Adolfo Carrion Jr

Why He Matters A year ago, Carrion was planning a run for New York City comptroller, abandoning his mayoral ambitions because he didn’t think he would win. Now he is the urban policy czar in the Obama administration. Carrion is the president’s pick for head of the new White House Office of Urban Policy, which will be responsible for coordinating federal efforts to help cities. He will report directly to the President.(1) It is a remarkable rise for the Puerto Rican politician, who has won positions and power at a breakneck clip. Carrion grew up in the Bronx and was elected to New York’s City Council in 1998. He became Bronx borough president in 2001, ignoring critics who implored him to wait his turn. In that role, Carrion became a key player in New York City politics, thanks to his close relationship and ideological similarities with Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I). Carrion has his opponents, who argue he has sold the borough to developers and big-box stores. “If Adolfo does for the U.S.A. what he has done for The Bronx, then we are in for a very tough time,” wrote Andrew Wolfe, a Bronx newspaper publisher.(2) And some say his lack of experience at the federal level will make it difficult for him to address the myriad problems faced by American cities.(3) However, Carrion has lured dozens of new businesses and hundreds of new units of affordable housing. His emphasis on private-public partnerships will likely be a centerpiece of any new urban legislation he champions. Path to Power Carrion was born in Manhattan in 1961. His father, a Protestant minister, inspired his son to go into preaching. His mother, a full-time mom, gave him “a daily dose of the golden rule.”(4) Carrion moved to the Bronx when he was in fourth grade. He earned his undergraduate degree in world religions from Kings College and then became an associate pastor at a Bronx church. He moved from preaching to teaching and eventually decided to return to school. He earned his master’s degree in urban planning from Hunter College and then took a job in the Bronx office of the New York City Department of City Planning.(5) Carrion became involved in borough politics as district manager for a community board, a neighborhood governing organization. He also learned about non-profits as vice president of human services and community outreach at Promesa, a community development organization. Carrion was elected to the City Council in 1998. In that position, he sat on the Economic Development and Education committees among others, and served as chair of the special subcommittee on the 2000 Census. In 2001, Carrion was elected Bronx Borough president. He ran despite pleas from several top Democrats to wait to run until 2004. His refusal to kowtow to the Bronx political machine has left him with few close friends in the county’s Democratic organization.(6) Despite that, Carrion was re-elected in 2005. He remained relevant by allying himself with Mayor Bloomberg. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2006, Bloomberg called Carrion “the No. 1 Yankees fan and the greatest advocate for the Bronx -- and in all fairness, the person who's made the most difference, in my memory, in this borough.”(7) The pro-business Democrat shared an appreciation with Bloomberg for big government and development. In one of his most controversial moves, he brought big-box stores to Bronx neighborhoods and lobbied for the subsidization of the new Yankees stadium, which will open in spring 2009. In 2008, Carrion announced his intentions to run in a tight race for city comptroller. It was widely reported that he had considered a campaign for mayor, but changed his mind when it became clear he probably couldn’t defeat current Comptroller Will Thompson.(8) After President Barack Obama’s 2008 victory, Carrion was considered a candidate for head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development or as a replacement for outgoing senator and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. However, the transition team is expected to select Carrion for head of the White House’s new Office of Urban Policy.(9) The likely appointment has prompted backlash from some of New York's most liberal activists. Tom Robbins of the Village Voice attacked Carrion for flip-flopping on mayoral term limits and for wooing big business at the cost of residents and local business owners.(10) Carrion’s Washington prospects were thrown into doubt when he told Yale students at a speech that he had landed a plum position in the White House. Though he told the audience his comments were “off-the-record,” his words quickly flew around the Internet, embarrassing the candidate.(11) Many reporters say Carrion has higher ambitions, and that he will probably run for New York City mayor in the next ten years. The White House job “establishes Carrion as the standard-bearer for Bloomberg's philosophy,” writes Ben Smith of Politico, “and a frontrunner to be elected the city's mayor at some point in the next decade.”