 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
tel/fax:
718.362.4784
Please note our new postal address when sending
contributions to the legal fund:
121 5th Avenue, PMB #150
Brooklyn, New York 11217
About DDDB
Our coalition consists of 21 community organizations and
there are 51 community organizations formally
aligned in opposition to the Ratner plan.
DDDB is a volunteer-run organization. We have over 5,000
subscribers to our email newsletter, and 7,000 petition
signers. Over 800 volunteers have registered with DDDB
to form our various teams, task-forces and committees
and we have over 150 block captains. We have a 20 person
volunteer legal team of local lawyers supplementing our
retained attorneys.
We are funded entirely by individual donations from the community at large
and through various fundraising events we and supporters have organized.
We have the financial support of well over 3,500 individual
donors.
More about
DDDB...
|
|
|
|
 |
ARCHIVES:
By Date|
By Category|
Text Search
|
Museum Director Arnold Lehman Doth Protest Too Much
Yet more press coverage
of the demonstration protesting the
Brooklyn Museum's celebration of Atlantic Yards proposer Bruce Ratner (if you
haven't endorsed this open letter
to the Museum board, you still can):
Brooklyn
Developer Ratner Feted as Protesters Jeer
By Patrick Cole. Bloomberg News
The Brooklyn Museum gala honoring developer Bruce Ratner brought out scores of
celebrities, friends and supporters last night, as well as detractors who stood
in the evening chill to protest his plans to make over a 22-acre swath of the
New York borough.
Guests who paid $1,000 for dinner and a reception catered by chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa's
Nobu 57 restaurant included a cross- section of stars from the worlds of entertainment,
fashion, art and finance: designer Marc Jacobs, former tennis great John McEnroe,
actress Kristin Davis and Grammy Award-winning rapper Kanye West, who served
up an ear-splitting performance after dinner.
Meanwhile, Clem Labine, a resident of Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood, stood
outside with about 60 others who jeered and chanted slogans in opposition to
the project. Labine, no relation to the former Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher who
died a year ago at 80, held a placard that said, ``Brooklyn Museum Sold Out
Brooklyn's Communities.''
Labine said Ratner's $4 billion Atlantic Yards project will rely on the government's
power of eminent domain to push people out of their homes.
"I heard about this a couple of weeks ago, and I couldn't believe it,''
said Labine, 70, dressed in a black bowler, business suit and a black tie. "Ratner
is a totally divisive character, and I had to protest this decision by the museum.''
Pineapple Pillows
A clutch of demonstrators watched the guests through the museum's ground-floor
windows as they dined on tuna martini, miso filet of beef and, for dessert,
pineapple pillows.
After dinner, a smiling Ratner shook hands with well-wishers and shrugged off
the protest.
"One of the terrific things about this city and country is that people
are allowed to express their views, they're allowed to protest, and I respect
that,'' he said in an interview. "Obviously, I don't agree with them, and
the museum doesn't agree with them.''
The Brooklyn Ball, the 185-year-old museum's spring fundraiser, chose Ratner
for the Augustus Graham Medal (named for one of the institution's founders),
because of his philanthropic support, Director Arnold Lehman said in an interview.
Lehman declined to say how much Ratner had donated to the museum. Ratner said
he's been a donor for about 15 years.
The Atlantic
Yards Report
has some information on that. The article continues:
"Honoring Bruce Ratner has nothing to do with anything other
than his terrific patronage over a very long period of time,'' Lehman said.
"We're not involved in the politics that seems to be swirling around us.''
...
The man doth protest too much.
Not involved? Swirling around you? What about this swirling within...
The Brooklyn Museum's
Board includes:
The April 3rd Brooklyn Ball 2008 Benefit Committee Chairs included (out of 8):
- Joanne Minieri (the same)
- Brett D. Yormark
- President and CEO of Nets Sports & Entertainment (marketing
guru)
- Jay-Z - international hip hop star, and entrepreneur and .8%
owner of the Nets
And committee vice chairs include:
And let's not forget that it was the Brooklyn
Museum that hosted the Forest City Ratner/Barclays gala press event announcing
the $400 million arena naming rights deal.
Mr. Lehman, with all due respect, when you decided to honor and celebrate Bruce
Ratner in the midst of an ongoing epic community fight, you've
involved yourself in "the politics that seem to be swirling around" you, next
door to you.
Posted: 4.04.08
|
|
|
|
