Bring your trash to the U.S. Attorney's Office to save NYCHA
The goal of this direct action is to highlight an alternative solution to save NYCHA. Everybody is invited to bring trash to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Downtown Manhattan on Jan. 31, the date by which the Government must file its latest plan to save public housing in New York City.
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC) has proposed to sell up to 62,000 public housing apartments in a scheme that would allow private real estate developers and investors to buy into NYCHA. This plan, as corrupt as it is in many ways, must be approved by U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, who, is trying to settle a years-long Federal investigation into the lead poisoning crisis at NYCHA. Before Berman became the top Manhattan Federal prosecutor, he was Rudy Giuliani's former law partner.
NYCHA was formed in 1934 during the Great Depression. Before its formation, delegates representing 750,000 workers adopted a resolution to treat housing construction and maintenance as a social good, not unlike public transportation and public education.*
By putting NYCHA into the hands of private real estate developers and investors, Mayor Bill de Blasio is saying we can trust the very same individuals, who spend millions to lobby to end rent regulations in New York State. Who thinks this can work ? Privatization of NYCHA will also dangerously legitimize the growing philosophy that most issues are best handled by the private sector, an approach that has been detrimental to numerous other agencies.
Mayor de Blasio claims his plan will raise $15 billion for NYCHA repairs. Our demand is that Mayor de Blasio cancel the corrupt $3 billion in taxpayer monies being given to Amazon and to stop the construction of four new jails to replace Rikers Island, thereby saving $10 billion, and to use these $13 billion for NYCHA. As a result, there should be no need to sell any public housing apartments to the real estate industry. Please keep in mind that we are asking that Rikers be shut down, as we fully support the prison abolition movement.
All along, our greatest fear was that public housing was defunded, so it could reach such a state of neglect that it would be used as a pretext for its sale. How would U.S. Attorney Berman like it if his building got sold, just because it was not properly maintained ? This is the same flawed logic that is driving Mayor de Blasio's corrupt plan to sell off NYCHA. Bring all the trash that you and your neighbors have to the U.S. Attorney's Office on Jan. 31.
And make sure to sign up here so we can keep you posted about future events as this is only the beginning. And make sure to spread the word about our event by promoting it on Facebook and Twitter ! We are strength in numbers !
With your help, we can save public housing.
Join us.
* See PUBLIC HOUSING ASKED BY WORKERS ; Social Control Just as in Education Is Endorsed at Meeting of 80 Delegates. MAYOR AND POST FAVOR IT LaGuardia Tells Labor Council Federal Money Will Only Begin to Meet City's Needs., The New York Times (29 June 1934), https://www.nytimes.com/1934/06/29/archives/public-housing-asked-by-workers-social-control-just-as-in-education.html.
If you have any of the following items, please bring them with you :
10 Common Household Items That Contain Lead
- Plastics
- Cosmetics
- Paint on Toys and Homes
- Toy Jewelry
- Ceramics
- Batteries in Products
- Glass
- New York City tap water
- Plumbing
- Household Dust
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