Friday, September 16, 2016

Maspeth brings shelter protest to Brooklyn; de Blasio upset


From WPIX:

From the last year, PIX11 has closely examined the homeless crisis from all angles, including bold protests from working class residents in Maspeth, over New York City Homeless Commissioner Steven Banks' proposed conversion of a Holiday Inn Express Hotel into a homeless shelter.

Talk turned into action Thursday night, as dozens of working class residents boarded three charter buses in Maspeth, Queens and rolled to Winsor Terrace, Brooklyn to take their fight right to NYC Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Banks' doorstep.

"They don't want to talk to us, so we have to do this to protect our neighborhood, and our children," one protester said.

When news broke of the Maspeth residents aggressive plan to engage Commissioner Banks on his turf, Mayor de Blasio's office preemptively issued a statement on his part:

"The city will continue to engage with community members regarding this proposal, but New York City will not stand for the harassment of a government official and his family at their home."

But listen to what the Mayor had to say about a citizen's right to protest back in April 2015: "We have a deep, deep respect for the right to peacefully protest."

And as the city continues to try to force the Maspeth Holiday Inn conversion into a homeless shelter, PIX11 uncovered an increased reliance by the city to house the homeless in corporate hotels, citing data pulled directly from the recently released Mayor's Office of Operations shelter report.

When de Blasio tapped Commissioner Banks for the job last December, the city was using 36 homeless hotels.

Banks -- under his watch -- has 68 hotels that the city is relying on the house the homeless.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow. This is not only the best protest, but the best TV news coverage of this issue I've ever seen.

(sarc) said...

The problem is that the city checks the homeless in, but they never check out...

Anonymous said...

We have the right to peacefully protest in this country. Mayor de Blasio said it himself. I guess he forgot.
For the city we are the only state to house homeless people. Ok in hotels?? Motels?? Do you really care about these people once you place them?? Or is this just to show oh look what I did. Yes they got a bed. They need more than a bed. They need what you promised affordable housing. I would welcome them with open arms if you took one of those luxury apartments that are being built all over the city and turned it into affordable housing for these people. But I have not seen this happening. Luxury apartments go up all over the place with rents like mortgages still the homeless people are warehoused in hotels with no kitchens and a room full of beds.
More communities will take the lead Maspeth is doing and begin to protesting this. We are greater in numbers and we must tell the mayor shelters NO Affordable housing YES.

Jerry Rotondi said...

This is the shot that will be heard around New York City.
Continue the "Gotham Revolution" at the voting booths throughout the city.
Your local council members are the first line of attack.
Vote out the incumbents!
They are the first inline that either represent you or their own interests,
(or those who back them...REBNY?).
Remember, in a republic, we revolt at the polls. No violence, please.
There's enough of that blight in the world.

Anonymous said...

Excellent coverage and bravo to Maspeth patriots. You are showing neighborhoods around the city how to fight. Keep it up! DeBlasio's gotta go.

Joe Moretti said...

What needs to happen, is ALL communities in Queens need to ban together as one big unit and begin major protests all over Queens when a proposed homeless shelter is put into their communities. ALL communities in Queens need to start banning together as one big unit. Because what effects one community WILL effect another.

Anonymous said...

That old bag in the yellow shirt who comes out bitching and whining is the funniest thing ever. The look on her face!

Props to everyone who took the time and effort to keep on the front foot with this. As events have proven out time and again, if you lower your guard, they find a way to accomplish things in the dark.

Former Elmhurst Resident

Gary W said...

Bravo, as the community organizer in chief once said. Get in their face, punch back twice as hard.

Anonymous said...

I love that line: Get in their face, punch back twice as hard.

If other neighborhoods were nearly half as organized as Maspeth, we'd all be pushed around a whole lot less.

Anonymous said...

I hope to see more communities come out and see the lovely Windsor Terrace. Peaceful protesting. This mayor says he is ok with it.
Unlike Windsor Terrace Maspeth is a quiet community. Both filled with hard working middle class families. Both will fight for their neighborhoods.
We only want the best for the homeless families. Affordable housing not warehousing them in shelters. These people wait for affordable housing as luxury apartments go up all over the city.
Where is the affordable housing Mr Mayor!!

Anonymous said...

