EPA Extends Gowanus Canal Superfund Comment Period For Clean-Up Plan. Hosts Two Important Meetings This Week

A few important announcements from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the Gowanus Canal Superfund.
First, the agency has just extended the public comment period another 30 days so that the community  has more time to weigh in on the  Proposed Clean-Up Plan.  From the EPA:

On December 27, 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposed cleanup plan for the Gowanus Canal, which includes removing some of the contaminated sediment and capping dredged areas. The proposed plan also includes controls to prevent raw sewage overflows and other land-based sources of contamination from compromising the cleanup. The cost of the cleanup plan is expected to be between $467 and $504 million. The EPA is extending the public comment period for the plan to April 27.

The EPA had already given the community a total of 90 days to comment on the plan, much longer than the 30 days necessary under law.  Back in 2010, during the comment period prior to the EPA listing the canal as a Superfund, our elected officials and the City Of New York asked for two extensions.  On the part of the City, one of the waterway's  biggest polluters, it was a clear attempt to slow down the process.  After all, the City was lobbying hard to stop the EPA from stepping in.
By asking for another extension now, the City's motives are no different.
Let us never forget that New York City has been masterfully and criminally neglecting their responsibility for the clean-up by simply delaying and delaying....and delaying.

Some would say that this latest extension is necessary for the general public.  I see it as yet another way for the City of New York and Mayor Bloomberg to push the process out further.
30 extra days don't seem so very much, but until we get to the Record Of Decision,  the actual design and the clean-up phase cannot start.
Judith Enk, EPA Regional Administrator for Region 2, should not have given in this time and should have stuck to the 90 days. This extension just stops the forward momentum.

Two Important Meetings This Week

I encourage everyone in the community to attend one or both of these important EPA meetings on the Gowanus Canal.

On February 11, the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group will meet with the EPA regarding the proposed plan from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm at the P.S. 58 Auditorium, 330 Smith Street, Brooklyn. The public is welcome.

On February 13, the EPA will be in the Red Hook community to discuss in more detail the specifics of the proposed plan. That meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 PM at P.S. 15, located at 71 Sullivan Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The public is welcome.

To read EPA’s proposed plan for the Gowanus Canal site or for more information on the canal, visit http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/gowanus or visit the EPA’s document repositories at the Carroll Gardens Library at 396 Clinton St. in Brooklyn or the Joseph Miccio Community Center, 110 West 9th Street, Brooklyn. 

Written comments on the proposed plan should be addressed to:

Christos Tsiamis

Project Manager

Central New York Remediation Section

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

290 Broadway, 20th Floor

New York, New York 10007-1866

e-mail: GowanusCanalComments.Region2@epa.gov

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Tackling The Problem Of Combined Sewer Overflow: Why Can't New York Be More Like London?

 (photos courtesy of www.thamestunnelconsultation.co.uk)

Thames Tunnel Film (2011) from Thames Tunnel on Vimeo.

While New York City has once again wiggled out of its obligation under law to stop combined sewer overflows (CSOs) from its sewer system to flow into surrounding waters with the blessing of the NYState Department of Environmental Conservation, London is facing its CSO problem head on.

Both Cities have aging sewer systems. Both systems discharge untreated sewage and industrial wastewater that occur when wet weather flows exceed the treatment capacity of these combined sewer systems. Both have a growing population. Yet New York is trying to push the problem further down the road and London is planning the Thames Tunnel "that will tackle the problem of overflows from the capital's Victorian servers and will protect the River Thames from increasing pollution for at least the next 100 years." Construction of the Tunnel Project is slated to begin in 2016.

In comparison, New York is implementing a Green Infrastructure Plan "which relies upon modeling to project CSO reductions based on information available to date, that would result from managing stormwater equivalent to one inch of rainfall on 10% of available impervious surfaces in the City's combined sewer areas by 2030."

