Melissa Mark-Viverito Explained

Melissa Mark-Viverito
Office:Speaker of the New York City Council
Term Start:January 8, 2014
Term End:December 31, 2017
Predecessor:Christine Quinn
Office1:Member of the New York City Council
from the 8th district
Term Start1:January 1, 2006
Term End1:December 31, 2017
Predecessor1:Phil Reed
Successor1:Diana Ayala
Birth Date:1 April 1969
Birth Place:Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Party:Democratic
Education:Columbia University (BA)
Baruch College (MPA)

Melissa Mark-Viverito (born April 1, 1969) is an American Democratic politician and former speaker of the New York City Council from 2014 to 2017, as well as councilmember for the 8th district from 2006 to 2017, representing Concourse, Concourse Village, East Harlem, Highbridge, Longwood, Mott Haven, Port Morris, and Randall's Island.

Described by The New York Times as "fiercely liberal", she was elected Speaker on January 8, 2014, succeeding Christine Quinn.[1] [2]

Early life and education

Mark-Viverito was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, to Anthony Mark, a physician and founder of San Pablo Hospital, and Elizabeth Viverito. She grew up in Bayamón, where her mother still resides.[3]

At the age of eighteen, she moved to New York to attend Columbia University, from which she graduated in 1991 with a bachelor of arts degree. She received her Master of Public Administration from Baruch College in 1995.[4]

Career

Mark-Viverito served as a member of Manhattan Community Board 11, coordinator of the movement Todo Nueva York con Vieques, president of Mujeres del Barrio,[5] and strategic organizer for Local 1199 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), an influential health care workers union.[6]

New York City Council

After running unsuccessfully against Phil Reed for City Council in District 8 in 2003, Mark-Viverito was elected to the position when Reed reached his term limit in 2005. During her first four years in office, Mark-Viverito sponsored and passed several pieces of legislation regarding tenant harassment, building safety, greening buildings, and park conservancies.[7] In January 2009, she criticized the voting record of newly appointed New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on immigration.[8]

During Mark-Viverito's second term in the Council, she served as chair of the Parks and Recreation Committee[9] and as founding co-chair of the Progressive Caucus.[10]

In November 2013, she won re-election to her third term in the Council, and her close ally Bill de Blasio was elected mayor. Soon the New York Daily News cited Mark-Viverito as "the front-runner" for "New York City's second-most powerful political post — Speaker of the City Council."[11] A grassroots effort to boost her Speaker candidacy included social media, fliers, phone banking, and volunteer recruitment.[12]

Mark-Viverito was elected City Council Speaker on January 8, 2014, at age 44, becoming the first member of the Council's Black, Latino and Asian Caucus to hold this position.[13] Her first "State of the City" speech emphasized reform of the criminal justice system.[14]

In January 2016, Mark-Viverito introduced a collection of eight bills known as the "Criminal Justice Reform Act"[15] to reduce the penalty for acts such as violating park rules, littering and public urination from misdemeanors to the civil process. In addition, the Criminal Justice Reform Act also suspended enforcement for "excessive noise," which resulted in a sudden spike in noise complaints around the five boroughs, according to data compiled by 311, New York City's complaint submission platform.[16] Mark-Viverito sponsored the bills so that young people in communities of color could "fulfill their potential"[17] by incentivizing officers to give verbal warnings and fines but not remove the option of making arrests.[18]

In 2016, Mark-Viverito was alleged to have pressured the New York City Housing Authority to fire a black manager of a NYCHA housing project and replace her with a "Spanish Manager".[19] As of 2018, the lawsuit is still pending and the City of New York's motion to dismiss the lawsuit was denied.[20]

In 2017, Mark-Viverito declined to boycott the Puerto Rican Day Parade, after organizers decided to honor Oscar López Rivera, a prominently incarcerated member of Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional Puertorriqueña (FALN).[21] [22]

2019 NYC Public Advocate Special Election

In 2018, Mark-Viverito announced her intention to run for the open seat of New York City Public Advocate, but lost to Jumaane Williams.[23]

Personal life

Mark-Viverito campaigned in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement and identified herself as part of the "99%" of income earners despite having a net worth in the millions.[24] She and her family inherited an estimated $6.7 million from her father, a doctor. Prior to her inheritance, she applied for a taxpayer-subsidized loan in 1998 when her property at the time was worth $310,000. As of 2014, the multi-story condominium property was worth around $1,300,000. Mark-Viverito rents out her properties, but did not report her rental income. Her spokesman claimed it to be an honest oversight on her part.[25]

In August 2014, Mark-Viverito publicly disclosed that she was infected with the most common STD, the human papillomavirus. She said she was an "extremely private person" but that she what announcing it because she wanted to destigmatize and raise awareness about the disease.[26]

