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September 7, 2006
NLG Endorsements: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Strangely, many of the candidates vying for the highly coveted NoLandGrab endorsement didn't get around to replying to our repeated requests for position statements on Atlantic Yards. That didn't stop us from doing the research, keeping an ear to the ground, showing up at candidates' forums and debates and taking a stand.
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" has nothing to do with the cadidates' looks (though Hakeem Jeffries is so "GQ"). Instead, it reflects the emotional intensity of these hotly contested races (along with the occasional smear tactic), and NoLandGrab's singular focus on the Atlantic Yards proposal.
The Good
These are simply candidates who are concerned about using eminent domain for Bruce Ratner's basketball arena and 16 highrise towers, and who've spoken out against many of the complex issues surrounding the project, such as: massive taxpayer contributions, lack of local review, a troubling review procedure and schedule, backroom deals, the absence of sound urban planning, "misunderestimation" of traffic concerns, etc.
The Bad
We understand that politics often demands compromise, but we think that it's bad, very bad, when you can barely figure out candidates' positions they won't stop talking out of both sides of their mouths.
One can take positions on different aspects of a complex project, but trying to finesse both sides of individual issues betrays a lack of leadership. We figure if a bunch of amateur bloggers can navigate and articulate the complex issues surrounding this project, our politicians should be able to do so, too.
The Ugly
This gang contains candidates who have all publicly declared their support for Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards project. Most have received financial support from the Ratner campaign-financing machine and have deep ties to the discredited Brooklyn Democratic Party Machine, which has been stumping for Ratner from the start.
Click here for NoLandGrab's endorsements.
There are some uncontested local races and third-party candidates running in the general election — those races were not included in this list for purposes of brevity and clarity.
We also invite any candidates who feel we have unfairly characterized their positions to contact us with a clarification (email).
Posted by lumi at September 7, 2006 10:21 AM