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October 22, 2013- At the CB1 meeting, more than 150 people showed up to protest the planned relocation of a criminal court to 71 Thomas Street, which is in Tribeca by the Odeon restaurant. After what seemed to be trickery, when the large mob left the 4 WTC venue leaving just the regular CB1 members in the audience, several senior members of the Bloomberg administration, including Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway, suddenly appeared from nowhere and tried to allay some fears.
The city team’s best argument was that the court was not really a criminal court, just the SRP division, which was repeated ad nauseum. In fact, although the tickets and summons of the SRP court that will be processed at 71 Thomas Street are not technically crimes, the people perpetrating them tend to have have long rap sheets, and are the criminal element demographic. When asked to list the other crimes that the people entering the SRP court have also committed, the city officials claimed to not have those facts.
During the meeting, a bombshell of more importance than the 71 Thomas Street relocation came to light. CB1 Treasurer John Fratta replied to Cas Holloway’s numerous statements, “The other criminal courts will actually be moved out of your neighborhood.” and asked where, exactly, that will be. At which point, it was revealed for the first time that 66 John Street will be the location for a true criminal court.
Mr. Holloway downplayed this, as well, claiming, “The (criminals) will have been on probation.”, as opposed to new offenders. (Jee, thanks, we feel better).
66 John Street currently houses the City of New York Manhattan Business center, and the back side of the building is adjacent to the highly secured New York Federal Reserve which houses large amounts of gold. Members of the CB1 meeting audience also claimed that a school of some sort is nearby.
Joel Kopel, CB1 member of the FiDi subcommittee, asked, “How is it that (the CB1 board) was unaware of this until just now?”. CB1 Chair Catherine McVay Hughes looked down and had no answer.
Once again, the CB1 was conveniently clueless and derelict of any oversight duty on a matter that the Mayor’s office is trying to push. Is Ms. Hughes, an Ivy League educated person, stupid or complicit and in bed with the Mayor’s office?
Little is known about Catherine McVay Hughes, based on the CB1 website. Please post comments.
“Little is known about Katherine McVay Hughes”
Catherine Hughes’ sense of entitlement and noblisse oblige might explain her behavior.
The daughter of a wealthy family from Princeton, NJ where she attended the elitist Stuart County Day School of the Sacred Heart before attending Princeton, she came to NYC to work with a goo-goo group. Wouldn’t want to dirty her hands, would she?
Reflecting her rarefied upbringing, she would never deign sending her children to any of the local – and excellent – public schools. Au contraire, she schleps – no, Catherine would never shlep – she ferries her children to an elite Episcopal school in Brooklyn Heights, St. Ann’s.
Her lifestyle is supported by her Wall Street hubby, who works at a bond-rating firm many blame for contributing to the 2008 financial meltdown.
A Downtown version of the proverbial Uptown Ladies Who Lunch, rather than spend her afternoons at the Plaza Hotel’s Palm Court, Hughes instead strives to be a – hope she forgives the Yiddish – a macher.
However, her lack of real-world experience, street creds and common sense preclude that.
Instead, reflecting her upbringing, her training at Wharton Business School and family-income source, she courts Wall Street – and is quick to do their dirty work.
For example, she has no problem having a penal facility in other people’s neighborhoods, yet she fought strong and hard to get Bloomberg to evict the peaceful OWS protestors.
Poor thing, don’t you feel her pain: this 1% having to pass by that rabble on her way to the community board office every day?