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Friday, July 9, 2010

Senate Candidate Pilgrim-Hunter Responds to Disability Questions

Note to Readers: This is an extremely long post that I'm breaking into two parts. Before the jump, is a summary of the controversy involving senate candidate Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter's (pictured, right) disability benefits and some answers to the questions that have been raised. After the jump is the full story.

Last week, BoogieDowner, a local blog based in Bedford Park, raised questions about State Senate candidate (33rd District) Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter’s work history, which mostly consists of a short stint as a welfare-to-work counselor and then several years working for Avon, most recently in 2000 as a regional sales manager. It then goes into how, after a work-related injury, Pilgrim-Hunter has been receiving Social Security disability payments since 2006 and continues to while campaigning.

BoogieDowner wrote:
“This is the height of contradiction; on the one hand Ms. Pilgrim-Hunter is attempting to convince the voters of the 33rd district that she is able and capable of working hard for them in the state senate, but on the other hand, she has convinced the federal government that she is incapable of working (and she continually confirms this incapacity to work when she cashes her disability check every month).”
I spoke with Pilgrim-Hunter about this on Wednesday morning and later discussed the situation with a Social Security representative and two disability law experts. Here are the highlights:
  • Pilgrim-Hunter said she will give up her disability benefits if she’s elected. But she did not say this last week when her campaign first responded to an inquiry by the BoogieDowner. (Legally, she could keep her benefits while "testing" out any job, including elected office, for nine months while continuing to receive benefits. But Pilgrim-Hunter says being a state senator is "not something you test out" and that she has committed to rescinding her benefits immediately upon assuming office.)
  • "The definition of disability is in the law," says Social Security representative Jane Zanca. Not only Pilgrim-Hunter's doctors, but also the state's doctors have determined she is incapable of working and that, because she has paid into Social Security through income taxes, she is entitled to receive disability benefits.
  • Just because someone is legally considered disabled does not mean they can't work. In fact, Zanca said, it's encouraged. Whether they can secure a job or find one that allows them to work around their disability, is another question. 
  • Michael Waterstone, a professor at Loyola Law School who specializes in disability law, said that not only is it no illegal, amoral or unethical for Pilgrim-Hunter to run for office, but that she should be celebrated for her efforts. "If anything this person has an important life experience that could she could bring to bear in elected office from a public policy standpoint."
    • Pilgrim-Hunter's disability stems from a congenital birth defect called Partial Spina Bifida. She had surgery to correct the problem when she was 18, but she has lived in pain since her teenage years. A 2000 injury left her nearly completely debilitated, she said. She now manages her pain medication (i.e. takes much less than prescribed) in order to be productive, but pain is a constant.
    • Pilgrim-Hunter says she's tried to secure work over the past four years, but nothing that would allow her to work around her disability has worked out.
    • Waterstone said "there are all types of barriers for people trying to get employment while on disability." For one, he says, there's a stigma attached to those with disabilities and two, employers don't want to have to deal with the health insurance headaches that come with legally disabled workers. He also says the disability system is poorly designed for people who want to go back to work because it was set up for elderly immobile recipients. 
    • Ruth Colker, an Ohio St. law professor who is an expert in disability discrimination, agrees with Waterstone and says that one of biggest problems people like Pilgrim-Hunter face is that "discrimination in the workplace precludes them from finding work that they could perform."
    • Colker adds in an e-mail: "It is of course possible that the state senator job because of its flexibility poses the perfect job for her despite her disability but there are no other jobs that she could possibly perform. Of course, if the state senator job is exactly like dozens of other jobs which are available in her geographical location and which she has steadfastly refused to seek as employment then one might argue she is being unethical in hiding the extent of her ability to work."
      •  Known in the community for her activism with the Northwest Bronx and Community Coalition, Pilgrim-Hunter says this type of work is manageable because she can control her work environment -- the hours she puts in, the amount of sitting/standing she does, etc. (Could she have done more to find for work? That's debatable. But, she says, she chose to spend a large chunk of her time doing nonprofit community work, "giving back."
          • She is board president of a massive housing cooperative, Fordham Hill. She says she can manage this role because she can also control the work environment and also because she has a staff. Similarly, she has a staff on her campaign and would have a staff as a state senator.
          • Pilgrim-Hunter says her disability would not stop her from working hard as a state senator. She pointed out that there are other elected officials with disabilities, including Gov. David Paterson, who is legally blind. She says: “Just because I have a disability doesn’t mean I don’t have something to contribute.”
          • She says she has not tried to hide the disability or her Social Security Benefits, but she doesn't want it to be the focus of her campaign, which she says is about fighting for and protecting the community.
          • In 2008, 453,325 people received disability benefits in New York state, according to data compiled by the Social Security Administration. Only 3,256 of those people (less than 1%) had their benefits withheld because they secured substantial work.  
          Read more for the full story.

          Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, a local activist who is running for state senate in the Bronx's 33rd District, doesn’t want to be known for her disability -- a back injury stemming from a birth defect in her spine that has caused her a tremendous amount of pain throughout her adult life.

          But last week, Pilgrim-Hunter found herself defending her integrity when a blog post questioned how she could possibly run for office and be a hard-working senator while, at the same time, receiving disability benefits that define her as someone who is incapable of working. (For the record, Pilgrim-Hunter says she will drop the benefits immediately if she wins and assumes office.)

          The BoogieDowner, a local blog based in Bedford Park, wrote: “This is the height of contradiction; on the one hand Ms. Pilgrim-Hunter is attempting to convince the voters of the 33rd district that she is able and capable of working hard for them in the state senate, but on the other hand, she has convinced the federal government that she is incapable of working (and she continually confirms this incapacity to work when she cashes her disability check every month).”

          The post ignited a firestorm of comments both defending and disparaging Pilgrim-Hunter for running for office while receiving disability benefits. (One called her “yet another scam artist”; another writes in her defense, “A sanctimonius [sic] lot...all of you...at least she has the heart and guts to run for office.” Read all the comments here.)

          Pilgrim-Hunter is one of four candidates challenging Pedro Espada, Jr. for the right to represent the 33rd Senate District. None of her fellow challengers -- Gustavo Rivera, Fernando Tirado or Daniel Padernacht -- or Espada, have criticized Pilgrim-Hunter. Still, it remains a valid question.

          The simple answer is that Pilgrim-Hunter has a legal right to seek office or any other job that she believes she can do while managing her disability. Some even say she should be celebrated for her efforts. Still, questions about whether she can do the job or should do the job remain for voters in the district.

          If nothing else, the story of Pilgrim-Hunter’s disability sheds light about the person she is today and the candidate she has become.

          The Word From Social Security

          Jane Zanca at the New York office of the Social Security Administration, said she couldn’t speak about Pilgrim-Hunter specifically. But she did say that someone like Pilgrim-Hunter, who is receiving disability benefits, is doing nothing illegal by running for office.

          To determine whether someone is eligible for disability benefits, the person must undergo extensive medical evaluation and a series of hearings. Pilgrim-Hunter says that process took six years for her and that it resulted in a determination that she was unable to work and eligible for disability payments. Zanca said the state encourages disability recipients to go back to work and has a variety of programs to help them do that.

          Legally, she could keep her benefits while "testing" out any job, including elected office, for nine months while continuing to receive benefits. But, in a phone interview on Wednesday, Pilgrim-Hunter said being a state senator is "not something you test out" and that she has committed to rescinding her benefits immediately upon assuming office.)

          Zanca said there are multiple ways that disability recipients can get back into the work force. Maybe their condition has improved or perhaps they’ve found a way to work around their disability. There are other factors, she said, that recipients must also weigh when determining when, how and if they go back to work, including age, education and the severity of the disability.

          Pilgrim-Hunter is 53 and she wants to go back to work as the state senator in the 33rd Senate District, mostly because she thinks she can do a good job. But also because she believes strongly that Espada, who has been a magnet for controversy since he took office a year and a half ago, needs to go.

          In the interview, Pilgrim-Hunter said she wasn’t trying to hide her disability, or her Social Security benefits -- she mentioned the disability, not the benefits, in her announcement speech -- but that she didn’t want people to focus on it or pigeonhole her because of it.

          “Don’t reduce me down to a broken body,” she said.

          A Body Breaks Down

          The BoogieDowner post mentions an injury Pilgrim-Hunter sustained in 2000 while lifting boxes for her job with Avon in 2000. But Pilgrim-Hunter said she’s been dealing with pain stemming from a congenital birth defect in her spine for her entire adult life.

