State Senator Holds Local Inauguration

Newbie State Senator Bill Perkins knows how to get and keep political supporters.

On Saturday afternoon Perkins' friends, his family, interested constituents, and a flock of politicians from north of 96th Street, filled the auditorium at Harlem Hospital to watch the senator get inaugurated-again.

Though it was nearly two months after Perkins, D-Harlem, took the official oath of service in Albany, the crowd sat through three hours of speeches, two gospel choir performances, the musical stylings of a young Usher-look-a-like, and a saxophone solo, all to watch Perkins solemnly swear for the second time.

"We wanted to give people a chance to take a break and really celebrate," said Richard Fife, Perkins' senatorial campaign manager. Perkins inauguration was also celebrated late to avoid scheduling conflicts with U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel's, D-Harlem, and Lt. Gov. David Paterson's celebrations.

Though Perkins has only been in office for a few weeks, his supporters know him from his days representing Harlem in the city council.

But a quick scan of the crowd at the event begged the question: what would draw someone to a dim auditorium for three hours on such a sunny Saturday afternoon?

Some could have come for the entertainment. As the gospel choir belted out "I will bless the Lord," Perkins' staff passed out New York City brand condoms. "There's no time too soon, or too inappropriate," Perkins said, urging people to get tested for HIV at the health fair he organized outside the auditorium. "It's meant to be a joke, but we're serious."

But some said they came because Perkins' office helped them sort out housing and union contracts problems. Two credited him with bringing better garbage cans to Harlem-though all council members received new trash cans stamped with their own names for their districts.

The crowd assembled at Saturday's inaugural-three hours long and two months late-indicated that for a local politician, the proverbial pothole fixing pays off. Harlemites call out to Perkins by name on the streets, and he stops to shake their hands with a hearty "how you doing?" This block-party politician traverses the district stumping for his top issues: affordable housing and health care. He can be spotted at Community Board meetings, Democratic Club meetings, and rallies wearing his signature fedora.

"He's a politician the average person can put their hands on," said Barbara Eisonwhite, a member of the Honeys and the Bears, a swim team for senior citizens in Harlem.

These strategies certainly aren't new-Perkins has borrowed many of his techniques from his predecessors. Current Lt. Gov. David Paterson, former State Comptroller H. Carl McCall, former Secretary of State Basil Paterson, and others who held Perkins' office before him all knew being in the public eye paid dividends. Audience members applauded as warmly when the former Senators were mentioned as when Perkins was.

Uptown's most visible and powerful politicians-past and present-also came out in droves to exchange thank-yous with the Senator. Former Mayor David Dinkins and U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-Manhattan, made an appearance, along with Borough President Scott Stringer, and Manhattan Council members Inez Dickens, Robert Jackson, and Melissa Mark Viverito.