Bloomberg Campaign Operative Hired as Deputy Parks Commissioner

Larry Scott Blackmon, a 35-year-old political operative whose recent employment included two consecutive stints in Bloomberg's re-election campaigns,  has landed a choice job in the green empire. Bloomberg appointed him to serve as a Deputy Parks Commissioner making $169,560 a year according to the NY Post —thirty three thousand dollars less than Parks Commissioner Benepe. The DPR announced internally last week that he will be supervising long-time Assistant Parks Commissioner Jack T. Linn and working on community outreach.  Mr. Linn,  who has decades of experience in the agency will be making thirty grand less than Mr. Blackmon.  It pays to be connected.

A Walk in the Park could find no relevant career experience in the world of public parks for Mr. Blackmon, who reportedly specializes in African-American outreach.  However he was mentioned in the NY Times earlier this year for his antics during the Bloomberg campaign which left one Harlem State Assemblymember  "a bit startled," according to the paper.

Mr. Blackmon was dispatched to Albany to sway Keith L. T. Wright into supporting Bloomberg.  

According to the account, Assemblyman Keith L. T. Wright, a Harlem lawmaker,  long ago pledged to support a fellow African-American,  William C. Thompson Jr.,  in the mayoral election. But that did not stop two aides to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg from traveling 150 miles from Manhattan to Albany to seek Mr. Wright’s endorsement for the mayor a few weeks ago.

“They must have really wanted it,” Mr. Wright said, a bit startled by the effort. “They double-teamed me.”

Mr. Blackmon also shows up in a 2008 Village Voice piece which commented on his job over at the Department of Small Business Services.

Mike campaigners' tailor-made jobs

Tight fiscal times haven't stopped Mayor Bloomberg from finding openings in city government for his campaign troops, The NY Post has learned.

Some of the ex-campaign workers will be returning to jobs they left in City Hall and at city agencies.

But others will be landing in entirely new positions created just for them.

"There will be an increase in the total numbers of slots in the mayor's office," said the insider.

Bloomberg had earlier pledged to cut his own office payroll, which now has 450 people.

The new hires come just weeks before the mayor releases his plan for closing a $4.1 billion deficit -- with layoffs possible.

The campaigners landing on the city payroll include:

Larry Blackmon, who quit as chief of staff at the Department of Small Business Services to become a $144,000-a-year campaign coordinator in the African-American community.

He's now becoming a $169,560 deputy parks commissioner.

Read more: 

Mike campaigners' tailor-made jobs

NY Post  - January 10, 2009 -  By David Seifman

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/mike_campaigners_tailor_made_jobs_3MArYcZC17dnfmbSNMjABL

UPDATE:

Amid Budget Worries, Mayor Finds Jobs for Campaign Staff

New York Times - January 26, 2010 - By Michael Barbaro