Well said, Joe Moretti. Unfortunately, Queens Residents haven't figured that out yet. Middle Village had a poor showing when it was announced that a shelter would be put on their boarder. They left it up to Glendale to fight. There's strength in numbers and communities need to ban together and fight City Hall.

Now, how do we accomplish this?

Anonymous said...

Too bad DeBlahblah!

Anonymous said...

Dissent Will Not Be TOLERATED,Mr Mayor,Order the police to start cracking open heads,white people have had it to good for too long,
Bust Heads Now or Lose my VOTE!!

Anonymous said...

Isn't it funny how upset politicians get when it comes to THEIR neighborhood?

Anonymous said...

I'm so proud of the Maspeth residents!! If people don't start to take an interest in what is going on in their communities, DeBlasio and his goons will completely ruin them.

Everyone should band together and stand up for the communities just like Maspeth has done.

Anonymous said...

Diblasio only believes in the right to protest when it's for one of his liberal causes or a black lives matter protest against police. If it's against any of the ideas he supports he does not want you to protest and you are labeled as biased and racist.

Anonymous said...

That woman is Bank's maid. She has to clean up after the news reporters and the rest of you rabble. Go back to Queens you bums!!

Anonymous said...

You say "harassment", we say protest - which is still permissible by law..

Anonymous said...

Now that's a really great location for a motel/homeless shelter, right next to Commissioner Banks. And BTW, give me my job back at HRA!! or I'll be in the shelter next.

Anonymous said...

To Councilman Brad Lander....this has nothing to do with Trump.
This has to do with citizens who are not happy with what this administration is doing.
These citizens have every right to protest.
Let's get this straight Maspeth is NOT against homeless people. We are against the shelters being put here. This administration promised affordable housing and we have yet to see it.
Shelters are not the answer for these people. Affordable housing is. A place for these people to call home. Sticking them in hotel rooms is not the solution. This administration might feel so but these people fell on hard times. Job loss etc.
They do not need to be placed like cattle or warehoused in a hotel.
Has anyone ever saw the conditions of these shelters? And there are still homeless people sleeping under overpasses, along the service roads or even pitching tents in parks. Where they offered hotel rooms??
This city will always have a homeless problem and it will continue to grow as more jobs are leaving and the taxes we pay keep increasing.
Businesses are already saying they can not keep up with the $15 minimum raise increase. Watch and see.

Anonymous said...

Ha-ha I love these people they are great ! Yeah when you go to the homes embarrass & rattle them they get the point very quick.
Let the mayor violate their civil rights & liberty's, then they can go to his house to serve a notice to sue him.
Now I want to live in Maspeth !!

Middle Villager said...

"Middle Village had a poor showing when it was announced that a shelter would be put on their boarder."... Have to disagree, -MV had a good showing at the CK meeting and many let their wallets do the talking.

Anonymous said...

Mayor's running scared. They see a revolution coming. Giant March on city hall coming. Maspeth leadership gave Preet the ammunition he needs to nail de Blasio.

Anonymous said...

The city wants to bring back the good old days of places like the Park Plaza and Martinique.

http://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/27/nyregion/as-a-hotel-is-emptied-the-poor-move-on.html?pagewanted=all

JQ LLC said...

This was fucking delightful to watch. Occupy tony pretty ass Brooklyn. I suggest getting an extra bus to bring a good chunk of the homeless being dropped in other towns without warning, giving them tents and airmattresses and setting them down in windsor terrace, park slope and downtown brooklyn. Maybe get a kickstarter fund started and really test the faith, concern and bleeding soulless hearts of Banks, De Faustio and their Developer and hedge fund overlords

But for now paying him a visit at his green, high end, vibrant abode is good enough. And again and again. I wonder how he felt having something dropped on him without warning felt.






Ms. Tsouris said...

Gee Mr Marxist doesn't like the great unwashed rabble at the doorsteps of his courtiers?? That's what happens when you live in a so-called democracy, yer honor. The good people of Maspeth are examples of great patriots!! Power to the people!

Anonymous said...

You guys in Maspeth are AMAZING! Excellent idea, job well done! We need more communities to take things as serious as you do and get things done. Duh-blah-ZZZ-io will be a one term mayor thanks to communities like yours!

Anonymous said...

Continue ramming it up Duh Blaz's ass like a spiked dildo!