« It came from the Blogosphere... | Main | On/Off the Record with Marty Markowitz »
June 15, 2007
Community Board reform! - Appointment process is too political and must be changed, some say
Courier-Life Publications
By Joe Maniscalco
Though the following excerpts contain references to Atlantic Yards and Borough President Marty Markowitz's purge of Communtiy Board 6, the article is worth reading for additional examples of community voices stymied by Borough Hall and an interesting reform proposal from Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer that should be taken more seriously, due to recent events:
The purging of nine members from Community Board 6 opposed to the Atlantic Yards project has only solidified that view and sparked new calls for changes in the way people make it onto their local community board.
...
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer complained that the community board process had become “overly politicized and unsystematic” when he introduced his community board reform package last year.
...
“These folks have been serving their community by opposing the disastrous Atlantic Yards project,” said Colby Hamilton, Green Party of Brooklyn chair. “Now we see how community-supported opposition is handled – it’s a political massacre.”
...
Park Slope resident and Green Party member James Lane lives within Community Board 6 and he says he was proud of the “thoughtful and transparent” way in which the members of his community board reviewed the complexities of the Atlantic Yards project.“The decision to expel these public servants is just another sign that the proponents of the Atlantic Yards debacle are willing to stoop to anything to shove this project down the community’s throat,” he said.
Posted by lumi at June 15, 2007 6:28 AM