Ben Wetzler

@voteben.nyc

2786 Followers 573 Following

2025 candidate for NYC Council. Fmr East Side Democratic District Leader. Public servant. Views do not reflect those of my employer. www.voteben.nyc

Former Facebook complaint input. What's going on? First option: it's annoying or not interesting Second option (selected): I'm in this photo and I don't like it Third option: I think it shouldn't be on Facebook Fourth option: it's spam
Bender from Futurama wearing a broad hat and saying "je suis napoleon." He and Fry are in a mental institution.
Wellington International Entry 2568 Alouna Z Entry: 2568 Horse: Alouna Z Riders: Laura Chapot, Layla Law-Gisiko Owner: Layla Law-Gisiko Trainer: Mary Chapot Classes Number: 1002 $8000 1:45 open jumper (sponsored by Douglas Elliman)
Episode 7 The force awakens Luke Skywalker has vanished. In his absence, the sinister First Order has risen from the ashes of the Empire.
Raylan from Justified saying "you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. You run into assholes all day, you're the asshole."
8. The followers must feel humiliated by the ostentatious wealth and force of their enemies. When I was a boy I was taught to think of Englishmen as the five-meal people. They ate more frequently than the poor but sober Italians. Jews are rich and help each other through a secret web of mutual assistance. However, the followers must be convinced that they can overwhelm the enemies. HIGHLIGHTED: Thus, by a continuous shifting of rhetorical focus, the enemies are at the same time too strong and too weak. Fascist governments are condemned to lose wars because they are constitutionally incapable of objectively evaluating the force of the enemy.
A diagram of an industrial scale solar power plant from electricaltechnology.org
Pop growth map in percentage terms from 1930 to 1940. The "farm" states in the middle all lost population while the strongest growth was on the west coast.
Trump with Mayor Mamdani in the Oval Office, beaming. Mamdani is smiling and wearing a suit.
The "sickos guy" from the Onion saying "yes haha yes."
I don't mind having a big beautiful door in that wall so that people can come into this country legally.
The trickster from DC comics.
A Tostitos chips bag labeled "export". "Best sold by End of DLUO. 31 Aug 2C. MFG DEC 25.
Screen grab of the Mandalorian with the caption "this is the way."
A post from Merriam Webster saying "take a screenshot of this GIF, and whichever new word it lands on is YOUR word for 2026. Let's. Go." My word is "potato."
A tweet from DHS saying "the peace of a nation no longer besieged by the third world." Below is a photo of a car on an idyllic beach with palm trees and a caption "America after 100 million deportations."
The final scene of a Muppet Christmas Carol where the whole neighborhood eats a big turkey together.
A screen grab from the movie the Big Short, in which one character asks "I don't get it. Why are they confessing?" And the others respond "they're not confessing. They're bragging."
The situation is exacerbated by the current economic environment, with higher interest rates and rising labor and materials costs for multifamily housing putting a damper on both market rate and affordable production. These cost increases result in financing gaps that traditional, private-sector lenders are unable to bridge with standard loan products, leaving developers to turn to outside equity investors with return expectations that make projects infeasible.7 Due to limited supply, more and more households are feeling the squeeze, with cost-burdens rising rapidly among middle income households.
A map of NYC zoned residential capacity color coded by change during Bloomberg's first term. The largest reductions are in outlying neighborhoods while the largest increases are in Western Queens, three South Bronx, and Jamaica.
