Collins Out of Gotbaum's Office
Months after joining her staff as press secretary, John Collins has abruptly departed from Betsy Gotbuam’s office only days after she said in an interview that she won't run for citywide office in 2009 (unless, of course, she inadvertanly winds up mayor if a certain mayor runs for President).
The two have always had different styles. Collins is a young campaign junkie and Gotbaum tends towards a more traditional, less flashy approach.
After receiving an automated response from Collins' legislative email account saying he is “no longer employed by this office,” I reached him by cell phone. He declined to discuss the matter publicly, other than to say that he left for personal reasons. He spoke positively of his former boss.
In a recent interview, Gotbaum told the City Hall News, “At this point in my life, it’s just hard for me to raise money for myself, for personal reasons, for a political campaign.” (In the latest campaign finance filing, Gotbaum raised $163,915, but spent $105,852).
Tension between Collins and Gotbaum was evident during that same interview. She is explaining that she was right to call for the removal of a subcontractor working for the Department of Education, but hadn’t rushed to grab credit for it, when this exchange takes place:
“Should I have had 20 press conferences about that?” she asks rhetorically.
“Yes,” her press secretary answers quickly.
Gotbaum considers this.
“It’s not who I am. It’s definitely not who I am. I’m not going to have more press conferences. I can’t. I just can’t do it,” she says.
my god, is it a surprise? he's hungrier and more professional than the standard gotbaum hire -- look to see him pop up somehwere where there's a little more action.
Hungrier and more professional? A public servant shows some tact for once and gets criticized for it. You campaign/press people are a disease. Go work for Weprin or Sharpton.
Weiner should scoop him up if he's looking to 09. Collins is a workhorse with stellar media sense and a worldly perspective.
"He's got upper management potential written all over him."
-Bob & Bob
Good point David. Make that Weiner, Weprin or Sharpton. I'm gonna go vomit now...
What was he thinking going to Gautbaum in the first place?
No one ever seriously thought she was going to run, and everyone knew Quinn was going to. Did those two have some sort of falling out?
Question here is who gets him first. He's an asset.
Yes, scumbags who turn every single piece of productive public service into a "press hit" are real assets.
Kudos to Gautbaum for not using her elected office as a campaign resource.
I was also under the impression that the Public Advocate's office wasn't really doing so much. After reading that article, I was really impressed with Ms. Gotbaum. Although perhaps the press angle is right - if you help your constituents and no one knows about it, did it really happen? For all that we malign PR people and press secretaries, they are useful on many levels, including letting the public know what their elected officials are doing. After all, we do pay their salaries.
I sincerely like reading this blog, but it's annoying to me that so many of these posts are so and so hired X with the accompanying comments always about how great this person X is. It would be more impressive if the reporters on this blog took the time to reach out to more sources and develop more substantive blog posts instead of jumping to the gun on the comings and goings of political staffers. They are newsworthy on some level, but a bit of perspective would be interesting.
Collins is a stud. he's way too talented to work for that ambitionless frump.
Asking the media to do actual journalism in this day and age is just as crazy as asking an elected official to worry about their constituents first and their career second....
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