          Pilgrim-Hunter, an immigrant of Guyanese descent who bounced around seven different countries during her early years, was born in England. She moved to New York at the age of 6. In New York, doctors noticed a curve in her spine and tried to correct it by having her wear a brace that wrapped around her body from the top of her chest to the base of her spine. She called it the “bird cage” and it forced her to wear clothes three sizes too big.

          When she hit her teens, she dropped the bird cage and went about the business of being an active high school student who played basketball and ran track. She dreamed of becoming a dancer.

          At 18, she began periodically falling down, often while walking up or down stairs. Doctors discovered that a nerve reaching down into her leg was caught between two vertebrae, causing her leg to go numb and leading to the falling episodes. They wanted to do surgery immediately, saying she could lose her leg. Even with the surgery, doctors gave her a 50-50 chance of ever walking again.

          This was three and a half weeks before graduation and prom. She also had a final dance project she wanted to complete. She decided to hold off on the surgery, walk across the stage to receive her diploma, dance at her prom and finish her dance project. “If I never walk again,” she told herself and her mom, “I’m going to do those three things.”

          When she finally went in for surgery, doctors cut open her back and discovered that her spine was not attached to her pelvis like most spines. It’s a condition called Partial Spina Bifida, or basically, an incomplete spine. So surgeons cut out a piece of her hip bone and used it to fuse her spine to her pelvis.

          She would live in pain for the rest of her life, but doctors told her she could lead a relatively normal life, which she did. She married, had two children and developed a career in retail, where she rose to the position of regional sales manager for Avon.

          Turning to Govt. Benefits

          In 2000, she said she was getting ready for an all-day recruitment effort at a Bronx shopping mall. She thought one of her associates had loaded all the heavy boxes, leaving her with what she thought were the lightest loads. But when bent to pick one up, it proved much heavier and she felt something “pop” in her back.

          This time when she saw doctors, they told her that because of her condition, she never should have had kids, worked in retail or been nearly as active as she had been. Previously, doctors told her she could live a normal life. Her experience with being misdiagnosed and misguided by doctors is “why I’m so keen about [improving] health care,” she said.

          For years, she had dealt with the pain, but this latest injury was debilitating, she said. She had difficulty moving and she couldn’t get comfortable enough to sleep. She underwent extensive physical therapy and was often bed-ridden.

          At this point, she began the process of applying for Social Security disability benefits, which she felt was her only option and something she was entitled to after paying into Social Security for the previous 22 years.

          It took six years and a “humiliating” medical evaluation process to get the benefits. During this time, Pilgrim-Hunter said she found herself “suddenly alone, in my bed, on 12 different medications.”

          Emerging an Activist

          After living in a medicated haze, Pilgrim-Hunter also realized that, after years working in retail, she had done nothing to connect with her community. Her friend told her that once she felt a little better, she would take her to a meeting of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, a local grassroots, multi-issue community organization.

          Soon after, Pilgrim-Hunter said she made a conscious decision to stop taking as much medication and start involving herself in the efforts of the Coalition. It would be painful, but also therapeutic.

          “When I got the disability [benefits], I said, ‘the government is supporting me, I need to give something back,” she said. “In order to minimize the pain, you need to get involved in other things.”

          The rest is history. Pilgrim-Hunter began working on campaigns to alleviate overcrowding in public schools (her daughter attended perennially overcrowded Kennedy High School) and to improve immigrant rights. She proved a natural leader and eventually became a board member and one of the Coalition’s chief spokespeople.

          Around the same time, she took over as board president at Fordham Hill, the largest privately owned cooperative housing complex in the Bronx, where she lives. By several accounts, she has led a turnaround of the cooperative’s shaky financial situation.

          Last year, Pilgrim-Hunter became the face of the Coalition’s fight for living wage job guarantees at the Kingsbridge Armory, which the city and developers were planning on turning into a giant shopping mall. The mall plan was killed by the City Council when living wage job guarantees weren’t included in the final plan.

          Questions, Anger and Answers

          The blog post last week questioned how she could do all of this community work while claiming she was incapable of working for money.

          The answer, Pilgrim-Hunter said, is that she is able to “control her work environment” in doing her volunteer work for the Coalition. In a traditional job setting, she would be forced to work set hours and probably have to sit or stand for hours at a time, something she can’t do because of her condition. And manual labor is out of the question.

