Bertha Lewis Celebrates
We can’t be 100% sure that this is legit, but it sure looks it and the source vouched heavily for it. Tell us what you really think, Bertha! ———- Forwarded message ———- From: Bertha Lewis Date: Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 8:04 PM Subject: Daniel Goldstein and the 7 year itch To: [REDACTED] Finally, the…
We can’t be 100% sure that this is legit, but it sure looks it and the source vouched heavily for it. Tell us what you really think, Bertha!
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Bertha Lewis
Date: Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 8:04 PM
Subject: Daniel Goldstein and the 7 year itch
To: [REDACTED]
Finally, the itch that was Daniel Goldstein has been scratched and scratched out. After almost seven years of flawed strategies, smear campaigns, stupid tactics, disingenuous rhetoric and total disregard for people who have lived in the downtown Brooklyn community for years before he even thought about coming here; finally he got what he really wanted. A Deal. Not for the community he claimed to love so much, but for the only beneficiary of his community of one, himself, Double Dealing Danny Goldstein. How utterly despicable for him to be in the newspaper today whining that he did not have enough time to move, and had nowhere to go because he was being stiffed by the State and Forest City Ratner, when low and behold, all the time, he was negotiating, not for the community , but for himself. Well good riddance and don’t let the door hit ya’. Low and moderate income people have had to wait years for housing while he obstructed the Atlantic Yards Project that could have been well over half done by now. He never had to worry about housing so he did’nt care how long other people had to wait. Behold, the Gentrifier. He has slandered and denigrated not only me but my organization and my members relentlessly. What benefit has he delivered to the community? None except for his own pocket. Well, the housing at Atlantic Yards will be built, and the day after he moves out, which I hope will be sooner rather than later, the building that he squatted in these past years should be razed to ground immediately, and salt poured into the soil, so that never again can the likes of one of the biggest shakedown artists in Brooklyn return. We will still be here, we will still be fighting for the all the people that Danny spurned and used for his own enrichment. We hope that now everyone in Brooklyn and New York can see him for what he really is and can see what his actions cost Brooklyn. I hope whatever he settled for was worth the pain and misery he caused to so many people who just wanted a decent place to live in Brooklyn and who just wanted a decent job and a place for their family. Now that the flim flam man is gone, they can finally see it on the horizon.
—
Bertha Lewis
ACORN
2-4 Nevins Street
Brooklyn, New York 11217
718 246 7900
718 246 7939 fax
[REDACTED] cell
blewis@acornmail.net
Here’s the way I look at it.
Eminent domain has historically been used to displace blacks. I won’t go too deeply into it now, but Robert Moses had a field day with eminent domain in Downtown Flushing (and I am sure elsewhere) separating blacks from their property. It was called “slum clearance” back then. But back then, the property generally became city owned.
The same rationale was used in this case to displace middle class people at the behest of a well-connected developer. This case served as a wake up call to those who thought it could never happen to them. Whether or not you agree with Dan’s deal, the fact of the matter is this made nationwide headlines and focused the spotlight on this abusive practice. Now it’s just a matter of time before NY state and the rest of the “holdout” states that think private property rights can be disregarded end up changing their laws. The resistance movement here will lead to changes down the road that will protect all of us.
And I think it’s sad that Bertha Lewis and ACORN took the side of the developer when the population they serve has historically been the biggest victim of eminent domain abuse. She has no right pointing fingers at Goldstein for accepting money from Ratner when she did the same damn thing years ago.
FGC you make a few good points but they are exaggerated to the point of undercutting the strength and integrity of your basic argument. First of all, not everyone who was opposed to AY/FCR is a white, middle-class would-be gentrifier who just arrived in Brooklyn. I am a Black Brooklynite by birth, was raised in Bed Stuy, moved away (Jersey, South Bronx and Harlem) and came back and have been living in “Black Brooklyn” for decades ever since. Now, although my family and I don’t live in any of the nabes immediately surrounding the AY footprint, we are well familiar with what the area used to look like/feel like and how it looks and feels today. In fact, I am member of a major African-American church in that area and when I tell you that I know there to be a whole bunch of Black Brooklynites who were/are absolutely opposed to AY, that’s very much a fact.
