This answer covers two bases: one, it tells you how to do some searching on local newspapers and city legislation and two, it pulls out some specific examples and suggests other sources to check
On searching:
Two approaches will likely give you the quickest results in identifying Quinn's activities and linking them to sources: a local newspaper search and a search in the New York City Council's Website
First, a comprehensive newspaper search can be done using a database available through the New York Public Library:
From the NYPL home page, choose the databases link and then newspapers and magazines. You could do searches using a variety of these sources, but New York State Newspapers will probably do just fine.
Once you click the link, you will need to enter your NYPL library barcode to complete the login...
Once you're in, you can use the simple search box and put in the terms "Christine Quinn" using the quotation marks... I get about 125 hits this way --including things like op-eds and news items. From this search, you can compile a list of things like particular pieces of legislation that are linked to issues, etc. Also note that in this database, there is a handy citation at the bottom of each article that has a direct link to the article. You may want to include sources in your lists. You can do this same thing to follow up on the Diallo panel activities.
Next, you can search for particular legislation and other city council business on the New York City Council's Website. You can search legislation and site content by keyword, again using the the council person's name. You'll get the text of official legislation AND news releases about council activities.
On specific examples:
Here are a few highlights and additional sources on Guiliani that you may want to consult:
As the executive director of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project during the '90s, Quinn sought police support to
prevent more incidents of harassment and assault of LGBT New Yorkers:
[excerpt]
"Advocates for gay causes joined with politicians yesterday in City Hall Park to denounce the violence and call on the Police
Department to do more to protect gay men and women. 'The police bias unit is doing a great job after the fact, after someone has been a
victim,' said Christine Quinn, the executive director of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project. 'What we need is a
law-enforcement response that will deter this crime and send a message that there is zero tolerance for this type of hatred in New York City.'"
"Reports of Anti-Gay Crimes Increase by 81 Percent"
Michael Cooper
New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.: Sep 18,
1998. pg. B.2
Some relatively recent articles about what an establishment figure Quinn has turned into:
"Chris Quinn: Secret Establishment Favorite"
Azi Paybarah
New York Observer
August 27, 2006
"The Outsider Comes In"
Tom Robbins
Village Voice
January 3, 2006
Quinn and contributions from developers:
Can search NYC Campaign Finance Board database for contribution
information. For example, she's gotten money from Michael Ratner,
brother of developer Bruce "Atlantic Yards" Ratner and AY supporter:
http://www.nyccfb.info/scripts/pbcgi60.exe/cfbweb/uo_cfb_page_2_report/uf_base?as_election_cycles=+&as_all_elections=Y&as_election_cycle_string=all&as_elec_cycle_array=none&as_transaction_type=cont&as_cand_count=1&as_cand_string=204++&as_cand_array=none&as_int_exact_1=B&as_int_exact_2=B&as_int_exact_3=B&as_int_exact_4=B&as_int_exact_5=B&as_last_1=ratner&as_emp_cont_1=C&as_emp_cont_2=C&as_emp_cont_3=C&as_emp_cont_4=C&as_emp_cont_5=C&as_exact_1=B&as_exact_2=B&as_exact_3=B&as_exact_4=B&as_exact_5=B&as_ALL_cont_types=Y&as_cont_type_corp=CORP&as_cont_type_part=PART&as_cont_type_llc=LLC&as_int_ext=EXT&as_from_page=3-REPORT
bad on animal rights:
http://www.humanenyc.org/2007/01/speaker_quinn_opposes_foie_gra.html;
she also got a 25 score from the League of Humane Voters of NYC during
the NYC City Council Speaker campaign:
http://runforspeaker.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_runforspeaker_archive.html
(could not be verified on their own website; document has been removed
from site)
promoting some dubious "anti-nightlife" measures:
http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0705,romano,75693,15.html
unverified accusation of having covered up staff abuse of homeless
people at Peter?s Place, a drop-in center in the hear[t] of her
district? and other ill behavior at
http://www.tomsupfrontnews.blogspot.com/ (0 blogs link to this blog and
it gets very little traffic, according to Technorati)
books on Giuliani that might contain some information about Quinn's
role in pro-police legislation and the post-Diallo panel:
Rudy! : an investigative biography of Rudolph Giuliani
by Wayne Barrett; Adam Fifield
New York : Basic Books, 2000.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44607788
The prince of the city : Giuliani, New York, and the genius of American life
by Frederick F Siegel; Harry Siegel
San Francisco, CA : Encounter Books, 2005.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/59360164
Grand illusion : the untold story of Rudy Giuliani and 9/11
by Wayne Barrett; Dan Collins; Anna Lenzer
New York : HarperCollins Publishers, 2006.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/70998332
Rudy Giuliani : emperor of the city
by Andrew Kirtzman
New York : W. Morrow, 2000.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/44588579
The full Rudy : the man, the myth, the mania
by Jack Newfield
New York : Thunder's Mouth Press/Nation Books, 2002.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50767955
America's mayor : the hidden history of Rudy Giuliani's New York
by Rob Polner
Brooklyn, N.Y. : Soft Skull Press, 2005.
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/57754483
