The Small-Donor Model That Helped Ocasio-Cortez Win Is Aiding Another Progressive

You need to have available cash to donate to a political candidate, and many people in Queens are just struggling to make the bills. People here are also used to political giving routed through their unions. Individual donations aren’t as common as you’d find elsewhere and among the affluent. So the number of donors to Caban isn’t indicative of local support. From what I read, she’s benefited from Sanders, Warren, Ocasio-Cortez, and others heavily soliciting donations on her behalf. And I don’t buy this attempt to demonize money from real estate and business interests. The progressives and socialists are trying to attribute all kinds of evils to real estate developers, but I don’t think NYC residents are buying it. We know these people are greedy, but the building projects also provide jobs, housing, and work places. Large projects typically use union labor. Everything comes with the good and the bad.

Ask yourself this: If your parent or child was wrongfully accused of a crime who would you want to lead the investigators? If your parent or child had been murdered(heaven forbid) who would you want prosecuting the defendant? Either way Greg Lasak has done both when no one else could, or would! Other candidates may say what people want to hear but Lasak is who Queens needs!!!

We are genuinely worried here in Queens that our races have gone so out of whack that we are not representing the broad swath of people who live here. Why do so many people - presidential candidates and others- care what happens here when they know so little about the situations? It feels like there is some larger electromagnetic field pulling people a certain direction without their full participation. Let's see how this one plays out...

Regardless of the money, Caban is just a horrible candidate with no experience on the prosecution side of the ledger. Plus, she's never run any kind of large office. Despite that, the NYT and AOC think that she's eminently qualified because she's a "queer latina" (as she was described in the NYT last week). She's also pro-criminal who will defend their rights over the rights of the victims that they prey upon. The standards of qualification for such an important job have shamefully sunk to a new low - thanks to progressives. But, this will be good for New Yorkers. Right?

Since everything in politics and the news is about race. Keep in mind AOC comes from Puerto Rican background and Caban is too. Of course it makes sense AOC backs her. Both are unqualified to represent Queens diverse population. Only their Puerto Rican constituents align with their socialists views. Hard working people of Queens need to wake up to stop this handouts culture.

Heaven help Queens and NYC if Cabán wins. The good hardworking people of the borough will need to decide whether “progressive ideals” = emptying prisons and letting dangerous perps roam the borough without fear of prosecution.

I wish more reporting on this race addressed what the duties of the District Attorney are. It's not a particularly political role, despite the rules that make it chosen by election. DAs don't make the laws. Rather, they manage a large, complex office of professionals and guide them in triaging cases, and juggling the security needs of the community, the due process rights due the accused, and the available resources of the state. It's not a job for amateurs, not a job for those without extensive trial experience (junior co-chair is not enough), and not a job for those who lack management experience.

According to this article, about 200 individuals in Queens gave money to Ms. Katz, and about 1,000 to Ms. Cabán. So, which one has strong local support?

AOC won because Crowley didn't show up. Queens is made up of more than Jackson Heights and I suspect that people want a DA with experience just like they don't want a jail in their neighborhood. You can funnel a lot of donations Under $1000, dosn't mean that the source of those funds is any different from any one else.

What is needed is the system in place in Seattle. Citizens of the district are given publicly funded campaign contribution vouchers which they can then give to candidates running for office in their district. This eliminates large payments from self-interested forces (both in an out of the district) and aligns the interests of the candidates with their constituents.