulous soiree). Manhattan Offender, suddenly all political, endorses Andrew Rasiej for Public Advocate.
Oh, and the poster really rocks.