Three Lego mini figures depicting Data, Guinan, and Wesley from Star Trek: the Next Generation
It deserves particular attention, that treason will often be connected with seditions which embrace a large proportion of the community; as lately happened in Massachusetts. In every such case, we might expect to see the representation of the people tainted with the same spirit which had given birth to the offense. And when parties were pretty equally matched, the secret sympathy of the friends and favorers of the condemned person, availing itself of the good-nature and weakness of others, might frequently bestow impunity where the terror of an example was necessary. On the other hand, when the sedition had proceeded from causes which had inflamed the resentments of the major party, they might often be found obstinate and inexorable, when policy demanded a conduct of forbearance and clemency. But the principal argument for reposing the power of pardoning in this case to the Chief Magistrate is this: in seasons of insurrection or rebellion, there are often critical moments, when a welltimed offer of pardon to the insurgents or rebels may restore the tranquillity of the commonwealth; and which, if suffered to pass unimproved, it may never be possible afterwards to recall. The dilatory process of convening the legislature, or one of its branches, for the purpose of obtaining its sanction to the measure, would frequently be the occasion of letting slip the golden opportunity. The loss of a week, a day, an hour, may sometimes be fatal.
Exit poll asking how long you have lived in NYC, showing Mamdani overwhelmingly won recent transplants while Cuomo had a narrow majority of people born in NYC.
Table of Manhattan AD election returns.
Omni-Man saying "that's the neat thing, it's not"
Me dressed as Clark Kent
Two "Manhattan votes early" stickers.
Two people in dinosaur costumes and a person in a bear costume at the No Kings protest in Manhattan.
Crowd of protestors in Times Square in Manhattan
A pastor praying, with the caption "Jesus, I see what you've done for other people, and I want that for me."
US Department of Housing and Urban Development website with a giant red banner reading "The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people."
Deadline FCC Chairman Says His "Easy Way or the Hard Way" Comment About Jimmy Kimmel Wasn't Meant as a Threat to Pull Licenses if ABC Didn't Fire Him
Television is still a young invention. But we have learned already that it has immense--even revolutionary--power to change, to change our lives. I hope that those who lead the Corporation will direct that power toward the great and not the trivial purposes. At its best, public television would help make our Nation a replica of the old Greek marketplace, where public affairs took place in view of all the citizens.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
A bare bones website called "committee for the east side in support of Democrat Virginia Maloney for New York City Council 4th District. Paid for by Committee for the East Side. Brice Peyre, treasurer. Not expressly or otherwise authorized or requested by any candidate or the candidate’s committee or agent. More information at nyc.gov/FollowTheMoney"
Their race, like others, has been swamped by mailers and digital advertising from outside groups backed by companies such as DoorDash and the billionaires Bill Ackman and Steven Roth, who have also supported Mr. Trump and former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, the front-runner in the mayor’s race. Ms. Maloney has been by far the biggest beneficiary in her race of this outside support, with $450,000 backing her.
A tweet from Congress Member Jerry Nadler on X saying: "The President’s decision to bomb Iran was grossly unconstitutional, since only Congress has the power to declare war. The President’s action will without a doubt lead to many American, Israeli and Iranian deaths and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms."
NYPD at the site of a car crash that took down a bunch of scaffolding.
Ben Wetzler at an anti-Trump protest holding a "No King Any Time" sign in front of a statue of George Washington
Campaign mailer saying: 3 champions. 1 ballot. 3 easy steps. YOUR POWER Use ranked choice voting to elect ONLY these three incredible candidates- in any order you like, and nobody else. 1) rank any one of our champions #1 2) rank another #2 3l rank the third #3 That's it! Leave the remaining spots blank to keep your vote strong and undiluted. Vote. Rank. Win. Let's bring real leadership to the council. Election day is Tuesday, June 24 Early voting is June 14 - June 22 Polls are open 6 am to 9 pm Paid for by New Yorkers for a Better Future 2025. Jeffrey Leb treasurer. Top three donkrs: William A Ackman. Two Trees KG LLC. Liberty Views Associates LP.
Ben Wetzler, Council District 4, Manhattan (Open Seat), Ranked Choice #1 – Ben Wetzler, a housing policy expert and former Democratic District Leader, is our pick for the open seat currently held by term-limited Council Member Keith Powers. Mr. Wetzler is committed to fighting for a return to year-round outdoor dining, and for implementation of the proposed busway across 34th Street. He was a strong supporter of congestion pricing before the program's results made it a more popular position, and for the pedestrianization of the Queensborough Bridge's South Outer Roadway, which just, finally, came to fruition. He'd like to bring back the Open Street next to St. Vartan Park on East 35th Street, and create an adjacent School Street for the River School. Mr. Wetzler will also push for completion of the East River Greenway, and to lower neighborhood speed limits in accordance with Sammy's Law. You can sign up to help his campaign here.
