Gentrification Opponents Criticize Extension of Term Limits Without Vote of NYers
Saturday October 25, 2008 | New York City
Low-Income Communities Fear More Displacement under Bloomberg Third Term
New York City—Today the Right to the City Alliance, a coalition of grassroots community organizations across the city, expressed great disappointment that the Mayor and City council extended term limits without holding a citywide referendum and consulting the people that live and work in New York City.
Right to the City cautioned that Mayor Bloomberg’s economic development policies – from the Lower East Side and Chinatown to Harlem and the South Bronx – are consistently benefiting developers and displacing low-income people of color. Today Right to the City argued that by approving a term limits extension, the Mayor and members of the City Council have created an opening for more of the Mayor’s economic development, housing and homelessness policies that ignore the voices and priorities of New York’s low-income communities. “We're extremely disappointed that the City Council decided to ignore the will of the people and went along with Bloomberg's shameless power grab. While the headlines are currently full of news about the current financial crisis, the reality is that Chinatown has been in a financial crisis for years, and it's been Bloomberg and his pro- development policies that have led to the displacement of so many low- income tenants,” said Esther Wang, Organizer at CAAAV, Organizing Asian Communities.
While the bleak economic outlook does call for sweeping policy changes in New York City, the Right to the City alliance believes these changes should be rooted in community decision-making and should empower those who live and work in New York City, not only the wealthy and powerful. Right to the City believes that those who live and work in New York City, especially low-income people and people of color, should have a right to shape how the city works and the decisions that are made there.
“Billionaire Mayor Bloomberg is ignoring the wishes of working-class and poor people who have voted twice in favor of term limits. This is indicative of a growing trend throughout the United States where the wealthy and powerful are using their money and influence to ignore the wishes of the great majority of the people. This is supposed to be a government of, for and by the people, not one that ignores us to cater to the wealthiest one percent,” said George Bethos, leader of VOCAL NY- Users Union and New York City AIDS Housing Network.
“We at Make the Road New York are in opposition to the term limits. As a growing young adult and a future voter of this city, I have come to realize that our voices are not being heard. We will not stand for this. In the past, the people made the decision about term limits and now it is up to the city council?” Jaritza Geigel, Youth leader at Make the Road New York.
“If Bloomberg is our Mayor again, where is there room for change? If we continue with business as usual, it's the same ideas and methods that aren't working for most New Yorkers, especially LGBTQ youth. Things are getting worse for everyone, so we really need someone different in office who will truly represent the people. And Bloomberg definitely doesn't represent me, especially when he tries to buy his way out of democracy,” said John Blasco, a member of FIERCE.
Right to the City (RTTC) NYC is an alliance of grassroots, membership- based, organizations in low-income, immigrant and other communities of color throughout New York Cit working to support grassroots-led social change. RTTC NYC’s mission is to build a united response to gentrification and the drastic economic, social and infrastructure changes being imposed on NYC communities, and offer a vision for the city that meets the needs of working class people.
RTTC NYC’s member organizations include: CAAAV/Chinatown Tenants Union; Center for Social Inclusion; Community Development Project, Urban Justice Center; Community Voices Heard (CVH); Fabulous, Independent, Educated Radicals for Community Empowerment (FIERCE); Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE); Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ); Make the Road New York (MRNY); Mothers on the Move (MOM); NYC AIDS Housing Network/VOCAL NY Users Union; Picture the Homeless; and Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES)
Contact: Alexa Kasdan, Urban Justice Center
Office: 646-459-3011
Cell: 718-354-7340