Pols Gather to Pan Crown Heights Homeless Plan
At noon yesterday Manhattan and Brooklyn politicians gathered on the steps of City Hall to speak out against the city’s plan to move a homeless intake shelter from Kips Bay to the Crown Heights armory at Bedford and Atlantic. Speakers included Coucilmembers Tish James, Bill de Blasio and Al Vann; Borough Presidents Marty Markowitz and…
At noon yesterday Manhattan and Brooklyn politicians gathered on the steps of City Hall to speak out against the city’s plan to move a homeless intake shelter from Kips Bay to the Crown Heights armory at Bedford and Atlantic. Speakers included Coucilmembers Tish James, Bill de Blasio and Al Vann; Borough Presidents Marty Markowitz and Scott Stringer; Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum; and representatives from homeless advocacy organizations and a Crown Heights neighborhood group. Some politicians who weren’t even present made their feelings known: A letter from Comptroller Bill Thompson addressed to the mayor was circulated that signaled Thompson’s opposition to the center’s move. Thompson’s letter said, in part, that “the failure to use an open and transparent process has alienated both the affected communities and advocates for the homeless.” At the rally Markowitz talked about how Crown Heights already shoulders its “fair share” of social services, while Stringer said that there’s “a homeless crisis on our island the likes of which we’ve never seen,” and that if the center is moved to Brooklyn, tens of thousands of homeless people will wind up on the streets of Manhattan. Gotbaum said that her office had received complaints about the “deplorable” conditions at the Bedford armory and that selling the Manhattan center for the construction of a luxury hotel is “just outrageous.”
March, Rally Held Over Crown Heights Homeless Plan [Brownstoner]
Crown Heights Rally: Don’t Dump On Us! [Brownstoner]
News Columnist: ‘Shameful’ Crown Heights Homeless Plan [Brownstoner]
Crown Heights Group Still Doesn’t Want Homeless Center [Brownstoner]
It seems to me that if something is important to you, you WILL take the day off to be there if you have to. Although, it is much eaiser to just sit back and say “I would have gone but I had to work”. It kills me that people will take the day off to go to a baseball game or to the beach and God knows many of you took the day off to go to Ikea the day it opened. When it comes to something that can ruin ALL of Brooklyn, not just Crown Heights everyone gets lazy and just waits for others to show up and do the hard work for them. What if the homeless don’t feel like going right to the shelter and instead stop off in Park Slope or Brooklyn Heights and maybe stay a while. Gee, the Promanade sure is a pretty place to call home for a while. EVERYONE in Brooklyn and Manhattan should be at EVERY rally because this will affect us ALL!!
actually, Chuck Schumer makes it a point to hold press conferences on Sundays because the press is desperate for sunday news usually. He always get press.
These rallies are held on weekdays because they are all about getting media coverage, sillies. Weekend rallies= press coverage DOA.
Marty does for a photo op. every chance he gets.
These rallies are during a weekday because that’s when the politicians are at work. It’s a nice break from their office.
God forbid they give up a few hours on the weekend or evening to support “their” cause.
I agree that the reason the City Hall rally was so sparcely attended was because it was in the middle of a work day. That’s why I wasn’t there, nor were many of the people I know who are against this, and have been spreading the word, working to get letters of protest out, and have attended weekend rallies.
I hope that we can somehow convey to the Mayor, as well as our elected officials, and community groups and organizers, that the sparse attendance of weekday rallies, marches, etc, only means that most Crown Heights people are hard at work, not indifferent. Even with a generous lunch break, unless you work in the City Hall area, it would be hard to get there, and be there for any meaningful length of time, and then get back to your job.
Too bad, as this is an important cause, and moving the intake center to Brooklyn will have repercussions in all of Brooklyn, not just in Crown Heights, and will not help those homeless men who need the services. We will need the support of everyone to change the Mayor’s mind, not just protest from those in Crown Heights and Bed Stuy. This does not help the homeless, and Brooklyn is not the dumping ground for Manhattan’s social responsibilities.
Montrose Morris
Now let’s see if the mayor even listens. He’s not a great proponent of paying attention to something he doesn’t like.
I’ve objected before to holding rallies in the middle of a workday. few people can show up and they are self-defeating because it makes it look like no one cares. They’re a PR and photo op for the pols but it seems to me time would be better spent doing other, more effective types of outreach.
I agree, 10:40 (my post at 10:18 was sarcasm).
It’s great that the Manhattan officials opted to participate and point out that this ridiculous plan would negatively impact Manhattan as well as Brooklyn.