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Q&A with Gale Brewer
In a far-ranging chat, Council Member Gale A. Brewer (D-Manhattan) covered some of the big issues facing the City Council, including bills she sponsored. And she also addressed some less-pressing matters that have nothing to do with policy, like whether or not she carves out time for a "date night" with her husband.
The following is an edited transcript of a recent interview.
West Side Spirit: Off the top of your head, what are the three things that you’re working on right now that are the most important?
Gale Brewer: Schools. There’s no question that we have 29, 30 schools in the district with parents trying really hard to make the schools successful. There are a lot of demands. And it’s exciting. So you try to meet them…
I would say the second issue…is the housing. I’ve been at housing court for the last hour with somebody trying to avoid an eviction…
And then I would say…technology, but not technology for technology’s sake, but I was interested in it because it could open up government.
WSS: You’re chair of the Technology Committee. Do you own an iPod?
GB: Oh yeah, I have an iPod. I have an iPod, I have a Blackberry, I know how to work the VCR.
WSS: What’s your position on the New-York Historical Society development?
GB: It’s hard for me because I grew up in that museum, since I was a kid. And I think the history, the library—my husband Cal used the library for his book, he’s in there all the time. It’s a beautiful library…and their collections are phenomenal. So it’s a great institution… I’m not going to say one way or another. It’s hard when you like an institution to say maybe the building isn’t the right thing. On the other hand, maybe there could be something that works out that doesn’t compromise Central Park West, which is a historic district. And the building is landmarked and it’s a very special building…I wish it would all go away, to answer your question.
“I do the politics because I’m great at building constituencies and people respect me and stuff. But in terms of kissing everybody’s behind, no thank you.”
WSS: You were on CNN the other day because of your initiative on the models. This is the kind of thing that I could see people saying, it’s just not the purview of the City Council.
GB: They did.
WSS: A lot of people did?
GB: Some people. We got a lot of emails on both sides. I have to say. A lot of people said, “My daughter, I’m worried about her, thank you.” A lot of people said that.
WSS: Are you excited about the prospect of Rudy Giuliani as president?
GB: No.
WSS: Why have you gotten on board with Hillary Clinton when there are other Democratic candidates who are appealing to parts of your constituency?
GB: I think we all feel very strongly about a Democratic New Yorker, and I also think that it’s exciting—it’s not just that she’s a woman, it’s that she’s really experienced. The world is a mess and I just think she’s somebody who could figure out what to do.
WSS: What are you going to do at the end of your term?
GB: I don’t know, I don’t spend all my time thinking about it.
WSS: Spend a little now.
GB: I don’t have any great ideas. Maybe term limits will happen, you never know.
WSS: I heard that you were looking at the public advocate’s race.
GB: That’s what everybody tells me that I’m thinking. But who wants to go to all those other boroughs and talk to all those people? And also, I was there with Mark [Green] for four years and it was a horrible place. You have to every single day dream up something to advocate… But I like legislation, I like budget. I love the budget. I think I know it pretty well and I love figuring out and I can explain it to people.
WSS: You can be budget director for the next mayor.
GB: Sure. Anything that’s government, I can do. I’m much better at government than politics. I do the politics because I’m great at building constituencies and people respect me and stuff. But in terms of kissing everybody’s behind, no thank you.
WSS: Do you have a date night with your husband?
GB: A date night?
WSS: Like a night you reserve to spend with him.
GB: What kind of crazy idea is that?
WSS: How often do you guys see each other?
GB: I come home at 11 o’clock at night and he’s fine. He goes to some events. We go to movies at 11 o’clock at night. There’s lots of movies at 11 o’clock at night.
WSS: Do you do that?
GB: Yeah, sometimes. Maybe once a month or every two months.
WSS: What was the last movie you saw?
GB: You know, I really liked it—I saw “Casino Royale.” I liked that movie. I like to go to the foreign films at Lincoln Plaza. That’s mostly what we do.
—Charlotte Eichna and Christopher Moore