tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post3514160715400044176..comments2023-10-30T05:45:18.219-04:00Comments on Bronx News Network: Senate Candidate Pilgrim-Hunter Responds to Disability QuestionsBronx News Networkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03022201181076163457noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-86327252873447359022010-07-14T11:01:56.190-04:002010-07-14T11:01:56.190-04:00Down with the fourth estate!Down with the fourth estate!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-79855974517108245332010-07-13T07:23:11.312-04:002010-07-13T07:23:11.312-04:00To Anonymous at 7/13 12:28
YES. BxNN absolutely ...To Anonymous at 7/13 12:28<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />Additionally, BxNN is a registered 501c3, which restricts them from supporting politicians.<br /><br />The two really are not comparable. It is entirely appropriate to expect higher journalistic standards from paid journalists than from neighborhood bloggers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-84168024717945703612010-07-13T00:28:46.878-04:002010-07-13T00:28:46.878-04:00I don't get how the BxNN could be criticized f...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.).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-4953078623252004702010-07-12T13:29:51.451-04:002010-07-12T13:29:51.451-04:00Bree, you should not be ashamed of a blog that rai...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? <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-38376758332179255992010-07-12T12:16:53.815-04:002010-07-12T12:16:53.815-04:00I applaud BNN on its reporting of the facts of the...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.<br /><br />"Bree" (Again and forever ashamed of how BD has done this)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-36660277072424544552010-07-12T10:19:03.540-04:002010-07-12T10:19:03.540-04:00I would appreciate a response from BxNN regarding ...I would appreciate a response from BxNN regarding the charges of biased reporting here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-53198037689661682152010-07-11T18:33:33.699-04:002010-07-11T18:33:33.699-04:00Luis,
This is not a referendum on disabled perso...Luis, <br /><br />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.Proudly Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-82555792946560957012010-07-11T03:04:12.743-04:002010-07-11T03:04:12.743-04:00I applaud your post as a reminder that not all dis...I applaud your post as a reminder that not all disabled person's are uncapable of contributing to society.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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...luis a. ramosnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-89759139421303397572010-07-10T17:46:50.692-04:002010-07-10T17:46:50.692-04:00Following up with ANON at 1:22’s point, this artic...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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />Yet, in the sixth paragraph of this article (really a profile of Pilgrim-Hunter):<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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”.Lishttp://www.elisabethvonuhl.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-6014209644221098482010-07-10T13:22:50.811-04:002010-07-10T13:22:50.811-04:00The timing of this story is strange. For more than...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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-3985007570727044172010-07-10T09:03:06.339-04:002010-07-10T09:03:06.339-04:00Doug, I appreciate your point, but I think you ove...Doug, I appreciate your point, but I think you overlooked part off the issue here: <br /><br />Has Ms. Pilgrim-Hunter been honest with voters about her ability to work (either a regular job or as state senator)?<br /><br />If she has been honest, and this is all just misunderstanding, she should help voters understand the situation. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-22123029975972464412010-07-10T09:02:25.022-04:002010-07-10T09:02:25.022-04:00I agree. If Pilgrim-Hunter becomes the Ralph Nader...I agree. If Pilgrim-Hunter becomes the Ralph Nader of the Bronx people will never forget.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-91431611543945889572010-07-10T08:37:28.620-04:002010-07-10T08:37:28.620-04:00Why Ms. PilgrimHunter chooses to continue to be in...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.Lewisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-6718510231838026932010-07-09T23:52:07.074-04:002010-07-09T23:52:07.074-04:00Enough with the attacks on anonymous posters. Atta...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. <br /><br />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.Proudly Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-85254278473586735542010-07-09T21:59:13.302-04:002010-07-09T21:59:13.302-04:00@ anonymous at 9:37
I really didnt want to leave ...@ anonymous at 9:37<br /><br />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.<br /><br />No one "pulls our strings"<br /><br />We are concerned voters that want to know the details about the work experience, capability, and honesty.<br /><br />The fact that asking a question and not being satisfied with the answer from a candidate is labeled classism is just crazy.<br /><br />My wife and I don't have any fancy jobs, nor a lot of money. I teach high school, for God's sake.BoogieDownerhttp://www.boogiedowner.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-90754230190497151312010-07-09T21:40:08.273-04:002010-07-09T21:40:08.273-04:00I have to agree. I would not vote for her. It...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.<br /><br />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.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-60732464698658800092010-07-09T21:37:15.057-04:002010-07-09T21:37:15.057-04:00Well. it continues. Those that have not walked in ...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!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-27881786764752330322010-07-09T20:00:31.551-04:002010-07-09T20:00:31.551-04:00at least she is not a sociopathic thief.at least she is not a sociopathic thief.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-29041744416335992192010-07-09T19:52:31.726-04:002010-07-09T19:52:31.726-04:00As far as the business Ms. Pilgrim-Hunter tried to...As far as the business Ms. Pilgrim-Hunter tried to start, she created a website:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.desworkscommunityleadership.com/AboutUsCommunityLeaders.html" rel="nofollow">desworkscommunityleadership</a><br /><br />It sure doesn't look like she tried very hard! <br /><br />She never bothered to finish half the website. And she was unprofessional enough to launch the website before completing it. <br /><br />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 <i>intellectual</i> abilities, while also demonstrating a complete lack of commitment to working. <br /><br />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?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-41341087245229405722010-07-09T19:31:02.231-04:002010-07-09T19:31:02.231-04:00Thanks for a well-researched and balanced article....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 CunninghamDoughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04480005769275791813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-80218521469156338702010-07-09T19:25:30.320-04:002010-07-09T19:25:30.320-04:00"Pilgrim-Hunter said she has attempted to get..."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."<br /><br />What does that mean, "nothing has worked out?<br /><br />What business? What employment? Why have they "not worked out?"<br /><br />A rather flimsy chronicling of her attempts to work.RTLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-88264064083665312692010-07-09T18:43:43.698-04:002010-07-09T18:43:43.698-04:00I would like to hear more about the business Ms. P...I would like to hear more about the business Ms. Pilgrim-Hunter attempted to start in the past few years. <br /><br />What was the business, and why was it unsuccessful? <br /><br />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?<br /><br />Were there some other circumstances that would make me more comfortable she is actually qualified and capable of doing this job now?<br /><br />This seems like an important point to help us understand her ability and willingness to work hard on our behalf.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-55481698292762071332010-07-09T18:27:59.233-04:002010-07-09T18:27:59.233-04:00"In a traditional job setting, she would be f..."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."<br /><br />Apparently walking the Puerto Rican Day Parade was easier? <br />http://www.flickr.com/photos/50440829@N06/page3/<br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-69610663658253588482010-07-09T16:54:16.342-04:002010-07-09T16:54:16.342-04:00As some one who organized in the Bronx for 20 year...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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />Not Anonymous – Mary DaileyMaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09399563112263711041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6850750806594927202.post-61868160287802079322010-07-09T15:20:24.603-04:002010-07-09T15:20:24.603-04:00BNN has certainly done Pilgrim Hunter a favor in g...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.<br /><br />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...<br /><br />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!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com