Mapping Slumlords
Bill de Blasio, who is running for Public Advocate, is making tenants’ rights a key aspect of his platform: last Sunday, he joined a City Hall rally against negligent landlords, and he has launched a Slumlord Watch List on his website, where visitors can submit an address of a questionable building to see if it…
Bill de Blasio, who is running for Public Advocate, is making tenants’ rights a key aspect of his platform: last Sunday, he joined a City Hall rally against negligent landlords, and he has launched a Slumlord Watch List on his website, where visitors can submit an address of a questionable building to see if it “meets minimum health and safety standards and has open, life threatening violations.” The site doesn’t mention the criteria, but de Blasio said in a press release that unacceptable conditions include “leaking pipes, exposed wires, no fire alarms, [and] broken locks.” It is unclear how long the site will remain active (will he take it down if he is or is not elected?) and what, if anything, de Blasio plans to do with it or how he will use it to pressure landlords or take legal action.
Almost every politician shows himself as a family man- and in ads. Sarah Palin paraded her family around- including her youngest who has Down’s. If you want to see anyone exploiting their family, Palin made it an art. What the hell is a newborn doing at a campaign debate late at night? But Bill is not allowed because his wife is Black? That’s cynical exploitation? Oh, right.
When I was renting in BS, my landlord had the dubious honor of being named one of the Village Voice’s Worst Landlords. She literally owned between 50 and 100 row houses and small apartment buildings in central Bklyn, and she rarely met one whose needs couldn’t be postponed until it reached disaster proportions. I was lucky, I was willing to do a lot of work myself, and I didn’t bug her unless it was a real emergency, and over 17 years, I had several. When she did have to make repairs, she would send over one of her cadre of substance abuser handymen, most of whom would do a really sloppy, half-assed job, for which they were paid peanuts. Most of them would then knock on my door after that for weeks, asking to do other odd jobs, or just beg for money. I had one guy whose mother died several times, and he needed money to go to the hospital to make arrangements. Pitiful.
Anyway, point being that her name on the list didn’t change anything, and I’m sure she was ashamed all the way to the bank. I don’t think it does any good for a small landlord barely eking by to be on this list. The big guys, who own a lot of buildings, most of which they’ve never seen, are another story. But if being listed has no teeth, it really doesn’t serve much purpose. If Bill DeBlasio can get meaningful repairs and changes made, then this is a good thing.
His wife aside, I think it’s irresponsible at best to create such a website about slumlords and not have the criteria listed therein.
DeBlasio makes me sick.
It does look like an election gimmick unfortunately.
Could be quite a good idea if done properly, by which I mean with criteria & reasons for violation of them set out.
sigh of relief that I’m not on the list.
I like Bill. But not a friend of Bill’s.
I didn’t even know he was married so not exploiting anything about his wife to me.
Just want to back up my snarky allegation that Warren Wilhelm (aka Bill DeBlasio) is the most cynical HACK ever, who EXPLOITS his wife’s race in the most obvious and pathetic way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XxTw45Yi4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EZDdn3fWd
This guy makes Willie Horton ad look subtle (in reverse)
“The site doesn’t mention the criteria…”
WOULDNT THAT BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING MENTIONED….unless you are a political HACK who just want press
….then again who would at the age of 42 he changes his name from Warren Wilhelm (wonder why?- not)
…oh and btw I love your TV ads Bill…we get it, your wife is Black (next time try to be a bit more subtle otherwise its too easy to see the cynical exploitation going on…and we know you would never do that!!!!)
After reading the first sentance of this blurb, I will NOT be voting for Bill de Blasio.
Sounds like a Commie. . .