New York City Councilman Ydanis Rogriguez has been a strong supporter of Occupy Wall Street,
“I believe that the Occupy movement is the best thing to have happened in our city for the last couple of decades,” Mr. Rodriguez said in an interview.
“The movement is the hope for the middle class and the working class,” he continued. “Especially at this moment when the mayor is getting ready to present his executive budget for the fiscal year, I believe that the Occupy movement can play an important role.”
having been injured and arrested during the police raids at Zucotti Park.
New York City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez has been arrested at the NYPD raid on Occupy Wall Street. David Segal, a spokesperson for Councilman Rodriguez, told the Observer he confirmed the Councilman’s arrest through a staffer at City Hall.
“City Hall knows that he’s been arrested, they’ve put in calls with the NYPD to see his status,” Mr. Segal said.
Mr. Segal was made aware of the situation via a late night phone call from the Observer.
Councilman Rodriguez, who represents the 10th district, is not the only politician at the scene of the raids. Councilman Jumaane Williams, who represents the 45th District, was near Zuccotti Park and witnessed Councilman Rodriguez being taken away by police. According to Councilman Williams’ press secretary, Stefan Ringel, Councilman Rodriguez seemed to have been injured.
Now he has requested that the New York City Council donate his 'in lieu of expenses stipend' of $5,000 directly to the General Assembly of OWS. These stipends are given out to council members holding a leadership position or committee chairmanship.
Ydanis Rodriguez, a Democrat from northern Manhattan, wrote to the office of the City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, on Tuesday, asking for permission to donate his most recent $5,000 leadership stipend to Occupy Wall Street. Mr. Rodriguez is the chairman of the Higher Education Committee.
The Council leadership stipends — known as “lulus,” because they are paid out “in lieu of expenses” — are given by the speaker to those holding a leadership position or a committee chairmanship. The system has been criticized as a means for the speaker to win members’ loyalty, and in recent years a number of council members have either refused their lulus or donated them to charity. Last year, for example, several council members donated their stipends to earthquake relief in Haiti.
In the past Rodriguez has donated his stipend to Haitian earthquake relief and women's anti-violence programs. Councilman Rodriguez wrote a letter to Speaker Christine Quinn requesting his stipend be directly donated to OWS but has been refused on the basis that the City Council cannot give the stipends to organizations.
In the letter, Rodriguez declined to personally accept the stipend and instead asked that Quinn donate the money directly to the Occupy Wall Street general assembly.
But a spokesman for speaker Quinn said the City Council has a policy that prevents her from distributing stipends to outside organizations.
"As he has been previously notified, Council members may either accept their stipend and use it as they see fit, or they can choose to decline the stipend," the spokesman said in an emailed statement. "The City Council’s stipend funds are not distributed to outside organizations.”
Here's a link to his letter to Speaker Quinn.
Rodriguez Letter to Speaker Quinn
You can contact Speaker Quinn to suggest she reconsider this rule
http://council.nyc.gov/...
And Councilman Rodriguez to thank him
http://council.nyc.gov/...