After lengthy consideration, local progressive leader (and longtime DFNYC member) Ken Diamondstone has decided not to challenge Democratic Minority Leader Martin Connor in the 25th State Senate District (lower Manhattan and northwest Brooklyn). This leaves Daniel Squadron as the only challenger to Connor in this September's primary. Information on Diamondstone follows in his official press release announcing his decision.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, April 10th, 2008

Press Contact: Morgan Pehme, 917-496-4565, kendiamondstone (at) gmail.com

Progressive leader Ken Diamondstone announces he will not enter the race for the 25th Senate District

Diamondstone calls on candidates for State Senate to stand up for progressive leadership and puts forth a platform of principles he insists they support

Progressive advocate and affordable housing creator Ken Diamondstone announced today that he would not enter the race for State Senator Marty Connor's 25th district seat. Putting to rest widespread speculation as to whether Diamondstone would seek the office he came close to winning in 2006, Diamondstone explained, "I'm not going to engage in a three-way primary that divides the progressive vote. The needs of my fellow constituents are simply too important. Instead, I will be seeking other opportunities to work on behalf of progressive reform for the benefit of all New Yorkers."

Diamondstone's endorsement in the 25th SD race would provide a significant boost for either Connor or his challenger Daniel Squadron, especially with Diamondstone's strong base of support in Brooklyn, but he has not made any decisions yet. This morning Diamondstone issued a bold platform of core progressive reforms he insists the candidates for Senate must pledge to implement if they are to win his endorsement. "I want to learn more about these candidates," said Diamondstone. "On the eve of a Democrat-controlled Senate and a one-party State, the litmus test for public office can no longer be if candidates espouse progressive principles. It's whether they fight on behalf of the people to put them into action. I vow to hold these candidates accountable."

Among the progressive principles Diamondstone insists the candidates sign on to are specific proposals for affordable housing, tax fairness, energy independence, universal health care, and campaign finance reform. [*Platform of Principles attached*] "These are not pie-in-the-sky ideals," emphasized Diamondstone. "These are the core principles of the Democratic party. We must enact these essential reforms immediately if New York State is going to continue to move forward in this time of political and economic uncertainty."

Diamondstone's platform of progressive principles reflect his life's work as a tireless and outspoken public advocate for affordable housing, the environment, human rights, LGBT equality, and responsible economic development. "As a community activist and former candidate myself, I have always stood up to the developers and bureaucrats who sacrifice our quality of life for their profit margins, and I will never stop doing so."

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Diamondstone's Platform of Progressive Policies for New York State

1. Our state legislators must fight for more affordable housing. We have to put an end to vacancy decontrol, and return home rule to New York City by repealing the Urstadt law, which has been used to exploit and abuse tenants for years.

2. We must protect Mitchell-Lama tenants by imposing an 80% tax on Mitchell-Lama housing buy-outs, taking away the incentive for owners to privatize this essential program and simultaneously, through a major State bond act, build the affordable units needed by New York's low and moderate-income families

3. We must put an end to inappropriate development and land grabs by greedy developers. In particular, there should be no construction of private housing on public land in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Parks are for *all* of us. Development must include community input at the outset - input that is meaningful, not perfunctory, nor simply as an addendum.

4. There must finally be a complete ban on the death penalty in New York State.

5. Our tax system must be progressive rather than regressive, and the richest New Yorkers need to pay their fair share. The last three decades have seen huge tax cuts in New York, the great majority of which went to corporations and the very wealthy. It's time to repeal tax breaks for the richest New Yorkers so that we can properly invest in our families' futures..

6. The State must abide by our high court's decision in favor of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity and finally give New York City schools the funding they deserve. We must allocate the resources to provide pre-K for all our students.

7. New York must be a model of environmental stewardship, preserving our natural resources, promoting new industries, and rebuilding our cities with sustainable materials. Developing renewable energy, which will in turn create thousands of good-paying jobs, must be of the highest priority.

8. Albany must enact reforms that reduce the influence of lobbyists and special interests in State government, and return the power of government to ordinary citizens. Creating a system of publicly-financed elections is the mother of all progressive reform. Until we truly democratize our elections, we will be stuck with entrenched incumbents who have little interest in serving the needs of the voters.

9. We must join the rest of the industrialized world in providing universal health care to our citizens. All New Yorkers should be provided for, ultimately through a single-payer health care system.

10. We must protect our manufacturing infrastructure and expand our ports. We simply cannot rezone away our manufacturing districts without a thorough analysis of our future industrial needs. While our waterfront is a tremendous asset, we are not using it to its fullest advantage. Expanding our waterways for freight and passenger movement with projects like Congressman Nadler's proposed Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel will provide tens of thousands of new, good-paying jobs for New Yorkers.

Background on Ken Diamondstone:

Ken Diamondstone has an impressive record as a community leader and activist. A developer of socially responsible housing, he has provided hundreds of affordable apartments to working families and seniors. As Chair of the Brooklyn Solid Waste Advisory Board, Ken worked to pressure Mayor Bloomberg into restoring recycling to the City and promoted plans to drastically reduce solid waste over the next 15 years through a comprehensive zero-waste agenda. He established an outreach program that has served over 50,000 meals to people living with HIV/AIDS. A staunch environmentalist, he negotiated with a major car company to provide non-polluting electric vehicles to parks and not-for-profits free of charge.. Ken has been an active member of the LGBT community, speaking out for Marriage Equality and participating in the creation of legislation such as the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA).

Ken has served at the forefront of numerous community organizations, including Brooklyn Community Board 2, New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty, Brooklyn Parents for Peace, The Brooklyn SWAB, the Citywide Recycling Advisory Board, and the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation. He has also served as Vice Chair of the **Central Brooklyn** Independent Democrats, on the executive board of Lambda Independent Democrats, as board member of Independent Neighborhood Democrats, and as Coordinator in the 52ndAssembly District reelection campaign of Congressman Major Owens.