Though Green Infrastructure is great, the New York City's plan is certainly a drop in the bucket and will not address the CSO problem in any meaningful way. It simply is not enough, unless the City commits to upgrading its gray infrastructure with forward thinking projects like the Thames Tunnel.

Just this Monday night, I was sitting at a Gowanus Canal Superfund Community Advisory meeting with
representatives of NYC DEP pleading for more help from the agency to reduce the CSO's in the Gowanus Canal. Yes, New York City is currently in the process of implementing upgrades to the Gowanus Canal facilities, which it claims will reduce CSO discharges by about 34% and another 10% from newly installed High-Level Storm Sewers and green infrastructure, but the community is asking for more. Much more.
It is important for the community to remember that the green infrastructure plan is at the design bid phase and it will be some time until any goals are achieved. It has also vital for Gowanus residents to remember, as it has been pointed out, that the Flushing Tunnel work does not focus on actual CSO reductions but is simply doing what is needed to keep a 101-year old system running. While the pump station and force main improvements lead to actual CSO reductions, it should be noted that this 136 million gallon annual CSO reduction into the Canal is partly offset by a 41 million gallon annual CSO increase into the Atlantic Basin, Buttermilk Channel and East River from sewage being diverted outside the Canal. (2008 Gowanus Waterbody/Watershed Facility Plan, Table 7-9.)

So what is the difference between New York and London? Why is our City so resistant to solving a real problem that poses both a human health and environmental risk? Is it just political will? Is it disregard for its citizens?
If it is a question of money, New York City should talk to London. The Thames Tunnel is "expected to directly create over 4,000 jobs at the peak of its planned seven-year construction phase, and a further 5,000 indirectly. Generating the equivalent of 19,000 employment years, this would be a major stimulus for the wider economy of communities along the tunnel’s 15-mile route and beyond."
London sees it as vital for its economy.


Mayor Bloomberg, perhaps you can give Boris Johnson a call?

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Good Morning, Irene! Winds And Rain Over Carroll Gardens

Yesterday, shortly before the rain started,

and now...

Thanks to Reader Mary for taking this video of Carroll Gardens on this Sunday morning during the rain and wind of Hurricane Irene.

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HGTV Show Wants To Transform Your New York City Home

A brand new HGTV home design series is currently casting in the New York City area. Here is the deal: two "very experienced, world-renowned designers" would like to transform a room or rooms in your home. No details are available yet about the 'superstar designers" but according to the email that landed in my in-box, "this is an opportunity that not many people will want to miss."

Interested? Below you will find more details:

A New York-based production company is looking for energetic and vibrant homeowners (singles, families, couples) in the New York Tri-State area who want their homes to match their personalities, but who may not have the vision to make it happen.

Our design team will bring their eclectic, high-end / low-cost, new-meets-old design philosophy to your home. This will not be just a room makeover; it will be a life-changer! If you think your home and our show might be a good fit, send us an email to designteamcasting@gmail.com with the following information:

•Your name, address and contact info (please include e-mail address and cell phone number)

•List of rooms to be styled, photos are a big plus!

•Favorite style you'd like to see (or do you want to be surprised?)

•Your real design budget

•Our superstar designers are at your service! We will be shooting between January & April 2011.

more info here

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

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"Minty Fresh" Solution To New York City Rat Problem?

Could mint-scented trash bags be a secret weapon in the fight against New York City's creepy rodent problem? This solution seems entirely too easy, but hey, where rats are concerned, the city needs all the help it can get.

I saw this Mint-X truck making a delivery to an office building in Downtown Office and checked their web site to find out more. Mint-X claims that their trash bags "smell great to humans and terrible to rats." They also claim that they are "100% safe effective after 7 days of continued use." Plus they are apparently EPA approved.

As everyone knows, New York City is crawling with rats. The creepy rodents are simply everywhere. And the problem seems to have gotten worse. Here in Carroll Gardens, we have not been spared. Take a walk down Smith Street or Court Street at dawn, and you will see rats dart from one side of the street to the other, from one heap of trash bags left outside by restaurants to the other. Since the Mint-X bags are meant to be used by themselves, without a trash bin, they sound ideal for New York City's eateries.

