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January 28, 2015- By Steven E. Greer
After the arrest by the DOJ of State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, the true extent of his invasive tentacles of power are only now coming to light. He placed the seniormost judges in the New York Supreme Court, rigged asbestos cases allegedly working with top medical centers, and helped out most of the large real estate companies in New York.
The local politicians have also been aided considerably by Sheldon Silver. His campaign endorsements have led to the re-election of lightweights, such as Margaret Chin and Daniel Squadron. Less well appreciated is Mr. Silver’s influence over the selection process of the Manhattan Community Board 1.
BatteryPark.TV is aware of some very cozy relationships between many of the CB1 members and Mr. Silver. For examples, Bob Townley has been on the CB1 for decades while at the same time benefiting greatly from state and city “grants” to his Manhattan Youth community center. Anthony Notaro was supposed to be on the actual BPCA board if Sheldon Silver had gotten his way, but the governor had other ideas. CB1’s Paul Hovitz is a very vocal Silver supporter. Tammy Meltzer even supported Mr. Silver after he was arrested.
The CB1 is corrupted to the core and does not remotely represent the best interest of the community. With Pier-A, after opposing it for years, they made a dramatic 180 and gave Poulakakos a resolution of support to run a cabaret nightclub closing at 4:00 AM. With the MarinaGate saga, Anthony Notaro refused to allow a vote on a resolution in support of Mr. Fortenbaugh.
How long have most of these CB1 members served? It’s well more than a decade for most of them. The current CB1 needs to be replaced at once in the wake of the Sheldon Silver criminal allegations and their close ties to him. Then, term limits need to be added.
The head of the Tribeca committee definitely needs to go. He is the most pompous misogynistic good old boy I have ever seen north of the Mason Dixon line. He and Townley run CB1 as if it were there own and make decisions accordingly.
They talk when neighborhood people are making their complaints, cut people off (especially women) if they are tired of hearing these complaints and make decisions that often go against the best interests of anyone but themselves.
One time, they sat in the front of the committee and shared a bag of nuts they had on the table and spoke intimately while people were telling their problems and needs to what is supposed to be a committee who listens and helps the problems of Tribeca.
This has gone on WAY too long.