          Michael Waterstone, a professor at Loyola Law School who specializes in disability law, said that not only is it not illegal, amoral or unethical for Pilgrim-Hunter to run for office, but that she should be celebrated for her efforts. "If anything this person has an important life experience that she could bring to bear in elected office from a public policy standpoint," he said.

          Pilgrim-Hunter said she has attempted to get employment (and even attempted to start her own business) over the past four years, but nothing has worked out.

          In 2008, 453,325 people received disability benefits in New York state, according to data compiled by the Social Security Administration. Only 3,256 of those people (less than 1%) had their benefits withheld because they secured substantial work.

          Waterstone said "there are all types of barriers for people trying to get employment while on disability."

          For one, he says, there's a stigma attached to those with disabilities and two, employers don't want to have to deal with the health insurance headaches that come with legally disabled workers. He also says the disability system is poorly designed for people who want to go back to work because it was set up for elderly, immobile recipients.

          Ruth Colker, an Ohio St. law school professor who is an expert in disability discrimination, agrees with Waterstone that people with disabilities often discrimination, which prevents them from doing work that they otherwise could perform.

          As for Pilgrim-Hunter's situation, Colker said in an e-mail: "It is of course possible that the state senator job because of its flexibility poses the perfect job for her despite her disability but there are no other jobs that she could possibly perform. Of course, if the state senator job is exactly like dozens of other jobs which are available in her geographical location and which she has steadfastly refused to seek as employment then one might argue she is being unethical in hiding the extent of her ability to work."

          In April, Pilgrim-Hunter announced her bid for state Senate in the 33rd District. As with her position at Fordham Hill, Pilgrim-Hunter said she would have a staff to help her deal with the constraints of her disability. She added, “Just because I have disability doesn’t mean I don’t have something to contribute.”

          In addition to her community work, Pilgrim-Hunter says her medical and other history makes her an ideal representative in the district. “I couldn’t be more representative,” she said. “I’m an immigrant, wife, mother, and I’m disabled.” (Numbers aren’t available for the 33rd Senate District, but in 16th Congressional District, which encompasses much of the 33rd, there were 16,418 disabled workers like Pilgrim-Hunter, as of 2009.)

          Pilgrim-Hunter said she was “shocked” and “dismayed” by the blog post and some of ensuing comments, which she felt were “mean-spirited.”

          “Nobody crawls into bed with me to feel the pain I feel,” she said. “People know that I’m genuine and that I fight for the people because I am one of the people.”

          33 comments:

          1. There are quite a few statements being made that makes me believe that she will not be able to do the job of a senator.

            First, "Pilgrim-Hunter says this type of work is manageable because she can control her work environment -- the hours she puts in". In the senate, you don't control the work environment. She would be required to work LONG hours. In many instances, she will not be able to have her staff play the substitute for her. It seems obvious that she does not understand the intensity of the job of a senator. She states, "In a traditional job setting, she would be forced to work set hours and probably have to sit or stand for hours at a time, something she can’t do because of her condition." Desiree, what makes you believe that you won't sit for hours as a senator in committee meetings and with organizations, unions and people from the community. A senator represents 300,000 people and it will require of her to spend many hours working.

            Regarding the "mean spirited" comment, I have only one thing to say. The voters have a right to ask questions. If you can't handle these type of questions, then you should not be running for office. It only gets worse as you move forward. By the way, why didn't Desiree get hired by Northwest Coalition if she was seeking employment?

            I do feel bad for Desiree's condition, but the job of a senator is not compatible with her condition.

            One quick observation. In all the years I have read this blog, I have never seen anyone candidate receive so much coverage on a particular issue. It truly makes me wonder as to why?

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          2. So she should be applauded for running for office? That is ludicrous. There are many ways to give back to the community, public office being a mere one of them. Someone not capable of working long hours need not apply to a job with such a demanding schedule. If she is depending on her staff to do the heavy lifting why the heck would I elect her? Why not her staff? All the other candidates would be equally staffed AND they'd be able to handle the physical workload. It boils down to can she be a state senator or not? If she is able, she should not be on disability. If she's not, she shouldn't be running.

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          3. The argument is being deflected yet again...no one is saying that a disabled person can't serve the public. The problem is being so incapacitated to the point of receiving public funds but then saying if I get the job I'll refuse them. What happens if she loses? Will she continue to collect after she has publicly declared that she is able to work? Or will her disability prevent her from seeking less glamorous work?

