Campaign finance supporting, anti-Citizens United restauranteur Danny Meyer was among the owners targeted by black brunch activists today.
The Democratic donor’s restaurant, Maialino, was one of the targeted brunch spots. “Opened in 2009, the restaurant is part of Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group,” says Maialino’s website.
Once upon a time Meyer worked for John Anderson, an independent candidate for president in 1980. Now Meyer has lent his support to a proposal to restrict the money in New York politics under a more draconian set of rules. He’s also a major Democratic candidate backer. Meyers has given over $33,000 to mostly Democratic political candidates, according to his campaign contributions.
According to the New York Times in 2012, the backers of the anti-free speech measure include “media moguls Barry Diller and Chris Hughes, a founder of Facebook — as well as investment bankers, unions, MoveOn.org, the restaurateur Danny Meyer and the philanthropist David Rockefeller Sr.”
We reached out to Meyer and will update it when or if he answers.
.@dhmeyer Do you have a comment about #blackbrunchnyc targeted your restaurant today?
— Charles C. Johnson (@ChuckCJohnson) January 5, 2015
Contrary to what their supporters often claim, campaign spending restrictions lead to more money and politics because it leads to bundling donations. In the old days poor candidates could run for office if they could find one wealthy backer. President (and poor man) Calvin Coolidge famously had clothing magnate Frank Stearns finance his political bids. By placing restrictions on the amount of money individuals can give you essentially turn would be political candidates into professional fundraisers.
We suspect that Meyer isn’t alone in having a left-wing point of view among the restauranteurs targeted. Michael “Buzzy” O’Keefe of the Pershing Square Cafe once fondly recalled hosting Kennedy advisors, for example
Gotnews.com encourages its readers to probe the politics of the rest of the owners of the targeted restaurants.
We bet you won’t find a conservative or libertarian among them.
Here's the list of the restaurants targeted by #blackbrunchnyc. I'm trying to find the owners now. pic.twitter.com/V2aIMttMFT
— Charles C. Johnson (@ChuckCJohnson) January 4, 2015
And here are their owners, managing partners, and chefs.
Penelope
Owner/creator: Jennifer Potenza
Partner: Michael Tsoumpas
Partner: Lukus J. Hasenstab
Maialino
Managing Partner: Terry Coughlin
Exec Chef/Partner: Nick Anderer
Resto
Owner: Christian Pappanicholas
Exec Chef: Preston clark
Pershing Square Cafe
Developer/Owner: Michael “Buzzy” O’Keefe (Water Club, River Cafe)
GM: Katie McShane
Lallisse
Co-owner: Alfred Hochstrasser
