Brannan Accepted Money From Pac Tied to Real Estate Lobbying
Today, Gothamist wrote about Councilman Justin Brannan accepting Pac money today. (See here)
If you have been reading this blog for awhile, you know a few years ago, I supported Justin Brannan for NYC Council.
A lot has changed in a few years!
Justin Brannan used to be against REBNY.
Brannan used to be against lobbyists.
Will the Bay Ridge Democrats endorse a candidate that is connected with lobbyists?
Years ago, Brannan used to want to cut the red tape for residents. Now he cuts the red tape for developers.
If you were at the CB10’s Meeting two months ago, Brannan spoke for a hotel being built in Bay Ridge. The zoning of the area had to be changed (which opened that area up for other possible structures that Bay Ridge doesn’t need).
When Industry City in Sunset Park was going to be rezoned to benefit developers, Brooklyn fought back. Brannan did not, but he should have! Bay Ridge business owners would have been hurt by that development. Brooklynites spoke one after the other against Industry City’s plans and they withdrew them!
Weeks later, it was decided that waterfront will become a wind turbine and around 1,200 jobs will be created on the Brooklyn site.
Then there was the Angel Guardian Home fiasco. Why does NYC’s Lobbyist database show lobbyists involved with Angel Guardian Home?
Brannan shouldn’t have been at the Angel Guardian Landmarking meeting, as he is not the Councilman for that district! Gounardes should have done his job as he was very knowledgeable about landmarking (so much so that he was teaching classes in landmarking). There should not have been any donations from the developer to the politicians.
In 2018, Justin Brannan pushed this bill to help small business owners. After putting up the bill, he hasn’t done anything to help them. He’s hasn’t even mentioned the bill. (More info here) Brannan did not support SBJSA (Small Business Jobs Survival Act). (See info)
However, Brannan has continuously pushed for a drone bill. (See here) An article in Crain’s NY pointed out that Tech NYC, the city’s industry lobbying group, and the DJI Technology, were the lobbyist pushing for this. (See more info here)
No, I don’t want to see Brannan and Gounardes playing with a podium in front of a restaurant pretending they are advocating for businesses the afternoon after Nicole Malliotakis and the business owners had done the work. (Yes we caught that!)
We’ve been here before, Bay Ridge.
When politicians are more concerned about lobbyists and developers, they are no longer representing Bay Ridge. I hope there is a candidate that believes that $148,500 for a salary is decent and he/she can swear off lobbyists.
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Hugs,
marlene
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