            ReplyDelete
          4. This is a wonderful story. Really. No one is denying the fact that she has and will continue to be an asset to her community. However, all of these sad notes about her life do not take away or cover up the fact that she is incredibly unqualified to run. And, yes, as a state senator, she will be forced to work many many hours (as the people in the district hope their representative will do and deserve) in meetings and working for the people who elected her. So, the fact that she may or may not be able to take the workload that a state senator has still remains a valid question.

            But, again, it is evident that she is not the strongest candidate in this race. She is not the most experienced in this race. She will not be prepared enough to know what she's doing on day one on the job. She is not the right person to become State Senator in the 33rd district or anywhere at the moment. She is simply not ready for this line of work.

            ReplyDelete
          5. I appreciate the background and the depth of research into this issue, Alex, but to be honest, I'm not really convinced by this article.

            The basic argument from Ms. Pilgrim Hunter is that she can only do jobs in which she can dictate hours, exertion, and environment? These criteria leave state senator and volunteer work as the only avenues for employment?

            I clearly see that she is not breaking any laws, but the "I am following the rules technically" type of semantics just doesn't work for me.

            As some of the comments on BD asked, "If she has decided she can transition to non-manual labor work, has she told the SSA?"

            And why did it take her a week to decide she would give up her benefits if elected? Political optics?

            I guess we'll let the voters of the 33rd decide, but the BD stands by its questions and its skepticism about the answers provided by the Pilgrim-Hunter campaign.

            ReplyDelete
          6. I appreciate the background and the depth of research into this issue, Alex, but to be honest, I'm not really convinced by this article.

            The basic argument from Ms. Pilgrim Hunter is that she can only do jobs in which she can dictate hours, exertion, and environment? These criteria leave state senator and volunteer work as the only avenues for employment?

            I clearly see that she is not breaking any laws, but the "I am following the rules technically" type of semantics just doesn't work for me.

            As some of the comments on BD asked, "If she has decided she can transition to non-manual labor work, has she told the SSA?"

            And why did it take her a week to decide she would give up her benefits if elected? Political optics?

            I guess we'll let the voters of the 33rd decide, but the BD stands by its questions and its skepticism about the answers provided by the Pilgrim-Hunter campaign.

            ReplyDelete
          7. Once was enough, BD. You opened the can of worms, and now you don't like the smell. Too bad.

            ReplyDelete
          8. Since the BNN has been so great at covering the Pilgrim-Hunter campaign, perhaps it can tell us why she just registered to vote when she's lived in this country (as you reported above) since she was 6.

            This immigrant story is really starting to become offensive. Since when is coming from London, daughter of a diplomat working at the United Nations, going to an exclusive Upper East Side school like Dalton and getting an Associates degree from NYU is hardly the typical immigrant story? I certainly know it's the life most of the residents in the 33rd district have known.

            If she cares so much for her community, why didn't she become a citizen earlier and only registered to vote just in time to get her name on the ballot? It takes and average of 7 years to become a citizen. How long has she lived in the Bronx again? How is she possibly asking people to vote for her when she's never been motivated enough to vote for anything or anyone herself - a vote for a president, a vote against Espada, etc.

            I'm sorry but she is NOT the one for us. No, thank you.

            ReplyDelete
          9. BNN has certainly done Pilgrim Hunter a favor in giving her free ad space to clear up this issue. Great that she has sort of put this behind her.

            But the other comments are right on the mark. It's clear from Pilgrim Hunter's own statements that she really has no clue what a State Senator actually does. Good Lord...ask anyone who has worked in government whether what she says makes sense. Ask any of the State Senators who have been prisoners of Albany the last 6 weeks...

            This piece reveals her basic ignorance of government. How can the people of the 33rd district elect someone that is going to need on the job training? Forget about the demanding work schedule and her disability...she doesn't even know what a state senator does!!!

            ReplyDelete
          10. As some one who organized in the Bronx for 20 years and has since worked to advance federal policy reform I have been impressed by the courage that Ms. Pilgrim-Hunter displayed by jumping into this race . She did this at a point when major institutional players in the state i.e. big guns in Labor & large PACs - were still waiting to see what Espada would do on the budget or whether investigations would proceed swiftly enough to suggest a viable candidacy against him. Her declaration shifted that dynamic overnight and produced the interesting situation we see now of multiple candidates in the fray.

