[NYTr] Forced Labor in NYC Housing Projects

[nytr at tania.blythe-systems.com]

CONTACTS:
Ray Normandeau, 718-392-1267, Press Secretary,
Queensbridge Tenant Council, http://www.Queensbridge.us

Michael Cornelius, NYCHA Queens Borough Management,
718-657-8300

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 24, 2004


              Forced Labor in the Projects
                Work Will Make You Free?
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Mayor Mike Bloomberg has been quoted as saying "We have
an obligation, I think, for everybody to give back."

There are a few things that Bloomberg is not telling
you, about the New York City Housing Authority forced
labor program.

Some NYCHA tenants do not get any subsidy at all for
their apartment. They are paying the full operating
cost.

Altho the New York City Housing Authority administers
both regular housing projects and "Section 8" Housing,
the Section 8 tenants are automatically exempt from the
forced labor. How can Bloomberg justify that? The
tenants get the same financial help, as needed. Rita
Normandeau, Vice President of the Queensbridge Tenant
Association, feels that it could be because there are
too many White people in Section 8 housing?
Queensbridge Houses on the other hand is over 90%
minority.

It is believed that Hassidim in NYCHA Williamsburg
projects will not have to do the forced labor. Can
Bloomberg deny preferential treatment for special
ethnic groups in NYCHA projects? We suspect that the
drug dealers will not be doing the forced labor either.
They make enough money to send someone in their place.

Maybe there would be more people working full time if
NYCHA insisted that their contractors hired and trained
tenants to do some of the work. Instead the awarding of
NYCHA contracts has been tainted with bribery. Very few
people have NOT heard about a plethora of organized
crime connections to NYCHA contracts. As recently as
April 2004 it appears that Michael Cornelius, Director
of NYCHA Queens Borough Management is covering-up for
contractors!

Cornelius is so oblivious to proper housing management
that someone should ask him why the only convicted
violent child molester in all of ZIP code 11101 is
living in Queensbridge Houses. Someone should also ask
him about all the problems with the new Maytag
refrigerators. Is he forwarding complaints up the chain
or covering-up for them too?

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