This afternoon Mayor Bloomberg had a lunch meeting to help chart the direction of New York City. It was aptly titled "The Future Of New York City" and hosted by Crain's. Of course that means issues of finance, growth and zoning to name a few were discussed. What was missing was the voice of the people, but the collective group Right to the City-NY was ready, willing and able to help out.
From The Daily Politics:
A grassroots coalition calling itself Right to the City-NY has claimed responsibility for disrupting the mayor's speech this afternoon at a lunch hosted at the Grand Hyatt by Crain's and business groups entitled "The Future of New York City."
The advocates chanted "this is what democracy looks like" as they burst into the hotel ballroom and tried to deliver a letter to the mayor that noted the absence of working-class, minority and immigrant New Yorkers at the conference and called for a meeting on the concerns of low-income city residents.
"The policy recommendations that come out of today’s “The Future of NY” conference could have a serious impact on the lives of low-income people - those that are most impacted by the current economic crisis. We are asking you to broaden your circle of advisors to include us, and to stop holding closed-door meetings with the political and business elite of New York. We have the right to be involved in the decision-making process that affects our lives and communities,” the letter to the Mayor states.“We ask that you extend the same courtesy to us that you have shown the city’s elite by organizing a convention of low-income New Yorkers to produce policy recommendations that actually reflect community priorities for the city’s economic future."
Many different long-standing organizations in New York have come together to join this larger movement for an essential cause. When only the elite groups of a community are represented in planning for the future, they almost always leave out the interests of others. Bloomberg has consistently shown he is out of touch with many New Yorkers and has no problem showing his disdain for us. Anyone who has to drive to take the subway when they live on the Upper East Side is clearly in another world.
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