            Voters will differ on what qualifies a candidate. As a veteran organizer I tend to rank community involvement very high on the scale and I have volunteered for Ms. Pilgrim-Hunter. I also understand why some people view other qualifications as more important.

            Blog Posting like this allow people to make a lot of nasty and anonymous remarks they would either be embarrassed to make publically or which they are hoping will produce a specific political outcome they don’t want to own. The nature of the comments here strike me as too snarky and pointed to be viewed as objective. Similar to many comments on the Boogie Downer site they appear to be the work of people that would like to see Pilgrim-Hunter and the other Espada challengers waste time snipping at each other.

            Not Anonymous – Mary Dailey

            ReplyDelete
          11. "In a traditional job setting, she would be forced to work set hours and probably have to sit or stand for hours at a time, something she can’t do because of her condition."

            Apparently walking the Puerto Rican Day Parade was easier?
            http://www.flickr.com/photos/50440829@N06/page3/
            She didn't have to sit or stand for an extended period waiting for the parade to being? She obviously managed to make the full length of the parade.

            I work with plenty of people who wouldn't feel up to a parade. So I am still having trouble getting my head around her marching the parade, but not being able to work in a regular office.

            The phase "control the work environment" sounds oddly like legal language. Is she on such shaky ground she needed legal counsel before discussing this? Either way, as others have already said, in a political job you simply cannot "control the work environment."

            If you want to talk about the ability to "control the work environment," you can clearly do it much better in a regular office. With your own desk, the chair can easily be adjusted for your specific needs. There just isn't any way I can imagine where a much more mobile job like senator could provide anything close to a normal level of accommodation in a regular office.

            If she can really work as a senator, I can't see why she couldn't be working in an office. If she really can't work in an office, then I definitely don't believe she's capable of performing the work of a senator.

            ReplyDelete
          12. I would like to hear more about the business Ms. Pilgrim-Hunter attempted to start in the past few years.

            What was the business, and why was it unsuccessful?

            Did her disability get in the way, while she was in complete control? Was she unprepared to run her own business? Did she not work hard enough to make it happen?

            Were there some other circumstances that would make me more comfortable she is actually qualified and capable of doing this job now?

            This seems like an important point to help us understand her ability and willingness to work hard on our behalf.

            ReplyDelete
          13. "Pilgrim-Hunter said she has attempted to get employment (and even attempted to start her own business) over the past four years, but nothing has worked out."

            What does that mean, "nothing has worked out?

            What business? What employment? Why have they "not worked out?"

            A rather flimsy chronicling of her attempts to work.

            ReplyDelete
          14. Thanks for a well-researched and balanced article. The Bronx is blessed to have this kind of high-quality community journalism. The Social Security folks and other experts quoted in the article make it pretty clear that Pilgrim Hunter's disability and benefits are legitimate and also that there is no reason that her disability has to be a deterrent to running for office. In fact it could make her more sensitive to the difficulty many people with disabilities have if they do want to get back into the workforce. Pilgrim Hunter has a signficant track record of community service, the positions she has taken on important community issues are clear. I have worked with her on the Kingsbridge Armory and other issues and know her to be deeply committed to the community, a hard worker and a tenacious fighter for what she believes is right. If people disagree with the positions she takes on certain issues, that's one thing; but I don't think it serves the community to count her out because of her disability. Doug Cunningham

            ReplyDelete
          15. As far as the business Ms. Pilgrim-Hunter tried to start, she created a website:

            desworkscommunityleadership

            It sure doesn't look like she tried very hard!

            She never bothered to finish half the website. And she was unprofessional enough to launch the website before completing it.

            She clearly has no political sense if she has left this website up in the midst of this whole debate. It reflects poorly on her intellectual abilities, while also demonstrating a complete lack of commitment to working.

            If that was the level of effort she put into running her own business, how much effort can we expect when she is representing us?

            ReplyDelete
          16. at least she is not a sociopathic thief.

            ReplyDelete
          17. Well. it continues. Those that have not walked in her shoes, condemn; disability, immigrant becoming a US citizen, etc. BoogieDowner: who pulls your strings? Who pads your wallet so you can comment acrimoniously against someone who is doing the best she can for her community? This all reeks of spoilage from other campaign camps. And it also reeks of classism; the proverbial US vs. THEM. Well darlings, look in the mirror because to everyone else you are "them". No matter how much $$ you think you have, or the "important" job you think you have, or the "right" club or organization you belong to, or any of the inclusions that allow your thought process to be exclusionary. We are human, we have to do our best, we have to respect ourselves and others...and if you don't watch out...THEY will come for YOU too!!!

