Al Sharpton to the rescue!

captain m

What is Al's job anyways?

http://ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=52217

candicissima

Subject: Re: Al Sharpton to the rescue!

Captain Marvelous wrote: What is Al's job anyways?

"Consultant"/shameless publicity whore. Pays well I hear.

carnivore

Although Al Sharpton is a parody of himself, and I often don't agree with him, I do think that he honestly believes he is taking principled stands to advocate for his community. That doesn't mean he isn't an opportunist who uses those stands to further his own ambition, but I don't think he cynically takes positions he doesn't believe in to further his own agenda (like Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc.).

flute

I think he's trying to fill Jessie Jackson's shoes.

carnivore

FLUTE wrote: I think he's trying to fill Jessie Jackson's shoes.

He's no Jesse Jackson.

flute

Agreed. But I think he'd like to take on the Jessie Jackson mantle. I've read there is in fact a bit of a rivalry between the two now.

flute

Ooops, sorry. My faux pas: Jesse, not Jessie.

anonymous

anyone with a civil rights history who supports this project is going against their grain. and then the question is why?
and if the answer is some payback, that sucks.
if the answer is Jobs and Housing.
then the question is: how much of your soul do you have to give up for jobs and housing? or is Bruce Ratner's Metropolis the only way to create jobs and housing? and that is a rhetorical question.

Al, you've done wrong.

ana.log

does anyone know if support for the arena is divided along racial lines at all? i'm just curious.

dailyheights

ana.log wrote: does anyone know if support for the arena is divided along racial lines at all? i'm just curious.

Uh... yes and no.

http://www.dailyheights.com/archives/2005/07/who_saw_al.html

anonymous

Al has never done wrong.
He's not a politician. Anyone who watched the Democratic debates would identify with his honesty towards all the issues. He is definetly not a spin doctor.
In this case he is looking @ for the interests of the minority contractors. Don't hate him because he's advocating job proliferation for african american men and women. Sure it's for Ratnerville, but it's a huge opportunity for the smaller minority businesses.
A local plumber in PH has been succesful with City and other public agencies awarding him contracts. But his biggest issue has been the private sector.
He mentioned that it has been disturbing, over the years, to create a name for yourself with these multiple public tasks and not having opportunities in the private sector. It's as if his resume is based on social promotion.
i can be sympathetic and I bet Al has heard many similar stories from local minority contractors

anonymous

sure, but if you read the CBA FCR has many outs. with small penalities. small enough to be the cost of doing business

anonymous

ana.log

no. support/oppostion does not break along racial lines. yes, it was 95% black in attendance at the Sharpton pep rally, according to this blog's adminstrator, but what does that say, other than who was a the rally.
over the past 19 months petitioning against the Ratner plan, signers are black, white, multi-ethnic, multi-age and income. and i would think supporters, though there are fewer supporters, are as mixed in make-up as well.

anonymous

Yes, there is a diverse group opposing this plan, but the African-American opposition comes from the wealthy and educated Fort-Greene and PH/ PS community.
If those opposing want a larger group and demographic, they should subsidize these businesses and keep them employed for the duration of the Ratner project.
And by the way, penalties and bonuses (You failed to mention that their contracts include huge bonuses) are part of a legal contract. You can't just include a penalty without offsetting it with bonuses

anonymous

guest: Yes, there is a diverse group opposing this plan, but the African-American opposition comes from the wealthy and educated Fort-Greene and PH/ PS community.

guest, i don't think that is accurate. i think it doesn't break down that way. i've seen it.

anonymous

Al has never done wrong.

Does anyone remember Tawana Brawley?

daveb

Anonymous wrote:

Al has never done wrong.

Does anyone remember Tawana Brawley?

Suh-nap!