Within a week of passing a “revamped” modification of the 125th Rezoning Proposal, City Council Whip Inez Dickens launched her campaign for New York City Council Speaker with an event held at Melba’s restaurant in Harlem. Craig Schely, the determined executive director of the advocacy group Vote People , rallied protesters for other community organizations declaring, “Inez Dickens must go”. On May 1, the day the City Council approved the rezoning plan, Vote People was denied a lawsuit to seek an restraining order to the rezoning plan. Vote People and counsel Michael Hiller have now filed an application to the Appellate Courts, the State Supreme Court has scheduled the matter for full briefing and argument on May 22.
The Dickens fund raising event brought out the old Harlem political machine, with appearances by Carl McCall (whose name was brought forward in the Tony Rezko trial), C Virgina Fields(Super Delegate for Clinton), and Hazel Dukes(remember this gem?) paying homage to Inez.