So, dear reader, what do you think? Is this an elegant solution to our dirty little rat problem or is the claim too good to be true?

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Drip, Drip! One Of Many Pipes Discharges Into Gowanus Canal

Did you know, dear Reader, that there are over 200 pipes leading into the Gowanus Canal from the uplands, discharging God-knows-what? The photos above show just one of these pipes. I took them yesterday morning on the edge of the canal on Degraw Street, under a sunny sky, so the liquid could not have been rainwater, as the rain only started hours later. Besides, it had been dry for days beforehand.

Though some of the larger pipes discharging into the canal are regulated and permitted, some of the smaller ones are not. Most of the discharge are

Combined Sewer Overflows, or CSOs.

The Environmental Protection Agency describes CSOs as:

Combined sewer systems are sewers that are designed to collect rainwater runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater in the same pipe. Most of the time, combined sewer systems transport all of their wastewater to a sewage treatment plant, where it is treated and then discharged to a water body. During periods of heavy rainfall or snowmelt, however, the wastewater volume in a combined sewer system can exceed the capacity of the sewer system or treatment plant. For this reason, combined sewer systems are designed to overflow occasionally and discharge excess wastewater directly to nearby streams, rivers, or other water bodies.

These overflows, called combined sewer overflows (CSOs), contain not only stormwater but also untreated human and industrial waste, toxic materials, and debris. They are a major water pollution concern for the approximately 772 cities in the U.S.that have combined sewer systems.

Since CSO's can be thought of as "urban wet weather" discharge, one has to wonder why this particular pipe was gushing into the canal on a dry day.

For decades, the city didn't bother to find out where some of these unregulated pipes came from and what substances they leaked into the Gowanus.

Luckily for us, under the Superfund program, the EPA is making sure that each one is investigated.

No wonder the City Administration lobbied so hard against the Superfund designation for the Gowanus Canal.

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C.O.R.D. Has No Doubt Superfund Is Best For Gowanus Canal

The waters of the Gowanus Canal

My friends of The Coalition For Respectful Development (CORD) have just released a statement regarding the proposed listing of the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund site. After attending every meeting held, both by the EPA and by the City, after researching the subject thoroughly and going right to the sources with all their questions, CORD has no doubt: Superfund is the way to go.
I couldn't agree with them more!
Below is their statement:

As the end of the public comment period rapidly approaches and all of the meetings have been held and a great deal of information disseminated, CORD is convinced now more than ever, that the nomination of the Gowanus Canal to the National Priorities List as a Superfund site is STILL the best thing that ever happened to our neighborhood.

We do not believe that the City of New York's "alternative" plan affords any tangible benefit to the community in terms of process, result or timeframe.

It is our understanding that the city’s plan is basically an attempt to provide the responsible parties (the polluters) with a deep discount by trying to have a good portion of the polluters’ tab picked up by a federal program known as WRDA. There is a waiting line for the money and long long list of projects that would be ahead of the Canal. And….did we mention?

THE GOWANUS CANAL IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR WRDA FUNDS AT THIS TIME.

The City is expending, by their own admission, a great deal of time, energy, effort (and therefore, money), to lobby the federal government to make the canal part of this program. In essence, the City is adding an additional layer of government , personnel and complications to the process while simultaneously adding additional financial burdens upon the already- strapped New York City taxpayer.

Where is the benefit to the community in the City’s plan? We can’t find it. The EPA through the SUPERFUND program, has the clout to collect the money from the responsible parties, has the expertise and a time improved program already in place to handle situations like our canal. Why does it seem as though the City is trying to stymie it? We can’t figure it out.

To continue reading CORD's statement, click here

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City Invites Few To Its Forum On Its Gowanus Clean-Up Alternative Tonight

click images to enlarge



Even If You Did Not Receive The Above Invitation From The City, You Should Attend These Meetings!


