We all know that while the Mayor failed our community miserably in the Bloomberg Blizzard, there were several Council Members who represented the Jewish community that went above and beyond the call of duty – fighting tirelessly on behalf of our community. Councilman David Greenfield led the fight to clean up our streets and was even spotted in the early hours of the morning directing plows toward the uncleaned streets of his district. His colleague, Jumaane Williams, partnered with Greenfield as a high-profile advocate on our community’s behalf. A disappointingly lower profile, but still hard at work, was Councilman Steve Levin. Councilwoman Leitia James worked hard too. Even Dov Hikind, who is a State Assembly Member and has no jurisdiction over the city, went above and beyond in his criticism of the Mayor. However, there were many Council Members, who get paid to focus on city services, that literally went on vacation while there districts were suffering. All we can say is SHAME ON THEM!
We were shocked when we reached out to all the local Council Members representing the Jewish areas that were hard-hit by the Bloomberg Blizzard. We expected them to at the very least have staff answer our phone calls. Sadly, many were on vacation or simply did not answer the phone. Please don’t forgot that these politicians were NOT THERE FOR YOU next time these READ MORE AT FLATBUSHSCOOP.COM.
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10 Responses
The “Absentee 4” should at least apologize explain and commit to future availability, otherwise, we, the voters are the fools.
We shouldn’t find fault with people who planned vacations or possibly even left for their vacations before the blizzard started. What is unacceptable is that no one answered the phones in their offices!
Mike Nelson’s non-response is par for the course. He has never played an active role in resolving community-wide or
individual constituent issues. His staff is of the “play nice” but do nothing variety. Are there any Greenfield clones out there who want to run in our district?!
As someone who was in touch with all the abovementioned, and sopke to people in all neighborhoods, I’m dismayed by your comment about Steve Levin. He was more effective than all the rest. He was the first to issue a statment criticizing the response (I’m refering to a statement of his own, b4 being on a joint statment with Greenfield).
He was out there, walking the Williamsburgh Streets, and was in constant touch with Sanitation to pressure them to speed up plowing. (I was surprised that he didn’t even take one photo from his walk on Lee, Bedford and Penn St. Tuesday, because he didn’t came for the camera, but for the results).
Fact of the matter, his disrict was much better cleanded than all the other’s, possibly because he didn’t try to be in the news and infuriate people when you need them, and rather worked constructivley to acheive rfesults.
Also, worth to metion is Leitia James, represting Williamsburg-Bed Stuy South of Flushing. She returned every phone call, and took every unplowed street personal.
Shame on them. Wish I knew their names for future elections.
It irks me when you post articles with terrible grammar and spelling mistakes. can’t you do a simple check prior to posting, so that you look somewhat professional?
Sam, Please re-read the article. It clearly says that Steve Levin & Leita James were out there doing they”re jobs, just not as loudly as David Greenfield
I live in Kensington, where the cleanup was lacking, and very late in coming. Kensington is brad Lander’s district, When I called his office to complain, I got an assistant, who said that Lander wasn’t in but he took my name and number down.
Friday early afternoon I got a call from Councilman Lader from his Cell Phone. He called to tell me that he had been to my block and the surrounding blocks that morning, and told me that he was appalled by the horrendous state of the lack of cleanup.
He told me that he had been “promised” by the city that there would be multiple plows on site with in 2-3 hours. He was calling me to confirm that my complaint was being addressed. As I was talking to him two plows passed in opposite directions on Ditmas Ave. and a bobcat tractor started doing the side street.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!!
Dear YWN,
Are you Mr Greenfield’s brother? Why is EVERYTHING Greenfield does SO wonderfull and brilliant and perfect and EVERYTHING anyone else does is either wrong, silly, pathetic or at best, okay? It is really irksome already to continually hear this garbage? I have nothing against Mr Greenfield at all and I believe he is doing a great job but PLEASE try to keep things in proportion….
The last YWN-Moderator-105’s comment that Mr Greenfield is just the most loud of them all, shouldn’t make YWN publish every noise he makes nor fall into the loudness trap of believing the most noise = the best!!!
Leitia James is the councilperson from Crown Heights. I called her office last week to complain about the non- snow removal in Crown Heights, the answering machine went on saying that the office is closed until after New Years. She also happens to be the chairperson on the oversight committee on sanitation. Her office was not available for her constituents. I had even called Greenfields office with the above complaint asking if they have Ms. James cell # the women said she did not. Let us not re-write the facts, Her office was closed ,on vacation.
To YW Moderator 105 & Sifsei Chachomim:
(Re comment 6) Letitia James was later added on Flatbus Scoop, after posting the same comment there. Thanks for correcting. I’m disappointed by being disappointed with Levin, when his way prove to be far more effective.
(Re comment 9) I have James’ celphobne, and so have numerous of my neighbors. She personally returned each and every message. Too bad you didnt try to leaver her a message. She also came down to Spencer corner Myrtle, where a lot of residents met her.