Brothers David and Mark Weprin don't always see eye to eye

Penner's Pen blog

BY LARRY PENNER

Monday, February 8, 2010 11:53 AM EST

Newly elected NYC Council member Mark Weprin was recently quoted as saying "To me, the City Council is a step up, Here I am closer to the people...and it's an interesting opportunity to better serve my constituents" These words appeared in the weekly Albany newspaper -- The Legislative Gazette ("Special elections scheduled for four Assembly seats" by Sara A. Emmert -- January 12).

Is Mark telling brother David -- the favored candidate to succeed him in the upcoming February 9th special election to fill his vacant 24th Queens Assembly district that: (1) going to Albany is a demotion from previously serving as NYC Council Finance Committee Chairperson? (2) brother David will have a more difficult time serving the same citizens (both the NYC Council and State Assembly seat district boundaries overlap representing many of the same voters and (3) he can get further away from constituents to spend more time serving Albany Pay for Play special interest groups and his new boss - New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver rather than the ordinary citizens who pay his salary? I would love to be a fly on the wall and listen in when bothers David & Mark get together over family dinner to discuss mutual political careers. One brothers words can be anothers political poison.

David Weprin recently lost another opportunity to be closer to his constituents and life long dream of becoming NYC Comptroller. Weprin's colleague -- NYC Comptroller John Liu appointed Brooklyn Council member Simcha Felder Deputy NYC Comptroller. How ironic that this happened after coming in fourth and dead last in the September primary. Weprin then quickly endorsed Lui over Council member David Yasky in the run-off primary. Weprin now has no value to his former Council friends. Don't shed a tear. Weprin is a sure bet to fill brother Mark's State Assembly. (The district is overwhelmingly Democratic gerrymandered for decades to be the "Weprin" family seat). It has been passed down from the late Assembly Speaker Saul Weprin to sons Mark and now David. Weprin takes a major pay cut ($79,000 Assembly member base salary versus $112,000 for a Council member). As NYC Council Finance Committee Chairperson, he had a $18,000 lulu and was number one in member item pork barrel funded earmarks. David was a key lieutenant to Council Speaker Quinn. As one of 150 State Assembly members or 108 Democrats, he becomes a small fish in a big pond. Speaker Sheldon Silver has no need for David's vote. Silver has no incentives to assign Weprin chairperson of any significant committees or subcommittees; award him any lulus or fund pork barrel member items. Weprin now faces a three hour commute to Albany versus 45 minutes to City Hall. David used to walk across the street from City Hall to earn $200,000 plus doing financial work in his downtown private sector Manhattan office. How will he juggle Albany and his second better paying outside job? Being Deputy City Comptroller would have paid far more than being an Assembly member. It would also have given him a political edge over others to succeed Liu as the next NYC Comptroller when John runs for Mayor in 2013 or 2017. Poor David just can't catch a brake! He lost races for Council Speaker (2005), filling the position of State Comptroller after Hevisi's resignation in (2007) and City Comptroller (2009). Is the Assembly seat the best consolation prize Weprin can obtain?