Tonight, City Officials to discuss alternative cleanup plan for the Gowanus Canal at not-too-publicized forums

· Meeting for homeowners who live near the Canal Tuesday,

June 23 at 6 p.m., at P.S. 32 (317 Hoyt Street).

· Meeting for business owners located near the Canal

Wednesday, June 24 at 6 p.m., at P.S. 32 (317 Hoyt Street).

More meeting information is also available here:

www.gowanusalternative.com

The City sent the above letter out to a very few home and business owners on June 12, 2009 to invite them to a meeting held on consecutive evenings at PS 32, to discuss its alternative plan to the EPA's proposal to designate the Gowanus Canal as a Superfund site. Obviously, by sending the letter only to people who own property within a block of the Gowanus, the City wanted to keep these meetings as small as possible. When asked about the limited invitation, a spokesperson for Deputy Mayor Skyler replied that the City wanted to "keep things manageable." As of today, I am told, only a few residents have received the letter.

Pardon me for asking, but why was the city so secretive about the meetings? Why would it not send out the letter to more residents within the Gowanus area? PS 32's auditorium is large enough to hold many, no? Such nonsense just makes area residents more suspicious of the city's motives and does not inspire confidence in the administration's ability to keep an open dialog with the community. Thank goodness, news of the meeting spread throughout the neighborhood. City representatives have since stated that these meetings are NOT closed and that all local residents are welcome.

The EPA plans to attend. Thank goodness. At least, representatives of the federal agency will be on hand to dispel some of the City's spin. I, for one, hope that there will be a great turn-out to these meetings.



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City To Host Gowanus Homeowners Meeting To Tout Alternative Plan. Have You Been Notified?

Well, surprise, surprise! The City is continuing to spin and to tout its alternative plan for the Gowanus clean-up. The latest in this saga involves an email (below) from Amy Chester, Chief-Of-Staff to Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey, about a meeting for home owners and for business owners along the canal.

It was sent to me from a resident of Fort Greene, who was notified by the office of State Senator Velmanette Montgomery. (Thanks goes to State Senator Montgomery who is on top of the Gowanus issue and supports the 'Superfund Site' designation for the Gowanus Canal.)

Problem is, it would appear that residents of the Carroll Gardens/Gowanus community have not gotten the same information.
I live two blocks away from the Gowanus and did not know anything about this.

Bad me. I guess I was supposed to magically find the info on the City's www.gowanusalternative.com web site.

So Typical!!!!!

Below is the email from Amy Chester.

Subject

Gowanus Canal Meetings June 23 and

24th at 6pm

Hello,

We just wanted make sure that you know that the Mayor’s Office has planned

2 meetings for the property owners who are adjacent to the Gowanus Canal to

discuss the proposed listing and the City’s alternative plan. You are of

course, welcome to attend.

The info is as follows:

· Meeting for homeowners who live near the Canal Tuesday,

June 23 at 6 p.m., at P.S. 32 (317 Hoyt Street).

· Meeting for business owners located near the Canal

Wednesday, June 24 at 6 p.m., at P.S. 32 (317 Hoyt Street).

The meeting information is also available on our website

www.gowanusalternative.com

We hope to see you there.

Best.

Amy

AMY CHESTER

CHIEF OF STAFF TO DEPUTY MAYOR KEVIN SHEEKEY

CITY HALL

NEW YORK, NY 10007

212.788.2154

AChester@cityhall.nyc.gov

www.nyc.gov

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City Bloggers Go Where Press Can't Or Won't

Imagine my surprise and thrill to have been included on Room Eight's list of bloggers who dared to speak up during the City Council's recent power grab.
Here is the mention on their blog:

Was the Lie of “Consistent Leadership” Old Media’s Last Stand?

posted by Oneshirt
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 8:43pm

Bloggers Got the Real Story When It Counted

“It used to be that a handful of editors could decide what news was and what was not. They acted as sort of demigods. If they ran a story, it became news. If they ignored an event, it never happened. Today editors are losing this power. The Internet, for example, provides access to thousands of new sources that cover things an editor might ignore.”- Rupert Murdoch