            ReplyDelete
          18. I have to agree. I would not vote for her. It's a wonderful story in a way, but I am happy it was disclosed about not having work and being on disability. Hey, I'm on disability, but the voters need someone who is going to navigate through the complexity of Albany. Those legislators do lots of walking, from committee meetings to press conferences, they're always moving. This is simply a problem waiting to happen and the taxpayers will eventually pay for her with a fatter check to sit home and collect.

            I'm getting the sense that by her offering to stop disability payments if elected, that she is telling us that she was able to work all the long and like she's doing us a favor. Poooooooor press strategy.

            ReplyDelete
          19. @ anonymous at 9:37

            I really didnt want to leave anymore comments after the one that was double posted by accident, but your claims about us are really nonsense.

            No one "pulls our strings"

            We are concerned voters that want to know the details about the work experience, capability, and honesty.

            The fact that asking a question and not being satisfied with the answer from a candidate is labeled classism is just crazy.

            My wife and I don't have any fancy jobs, nor a lot of money. I teach high school, for God's sake.

            ReplyDelete
          20. Enough with the attacks on anonymous posters. Attaching your name to a post does not lend greater credence to the statement/opinion just as withholding your name does not invalidate the statement/opinion. Focus on the message not the messenger---too much Straw-Man here, attempts at discrediting sound arguments by attacking the source. Enough already.

            and all the epithets hurled at BD are unfounded...i believe this is what the founding fathers had in mind when the framed our democracy. we have easier access to the community and constituency via the internet and open discourse and debate should be encouraged not attacked. People calling for their heads are missing the point---even if their arguments were unfounded (which they are not) isn't it better to "air" the "fool" out than have him/her plot in secret? C'mon guys, if you can't handle healthy questioning, I sure as hell don't want you going to bat for me in a state legislature filled with dozens of other legislators fighting for their own interest.

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          21. Why Ms. PilgrimHunter chooses to continue to be in this race when she is clearly unqualified and now illustrated exactly how unaware she is about what a state senator does is unbelievable. Let's hope she does the right thing and drops out of the race soon before she is able to take away even just a few votes from a stronger and more experienced person, and thus helps Espada stay in office. Ms. Pilgrim-Hunter, please think of what is best for our community.

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          22. I agree. If Pilgrim-Hunter becomes the Ralph Nader of the Bronx people will never forget.

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          23. Doug, I appreciate your point, but I think you overlooked part off the issue here:

            Has Ms. Pilgrim-Hunter been honest with voters about her ability to work (either a regular job or as state senator)?

            If she has been honest, and this is all just misunderstanding, she should help voters understand the situation.

            She seems to be saying now that she will need some special accommodations to work in Albany. You're certainly right that we should not discriminate against the disabled, so by all means we should allow reasonable accommodations that allow a person to perform the job.

            But we need to know she can do the job with the accommodations. What is most important here is finding the right person to do a particular job. We vote on a person's ability to represent us, not to judge their character. We need to know what it would take to enable her to represent us effectively, if she is actually capable of doing it.

            Even if she can provide a clear and reasonable explanation, at this point I am already disillusioned by her approach. She knew she had a disability that could reasonably be viewed as an impediment to doing the work, so she had a responsibility as a candidate to explain clearly to voters how she would perform the job.

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          24. The timing of this story is strange. For more than a week now Desiree Pilgrim Hunter has been forced to answer these questions about her work history. The BNN has given her a full airing here. Good for Pilgrim Hunter to get it out in the open.

            But it seems clear that the editors of BNN have done this as a favor to Ms. Pilgrim Hunter. They've already had to admit that the wife of the editor in chief is an avid supporter of Pilgrim Hunter. The line between journalism and advocacy is blurred beyond distinction in a report like this.

            The simple question is: can the BNN report on this race impartially and fairly from here on out? The public should certainly be watching BNN for what it does as much as it is watching the candidates.

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          25. Following up with ANON at 1:22’s point, this article is definitely skewed with paragraph-topic sentences like "The rest is history" and vague one-sentence paragraphs: "Pilgrim-Hunter said she has attempted to get employment (and even attempted to start her own business) over the past four years, but nothing has worked out," that need to be explored and validated by the reporter.