(12) The Issues Carrion believes in using businesses and development to improve the quality of life across the Bronx. While in office, he has emphasized bringing big-box stores to the area, redeveloping commercial districts and encouraging large-scale builders to bring their projects to the borough. "Some people have described what we’re going through now as the largest boom since the 1920s," Carrion told the National Real Estate Investor. Since his election, 35,000 housing units were built and $1.6 billion was invested in borough property. Still, the area is struggling – unemployment was at 8.3 percent in 2008,(13) and the number of families living below the poverty line in 2004 was at 28 percent.(14) Economic Development Among Carrion’s biggest accomplishments as borough president is bringing big retail stores, like Target, Home Depot, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond to the Bronx and securing subsidies for the Yankees to build their $800 million new stadium. Both moves have their critics, particularly among community activists in the Bronx who accused Carrion of “selling out” and making it more difficult for mom-and-pop stores to survive. As borough president, Carrion has emphasized building new homes for moderate and low-income residents and has tried to develop creative ways to encourage home ownership. “We can’t keep throwing money at a housing policy that concentrates poor families in massive housing projects and hopes for the best,” he said in a 2007 speech. “We must stop treating the poor as laboratory subjects that we tinker with in our pricey think tanks and universities.”(15) Carrion has warned, however, that the financial crisis may make developers more timid. "We along with the rest of the country are holding our breath," he told the National Real Estate Investor. He said the federal government must act decisively to stave off recession.(13) Domestic Violence Carrion has been an active advocate for victims of domestic violence. He lobbied to update New York’s 1994 violence against women law so that it defined domestic violence more broadly. "A crime is a crime, and we can't simply ignore certain populations based on narrow definitions," Carrion told the New York Daily News.(16) He also hired Karen McGuiness as chief of staff. McGuiness, who was abused by her partner for years, is one of the New York City's domestic violence prevention leaders.(17) Latino Representation As head of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials since 2007, Carrion has pushed for increased Latino voter participation. He has also persuaded more Latino candidates to run for office. Carrion has been an outspoken advocate for preserving the rights of Puerto Rico. He was arrested and sentenced to forty days in jail for protesting near the U.S. Navy bombing site on Vieques with the Rev. Al Sharpton and three other well-known Puerto Rican politicians.(18) The Network Carrion’s close relationship with Mayor Michael Bloomberg has helped him push his Bronx agenda. He is also friends with New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson, who will probably run for mayor. He has said that he does not want to run against him for any elected office. Carrion endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) early in the2008 presidential contest, as did most other New York politicians. However, once Obama sealed the nomination, Carrion was an active campaigner for the president, travelling across the country to speak on his behalf. He focused particularly on states with large Hispanic populations. Carrion also attended a fundraiser in Chicago. He told the New York Observer that he met Obama’s “friends and supporters, very intimate people with Senator Obama” while there. "We’re going to work together,” he claimed.(19) Footnotes 1. Allen, Mike. “Obama Sets Record for top Hispanics,” Politico, Dec. 16, 2008 2. “Carrion off the Washington? Some Hope Not,” Gotham Gazette, Dec. 11, 2008 3. Adolfo Carrion Web site 4. Bronx Borough president official Web site 5. Hicks, Jonathan, “Adolfo Carrion Jr.,” New York Times, Dec. 3 2008 6. Hicks, Jonathan P., “President of Bronx Could Get Cabinet Post,” New York Times, Nov. 22, 2008 7. Chan, Sewell, “2006 Election: Off the Trail; A Different Bronx Cheer,” New York Times, Oct. 9, 2006 8. Hicks, Jonathan, “In Turnabout, Seeking Job of Comptroller, Not Mayor,” New York Times, Dec. 14, 2007 9. Haberman, Maggie, “Bronx Pol Adolfo Carrion Will Head Urban Policy,” New York Post, Dec. 13, 2008 10. Robbins, Tom, “Five Reasons Why Bronx Beep Adolfo Carrion Will Be a Great HUD Secretary,” Village Voice, Dec. 8, 2008 11. Kamen, Al, “A Self-leaking nominee,” Washington Post, Dec. 9, 2008 12. Smith, Ben, “Model City,” Politico, Dec. 13, 2008 13. Kalette, Denise, “The Bronx is Booming,” National Real Estate Investor, April 1, 2008 14. United States Census Bureau Website 15. Hicks, Jonathan, “Adolfo Carrion Jr.,” New York Times, Dec. 3 2008 16. Coleman, Chrisena, “We Must Do More for Victims: BEEP Urges Legislature to Pass Bill Expanding Domestic Violence Shields,” New York Daily News, April 27, 2007 17. Morris, Betsy, “You have victims working for you. You have batterers working for you too,” Fortune, Nov. 24, 2008 18. Lipton, Eric, “Sharpton and 3 From Bronx Are Jailed in Vieques Protest,” New York Times, May 24, 2001 19. Paybarah, Azi, “Carrion Says He's Tapping Into Obama’s Network,” New York Observer, June 9, 2008