The Voice Calls Out Lopez
This week The Village Voice grilled State Assemblyman Vito Lopez of the 53rd district for corruption, especially the misappropriation of funds. Lopez has been in the news recently due to the controversial development deal with the city for the area of East Williamsburg known as the Broadway Triangle, as well as two City Council district…
This week The Village Voice grilled State Assemblyman Vito Lopez of the 53rd district for corruption, especially the misappropriation of funds. Lopez has been in the news recently due to the controversial development deal with the city for the area of East Williamsburg known as the Broadway Triangle, as well as two City Council district elections in which his former aides are running. The Voice goes through a laundry list of complaints that have long been associated with Lopez’s name: allocating state funds to his pet projects such as the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council (which received the development rights to the Broadway Triangle in a no-bid process, along with the United Jewish Organizations); Angela Battaglia, his partner and the housing director who receives $190,000 per year; Bushwick United Democratic Club and its newspaper, which publishes a high volume of Lopez-glorifying stories; the list goes on. Lopez is currently trying to push three allies into public office, while Diana Reyna, an incumbent City Council candidate and former aide of Lopez, is on the outs with her former mentor. Instead, Lopez is supporting Maritza Davila for the 34th district seat, who is currently a project director at Ridgewood Bushwick. At a rally for Davila, Lopez said, “We need a team player!” Lopez’s opponents in the community, of course, could not agree more.
Power Plays by Party Boss Vito Lopez [Village Voice]
Markowitz Endorses Lopez’s Triangle Plan [Brownstoner]
Voice Takes on Vito [BushwickBK]
Image of Steve Levin, left, and Vito Lopez from BushwickBK
That’s good to hear. The way it’s set up seems odd. Seems like a conflict of interest for them to be landlords.
Does anyone know how all the free women’s clinic and the dental clinic work?
I tried to get an appt with my regular insurance through the dental clinic at the hospital. After numerous phone calls, finally made appts twice, and then they lost both of them. No record of me whatsoever, even after supposedly taking all my info twice.
I’ve worked with the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council on 3 projects and would say that Vito Lopez seems completely intertwined with that organization but in a good way. They have done an amazing job building thousands of units of well-constructed, affordable housing in the Bushwick area. They also serve hundreds and hundreds of seniors on a daily basis. I’ve always heard allegations of impropriety, but in my dealings with the group I’ve found them nothing but professional and community oriented.
I don’t think he needs to worry – I can’t recall a single time the Village Voice’s cover story led to anything being accomplished. Every week is some new outrage, always rapidly forgotten about. That paper has no pull whatsoever.
so who ya gonna support in the council primary Benson?
this Levin guy worked for Lopez…does that taint him too?
or stuck voting for one 50 of the anti-development, busybody, parking permit pushing, that all sound the same?
(of which Simon annoys me the most)
so we have almost 100 candidates running in primary for councilman…..they all seem the same to me…plus this Levin guy who was aide to Lopez…not sure that makes him a bum or not. Just not sure who to vote for in primary but can’t stand all the busybodies (Simon) or all the anti-AY rhetoric and stupid parking permit pushers (Thies/Simon).
I find it curious that Bushwick Ridgewood Senior Citizens Council is apparently a landlord for low-income housing and connected to Vito Lopez. I guess this is one way to get housing (and maybe jobs and maybe even medical insurance) to people, who then might turn around and vote for you???
My favorite Vito Lopez story: there is a subsidized housing development in Bushwick called something like “Rheingold Gardens”. Over its entrance there is a big, permanent sign that says something like “Thank You Assemblyman Vito Lopez”.
Albany is such a cesspool.