            Even more, citing Pilgrim-Hunter as the coop (and, by my accounts, a "gated community”) president who "by several accounts, she has led a turnaround of the cooperative’s shaky financial situation" without citing these accounts is a disservice to readers.

            I also take issue with telling the readers that the answer is "simple", rather than presenting the facts and letting the readers make that judgement for themselves. Because, if it were really that simple, Pilgrim-Hunter’s press release reacting to the BD post would have answered the questions of her work history.

            Yet, in the sixth paragraph of this article (really a profile of Pilgrim-Hunter):

            The simple answer is that Pilgrim-Hunter has a legal right to seek office or any other job that she believes she can do while managing her disability. Some even say she should be celebrated for her efforts. Still, questions about whether she can do the job or should do the job remain for voters in the district.

            The above paragraph's second sentence seems to cite a Waterstone quote without actually citing it and before quoting Waterstone later in the article, making it seem as if Mr. Kratz is one of those who believes “she should be celebrated for her efforts”.

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          26. I applaud your post as a reminder that not all disabled person's are uncapable of contributing to society.

            The Fact is that at the end of the day, it is Ms. Hunter Who has the option to stay with the benfits or not, and she should never be ashamed that she is a disabled american. period.

            she will bring much knowledge and leadership to the bronx district 33,removing the ongoing corruption stigma and at the same time leave espada other amigo, without consolation.....:) :) :) thanks for this consice reporting...

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          27. Luis,

            This is not a referendum on disabled persons abilities to contribute to society. They are free to do so in any fashion they so desire. It so happens that Ms. Hunter wants to contribute in a way that is physically, intellectually, and emotionally taxing--even for the healthy. If she, by her own admission, is unable to work in environments that she can't control than she should not contribute to society via public office. Period.

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          28. I would appreciate a response from BxNN regarding the charges of biased reporting here.

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          29. I applaud BNN on its reporting of the facts of the story on Pilgirm-Hunter, but I am amazed how many cynical and critical posts still remain against her and BNN. Boogiedowner unsettles me greatly as it continues to act out of character on this issue, not because the questions they raised were not valid..but the way they did it was skewed toward the negative. A blog that prided itself on community building turns into a political attack apparatus, thats not cool and thats not progressive....shame on you again Boogiedowner, shame on you again.

            "Bree" (Again and forever ashamed of how BD has done this)

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          30. Bree, you should not be ashamed of a blog that raises questions that all voters should ask of any person running for public office. However, you should be ashamed of a woman who claims to the federal government she cannot work, and then asterisks that claim by saying: I cannot work, and when I say I cannot work, I mean I cannot work in any capacity other than community activist or state representative. Really?

            And instead of opening a dialogue with the Boogiedowner and voters who question the two versions of her disability, she instead chose to hurl accusations and her supporters were let loose to race bait and antagonize, making her look even worse.

            Bree, the shame you feel should be directed towards Ms. Pilgrim and the obvious scam she is trying to run (and is running against the federal government). I applaud the Boogiedowner for raising an important question, because it was Ms. Pilgrim's lousy excuses/accusations as well her supporters' extreme reaction and race-baiting to an otherwise simple question, all the information I needed to know she is nothing more than your run-of-the-mill Bronx scam artist. Thank you Boogiedowner.

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          31. I don't get how the BxNN could be criticized for being biased and the boogiedowner not. Does the BxNN have greater responsibility to journalistic integrity than the boogiedowner? If you think that the BxNN has a political ax to grind, then you have to agree that the boogiedowner does, too (and I think they do, especially given their stand on the KB armory. This calling out of Pilgrim-Hunter is their way of playing I told u so.).

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          32. To Anonymous at 7/13 12:28

            YES. BxNN absolutely has greater responsibility to journalistic integrity. It is a news source with professional journalists. Boogiedowner is a neighborhood blog, making it more an opinion forum, and (most) people understand that it's run by a couple of people expressing their thoughts on their own time.

            You may disagree with the thoughts posted on the Boogiedowner, but I don't think they've ever claimed to be "journalists." At the BxNN, they have a staff of full-time, paid reporters with specialized education in journalism.

            Additionally, BxNN is a registered 501c3, which restricts them from supporting politicians.

            The two really are not comparable. It is entirely appropriate to expect higher journalistic standards from paid journalists than from neighborhood bloggers.

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          33. Down with the fourth estate!

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