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April 29, 2006
Car Fight
Aaron Naparstek covers the smack down at the Staten Island NASCAR track proposal meeting. Perhaps Staten Island is jockeying for a WWF venue instead?
Last night's public hearing on the proposed NASCAR track on Staten Island turned into a melee. Union members, many of whom were apparently shipped in by the developer, shouted down and physically intimidated community people who had come out to voice concerns about the project. New York 1 showed video last night of one particularly huge union guy throwing Staten Island Councilmember Andrew Lanza into a headlock and wrestling the microphone out of his hands. The scene looked more like a drunken bar fight than a community meeting. NY1 hasn't put the video on its web site, but ABC 7 caught some of the action and put it online. The NYPD rolled in and shut down the meeting after just a half an hour.For anyone who has attended official public hearings on Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards project, the scene looked familiar: Real estate developer buses in project supporters. Supporters shout down and intimidate community members. The democratic process and opportunity for thoughtful community input is undermined.
Posted by amy at April 29, 2006 10:07 AM