Bill DeBlasio Does It Again Or Why I Probably Won't Go To His Self-Serving Rally!

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So the January 29th Bill De Blasio Rally is now scheduled for the 24th? Strange, I could have sworn that Tom Gray, his district manager told all of Carroll Gardens that it was on the 29th at the last C.G.N.A. meeting!
Oh well, we have come to expect dysfunction from our local Councilman.
I am not sure I would have attended the rally anyway. And here is why:

Bill DeBlasio is a master at spin. Over the last few months, as this neighborhood was getting organized to down zone and to land mark, our Councilman has been mostly absent. To say it politely, he did the least that he could do.
Carroll Gardens was starting to turn against him. Neighborhood Associations as well as local bloggers were becoming very, very vocal. So what does he do?
He comes up with a smoke-screen. He organizes a rally (he loves rallies or rather, photo ops. Remember his anti-Scarano Rally?) at which he wants to deliver a resolution to the City Council. The resolution would impose a 50 foot height limit on any new construction in Carroll Gardens. Sounds great right? Many people in this neighborhood thought so.
The only problem is, that this resolution, even if passed by the City Council, would be purely symbolic. You see, it's not binding. It's actually worthless. In other words, developers could still build higher than fifty feet. Even after Bill's resolution.
So why do it? Yes, yes, I understand. It could show developers that Carroll Gardens is serious about down-zoning.
But more than anything, it is a way for Bill DeBlasio to get some news coverage and it hides the fact that he has been dragging his feet for way too long on this issue.
I for one am not ready to make him look good. I would rather hold his feet to the fire and ask him to find the funds to hire professional land use consultants so that we can really move forward. Enough theatrics. Isn't it time our local politicians start serving the residents of this city rather than helping developers?



Bill DeBlasio's resolution

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Department of City Planning to commence immediately a downzoning study of Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn and upon the Department of Buildings to not issue permits that would allow any new construction or alteration to an existing building to exceed a height limit of 50 feet until the Carroll Gardens neighborhood downzoning is complete.


From CGNA
The date of the rally to support Bill DeBlasio's resolution originally scheduled for Jan.29 at 11:00 am may be rescheduled.
The change is due to an unexpected scheduling conflict. Tom assured me the conflict will be resolved and the date finalized by the end of the day.
Please watch the Yahoo group for Tom's confirmation.



And Now This From Cord:

Hello!  CORD has received an email from Tom Gray today saying the RALLY date
for our downzoning is January 24th not January 29th.  Frankly, CORD was
never sure about that 29th date for various reasons. It seems very wise to
check with the Councilman's office before planning on going anywhere for a
rally on either day just to be sure.  We understand there is some
frustration about this.  

Story Update:
The 29th is the day of the Florida Primary. Pardon me for asking but is there any connection here?


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