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My official swearing in as the new City Council member representing District 13. I cannot wait to serve the people of NYC!💛 pic.twitter.com/NmUPUgciqp

— Marjorie Velázquez (@mvelaznyc) December 23, 2021

Some progressives (think AOC friendly) people will stand out in the new bunch in the City Council as well as the comptroller and maybe the public advocate.  My new council member is surely an upgrade on the current person (worried about non-citizen voters), but not sure if she will be as passionate as a few of the newbies.  She worked for Joseph Vacca, member before the current one.  

We also have the likely new City Council President.  There was some drama, when two candidates claimed to have the same number of votes.  The incoming mayor (Eric Adams) got into the mix, supporting the failed candidate.  He tossed in some comment involving meow-ing (really went with the "cat in the bag" metaphor).  

The guy seems to love posturing and acting out like that.  It is going to be likely a "fun" four years with his conservative qualities clashing with more liberal minded types.  We saw this already with his comments on solitary confinement in Rikers, which maybe can be conceivable in extreme cases.  But, he didn't go that way.

“Why am I learning about the letter through the media?” the former NYPD captain said in a response to a reporter’s question. “If you want to work as a partner, call me. ... The one thing that’s different from everyone that signed that letter and Eric Adams: I wore a bulletproof vest for 22 years and protected the people of this city. And when you do that, then you have the right to question me on safety and public safety matters.”

Then, he tossed in something about the alternatives of solitary confinement is letting people be with their "pads" (computer pads) or something.  I saw the guy on a late nite talk show and think a little of him can go a long way. Thinking the press, now with his bigger role, should have some fun with him.   

I don't pay enough attention to local issues, but with some new faces, we might have some notable things in 2022. There was also a new state law  requiring state agency websites to offer translation options for non-English speakers.  The Democratic majority has provided a slew of minor and major legislation that might not get much attention, but are useful.  

I sent a letter to Justice Sotomayor concerning translating Supreme Court content, especially when the cases involve people who might speak another language (such as Puerto Rico).  She generously responded, but noted that she could not comment on a "live" issue.  She did flag a FAQ page on the website that provides content in various languages. 

Here's to a good 2022.