Only the city’s bloggers like Your Free Press, Pardon Me For Asking, The Brooklyn Optimist, The Daily Gotham, Queens Crap, and Washington Square Park reported to their readers during the term limits debate that the Council’s argument for continuity of leadership to save the city’s economy was nothing more than public relations spin to cover the Council’s blatant power grab for an additional term in office. At the same time these citizen journalists across the City were reporting the real facts, the Mayor was meeting with the publishers of the three major dailies to coordinate a cover story for his support of extending term limits. Working in concert, the dailies provided the Mayor with the rationalization to disregard Bloomberg’s previous public statement that “it would be an absolute disgrace to go around the public will” to extend term limits.

Rafael Martinez-Alequin, publisher of Your Free Press, wrote on his blog that it was a sad day for democracy when the Council passed the term limits extension. He openly expressed anger at those that voted for its passage, echoing the spirit of Former Daily News columnist Jimmy Breslin. As Breslin said, “Rage is the only quality which has kept me, or anybody I have ever studied, writing columns that exposed the wrongdoing in government.”

It is bloggers like Martinez-Alequin who are keeping journalism alive and vital in New York City. They are following in the footsteps of newspaper greats like Joseph Pulitzer of the long lost New York World, whose legendary name is ascribed to journalism’s greatest honor. Pulitzer’s passion-filled editorial pages were the true heart of the World. There he crusaded against the robber barons and oil and rail companies, exposed corrupt politicians and brutal policemen, and advocated for decent working hours and humane living conditions for the poor.

That’s just what Martinez-Alequin has dedicated his life to trying to do. And that’s just what has gotten Mayor Bloomberg so mad at him.

Neat, no?
It is important to take a stand and to be involved in local as well as national politics as a private individual. You don't have to be a blogger. Personally, writing Pardon Me has giving me a voice in this big world. Covering my neighborhood of Carroll Gardens has connected me to my neighborhood and allowed me to meet many of you, my readers. It has been an incredible experience.
I hope that you will consider signing a petition that urges New York City to protect the right of freedom of the press for bloggers.


This is the text:

To: The City of New York
We, the undersigned, join ChangeNYC.Org in supporting Rafael Martinez-Alequin, Ralph E. Smith, and David Wallis, three online journalists unfairly denied press passes by the New York City Police Department. We believe that the right of a free press is a cornerstone of our democracy and we applaud civil rights attorney Norman Siegel for bringing suit on behalf of these three journalists to protect this fundamental constitutional liberty.

The NYPD's refusal to issue these three journalists press passes demonstrates a bias on the part of the City against New Media and the blogging community. As bloggers, citizen journalists, and readers who depend upon online publications as an essential source of independent news, we stand together with Rafael Martinez-Alequin, Ralph E. Smith, and David Wallis. Their lawsuit is a significant First Amendment case vital to asserting and protecting the right to a free press for every online journalist in New York City and across America. We strongly urge the City of New York to immediately reform its system of granting press credentials to recognize the importance of New Media.

Here is the link to the petition:
http://www.petitiononline.com/12151791/petition.html



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British Chef Jamie Oliver Wants To Feed You At His New York Table!

How cool is that? British chef (and blogger) Jamie Oliver wants to invite you to dinner here in New York. The email below landed in my mailbox this morning. Interested in dining with the Naked Chef? Read the info and write an email.

TV OPPORTUNITY: COME EAT FOR FREE WITH JAMIE OLIVER

Jamie Oliver cordially invites New York residents to an intimate private dinner in his NYC apartment.

British chef Jamie Oliver's newest television project, 'Jamie in America', will see him travel around the USA on a journey of food discovery.

In New York City he will open an underground restaurant and invite 15 lucky New Yorkers to dine with him.

So whether you're a fanatical foodie or have never opened your oven we want you to apply for a place at Jamie's table.

