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Edward C. Sullivan served in the New York State Assembly for 26 years. During that time he chaired the Subcommittee on Libraries for 10 years, and was Chair of the Committee on Higher Education for 16 years. He retired from the Assembly in 2002. He currently works as a political advisor and a free lance writer on political subjects.

Prior to his election to the Assembly, Mr. Sullivan taught English as a Second Language for 15 years, in Europe and in New york. He is the author of a text books on that subject.

Mr. Sullivan was born in New England, attended the Hamden Hall School in Connecticut, and graduated from the New School College in New York City.

Stories from Edward C. Sullivan

Half a League, Half a League, Half a League Backward
Edward C. Sullivan
Edward C. Sullivan served in the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 2002.
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012
There are those who think that politics consists of constantly facing choices between good and evil, and choosing good, if you're good, and choosing evil, if you're bad.

But that's not really true. Politics consists of constantly facing choices that contain 38% good, or 42% good, and 34% evil, or 25% evil, and 28% very unclear, or 33% very unclear. No political choices affect the past, which we know pretty well, and can more or less deal with. All of them affect the future, which we don't know at all, and which can change the lives of others, and maybe the lives of ourselves.

What to do? If we vote "yes" on the proposition before the Council, or the House, or the Senate, we vote in favor of the 34% evil. If we vote "no", we vote against the 38% good. And who knows how the 28% unclear will turn out? But we can be sure that our political adversaries will portray the unclear as being evil, if we voted "yes", and supremely good, if we voted "no".

Mother's Milk
Edward C. Sullivan
Edward C. Sullivan served in the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 2002.
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
"Money is the mother's milk of politics," said Jesse Unruh, once the powerful Speaker of the California State Assembly.

And he may be right. Certainly in New York City, the mayoralty of Michael Bloomberg would at least raise questions about the influence of money. In all three of his races for Mayor, Bloomberg chose to disdain the restrictions of the City's Campaign Finance Act, which limits expenditures for mayoral campaigns to $6,158,000. The Mayor spent over $100,000,000 in his campaign for a third term in 2009, and won the race, 51% to 46%, over Bill Thompson, who spent 1/16th what the Mayor spent.

One could guess soundly that if the Mayor had spent only $50,000,000, Thompson might have won the election; one could be certain that if the Mayor had spent the same amount as Thompson, the Mayor would have lost, Thompson would have won.

Drawing the Lines
Edward C. Sullivan
Edward C. Sullivan served in the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 2002.
Monday, January 9th, 2012

Q: When is a community not a community?

A: When you are drawing the legislative district lines in New York City.

Elbridge Gerry was an American patriot, who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. He pledged his life, his fortune and his sacred honor to the cause. Had the Revolution failed, he would have been hanged.

He signed the Articles of Confederation a few years later, but he refused to sign the United States Constitution because it did not, at that time, contain a Bill of Rights, which he considered essential.

About Author: 
Edward C. Sullivan served in the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 2002.