ACORN

Last Wednesday, on the evening of the final presidential debate of this cycle, held at Hofstra University, Senator John McCain alleged in the most cautious terms he could muster, that ACORN "is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy." 

Nearby, in the Uniondale section of Hempstead Iona Emsley cringed.  For the last 19 years, Ms. Emsley has worked with various chapters of ACORN--in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island--to fight for social, housing and immigrant rights.   read more »

With a do-or-die City Council vote approaching, today has already brought two tidbits in the fight over the Willets Point redevelopment: A new promotional video by a city-sponsored group, and a rally critical of the plan by affordable housing advocates.

The video, commissioned by the Flushing/Willets Point/Corona Local Development Corporation, paints a cheery picture of the development as a series of business leaders and elected officials supportive of the plan laud its merits.

The protest, scheduled to be going on midday by City hall, is organized by affordable housing groups ACORN and the Pratt Center for Community Development, which promised appearances by elected officials.

For the multi-billion dollar plan pushed by the Bloomberg administration, judgment day is nearing. The City Council has a hearing scheduled later this month, and a vote could conceivably come before November (though it must happen before December), and for now, the administration and the Council are far apart.  read more »

A coalition of activists in parts of Brooklyn that includes ACORN is organizing against prolific real estate developer Shaya Boymelgreen, circulating fliers and putting up a website to stop him from developing land near the Gowanus Canal until toxins below the surface are cleaned up.

Boymelgreen, who has been called a "mega developer," has been a prolific contributor to local candidates.

This should be interesting to watch.