For an application form please contact dinnerwithjamie@freshone.tv

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ChangeNYC, A New Grassroots Organisation, Challenges New Yorkers To Demand Better Government

Change NYC. Org Press Release

ChangeNYC.Org Blasts Council Vote as a “Coup d’Etat”

The City Council’s vote to extend term limits legislatively is a devastating blow to our City’s democracy. Today’s vote marks a frightening shift in power from the people to the politicians.

Not only have New Yorkers twice voted for term limits in the past fifteen years, but only yesterday a Quinnipiac poll showed that an overwhelming 87% of the people insisted that any changes to the term limits law had to be put before the voters.

But this afternoon, while real New Yorkers worked for a living, the City Council stealthily disenfranchised the five boroughs. In any other country, this type of shameless power grab would be called a coup d’état.

ChangeNYC.Org is here to console the people of New York not to lose hope. If we stand together, we still can take back our government before it is too late.

Go to www.changenyc.org right now and sign up to join the people’s movement for change in our City.

Related Reading:

ChangeNYC, A New Grassroots Organisation, Challenges New Yorkers To Demand Better Government

Brooklyn County Committee Members And Council Member James Want Voters To Decide On Term Limits


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Extending Term Limits? 35 Members Of The Brooklyn Democratic County Committee Say No!

Let the voters decide!

Yesterday, I joined members of the Kings County Committee and Council Member Letitia James on the steps of City Hall to demand that any changes to the City's term limits law be put before the voters to decide. 35 members of the Committee had previously signed an open letter opposing Mayor Bloomberg's self-serving effort to over-turn the law so that he can run for a third term. Morgan Pehme, a.k.a.
The Brooklyn Optimist and one of the Committee members, made a powerful statement which I am posting below. Please take some time to read it. It's very powerful and a great reminder that elected officials work for us!

I have the great privilege of speaking on behalf of a broad coalition of my fellow Brooklyn Democratic County Committee Members, a number of whom join me today on the steps of City Hall.

We have come together at the seat of our City’s government to give voice to our constituents and to our fellow New Yorkers. We are here to honor the promise we made to the people of Brooklyn when we stood before them on Primary Day and asked them to entrust us with their votes. We promised our neighbors that, if elected, we would speak for them, not for ourselves. We pledged that we would work for them, not for ourselves. And above all, we vowed that we for fight for them, never for ourselves.

Every candidate makes this pledge when they run for office and yet we stand together today before a building filled with elected officials who have failed to honor this covenant with the people. Our Mayor, our Speaker, and so many of our City Council Members have revealed in the past weeks that, in truth, they only ever believed they work for themselves.

Well, we are here today to say “Mister Mayor, Madame Speaker, Members of the City Council, you work for us.”

And if you want to extend term limits, so that you can have the privilege of serving us for another four years, you must put that proposal on the ballot, so we, the voters of New York, can tell you what we want, once and for all.

Now, it would be wrong to excoriate all of our elected officials for their actions over the past weeks. There have been some heroes. I am delighted today to be standing next to one of them: Council Member Letitia James. Council Member James has shown great courage and leadership in standing up to the most powerful men and women in the City and saying to “no” to a legislative change of the term limits law. And in so doing, she has made the people of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, and all of Brooklyn proud. In recognition of her work on our behalf, I’d like to give the Council Member a special round of “Tish James Silent Applause”.

Council Member James’s colleagues would be wise to follow her example. It is still not too late for the 16 Members of the City Council who are still undecided on term limits to do the right thing.

We urge them to cast a vote for the people.

We urge them to vote “no” on a legislative change to term limits.

Related Posts:

Extending Term Limits? 35 Members Of The Brooklyn Democratic County Committee Say No!

