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July 6, 2007
Image of asthmatic girl is used to promote New York traffic-fee plan
AP, via International Herald Tribune
NEW YORK: An image of a sad-looking little girl squeezing an asthma inhaler is being used to pressure New York state lawmakers into approving Mayor Michael Bloomberg's controversial plan to reduce traffic and pollution by charging motorists who drive into Manhattan.
The tag line is: "She cannot hold her breath waiting for Albany to act."
The flier is being mailed this week to 350,000 households, urging voters to call lawmakers in Albany. The state legislature would have to come back for a special session to approve the plan before a July 16 application deadline for matching U.S. federal funding.
The campaign and flier were produced by the same company that brought you the Ratner "liar flyers," and paid for by a group that has testified in support of Atlantic Yards:
A spokesman for Knickerbocker SKD, the company that produced the image, could not provide the age or name of the child featured on the flier, which was described as a stock photo. The campaign was paid for by the Partnership for New York City, a business group that is a chief supporter of the mayor's scheme.
NoLandGrab: This marketing campaign reminds us of a dramatic moment captured in Isabel Hill's film, "Brooklyn Matters," in which NYC Councilmember Letitia James speaks of concerns about increased traffic causing asthma rates to rise in neighborhoods where rates are already some of the highest in the nation. As she shared her sadness, dismay and outrage at having had to attend the funeral of a four-year-old in her district, in the background, a Ratner supporter from Brooklyn United for Innovative Local Development poo-poos the tragedy with a dismissive wave of the hand.
If you make the call to Albany lawmakers, you may want to add a comment about the special exemption for Atlantic Yards in the 421-a reform bill, just passed by the legislature.
Posted by lumi at July 6, 2007 7:39 AM