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September 2, 2014- By Steven E. Greer
During the BPC subcommittee of the CB1 tonight, Chairman Anthony Notaro scolded the group for releasing a CB1 document to a blogger. CB1 member Tom Goodkind admitted to doing it. Notaro explained that documents are not finalized and should not be released.
The problem is much more serious than that. By communicating with one another, or selectively leaking internal documents to the press, the New York Open Meetings laws were violated.
Even more serious of a violation, when a government agency (which CB1 is, since it is created by city government) selectively leaks information to one preferred news source, they are violating the First Amendment freedom of the press rights of the other news outlets left out. The preferential treatment puts other news sources at a disadvantage and sends a chilling effect. It is a similar act as shutting down the press by removing a newsrack, etc. (The BPCA and the CB1 routinely feed scoops to amateur “journalists” in the community who will report favorably on the agencies).
The CB1 seems to have little comprehension of the New York Open Meeting laws and of how proper board meetings are to be run. Recall, during the Pier A liquor license resolution vote, the CB1 also communicated in private with one another to plan and predetermine the outcome of the vote during the subsequent public meeting. That seems to have violated the state law.
Steve,
A draft resolution which is up for public discussion in a public meeting is not at all the “leaking of an internal document.” I gave information on the draft I wrote to an inquiring reporter. I did it hoping that it would attract more residents in need of help from the Board and politicians. And it did. And if you had requested any info, you know I would send it to you.
This allowed our area’s residents to see the same background information the Board members saw a few hours before. It brought in residents who are in serious trouble and their thoughts were represented only due to the writing. In practice, there is nothing more transparent: these are actually actions in step with the sunshine laws.
Best,
Tom Goodkind
Boy, you are clueless
Goodkind’s disingenuous response reminds me of this gem from Orwell: “Political language… is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”
I wish you had a “like” button for comments. This page would be full of them (and NOT for Mr. Goodkind!)
To Battery Park Dad
Your wish is my command….a Facebook Like Button was added
Not to change the subject, because getting the heck beaten out of me by anonymous characters like Ms. Dad or whoever is posing as Bette Midler (M?) is not exactly a good time…and thanks for that! You should also add a button that show their web ID…not hard to do…
The point of all this…is to try to protect our local residents from expulsion due to rent laws that favor developers by demanding changes in the NYS tenant protection laws that sunset in June.
Let’s have your BPC leases that show that all of our buildings could be 421a. As you’ve written, that would mean those owners who had rental buildings with 421a may have broken the law during their condo conversion AND they may have
rented their units incorrectly as well.
Meanwhile – I think I spotted the young Kardashian sister at the Brookfield food court.
On BPCA, shocking but not surprising–you are a powerful voice so keep at them. On PEP, shameful culture, starting with the selection process and training. Again, you have the power and the following so I hope you don’t give up.
On noise, you have to choose your battles: ferries, helicopters, Southwest’s open bars and screaming drunks, motorcycles (especially on Albany and Rector), skateboarding gangs, and on and on…
Trash: fishermen who leave fish blood and guts on the promenade, the pedestals of the lamp posts, who take up 100 feet of space, smoking, dangerously casting. The nightly trash trucks at Southwest that leave garbage in the street and attract rats.
Danger: the bicycles that speed along the upper path reserved for pedestrians because of inadequate signage and no PEP officers around to stop them. The major hazard: bicycles on the sidewalk, especially when the speed past the doors of residential buildings.
Yes, I do care very much. We all do.
Thank you for your good work.