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ChangeNYC, A New Grassroots Organisation, Challenges New Yorkers To Demand Better Government

What if New Yorkers came together to ask for better government? What if politicians were made to actually represent their constituents instead of their own interests? What if we made our elected officials truly accountable?
Well, unless we actually demand good government, we will never get better representation
A new grassroots organization, changeNYC.org is taking that first step. Take a look at their video above and check out their web site here: http://www.changenyc.org/

ChangeNYC.Org Unveils New Ad Challenging Term Limits Extension

ChangeNYC.Org, a new grassroots nonprofit organization fighting for good government in New York City, is inaugurating its progressive agenda for change with an internet ad challenging Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council's proposed legislative change to the City's term limits law.

The ad, featuring real New Yorkers, asks the question: "What if George W. Bush wanted a third term?"

ChangeNYC.Org was initially slated to launch after the Presidential election to recruit and organize New Yorkers to be agents of change in their own communities. However, the Mayor and Speaker Quinn's unprecedented power grab compelled ChangeNYC.Org to move up its timeframe and launch its first Citywide initiative for change immediately.

On the website it launched today - www.changenyc.org - the nascent organization promises that it will be "growing quickly and showing you plenty of ways you can keep the energy of change thriving throughout the five boroughs and beyond.

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Extending Term Limits? 35 Members Of The Brooklyn Democratic County Committee Say No!

photo credit: CarbonNYC on Flickr

The letter below was just sent to the New York City Council as well as to Mayor Bloomberg. Amongst the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee Members to The New York City Council who signed the letter are Morgan Pehme of The Optimist, as well as my husband, Glenn Kelly.

An Open Letter from 35 Members of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee to the New York City Council Opposing the Extension of Term Limits

cc: Mayor Mike Bloomberg

Council Speaker Christine Quinn

Ronald Lauder

Dear Council Members:

What if President Bush had decided to amend the Constitution so that he could run for a third term? Surely, since 47 out of 51 of you are Democrats, this notion must be pretty frightening. Yet it is this concern that best sums up why we oppose the proposal before you to extend term limits.

Whether term limits are good for New York City is not an issue we care to argue. In the past 15 years, the voters of our City have twice decided that philosophical debate for themselves. In fact, it is as a result of their decision that most of you owe your current jobs. But now that you are on the verge of having to relinquish your power to a new generation of leaders, many of you are having second thoughts.

Surely, you can't expect voters to interpret your motivations to extend term limits as anything but a self-serving power grab. Every dictator in world history faced with term limits has argued at the last minute of their reign that the political climate is so serious the people must keep them in power or else fear ruin. Well, New York City didn't buckle when Mayor Giuliani tried to stay in office after 9/11. Now, we ask you to show the same courage and stand up to Mayor Bloomberg.

The people of New York need your help as City Council Members to protect our vote. The major newspapers, so many of our elected officials, and even Ron Lauder, once the foremost champion of term limits, have all abandoned us or cut backroom deals. You're the last hope of the little guy. If you really think that New Yorkers want this change, then put Mayor Bloomberg's proposal back on the ballot for referendum and let us decide.

We 35 members of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee ran for office to be the voice of our neighbors and our communities. We thought you ran for office for the same reason. Here's your chance to prove us right.

Sincerely,

Llewellyn Armstrong, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Alice Backer, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Martin J. Bernstein, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Evan Burr, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Vallie Copeland, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Craig Czarnecki, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Christopher Diamond, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Esteban Duran, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Ellen Enders, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Hal Friedman, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Sabrina Gates, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

David Greenson, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Jen Halbert, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

MacGregor Harp, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Jamila Jabulani, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Cyril Joseph, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Steven Juskowicz, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Glenn T. Kelly, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Jeff S. Merritt, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

David Michaelson, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Gilford T. Monrose, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Ethan Nichtern, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Chris Owens, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Morgan Pehme, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Colin Phillips, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Mireyda Reyes, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Sam Ritchie, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Joy Romanski, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Bill Salzman, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Josh Skaller, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Andrew Stengel, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Eva Talmadge, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Kelly L. Thompson, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

Theodore Wright, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

James Zika, Kings County Democratic County Committee Member

For further info go to:

The Optimist


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