Shut Up! Shouts CB9 District Manager Pearl Miles To Brooklyn Community Residents - New York J’Ouvert In Danger

[Pan Times]

Brooklyn, New York - If you think that a steelband meeting of any sort, can be heated and disagreeable, think again. Even the most contentious steelband meeting pales in comparison to what When Steel Talks (WST) witnessed last evening. Emotions ran high from start to end at the Brooklyn Community Board 9 meeting, originally begun in the Edison O. Jackson Auditorium at Medgar Evers College on September 23. Indeed all signs early on indicated that this was not going to be your normal ‘communal gathering’ - as the initial venue quickly filled up and overflowed outside, with many people shut out, and still more arriving continuously. In fact NYPD (New York Police Department) declared the auditorium a ‘fire hazard’ because of the over-run of people, with the exit being blocked, etc. The meeting was quickly moved to Medgar’s main auditorium across the street which, too, quickly filled up to capacity.
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[VALENTINE YOUNG]

The Problem Here is about Economics. For Years the Jews had been Advocating to Remove Labor Day Celebrations from Eastern Park way. This is a Smoke Screen that they are now using to get their Wishes. If We give in and Allow them to Re-Zone The Jour vert this will be the First Step to get Us off the Park Way. They are Hiding Behind the Re-Zoning Effort. I Have Noticed for a Long time That the Jews and Other European Groups are Slowly Trying to Reclaim Brooklyn. They Are Moving in Very Slowly and Meticulously. We Have To Fight Tooth and Nails to Prevent This or We are Going to Be Pushed Out. They Got The Money and The Power to do So. It's not going to Be Easy, so We Must Fight with Whatever Resources We Have. It a Tough a Battle But We Can't Give Up.

[Keith Marcelle]

Mr. Young what you and the other folks have said is the truth. Here is some more, we have allowed ourselves to be locked out.

We don't participate in anything that is related to the community, from block associations, to community boards, local, city, state or federal politics. We live in a vacuum, so we don't amass any power, or the ability to control those who have the power. We have no one that sits in any political office that can advocate on our behalf. Look at all the other communities, they have Governors, Mayors, State and City Officials, we are not fared nor respected. Just imagine a few years ago in the 80s, a black woman driving a school bus on the service road of Eastern parkway accidently bounced a Jewish child, a few of them (Jews) pulled the driver out of the bus and beat her, the person or persons were arrested and taken to the 71st Pct, within and hour after the person was arrested the Pct was surrounded by people form the Jewish community talking about  to storming the Pct and not a gun shot, tear gas, night stick was used, now just imagine if that was our community and you and I were in that crowd. That's the power they have. Just about every other cultural group has demanded respect and gotten it, because they have either put people in power or control someone who is in power.

So folks let's wakeup and get proactive and give ourselves the power.

[VALENTINE YOUNG]

Keith. They Still Look at us with the Eyes of Slave Masters. They Have No Respect for Us. As I Previously Said they Have The Money, the Power with the backing of Law Enforcement on their Side. They Seems to be Tolerating us in their Midst. We need Unity not Only By Mouth but By Actions, Most of Us Do Our Actions with Our Mouths. Keep Me Informed of the Next Meeting. I Will Surely Be There. Unity is Strength.

Print and Distribute Flyers. Most of the Older Folks who Cares don't Have Access to Computers So Information is Limited. Lets Fight The Fight.

[Keith Marcelle]

I will keep WST readers posted and we will find a way to spread the word better.

Thank you.

[Carlton E. Munroe]

USSA should use WST bulletin board to announce pending meetings with the time and place for such meetings and I

think that it is time the WIADCA get involved in the struggle. It is time for all West Indians along with the masses to

get with the program. It's never to late. Like thesistersaid " Together we Stand, Divided we Fall".

[Keith Marcelle]

As a follow up to this article.

Some time after, a motion to rescind the previous vote was made and seconded, after some discussion the Board voted yes to rescind, the  vote was recorded as, sixteen (16) yes, nine (9) no and eight (8) abstentions. 

After the Chairperson was caught playing with words, it  was determined that it would be placed back into the community's hands to decide what takes place next, not the committee.

It will be redbaited at future Community Board meetings.

Good luck and praises  to the residents of Community Board 9, you won this battle, but the war is far from over.

Pan people please take note what happens when you truly stick together. USSA is not perfect, but it's here and despite what you may think or feel, it has been working for the betterment of the Steelband movement since 2001. When it stumbles and fall down, instead of cutting and running, help it up to it's feet, show it where it tripped so it would avoid that path in the future, this is so it can continue on your behalf.

I see a lot of ideas posted on the internet, some good, some bad and some fantastic, but it will have little or no significance if the only place it's known is on the internet. When there is a General Meeting attend it and present your ideas and thoughts, get involved with the Association, it is time to embrace the Organization and stop shunning it, ( REMEMBER YOU CAN OLNY CREATE CHANGE OR EFFECT CHANGE FROM WITHIN) also please stop focusing on panorama and the ills that come from it, panorama is one day, we have three hundred and sixty-four (364) more days to consider. If you are unaware of meeting dates post inquires and you will be notified.

We may not agree on everything, BUT TOGETHER WE CAN OVERCOME ANYTHING!

TOGETHER IN UNITY

[wmlpan]

Let's hope that it indeed goes back to the community for open debate, if it was done without it in the first place. Because it may not have been rescinded.  Got this online-

Sixteen board members voted to rescind the resolution, nine members voted no and eight abstained, sparking cheers from MTOPP members who believed they successfully overturned CB9's earlier resolution.

However, the elation quickly gave way to confusion as those in the audience tried to figure out whether the abstention votes would count as yes, no, or neutral as the meeting adjourned.

When asked about the outcome immediately following the vote, CB9 Chairman Dwayne Nicholson didn’t have an answer, saying “I’m going to have to find that out.”

NOTE:

On Wednesday morning, the confusion continued as CB9 district manager Pearl Miles initially told DNAinfo New York the vote to rescind had passed successfully — then later clarified that under the rules of the city’s community board handbook, “there must be more ‘yes’ votes than the total of ‘no’ votes and abstentions combined in order for a motion to carry.”

As a result, abstention votes had to be counted as no votes, which meant the rezoning study resolution would be allowed to stand — 17 against, 16 in favor, she said.

The confusion outraged critics.

Here's the link to the full post - http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140924/crown-heights/vote-rescind...

So that may be the current interpretation.  So that re-debate if/when it happens is much needed.

[Arlene Ann Jackson]

I agree totally with everything that is written here.  "united we stand, divided we fall"

 

[BEDE LOPEZ]

While I am against the "Rezoning Plan in the area of Empire Blvd to make way for Affordable Housing" because it will affect the Steel bands at Jouvert it will be very difficult to win in this situation. The Gov't is saying "Affordable Housing" but I have seen in Washington, DC  where they say the same thing (Affordable Housing) and its not so, it became Affordable Housing only if "You could Afford  it".

My guess is, if we lose we might have to use the Eastern Parkway for Jouvert also from 1am to 9am and give the City a chance to cleanup from 9am to 11am for the West Indian Day Parade, (Just my thoughts)   

[VALENTINE YOUNG]

Good Foresight Bede. You Make Good Sense. If We a Lose the Battle this Will Be Good Alternative.