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Mayor Mintz

A Hollywood insider plans war on City Hall

A A A Comments By Bob Norman Thursday, Jul 17 2003

During a question-and-answer period at the end of the forum, Mintz took the microphone and told the 150 or so people in attendance about his vision for the city and put in a word for saving the Great Southern Hotel.

Koslow, standing nearby, sniped at Mintz, "You didn't ask a question."

Colby Katz

Jerry Mintz is known for building. Now he wants to demolish Mara Giulianti's political career.

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The former paratrooper, with anger in his eyes, shot back: "No, I made a statement, and I'm going to be making a lot of statements."

I asked Koslow what he thought about Mintz. The lobbyist initially was mum but later said, "Mara is going to make 'Mintz-meat' out of Jerry Mintz."

At the forum, I also asked Giulianti about her new political opponent, but she refused to speak to me since she didn't approve of my column about incentives to developers. "I have no thoughts about Jerry Mintz," she said before shaking my hand and walking away.

Ah, the blind arrogance of power. It really sends a refreshing shiver down your spine. So let's listen to Mintz instead. "I was in Italy over the summer in a town called Ravello, all the way down south of Sorrento on the water, and I'm looking at these ancient, ancient buildings that to this day people preserve," he told me. "When you walk in the gardens and you look at the architecture, you feel alive. It does something to you. And that's what our responsibility is here. Our responsibility is not to say, 'We're putting up a new building, we have a quick solution, and we'll have more taxes next year.' Because, over 100 years, you are just making a terrible mistake. That's the way I truly feel. That's Jerry Mintz."

Here's to his coming year of running dangerously.

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