Tweet from Elon Musk at 3:04 AM on June 11, 2025 with 16.1M views, saying "I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far."
Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, in the Galactic Senate chamber, proposing that Palpatine be given emergency dictatorial powers.
By Annie McDonough | May 19, 2025 A diverse coalition of advocacy organizations including shelter provider Win, the Legal Aid Society and the Real Estate Board of New York are teaming up to oppose a proposed rent hike for some New York City housing voucher recipients. A new rule proposed by Mayor Eric Adams’ administration would increase the portion of income that certain CityFHEPS housing voucher recipients would pay toward their rent. Voucher recipients with earned income and renewing for a sixth year would pay 40% of their income on rent – up from 30%. The city told Gothamist last month that the rules change would impact a quarter of voucher recipients, but officials have since revised that estimate down to 3-4% – or about 1,800 households for the next fiscal year.
A cop writing a ticket for an illegally parked truck in the bus lane. The bus can't get by to pick up passengers.
term view Monday. He blamed schools for shortchanging civics education and leaving students with little understanding of the structure of US government or the role of the courts. "That's really too bad," the chief justice told graduating students at the law school. "We're developing a situation where a whole group of young people is growing up having no real sense about how our system of justice works."
A tweet from JD Vance from this morning saying "Prequels were underrated!" With 5.5k likes.
Something has definitely changed recently, this is now the third time I've filed a 311 report and the cops have actually towed the ghost car.
From @jakesherman on Twitter. BREAKING TARIFF NEWS w @lauraeweiss16 -- HOUSE REPUBLICANS are using the rule for the budget resolution to TURN OFF privilege for any resolution dealing with the April 2 trade emergency. This makes it impossible for anyone to file disapproval resolutions on tariffs through Sept 30.
Chart showing US treasury bond yields spiking.
NYU College Democrats endorses Ben Wetzler for City Council District 4
A group of protestors holding signs outside the big 5th Avenue march.
Tweet from Elon Musk saying "@xAI has acquired @X in an all stock transaction. The combination values xAI at $80b and X at $33b ($45b less $12b in debt)"
A screen grab of a Bloomberg article with the headline "why tesla and ceo Elon Musk don't see Trump's auto tariffs as a problem"
Important Message from PCVST: Hello Benjamin, In anticipation of future Local Law 11 brick façade repairs, the contractor will remove a single brick from your building on Friday, March 28, 2025, between 9am - 5pm. The removal will result in intermittent, moderate noise, and vibrations, but will last approximately 30 minutes. Pedestrian pathways will not be impacted. Thank you for your understanding. For questions, contact Resident Services
If your taxable income is: Over-- But not over-- The tax is: $0 $11,600 10% of the amount over $0 11,600 47,150 $1,160.00 plus 12% of the amount over 11,600 47,150 100,525 5,426.00 plus 22% of the amount over 47,150 100,525 191,950 17,168.50 plus 24% of the amount over 100,525 191,950 243,725 39,110.50 plus 32% of the amount over 191,950 243,725 609,350 55,678.50 plus 35% of the amount over 243,725 609,350 no limit 183,647.25 plus 37% of the amount over 609,350
Ben collecting a signature from a voter.
A screenshot of a Tweet from the official White House Twitter account, saying "CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!" - President Donald J. Trump" Below is a fake Time Magazine cover of Trump wearing a crown, with the headline "TRUMP" and a caption "LONG LIVE THE KING"
The two creepy little girl twins from the Shining
Astronaut meme "Wait it's all low social trust vs high social trust?" "Always has been"