Election history

New York City Council: District 8 !Election!!Candidate!Party!Votes!Pct!!Candidate!Party!Votes!Pct!!Candidate!Party!Votes!Pct!!Candidate!Party!Votes!Pct
2005 Primary Melissa Mark-ViveritoDem align="right" 3,62625.40%Felipe LucianoDem align="right" 3,61025.30%Joyce JohnsonDem align="right" 2,74419.23%Others (3)Dem align="right" 4,25530.06%
2005 General Melissa Mark-ViveritoDem align="right" 16,74399.98%
2009 Primary Melissa Mark-ViveritoDem align="right" 4,99346.73%Robert J. RodriguezDem align="right" 2,82726.46%Gwen GoodwinDem align="right" 1,25511.75%Others (2)Dem align="right" 1,55415.17%
2009 General Melissa Mark-ViveritoDem align="right" 17,09199.99%
2013 Primary Melissa Mark-ViveritoDem align="right" 3,76835.67%Ralina CardonaDem align="right" 1,89917.98%Edward N. SantosDem align="right" 1,71016.70%Others (3)Dem align="right" 3,18630.80%
2013 GeneralMelissa Mark-ViveritoDem align="right" 14,29693.78%Ralina CardonaRep align="right" 7935.20%Christopher GiattinoDem align="right" 131.86%

See also

External links

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Notes and References

  1. News: Grynbaum . Michael M. . Taylor . Kate . Mayoral Ally Elected Speaker, Furthering City's Liberal Shift . The New York Times . January 9, 2014 . August 19, 2014.
  2. News: Taylor . Kate . A City Councilwoman Not Afraid to Take On Inequality . The New York Times . December 20, 2013 . August 19, 2014.
  3. News: Lombardi . Frank . A City Councilwoman Not Afraid to Take On Inequality. The New York Times . December 19, 2013 . July 29, 2019.
  4. Web site: Shapiro. Eileen. January 22, 2019. Melissa Mark-Viverito. Get Out! Magazine. 2022-02-16. en-US.
  5. Web site: NYC Voter Guide: Melissa Mark-Viverito . NYC Campaign Finance Board . 2005 . August 19, 2014.
  6. Web site: NYC Voter Guide: Melissa Mark-Viverito . NYC Campaign Finance Board . 2013 . August 19, 2014.
  7. Web site: Melissa Mark-Viverito: Legislation . August 19, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140819082223/http://mmviverito.com/legislation/ . August 19, 2014 .
  8. News: Powell . Michael . Gillibrand Hints at a Change of Mind on Immigration . The New York Times . February 2, 2009 . August 19, 2014.
  9. The Council — Stated Meeting of Thursday, January 21, 2010 . Supplement to the City Record . January 21, 2010 . August 19, 2014.
  10. News: Chen . David W. . Dozen Council Members Form a Bloc for Liberals . The New York Times . March 24, 2010 . August 19, 2014.
  11. News: Gonzalez . Juan . Melissa Mark-Viverito leads tough fight for NYC Council speaker . New York Daily News . November 8, 2013 . August 19, 2014.
  12. News: Colvin . Jill . Meet Melissa Mark-Viverito's Biggest Fan . New York Observer . November 8, 2013 . August 19, 2014.
  13. Web site: Falcón . Angelo . Latinos and the NYC Council: The Impact of Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito . National Institute for Latino Policy . January 22, 2014 . August 19, 2014.
  14. News: Council Speaker Seeks Criminal Justice Reforms in State of the City Address . Michael M. . Grynbaum . The New York Times . February 12, 2015 . February 12, 2015.
  15. Web site: The New York City Council – Meeting of Committee on Public Safety on 1/25/2016 at 10:00 AM . Legistar.council.nyc.gov . 2016-01-25 . 2017-05-26.
  16. Web site: Daedalus . Don . NoiseYC: A Brief History of Noise In NYC & Why It Matters . medium.com . June 9, 2020 . 2020-06-09.
  17. News: Goodman . J. David . New York City Is Set to Adopt New Approach on Policing Minor Offenses . The New York Times . January 20, 2016.
  18. Web site: Poll: Residents feel safe in their neighborhoods, but not on the subway . Capitalnewyork.com . 2016-02-26 . 2017-05-26.
  19. Web site: EXCLUSIVE: City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito urged NYCHA to replace black woman at helm of Bronx housing project with a 'Spanish manager' . New York Daily News . Smith . Greg B. . September 18, 2016 . 2018-04-15.
  20. Web site: Ex-NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito tried to oust black NYCHA boss for 'Spanish manager': lawsuits . New York Daily News. Greg B.. Smith. November 28, 2018. 10 December 2018.
  21. Web site: Barron . Seth . Melissa Mark-Viverito's parade hypocrisy . New York Post . May 24, 2017 . 2017-05-26.
  22. Web site: Mark-Viverito defends Puerto Rican Day Parade, blaming 'ultra-right-wing' groups for controversy . Politico.com . May 24, 2017 . Pazmino . Gloria . 2017-05-26.
  23. News: Mark-Viverito, Ex-Council Speaker, to Run for Public Advocate. Jeffery C.. Mays. The New York Times . 27 November 2018. 10 December 2018. NYTimes.com.
  24. Web site: Smith. Greg B.. January 3, 2014. Mark-Viverito, candidate for Council speaker, has $1.5M in properties. New York Daily News. 30 May 2017.
  25. Web site: Melissa Mark-Viverito: A millionaire hypocrite who will ruin NYC. Andrea. Peyser. 9 January 2014. New York Post. 30 May 2017.
  26. News: Gonen . Yoav . Melissa Mark-Viverito reveals she has 'high-risk' HPV . New York Post . August 18, 2014 . August 19, 2014.