Second of all, Bertha Lewis and ACORN are a joke. They sold out to Ratner in the early days of this entire debate and nothing that Bertha said then or now to trash Dan Goldstein has any credibility beyond being that of a Ratner-purchased mouthpiece. As for ACORN? Let’s get real. ACORN has been a sensationalist, mismanaged, money-grubbing so-called “community organization” for years. The truth is, among most truly credible, multicultural, grassroots organizations in the social justice arena, ACORN has been considered a joke (at best) and a seriously problematic organization (at worst) for years.
I agree with you that Brownstoner is a pretty lousy forum in which to try and have really useful, productive discussions about race. I learned several years ago, that it just was not worth it to me to waste my time and nerves engaging in a bunch of inane arguments with anonymous keyboarders — many of whom are just in it for the fun of trollery and flaming in the first place. But, unlike you, I don’t paint everyone who visits this forum with a broad brush. I’m aware that the diversity of the posters and lurkers here, both in thought and demographics, is much greater than that of the few who post regularly. In light of that, please do not describe all those who supported the efforts of DG and DDDB as “overwhelming white, overwhelmingly middle class and overwhelmingly folks who have moved into the area in the last 10 years. Even the few black DDDB supporters fall into the latter two categories (middle class newcomers).” While such a broad generalization may make for some provocative writing (and succeed in shaming a few away from this thread), please know that that stereotype just ain’t true for us all.
FtGreen Corey makes excellent points at 1:11
“Making a martyr of himself is not the necessary proof of his integrity.”
g man, this is the first thing I’ve read that’s made me think again about DG. Thanks.
Yes, Minard, but I thought quite appropriate. I think the ending stays true to the theme of love unfulfilled.
sigh. *hate* AY, *hate* what seems imho abusive use of eminent domain, but can’t fault the guy for taking the money. Hell, there’s no way he’s not getting forced out, might as well get some cash out of it, even if the cash smells like rat.
ftgreenecorey – your reasoned post isn’t flameworthy, you bring up legit points but at the same time you bring up age-old gentrification issues that have little to do w/ AY.
First of all a neighborhood wouldn’t “gentrify” if the old owners just stayed put or sold to other old-timers for way under market value – don’t sell your beautiful old brownstones that White people and Black Yuppies are willing to buy for for a million, sell it to your working class neighbor for $250K instead. But that would require a level of altruism that’s pretty much unheard of in this country. So if you can’t fault owners for selling for top dollar, you can’t fault the buyers for having the cash.
Secondly, obviously the “community” isn’t a hive-minded monolith, with one opinion on how things should be done, but if Bertha and Acorn set themselves up as the loudest and most visible presence and hence become the de-facto Voice of the community, it’s hard not to disparage them if they keep preaching how AY is going to bring tons of “Affordable” housing to a community. And AY is going to bring tons of permanent, well paying jobs to the community.
It’s luxury towers and an arena. The affordable units are what, let’s guess, something like $350K for a 1bdrm up to about $1MM for some luxe penthouse. Does anyone really think there’s going to be scores of 3 and 4bdrms for under $300K for working class NYers? The jobs offered at the arena – selling food and trinkets on game days and concerts. Are these the types of jobs that feed a working family of four?
So is Bertha and like-minded just hopelessly naive or just cynically spouting whatever Ratner’s PR machine gives them?
Daniel Goldstein “slandered and denigrated not only me but my organization” as well, but compared to Bertha Lewis he walks on water.
I’m no friend of Dan’s, but accusations that the past six years of agitation has been nothing more than leverage for negotiating a higher buy-out are absurd. Say what you will about him, but Daniel isn’t stupid; the fight is over and he knows it. For him not to accept Forest City’s offer would be the height of false pride. Making a martyr of himself is not the necessary proof of his integrity.
I lean towards supporting AY, but she comes off v.badly in this e-mail.